Washington Updates

 The Senate has begun a debate on a “minibus” appropriations bill, H.R. 2112, that combines the bills for Agriculture, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Commerce-Justice-Science. The Commerce-Justice-Science bill includes funds for both NASA and NOAA. Although subject to numerous amendments, the package has not affected funding levels for NASA or NOAA space programs. The…

In October, the Space Foundation held a senior executive luncheon focused on cyber security featuring Air Force Space Command Vice Commander Lt. Gen. Michael Basla, USAF. Attended by 26 Space Foundation corporate member executives, the event was hosted by Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham and Vice President – Washington Operations Brendan Curry. Basla…

 The House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a hearing on Oct. 12 entitled The International Space Station (ISS): Lessons from the Soyuz Rocket Failure and Return to Flight. In establishing the purpose of the hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Steven Palazzo (R-MS) said the recent Progress launch failure caused “NASA to contemplate…

 Republicans on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee recently sent a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction recommending “over $1.5 billion in savings in FY 2012,” including cutting $177 million from the NASA budget by taking the following actions: • Cancel the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO)-2 missions • Reduce the Other…

NASA has officially consolidated its human spaceflight activities, including the International Space Station (ISS), deep space exploration and commercial cargo- and crew-transport operations, into the new Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate. Previously NASA’s human spaceflight activities were spread between the Space Operations Mission Directorate and Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Former NASA Space Operations Associate…

Congress is out of session for the month of August, but is returning at the beginning of this month to continue work on many unfinished appropriation bills, including some that fund the Department of Defense, NASA and NOAA. When Congress returns in September it will take up several appropriation bills, including some that fund NASA, NOAA and…