Here are our tidbits for March 1, 2018: ASAP encouraged on commercial crew, sort of; GOES-S launches; JAXA’s Hayabusa2 closes in on asteroid Ryugu. Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued its latest report on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) today and the news is worrisome. Even though prime contractor Northrop Grumman now has teams working on the telescope 24 hours a day, GAO concluded that the latest launch schedule, announced just months ago, is “likely unachievable.” If the launch date slips past June 2019, the project’s costs are likely to exceed the $8 billion cost cap imposed by Congress.
We have posted our two new, free fact sheets on the FY2019 budget requests for NASA and for NOAA’s satellite programs. You can find all of our facts sheets from the menu across the top of our home page. Choose Reports|SpacePolicyOnline.com|Fact Sheets.
NASA Astrophysics Division Director Paul Hertz said today that the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) program will continue as planned until Congress decides its fate. The Trump Administration has proposed terminating WFIRST in NASA’s FY2019 budget request because it wants to use that money to support other agency priorities. Congress is only beginning its consideration of the FY2019 budget request. (It has not completed action on FY2018 yet).
Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) wrote letters to White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney and Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot insisting that NASA should continue to fund the International Space Station (ISS) until a viable commercial alternative exists. The Trump Administration’s proposal is to end direct NASA support for ISS in 2025.
Here are our tidbits for February 26, 2018: George Nield retiring from FAA/AST; Ariane 5 investigation report; and Aerospace Corp’s new space policy advisory board. Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.
Here is our list of space policy events for the week of February 26-March 3, 2018 and any insight we can offer about them. The Senate is in session this week. The House will meet for legislative business on Monday and Tuesday.
Here are our tidbits for February 22, 2018: SpaceX almost catches a fairing, two demonstration Starlink satellites in orbit, four Russians jailed for Vostochny embezzlement. Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.
The White House National Space Council held its second public meeting today at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, FL. Spurring new, innovative commercial space businesses and reforming the associated regulatory environment were the main themes, but two of the witnesses honed in on China. Dean Cheng of the Heritage Foundation and Jeff Manber of Nanoracks expressed opposite points of view on whether U.S. companies should engage with China in commercial space endeavors.
Billionaire hotel magnate Robert Bigelow announced today creation of Bigelow Space Operations (BSO), a companion to his Bigelow Aerospace company that manufactures expandable space modules. BSO’s first task is to determine exactly what the market is for commercial facilities in low Earth orbit (LEO) as Bigelow readies two of his full size B330 modules for launch in 2021 — if the market is there.