Here are our tidbits for January 24, 2018: Rocket Lab reveals secret satellite “Humanity Star”; Mike Griffin’s nomination approved by SASC. 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced today that the release of President Trump’s FY2019 budget request will be delayed a week, from February 5 to February 12. By law, the request is to be submitted to Congress on the first Monday in February, but the 3-day government shutdown disrupted this year’s schedule.
SpaceX took another step closer to launch of its Falcon Heavy (FH) rocket today with an approximately 10 second static fire test. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk tweeted afterwards that the test was “good” and the rocket will launch “in a week or so.”
Here are our tidbits for January 23, 2018: celebrating the 60th anniversary of first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1; Google Lunar XPRIZE calls it quits. Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.
President Trump just signed H.R. 195 into law, the Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded through February 8. The bill passed the Senate and the House earlier today, ending a 3-day shutdown of government operations. Congress must pass and the President must sign another appropriations bill by February 8, however, or the same situation could develop again.
The Senate voted early this afternoon to proceed with consideration of a Continuing Resolution (CR) that would resume government funding and allow the government to reopen. Many government agencies and activities began to close down on Saturday when the Senate voted against proceeding with the CR. Several steps remain before the issue is settled, but it appears that Congress and the White House are on track to approve a CR that would extend funding for three more weeks, until February 8. Another government funding bill will be needed thereafter.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced this evening that a vote on a revised Continuing Resolution (CR) to reopen the government and continue funding through February 8 will take place at noon Monday. Earlier he had scheduled it for 1:00 am Monday. It remains unclear as to whether Republicans and Democrats are sufficiently in agreement for it to pass (60 votes are needed), but the vote will be at noon.
Here is our list of space policy events for the week of January 21-26, 2018. The House and Senate are in session today trying to resolve the government shutdown. The House was supposed to be in recess this coming week, but its schedule now is uncertain. The Senate was planning to be in session in any case.
Here are our tidbits for January 20, 2018: Rocket Lab puts three cubesats into orbit; NASA reveals mission patch for EM-1; NASA IG warns on SWOT. Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.
No progress was made today on resolving the government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has scheduled a vote for 1:00 am ET on Monday morning on a new version of a Continuing Resolution (CR). It would fund the government through February 8, 2018 instead of February 16 as passed by the House. It would not address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration issue that is the crux of Democratic opposition to the CR.