The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee will mark up a FY2018-2019 NASA authorization bill, H.R. 5503, on Tuesday.  The bill addresses the future of the International Space Station (ISS) and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) among its many provisions.  NASA submitted a congressionally-required ISS Transition Plan to Congress on March 30.  President Trump is proposing termination of WFIRST.  On both issues, the bill takes a wait-and-see approach.

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Here is our list of space policy events for the week of April 15-21, 2018 and any insight we can offer about them.  The House and Senate are in session this week. [Updated with weblink for VP Pence’s talk on Monday]

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Today, White House National Space Council Executive Secretary Scott Pace hinted that a space policy announcement might be made on Monday when Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, CO.   Pence chairs the Space Council.

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Here are our tidbits for April 12, 2018:  House CJS subcommittee kicks off FY2019 NASA budget debate; Zurbuchen agnostic on astrophysics Decadal Survey timing; Gale Allen’s new job.  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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Here are our tidbits for April 11, 2018:  NASA’s new robotic lunar program gets a thumbs up from lunar community; SWF reports on global counterspace capabilities, Lightfoot receives STA Leadership Award.  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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Acting NOAA Administrator RDML Timothy Gallaudet (Ret.) told a House subcommittee today that its pilot program to assess how commercial weather data can be incorporated into its weather models is getting off to a slow start because the commercial capabilities are taking longer to evolve than anticipated.

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NASA Astrophysics Division Director Paul Hertz today sought to calm concerns about the impact on the astrophysics program if the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) exceeds its $8 billion budget cap.  Arguing that it might not breach the cap at all, Hertz said the impact on the rest of the astrophysics program might not be felt for years since JWST funding budgeted for operations can be repurposed to solve the current problems.  He also said that it is “not obvious” that NASA’s proposal to delay the next Decadal Survey for astrophysics will be accepted.

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Here are our tidbits for April 10, 2018:  international team writing Woomera Manual on International Law of Military Space Operations; JAXA gets new President; NASA gets new Chief Scientist.  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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Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) was appointed as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee today, succeeding Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi) who retired due to illness.  Shelby had chaired the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) subcommittee that funds NASA and NOAA, but decided to take over the Defense Subcommittee instead, which Cochran also had chaired.  Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) will take the CJS gavel.

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Here are our tidbits for April 9, 2018:  WSJ reports Northrop Grumman responsible for Zuma loss, AFSPC Vice Commander relocates to the Pentagon, Orion Span plans a hotel in space. 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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