Report from Washington, D.C.
D.C. Awaits Full Space Flight Commission Report
As we proceed into the autumn, much of the focus of the space policy community in Washington, D.C., has been absorbing and digesting the recently released Executive Summary report from the committee on the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans. Both the House of Representatives and Senate have already held oversight hearings on the…
U.S. and Europe to Cooperate on Space
NASA has signed a number of agreements to facilitate cooperation between the United States and Europe on matters relating to space. A memorandum of understanding with the European Space Agency (ESA) signed last month allows NASA and ESA to exchange technical information and personnel, which will aid the eventual development of new space transportation systems.…
Major Reviews Readied as Congress Takes Break
August is traditionally a very quiet time in Washington, D.C., when Congress goes out of session for the month to spend time in their home states to meet with constituents. Therefore, the various NASA and the Department of Defense spending bills are paused until Congress reconvenes. There are several space policy reviews that have been…
Russia will Invest Heavily in Aerospace
The following was reported in Russian newspaper, RIA Novosti, on Aug. 18: Despite the current economic crisis, the Russian government has allocated about 80 billion rubles ($2.5 billion) in 2009 for the development of the aerospace industry. According to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, “We are planning to continue investing heavily in these branches of…
Space Foundation Researcher to Present at IAC
Space Foundation’s Mariel John has been selected to present two papers at the 60th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), being held this October 12-16 in Daejeon, South Korea. Hosted by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the IAC is a well-established and well-respected conference that attracts an average of 1,500 participants each year, including members of the global…
The Space Report Recognized for Printing Excellence
The Space Report 2009: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity produced by the Space Foundation has won a prestigious printing award in a state-wide Florida competition. The glossy report on the state of the $257 billion space industry received an Award of Excellence in the environmentally sound materials category of the Printing Association of…
PWR's Maser Calls for Space Roadmap
Jim Maser, president of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR), speaking last month at a Space Foundation Correspondents Group breakfast in Washington, D.C., said that the U.S. needs a long-term vision for space to allow industry to better align human resources and research and development dollars with government plans. He said the unstable and discontinuous nature…
Space: Bedrock of U.S. Economic, Strategic Power
Space “is the bedrock of America’s economic and strategic power,” but the U.S. government needs to improve the acquisition of space systems in order to maximize the benefits of space investment. This was part of the feedback Space Foundation Board member Patti Grace Smith gave to the House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on…
Letter Urges Obama to Modernize Export Controls
The Space Foundation is among 14 organizations signing a July 13 letter to President Barack Obama encouraging U.S. export control modernization to improve the United States’ technological competitiveness. The Coalition for Security and Competitiveness, which was formed in 2007 to draw attention to the need for fundamental export control modernization, asked the president to “adopt…
Washington Abuzz with Space Activity
On July 28, the Space Foundation, in partnership with the National Defense Industrial Association, held the second Space Power Lecture Series breakfast of the year, with Dr. Peter Wegner, director of the Operationally Responsive Space Office, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., as the featured speaker. Dr. Wegner spoke to an audience of Congressional members and…