What's Happening in Space Policy March 16-20, 2015
Here is our list of space policy related events coming up during the week of March 16-20, 2015 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session.
During the Week
It’s another busy week with two major conferences, lots of congressional hearings, a NAC subcommittee meeting and more.
It is tough to choose what to highlight because it’s all really good stuff, but to pick just one, the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee hearing on Tuesday should be especially interesting. The title is “Assuring Assured Access to Space” and witnesses include SpaceX’s Gwynne Shotwell and United Launch Alliance’s (ULA’s) Tory Bruno along with two defense department acquisition officials, commander of Air Force Space Command Gen. Hyten, and retired Maj. Gen. Mitch Mitchell who led a study of RD-180 alternatives last year. Topics are expected to include certifying new entrants like SpaceX to launch EELV-class national security satellites currently launched exclusively by ULA and the need (or not) for a new American-made rocket engine to replace Russia’s RD-180 used for ULA’s Atlas 5. SpaceX’s position is that its Merlin engines for the Falcon rockets already are an American alternative so why is another one needed. ULA, meanwhile, announced last fall that it is partnering with Blue Origin on the BE-4 engine as an American alternative. Everything seemed on a fast track last fall with Congress insisting on no more RD-180s after 2019 (though there are exceptions),but this year’s testimony by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and ULA’s most recent statements seem to be putting the brakes on. Whether that’s a dose of reality or slow-rolling the inevitable is unclear at the moment — perhaps the hearing will shed some light.
Monday-Friday, March 16-20
- Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2015 (LPSC 2015), Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, The Woodlands, TX
Monday-Thursday, March 16-19
- Satellite 2015, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC
Tuesday, March 17
- CLOSED SASC Briefing on Cyber, Space and Strategic Competition with China and Russia, SVC-217 Capitol, 9:00 am ET
- HASC Hearing on FY2016 Budget for Military Departments, 2118 Rayburn, 10:00 am ET
- House Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing on FY2016 Budget for FAA, 2358-A Rayburn, 10:00 am ET
- WSBR Luncheon Featuring SpaceX’s Gwynne Shotwell, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC, 11:30 am – 1:15 pm ET
- Sierra Nevada Press Conference on Dream Chaser Cargo System, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC, 3:00 pm eT
- HASC Subcommittee Hearing on Assuring Assured Access to Space, 2118 Rayburn, 3:30 pm ET
Tuesday-Wednesday, March 17-18
- NASA Advisory Council (NAC) Astrophysics Subcommittee, NASA HQ, Washington, DC
Wednesday, March 18
- House Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing on NOAA’s FY2016 Budget, H-309 Capitol, 10:30 am ET
- NASA News Conference with Upcoming ISS Crew Member, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, 1:00 pm CT (2:00 pm ET, watch on NASA TV)
- SASC Posture Hearing for Army and Air Force, 106 Dirksen, 2:30 pm ET
Thursday, March 19
- SASC Hearing on U.S. Strategic Command (and others), G-50 Dirksen, 9:30 am ET
User Comments
SpacePolicyOnline.com has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate. We do not post comments that include links to other websites since we have no control over that content nor can we verify the security of such links.