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Month: February 2018
China Reminds Washington About Their Space Program
China Reminds Washington About Their Space Program

Keith’s note: Every month or so I open my morning copy of the Washington Post to be greeted by a 8 page, full color insert – called “China Watch” 😉 – that China Daily pays to shove inside my paper – the same one that everyone in DC reads (larger image). Today’s insert had an above-the-fold headline story titled “Astronauts Prepare For a New Era of Exploration”. This certainly sounds […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 28, 2018
This Droid Face Is Not The One You Were Looking For
This Droid Face Is Not The One You Were Looking For

Watson Hops On Board Human Space Flight, IBM “CIMON is currently being developed by Airbus on behalf of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as an intelligent, mobile and interactive astronaut assistance system. This new technology will be tested on the ISS as part of the Horizons mission of the European Space Agency. CIMON’s digital face, voice and use of artificial intelligence make it a “colleague” to the crew members. This […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 28, 2018
Webb Space Telescope May Bust Its Budget Cap Yet Again (Updated)
Webb Space Telescope May Bust Its Budget Cap Yet Again (Updated)

James Webb Space Telescope Integration and Test Challenges Have Delayed Launch and Threaten to Push Costs Over Cap, GAO “Extending the launch window provided the project up to 4 months of schedule reserve. However, shortly after requesting the new launch window in September 2017, the project determined that several months of schedule reserve would be needed to address lessons learned from the initial folding and deployment of the observatory’s sunshield. […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 28, 2018
Stealthy NASA Deep Space Gateway Meeting Underway
Stealthy NASA Deep Space Gateway Meeting Underway

Keith’s note: NASA is holding a Deep Space Gateway meeting in Denver right now. A hundred or so people are there. It is invitation-only. No webcast. No Webex. So U.S taxpayers and media cannot see what is going on but foreign nationals were invited – so they can. NASA and LPI never said media could attend, never provided any way to register, and never released any other information to that […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 28, 2018
Senators Blast NASA and OMB Over Future Of ISS
Senators Blast NASA and OMB Over Future Of ISS

Cruz, Nelson: Future of ISS Should be Determined by Emergence of a Viable and Proven Commercial Alternative and Needs of Our National Space Program “While we have been strong proponents of the U.S. commercial space sector, prematurely ending direct U.S. Government funding of ISS could have disastrous consequences. The future of ISS should be determined by the emergence of a viable and proven commercial alternative and the needs of our […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 27, 2018
Is Privatizing ISS A Smart Thing To Do?
Is Privatizing ISS A Smart Thing To Do?

Astronaut: Trump’s plan for the space station a huge mistake, op ed, Leroy Chiao, CNN “What about privatizing the ISS? That idea is barely worth mentioning. The ISS was designed to operate with two big mission control centers, in Houston and Moscow. They each need standing armies of onsite engineers and technicians around the clock to monitor and send commands to the station. Estimates of the cost of launching spacecraft […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 23, 2018
SLS Software Problems Continue at MSFC
SLS Software Problems Continue at MSFC

Keith’s note: Sources report that Andy Gamble has been allowed to retire and George Mitchell has been reassigned from NASA MSFC QD34 to Engineering. The SLS software team at MSFC is having great difficulty in hiring people to replace those who have quit. There is a lot of internal concern as a result of issues already raised with regard to SLS software safety to date that MSFC will literally have […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 23, 2018
Vice President Pence Speaks About Space Policy

Remarks by Vice President Pence at Second Meeting of the National Space Council, White House “We’ve seen the increasing number of American businesses sending experiments to the International Space Station. We’ve witnessed the power of commercial satellites to reconnect isolated communities in the wake of natural disasters. And of course, just a couple of weeks ago, the world watched with wonder as the Falcon Heavy blasted off from this very […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 21, 2018
National Space Council Users Advisory Group Has Few Users
National Space Council Users Advisory Group Has Few Users

Vice President Pence Announces National Space Council Users Advisory Group “Vice President Mike Pence, Chairman of the National Space Council, today announced the candidates selected to serve on the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group. Pending official appointment by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the selected members of the Users Advisory Group will serve to fulfill President Trump’s mandate to “foster close coordination, cooperation, and technology […]

  • NASA Watch
  • February 21, 2018