NASA announced today that the first test flight of SpaceX’s commercial crew space transportation system is set for January 7, 2019.  Called Demo-1, this test flight will not carry a crew.  A crewed test flight is expected in June 2019.  Both are steps towards certifying the system for operational use to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). [Updated November 26 with cautionary comment by NASA Administrator Bridenstine about the date.]

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The Washington Post reported today that NASA is initiating a safety review of its two commercial crew contractors, SpaceX and Boeing.  The newspaper attributes the decision to NASA officials who were disquieted by recent behavior by SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk.  Both contractors are getting close to conducting flight tests of their new systems to take crews to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Whether the safety reviews will affect those schedules is unclear.

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Here are SpacePolicyOnline.com’s tidbits for November 20, 2018:  ISS celebrates 20th birthday; Jared Stout departing the National Space Council; Musk gives BFR a new name.  Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.

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On Friday, NASA submitted a report to the National Space Council that was developed in conjunction with the Departments of State and Commerce as requested by the Council at its February 2018 meeting.  The report outlines goals for human spaceflight and economic growth in low Earth orbit (LEO).  The agency released just an executive summary, saying the report itself is for internal government use only.

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The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a paper today estimating the cost for the Space Force, a concept whose details are still being defined.  CSIS expert Todd Harrison priced out three variants of what a Space Force might incorporate.  His bottom line is that although the total annual budget could range from $11.3 billion to $21.5 billion, most of that is money that would be needed anyway for existing organizations that would be merged into the Space Force.  Only $0.30 billion – $0.55 billion in new money would be needed each year or $1.5-2.7 billion over 5 years.

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Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) conceded to Governor Rick Scott this afternoon in the hotly contested Florida Senate race.  When Nelson leaves the Senate at the end of the 115th Congress, it will lose one of NASA’s strongest supporters.  Coupled with the loss of Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) in the House, the agency will be facing a new congressional landscape next year.

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Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of November 18-24, 2018 and any insight we can offer about them.  The House and Senate are in recess this week.

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Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan estimated today that the cost of creating a Space Force could be less than $5 billion.  That is a sharp reduction from the $12.9 billion figure put forward by Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson in September.  He also said he and DOD’s Space Governance Committee are “diligently” working on the Space Force proposal that will be sent to Congress in February to make sure it “can withstand the cost-scrutiny question.”

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NASA’s plan for returning to the Moon met with opposition today at a meeting of the National Space Council’s Users’ Advisory Group (UAG).  Not only members of the UAG, but former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, who was there as a guest speaker on other topics, offered his personal view that NASA is moving too slowly and the lunar orbiting Gateway is an unnecessary first step.  The pace of the program is driven in part by NASA’s budget and Administrator Jim Bridenstine expressed concern about the impact of Rep. John Culberson’s (R-TX) imminent departure from Congress.  A staunch NASA supporter who chairs a key appropriations panel, Culberson lost his reelection bid.

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Here are SpacePolicyOnline.com’s tidbits for November 14, 2018: NG-10 ISS cargo launch delayed; climate change hearings to kick off 116th Congress; SpaceX Falcon 9 gets highest NASA LSP rating.  Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.

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