The Space and Science Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing on October 18, 2023 to discuss the future of commercial human spaceflight regulation.

Industry and other private sector witnesses argued that Congress should extend the “learning period” now in effect that prevents the FAA from promulgating new regulations while the industry is still in its early stages.  SpaceX’s Bill Gerstenmaier also emphasized that current regulations are slowing the development of SpaceX’s Starship system. They are awaiting a license from the FAA to conduct their second test flight, but the process is slow especially because agencies other than the FAA, like the Fish and Wildlife Service, are also involved because of environmental regulations.

SpacePolicyOnline.com published a summary of the hearing on October 18, 2023: SpaceX Warns Government Regulations Slowing Starship, Could Let China Get Ahead.

The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on September 28, 2023 on President Biden’s decision to keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado instead of moving it to Alabama as promised by then-President Trump. HASC chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) and other members of the Alabama congressional delegation argue that Biden’s decision was politically motivated, the same charge the Colorado delegation made two years ago when Trump decided to put it in Alabama.

Witnesses were Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, Commander of U.S. Space Command Gen. James Dickinson, and U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman.

SpacePolicyOnline.com published a summary of the hearing on September 28, 2023: Rogers Demands Air Force IG Investigation of USSPACECOM HQ Decision.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing on NASA’s FY2024 budget request on May 16, 2023. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was the sole witness, completing his appearances before the four congressional committees that oversee/fund NASA to discuss the FY2024 request.

NASA is often cited as one of the few agencies that enjoys broad bipartisan support in Congress, but the two top Republicans who oversee NASA on the committee — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ranking Member of the full committee and Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Space and Science Subcommittee — argued that the Biden Administration is politicizing NASA. They object to a proposed regulation under which NASA, DOD and the General Services Administration would have to require contractors to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions, and to NASA spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Nelson pushed back, saying that NASA is managed in a non-partisan way.

SpacePolicyOnline.com published a summary of the hearing on May 16, 2023: Senate Republicans Claim Biden Administration Politicizing NASA with Diversity, Climate Initiatives.

The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing on NASA’s FY2024 budget request on April 27, 2023. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was the only witness.

The hearing took place one day after the House approved a deficit reduction bill, the Limit, Save, Grow Act, that calls for cutting federal spending back to FY2022 levels and allowing only 1 percent per year growth for 10 years.  The impact of such budget cuts on NASA’s plans especially for the Artemis program was the focus of the hearing.

Members also asked about whether Artemis can stay on schedule for putting Americans back on the Moon by 2025 and staying ahead of China. SpaceX had just conducted the first launch of its Starship rocket, which will serve as the Human Landing System to get astronauts from lunar orbit down to and back from the lunar surface, a week earlier. The launch failed four minutes after liftoff, but Nelson was bullish about SpaceX’s ability to quickly try again.

SpacePolicyOnline.com published a summary of the hearing on April 27, 2023: Nelson Bullish on Starship Despite Failure, Worried About Budget Cuts.

The Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee held a hearing on NASA’s FY2024 budget request on April 20, 2023.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was the only witness and fielded many questions about what he and subcommittee members view as a “space race” with China. Although House Republican leadership is proposing dramatic reductions in federal spending that would have detrimental effects on NASA, both Republican and Democratic subcommittee members voiced strong support for NASA activities.

SpacePolicyOnline.com published a summary of the hearing on April 20, 2023: NASA Wins Accolades from House Appropriators Worried About Space Race with China.

The Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing on the FY2024 budget request for NASA on April 18, 2023. The hearing also addressed the request for the National Science Foundation.  NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan were the witnesses.

Nelson was queried in particular on how growing funding requirements for the Mars Sample Return mission are affecting other science programs. Nelson revealed that he learned just two weeks earlier than MSR needs another $250 million in the current fiscal year, FY2023, and another $250 million above the FY2024 request, to stay on track for launch in 2028. He acknowledged the funding challenges, but reminded the Senators it is only a request and Congress could add more money. Nelson was a Senator for 18 years and a member of the House of Representatives before that so is well familiar with the saying that the President proposes and Congress disposes on matters of how to spend taxpayer money.

SpacePolicyOnline.com published a summary of the hearing on April 13, 2023: Mars Sample Return in Financial Bind Already.

The Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing on NASA’s FY2023 budget request on May 3, 2022.  The hearing also was on the FY2023 budget request for the National Science Foundation.

Witnesses were:

• Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator
• Sethuraman Panchanathan, NSF Director

SpacePolicyOnline.com published a summary of the NASA portions of the hearing on May 3: Nelson Blasts Cost-Plus Contracts, Says Russia Not Leaving ISS.

The Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee held a hearing on NASA’s FY2023 budget request on May 18, 2022. The witness was NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

SpacePolicyOnline.com published a summary of the hearing on May 18: House Appropriators Praise NASA, But Worry About Overruns and Delays.

On May 12, 2022, the space subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, held a hearing on “Space Situational Awareness: Guiding the Transition to a Civil Capability.”

Witnesses were:

• Matthew Hedyuk, Senior Project Leader, The Aerospace Corporation
• Moriba Jah, Associate Professor, Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Department, Mrs. Pearlie Dashiell Henderson Centennial Fellowship in Engineering, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
• Andrew D’Uva, Senior Policy Advisor, Space Data Association
• Kevin O’Connell, Founder, Space Economy Rising, LLC and former Director of the Office of Space Commerce, NOAA, Department of Commerce
• Mariel Borowitz,  Associate Professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Georgia Institute of Technology

SpacePolicyOnline.com published a summary of the hearing on May 17, 2022: “As Space Gets More Crowded, House Comittee Still Questioning SSA Path Forward.”

The space subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing on March 1, 2022 on “Keeping Our Sights on Mars Part 3: A Status Update and Review of NASA’s Artemis Initiative.”

SpacePolicyOnline.com published a summary of the hearing on March 1: “First Four Artemis Flights Will Cost $4.1 Billion Each, NASA IG Tells Congress.”

Witnesses were:

• Mr. James Free, Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA
• Mr. William Russell, Director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, U.S. Government Accountability Office
• Dr. Patricia Sanders, Chair, Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel
• The Honorable Paul K. Martin, Inspector General, NASA
• Mr. Daniel Dumbacher, Executive Director, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics