White House Space Policy Announcement
Keith’s note: Today’s White House event will likely be carried live on NASA TV and will be online here as well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fuer5ws6ZY
White House Statement on Space Policy Directive 1 (SPD-1)
“The President, today, will sign Space Policy Directive 1 (SPD-1) that directs the NASA Administrator to lead an innovative space exploration program to send American astronauts back to the Moon, and eventually Mars.”
NASA Provides Coverage of Today’s Space Policy Directive Signing
“Following the event, images, b-roll video, and interview video clips with acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot and National Space Council Executive Secretary Scott Pace will be available for download.”
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Subject: DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2017, PublicPool
“Later in the afternoon, the President will meet with Congressman Bill Shuster before participating in a signing ceremony for Space Policy Directive 1.”
Trump To Sign Space Policy Directive Tomorrow, Space Policy Online
“President Trump will sign Space Policy Directive 1 at 3:00 pm tomorrow at a White House ceremony. The directive apparently will make a human return to the lunar surface part of U.S. space policy. That will override the Obama Administration’s policy to eschew a return to the lunar surface in favor of focusing on sending humans to Mars with an encounter with an asteroid as an interim goal. As of Sunday evening, it was not clear if the event would be covered in real time by national news media or NASA TV. The event is timed to coincide with the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission — the last time humans walked on the surface of the Moon. The crew launched on December 7, 1972 and returned to Earth on December 19, 1972.”
We've heard a rumor, not confirmed by WH yet, but seems likely, that tmrw (Monday) at 3:00 pm ET Trump will make an announcement/sign something re returning to the Moon.https://t.co/oB4CnN8TJq
— Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) December 11, 2017
I can confirm what Marcia at @SpcPlcyOnline has posted. Something Moon-related is afoot. https://t.co/ieyeYGk75w
— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) December 11, 2017
I am reluctant to post this, but if the White House puts it shoulder into a real, sustainable, and permanent lunar program, using commercial lift, and NASA becomes an R & D support solution, I will be happy.
One thing for sure is that President Trump and Vice-President Pence are interested in space exploration. They may well be willing to expend the political capital needed to move it forward.
BTW Apollo 17 landed on the Moon on December 11, 1972, at 19:54:57 UTC which would 2:54:57 EST. Interesting 🙂
I wonder if NASA would be capable of returning astronauts to the Moon by the 50 anniversary which would be a good goal.
But are they strong enough to take on the Alabama mafia and the old guard? Because SLS and Orion time scale of exploration is beyond a trump second term so how desirable is the stay the course plan?
This is a political problem requiring political solution.
If I were King for a Day:
1. Characterize SLS as being ‘cutting edge’, vastly superior for heavy lift beyond Mars, and entirely more suitable for certain types of low-launch-rate missions;
2. Get Elon to play along; it’s in his own interest, long – term, all the while buying plenty of rockets from SX.
No ‘lies’ are needed, just a slight change in emphasis. This way NASA saves face, as do the Alabama folks.
so blow sunshine up the public’s butt and tell them it is raining while peeing on them? what does that solve because then you have no money to do moon or mars as SLS/Orion cutting edge is a budgetary albatross sucking up all the funds? once BFR starts flying not sure the not a lie but political spin will hold water with the public or congress beyond those invested in MSFC pork.
I’m thinking SLS just fades away. The comments of Dr. Matula below ring true, at least to me. SLS just got another year or so of life.
But this change, plus the successful launch of FH, and the forthcoming (soon?) launch of BFR, all combine to a sort of death knell on the campanile.
The Alabama Congress Critters are not interested in saving face, they want to save their pork. If anything is done in this announcement to endanger the Alabama pork flow they won’t approve a new NASA Administrator no matter who he is. President Trump needs his NASA nominees to be confirmed before getting rid of SLS.
I’ve wondered if nuclear generators as payload is legitimate use of SLS if SpaceX or Blue Origin wasn’t approved to launching those. SLS could be used to land the rare nuke reactors to Moon or Mars, and leave everything else to commercial contract. I much prefer the commercial options be allowed to haul nuclear material of course, but if the SLS proves to exceed the reliability of those options, it’s a way for NASA to rationalize it.
Whatever the payload I predict there will be some sort of parsing.
I am hoping we can put the foolishness of the Obama detours way behind us. No more missions to Mars and asteroid rescues for awhile. Still to be seen is how we turn the existing program from Griffin’s Apollo on steroids using one-off, expensive as hell, one time use spacecraft to a program that makes for permanence and sustainability.
If Rep. Bridenstine is able to be confirmed you will have someone with strong links to Congress and the Administration who will focus on building the political support needed instead of trying to be the chief engineer as Administrator Griffin. And if Treasurer Dewitt is put in charge of NASA finances you will have someone with strong financial skills and strong links to the President overseeing the financial aspects of it. Someone who takes pride in rooting out waste in government agencies. President Trump may well be able to drain the swamp enough to enable the creative elements of NASA to bloom again.
As long as this involves killing SLS and utilizing commercial launch vehicles, I’m all for it.
How can we take any of this with more than a grain of salt. First, given the history of the past 45 years, and second, with the inefficiency and ineffectual history of the current administration, it is very egocentric to think this administration will accomplish any more; and third there has been little or no succinct answering of the question of “why” do this and no long-term or sustainable answer as to “how” to do this, or anything else. A true vision remains lacking.
Well lets not totally rain on this parade before it really starts. After 8 feckless years of space policy under the Obama administration, maybe we can finally get a decisive vision statement from the Executive and a fair budget to execute it from the Congress. Positive waves, man……
I’ve woken up and it’s 2004 again. “Our third goal,” Bush said, “is to return to the moon by 2020, as the launching point for missions beyond.”
The administration after Trump will say we’ve been to the Moon and will want to cancel a Moon mission and land on an asteroid. Meanwhile SpaceX will be installing supercharging stations on the Moon for Tesla rovers.
SpaceX (Tesla) might be on the Moon after they install a startup Martian infrastructure. The Moon is a much more harsher environment to place infrastructures on and cost a lot more.
You are saying going to the Moon would cost more?
No. Staying on the Moon will cost more.
SX is going to be in two places at once.
I wondered when Elon started building launch sites what exactly his payloads would be. Maybe he’s prescient.
SX is going to become the new NASA in the minds of folks looking for technical leadership.
And yes, I know this is inflammatory, and that NASA is a helluva lot more than SLS and rocket launches and even ISS. It won’t matter. SX is going to ramp up to 50 launches a year. Think of that. Even those of us glued to the computer every time they launch will become inured.
“Oh. Another rocket launch. SX.”
There are plenty of gas stations strewn about the desert south west which were abandoned due to lack of customers. I still dont see his customers.
Wouldn’t matter. He’d do it to spite NASA. This is the guy that sent a wheel of cheese to orbit. A couple of years a go some astronauts shat on his ideas in front of congress. They woke a sleeping giant.
Finally, a space policy that makes sense. No more missions to nowhere.
The only quick way for NASA to return to the surface of the Moon by maybe the end of the current POTUS’s iffy second term is with the folks of Hawthorne.
Anyone seriously think NASA can field a new in-house Lunar lander bigger than the Apollo LEM in less than a decade without a major boost in the annual NASA budget?
There is one developed for constelation and could be up and running with in 5 years of President Trump giving the go ahead
There is also the new Blue Moon lander proposed by Jeff Bezos. Although designed for cargo it could be upgraded.
https://www.forbes.com/site…
“But Blue Origin thinks that the key to it all is the ability to continually soft-land 10,000 pounds of cargo on the lunar surface, or roughly the equivalent of two Ford F-150s in one fell swoop. That would open the door to rovers and surface habitats.”
If you are talking about the Altair lander. Maybe in 10+ years. It was all conceptual with no associate hardware or budget.
Meanwhile BFR marches on, based on proven designs and a dependable engine while Mr. Bezos is still thinking of ‘landers’ and splash able gear.
SX is going to own our lunch.