What's Happening in Space Policy September 1-12, 2014

Here is our list of space policy-related events for the next TWO weeks, September 1-12, 2014 and any insight we can offer about them.  Congress returns on September 8.

During the Weeks

This coming Wednesday and Thursday (September 3-4), two committees that guide NASA’s astrobiology and planetary science activities will meet at the same time, although offset by three hours since one is on the East Coast and the other is on the West Coast.  The NASA Advisory Council’s Planetary Science Subcommittee (NAC/PSS) provides tactical advice to NASA, while the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science (CAPS) is an NRC standing committee that cannot formally give “advice,” but provides strategic guidance.  NAC/PSS is meeting at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, while CAPS is meeting at the NRC’s Beckman Center in Irvine, CA.  Both committees usually get briefings from many of the same NASA officials to inform their deliberations, so they have arranged to have portions of the meetings held jointly via videoconference.  (The joint sessions are shown on the CAPS agenda, but not on the NAC/PSS agenda. at least as of today).

NASA has made no official announcement, but its decision on the winner(s) of the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCAP) contract(s) could be revealed this week.  Rumors that the agency would announce its choice(s) in late August proved unfounded.  NASA itself has been vague all along, saying it would happen in “late August or early September.”

Next week, on September 8, Congress returns.  The House and Senate will have just over three weeks to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded when FY2015 begins on October 1.  House and Senate Republican leaders are vowing that there will be no government shutdown this year.  The House is scheduled to be in session September 8-11, September 16-19, and September 29 – October 2 before recessing for the elections.  The Senate will be in session September 8-12 and September 15-19, with its schedule for the remainder of the month TBA.

No space-related hearings have been announced for September yet, but that could change as everyone gets back into the swing of things.   

Meanwhile, here are the meetings we know about for September 1-12, 2014 as of Sunday morning, August 31.   Enjoy the Labor Day weekend!

Wednesday-Thursday, September 3-4

• NASA Advisory Council Planetary Science Subcommittee (NAC/PSS), NASA HQ, Washington, DC, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm ET both days
• National Research Council Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science (CAPS), NRC Beckman Center, Irvine, CA
     
• NAC/PSS and CAPS will have joint sessions via videconference each day (see the CAPS agenda)

Monday, September 8

• Congress returns from recess

Monday-Friday, September 8-12

• Euroconsult World Satellite Business Week, Paris FR
  • Summit for Satellite Financing, September 8-10
  • Symposium on Market Forecasts, September 11
  • Summit on Earth Observation Business, September 11-12

Tuesday, September 9

• WIA Breakfast featuring Air Force Chief Scientist Mica Endsley, Rtiz-Carlton Pentagon City, Arlington, VA, 8:00 am – 9:30 pm ET
• NASA International Space Station Advisory Committee, NASA HQ, Washington, DC, 1:00-2:00 pm ET

Tuesday-Wednesday, September 9-10

• AMOS 2014 Conference, Maui, Hawaii

Wednesday, September 10

• Soyuz TMA-12M landing, Kazakhstan, 10:24 pm ET (September 11 local time at the landing site)

Thursday, September 11

• National Research Council (NRC) Space Technology Industry-Government-University Roundtable (STIGUR), National Academy of Sciences building, 2101 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm ET
• Changing the Culture of Human Spaceflight Lecture by Wayne Hale, Rice University, Houston, TX, 7:00 pm CT

Friday, September 12

• NASA Advisory Council (NAC) HEO Research Subcommittee, NASA HQ, Washington, DC, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm ET