Report from Washington, D.C.

The House Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics focused their attention on safety in human space flight systems, considering both NASA’s Constellation Program architecture and potential commercial crew services to and from the International Space Station, during a Dec. 2 hearing. Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), a long time proponent of NASA…

At the beginning of November, NASA held a televised award ceremony on Capitol Hill for the two winners of the X Prize Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. NASA administrator Charles Bolden awarded $1.65 million in prize money to Masten Space Systems and Armadillo Aerospace for their successful simulations of landing a spacecraft on the moon…

Marty Hauser, Space Foundation vice president for Washington operations, research and analysis (pictured), represented the organization at a Congressional hearing Nov. 19, hosted by the House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. Hauser provided members of Congress with insight into the growing trend of international space capabilities, the important impact…

On Nov. 18, the Space Foundation hosted a discussion and briefing for congressional staff on its Solutions from Space white paper, Space Applications for International Development. The paper recommends that governments in developing nations consider investing in affordable ground technology to provide satellite communication access in rural areas, particularly for clinics, schools, and other community centers.…

Space products and services, such as positioning systems and satellite communications, are widely used in the transportation, logistics, and manufacturing industries. Some examples, excerpted from the Space Foundation’s The Space Report 2009: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity are: Reducing crew workload in the maritime shipping industry through cellular, multimedia, and Internet access Automatically…

A Space Foundation white paper issued this fall strongly recommends that the United States keep the International Space Station (ISS) functioning until at least 2020 and beyond, if possible. The recommendation is the key message of a Space Foundation white paper, The International Space Station: Decision 2015, that argues for continued U.S. involvement to further scientific…

On Oct. 22, after months of deliberations, the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee released its final report. Among lawmakers there has been strong bi-partisan consensus that the current U.S. human space flight program is on an unsustainable trajectory that needs increased funding. However, lawmakers continue to debate the report’s prospective paths going…

The Space Foundation Government Affairs team spent a large portion of October debriefing space policy decision-makers on the Space Foundation-led mission to Chinese space facilities, which offered helpful insight into the future of Chinese human space flight initiatives. Led by Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham, the Space Foundation delegation comprised former shuttle astronaut and AVIATION…

The Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), a non-governmental organization that represents students and young space professionals to the United Nations, member countries, and space agencies, has released a report that outlines a youth vision of the “spacescape” in the next decade. The Youth Space Vision for the Next Decade: Looking Back to Look Forward includes…

Space Foundation Research Analyst Mariel John presented two papers at the 60th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Oct. 12-16, in Daejeon, South Korea. Both papers – Space Activities in Developing Nations: Contributions to Capacity Building and Innovation and Remote Sensing for Disease Prevention in Nigeria –  focused on Nigeria as a case study for the positive impact space activity can…