Congress Daily (subscription required) reports that either the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) or Department of Defense (DOD) appropriations bill could reach the Senate floor next week. CJS funds NASA and NOAA. (See our legislative checklist for more information on the bills.) The newspaper quotes Senate Majority Leader Reid as expressing optimism that conference agreement could be reached …
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) closed his hearing on the Augustine committee report today on an optimistic note. While acknowledging how difficult it will be to find funds for human space flight in these budget deficit laden times, he said: “I think the President really has a major decision here. There’s nothing like a President making …
FINAL UPDATE Frank DiBello, acting President of Space Florida, has been selected as its new President, according to the Orlando Sentinel. UPDATED As first reported on NASAWatch, the Orlando Sentinel now reports that Ms. Dale has declined Space Florida’s offer. ORIGINAL STORY The Orlando Sentinel reported yesterday that former NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale was …
Two days of congressional hearings on the Augustine committee report on the future of the human space flight program begin this afternoon. House Science and Technology Committee, today (Sept. 15), 2:00-4:00, 2318 Rayburn — Witnesses: chair of the Augustine committee, Norm Augustine; former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin; chair of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Joe …
A personal email from former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin to friends expressing his views about the Augustine committee report found its way onto some space-related websites last week. SpacePolicyOnline.com decided to wait for Dr. Griffin’s official views as expressed in his testimony today to the House Science and Technology Committee. They are much the same. …
General Robert Kehler, head of Air Force Space Command, told the annual conference of the Air Force Association that “persistent hardware and software problems” with the Space Based Infrared Satellite System (SBIRS) “have not yet been solved,” according to DODBuzz. SBIRS (formerly SBIRS-High) has been plagued with problems since its inception in 1996 and has …
Don’t have time to read the Augustine committee’s report before the hearings this week? Read our concise 1-page fact sheet summarizing its key points. Find it on our left menu under “Our Fact Sheets and Reports” or click here. The fact sheet is authored by Laura M. Delgado who has just begun writing for SpacePolicyOnline.com. …
After many years of discussion, China has begun construction of a new space launch site in Wenchang city on the island of Hainan according to China Daily. At 19 degrees north latitude, it will be the southern-most of the country’s space launch facilities. China is building a new launch vehicle, the Long March 5, that …
As reported on NASAWatch, Assaf Ramon, son of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, was killed in the crash of a fighter jet in Hebron, Israel yesterday. Ilan Ramon perished in the space shuttle Columbia tragedy in 2003, Now his son, Assaf, has died in the crash of an F-16 plane he was piloting; an investigation is …
George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute will hold a half day seminar looking at the Augustine committee’s report on options for the human space flight program: September 28, 8:15 am -12:30 pm, 1957 E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 7th floor conference room. Seating is limited so an RSVP is required (spi@gwu.edu). See the agenda below. …