What’s Happening in Space Policy January 22-28, 2023
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of January 22-28, 2023 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.
FY2024 Budget Battles Heating Up Already
With House Republicans vowing to cut government spending, FY2024 budget battles are heating up already. The budget request hasn’t even been submitted yet, but the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee is asking agencies to outline the impact if their budgets were rolled back to FY2022 levels as some Republicans are proposing. Also, the Aerospace Industries Association sent a letter to congressional leaders calling for DOD, NASA and FAA funding to be protected.
Hal Rogers, Ken Calvert to Chair Key House Appropriations Space Subcommittees
Today House Appropriations Committee chairwoman Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) named the 12 “Cardinals” who will decide how to allocate federal funding in the 118th Congress. As somewhat of a surprise, Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) will chair the Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee that funds NASA and NOAA. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) will chair the Defense subcommittee that funds DOD, including the U.S. Space Force, and intelligence agencies like the National Reconnaissance Office.
What’s Happening in Space Policy January 15-21, 2023
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of January 15-21, 2023 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess except for pro forma sessions.
NASA and Roscosmos Implement More Soyuz MS-22 Contingency Plans
NASA and Roscosmos have agreed to temporarily move the custom-made seat liner for NASA astronaut Frank Rubio from Soyuz MS-22 to Crew Dragon Endurance. Soyuz MS-22’s thermal control system is compromised and cannot safely support the three crew members, including Rubio, it delivered to ISS, but might be able to handle two. In the unlikely event an emergency requires evacuating ISS between now and when a replacement Soyuz arrives, Rubio would come home with four other crew members in Endurance, while his two Russian colleagues use Soyuz MS-22.
U.S., Japan Strengthen Military and Civil Space Ties
The United States and Japan are strengthening their ties in both the military and civilian space arenas this week while Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and top officials visit Washington. The two countries agreed that Article V of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty could be invoked for attacks to, from, or within space and signed a new Space Framework Agreement for cooperation between NASA and Japan.
Virgin Orbit Names Investigation Team, Next Try from U.K. Possible This Year
Virgin Orbit announced formation of an investigation team today to discover why the second stage of its LauncherOne rocket failed Monday night, dooming nine satellites. After corrective actions are made, the next launch will be from its usual launch site in California, but the company plans to return to Spaceport Cornwall perhaps as soon as the end of this year. Also today, its sister company, Virgin Galactic, gave an update on when it expects commercial flights to begin.
Russia to Launch Replacement Soyuz, Bring Soyuz MS-22 Back Uncrewed
Russia’s space agency announced today that it will send up an empty Soyuz spacecraft to replace Soyuz MS-22 and bring home two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut later this year. They were supposed to come back on Soyuz MS-22 in March, but a coolant leak caused by a micrometeoroid strike left the spacecraft unsafe for human occupancy. Soyuz-23 will arrive in February. The crew will extend their stay on ISS, but for exactly how long is to be determined.
New HSS&T Chairman Optimistic, Enthusiastic About NASA
Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) expressed optimism and enthusiasm about NASA’s future today as he takes the gavel as chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. A 20-year veteran of the committee, Lucas acknowledged the House’s new Republican majority is focused on cutting government spending, making it imperative to justify the resources that will be needed to keep the United States ahead of foreign competitors in space.
No-Go for Virgin Orbit’s First U.K. Launch
The first orbital launch from the United Kingdom didn’t go as planned Monday evening. After initially tweeting that the satellites attained orbit, Virgin Orbit had to backtrack and concede “an anomaly prevented us from reaching orbit.” The company later amended that to say they did not reach the “final orbit” suggesting some type of orbit was achieved, but it is not clear that was the case.