Washington Updates

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…

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…