Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of October 26-November 1, 2025 and any insight we can offer about them. The Senate is in session this week. The House continues to be in recess indefinitely except for pro forma sessions.
In interviews on Fox News and CNBC today, Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said he is opening up the contract for a Human Landing System (HLS) to get Americans back on the Moon before China gets there — and before the end of President Trump’s term. SpaceX has the contract to put the first U.S. crew back on the Moon on Artemis III using an HLS version of Starship, but they are behind schedule. Duffy wants competition and innovation from Blue Origin and other U.S. companies to make sure the U.S. meets the goal. Blue Origin already has a contract with NASA to build a second HLS, Blue Moon MK 2, but its first flight is not planned until Artemis V around 2030. NASA said this afternoon SpaceX and Blue Origin may submit “acceleration approaches” by October 29 and other companies will be able to respond to a Request for Information.
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of October 19-25, 2025 and any insight we can offer about them. The Senate is in session this week. The House remains in recess indefinitely except for pro forma sessions.
Jared Isaacman is among a group of candidates being interviewed by NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy to take the top job at the agency on a permanent basis. President Trump nominated Isaacman for the position on January 20, but withdrew it at the end of May in a move widely attributed to Trump’s falling out with Elon Musk who had recommended Isaacman. When a decision on a new nominee will be made is unknown, but Isaacman has been through part of the confirmation process already, which would accelerate getting someone in place as the Trump Administration strives to get Americans back on the Moon before China gets there.
SpaceX achieved a second successful Starship test flight in a row this evening. Integrated Flight Test-11 or IFT-11 lifted off from Starbase, Texas and splashed down in the Indian Ocean about an hour later, welcome news after three failures earlier this year. This was the last flight of this version of Starship, however, so the next launch will introduce new uncertainties as the United States strives to get American astronauts back on the Moon before China gets there — a goal for which Starship is essential.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is laying off another 550 workers beginning tomorrow. JPL Director David Gallagher said the move is due to an ongoing reorganization that began in July, not because of the government shutdown. The number represents an 11 percent cutback and comes on top of two layoffs last year.
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of October 12-18, 2025 and any insight we can offer about them. The Senate is in session this week. The House is in recess indefinitely except for pro forma sessions.
Government shutdown notwithstanding, 20 scientific organizations and the Congressman who represents NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center made the case for NASA science during a rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. At the same time, some scientists see this as a time to begin thinking differently about how NASA science missions are developed because funding challenges are not likely to disappear soon.
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of October 5-11, 2025 and any insight we can offer about them. The Senate is in session this week. The House is not except for pro forma sessions.
The Senate again failed to pass a Continuing Resolution today to reopen government agencies like NASA that are closed due to a lapse in appropriations. They plan to try again on Monday, but House Speaker Mike Johnson decided this afternoon to keep the House out of session next week as a further attempt to force the Senate to agree to the House-passed CR. If the Senate does not agree to his CR, the shutdown cannot end at least until the House returns to approve any changes. As of now, that would be October 14.