What's Happening in Space Policy February 2-6, 2015

Here is our list of space policy related events for the week of February 2-6, 2015 and any insight we can offer about them.  The House and Senate will be in session this week.

During the Week

This is budget week in Washington.  The President will submit his FY2016 budget request to Congress tomorrow (Monday), kicking off debate over how much the government should spend and on what in the “discretionary spending” portion of the federal budget.  FY2016 begins on October 1, 2015.   Discretionary spending is generally broken into two parts — defense and non-defense.   NASA and NOAA are part of non-defense discretionary spending.  Although by law the sequester goes back into effect in FY2016, a senior administration official told reporters last week that the President’s budget request will not adhere to the spending caps set by the law.  The President apparently believes that the deeply unpopular sequester rules will be waived again (as they were for FY2014 and FY2015) or repealed or replaced entirely.  

Most departments and agencies hold budget briefings the day the budget is released, as does the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).  Typically the budget is posted on the Office of Management and Budget’s website in mid-morning, followed by the individual briefings.  Traditionally the NASA Administrator holds a budget briefing in Washington, but this year Administrator Bolden will be at Kennedy Space Center and instead will “address the progress made and the exciting work ahead on the agency’s exploration initiative that secures America’s leadership in space.”  That talk will be broadcast on NASA TV, especially to all the NASA field centers, which are holding “State of NASA” events for the public that include tours, briefings, and listening to Bolden.  For all the budget-watchers and policy wonks, explaining the budget request will be left to NASA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) David Radzanowski, who succeeded Beth Robinson as CFO last year.   He will hold a telecon with the media at 4:00 pm ET that will be broadcast on NASA’s News Audio website.

Another big event this week will be the confirmation hearing for Ash Carter to be the new Secretary of Defense.  That hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled for Wednesday at 9:30 am ET.

Also on Wednesday, as well as Thursday, is the annual Commercial Space Transportation conference sponsored by the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation.  It will be held at the National Housing Conference Center in Washington, DC, the same locale as the last several years.

On Thursday, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) will hold its 2nd annual “State of the Universe” briefing on Capitol Hill to highlight new discoveries about the universe in the past year.

Those and other events we know about as of Sunday afternoon are listed below.

Monday, February 2

• Obama Administration Submits FY2016 Budget Request to Congress
  • Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) budget briefing, 1:30-2:30 pm ET, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC (will be webcast)
  • Department of Defense budget briefing, 1:30 pm ET, the Pentagon
  • NASA budget briefing, telecon, 4:00 pm ET (audio will be webcast)
• NASA Administrator Bolden briefing on status of exploration program, Kennedy Space Center, 1:30 pm ET (will be webcast)

Monday, February 2 – Friday, February 13

•  U.N. Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, Vienna, Austria
  • Public event highlighting 1-Year Mission to ISS, February 5, 12:30 pm CET (6:30 am EST) will be webcast

Wednesday, February 4

• SASC nomination hearing for Ash Carter to be Secretary of Defense, G-50 Dirksen, 9:30 am ET

Wednesday-Thursday, February 4-5

• 18th annual Commercial Space Transportation conference, National Housing Conference Center, Washington, DC 

Thursday, February 5

• AAS “State of the Universe” briefing, 2325 Rayburn, 12:00-1:00 pm ET