Commercial Space Hearings This Week
Congressional Hearings this Week to Focus on Commercial Space, SpaceRef
“There will be two important congressional hearings this week on Commercial Space.
First up on Tuesday, February 24th is the U.S. Human Exploration Goals and Commercial Space Competitiveness Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness hearing chaired by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
Next up on Friday, February 27th is the House Subcommittee on Space Hearing; The Commercial Crew Program: Challenges and Opportunities chaired by Lamar Smith (R-Texas). The hearing will take place at 2318 Rayburn House Office Building at 9:00 a.m. EST.”
As well the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies will meet Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. EST in H-309 Capitol.
Witnesses are:
– The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, Department of Justice
– The Honorable Todd J. Zinser, Inspector General, Department of Commerce
– The Honorable Paul K. Martin, Inspector General, National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
Interesting that SpaceX isn’t in the Cruz meeting. They are pretty important to TX.
And… taking advantage of this commercial space subject, I will go a bit off topic. Pardons.
News of SpaceX – 3 items, 1 interesting, 1 very interesting and 1 very important.
1) On friday SpaceX is launching a PAIR of electric propulsion comsats to GTO on an F9. The heavy requirements means no recovery. Being a couple of years late on the FH is costing them.
http://www.spaceflight101.c…
2) SpaceX has certified a 20% increase in thrust for the F9. It is scheduled to fly the SES 9 to GTO in the summer. The payload is 5300 kilograms to GTO, much heavier than previous flights.
Before this, F9 could replace the Atlas V x01 class (about half the Atlas’s missions). The new rating now replaces the Atlas V x11 series.
http://www.boeing.com/asset…
3) Crew Dragon Pad Abort Test. Coming in the next few weeks.
http://spaceflightnow.com/w…
Plus don’t forget the Falcon Heavy demo set for late summer and another barge recovery test in April and apparently flight tests start this spring at the grandiosely named Spaceport America of the Falcon 9R .