Inbreeding: Space Foundation Gives National Space Council An Award

Keith’s note: This has to be the most inbred, self-serving, kiss-up award ever given by the space community to itself. Have you no shame Space Foundation?
The chair of the National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group is James O. Ellis Jr. Ellis was elected to the Space Foundation Board of Directors in January 2010 and served as its Chairman from January 2016 through November 2017. The Space Foundation has a scholarship in his name. Could the inter-relationship be any more obvious?
And its not just the Space Foundation. AIAA has a similar and obvious overlap with the National Space Council – and they even bragged about that a few weeks ago: “American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) members Col. Eileen Collins, Daniel Dumbacher, Sandra “Sandy” Magnus, and Wanda Sigur will lend their expertise on human space exploration at the fifth meeting of the National Space Council on March 26 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.”
Both of these organizations have boards made up of Big Aerospace and military representatives – most of whom have a lifetime pass to the revolving door between the industry, government, and Congress. For a large industry organization funded by companies who get their incomes from NASA and DoD to turn around and give an award to an advisory group they also participate in – the same one that will shape the future of American space policy (i.e. their business) – is the height of hubris.
To confound the whole matter this award is for public outreach. Public outreach? When has the National Space Council done any actual public outreach? They hold meetings at big aerospace events such as Space Symposium where all of the usual suspects meet up once a month and listen to each other talk and then give each other awards. Someone please show me how the National Space Council has made an effort to reach the remaining 99.999% of the nation – you know, the people who pay the taxes that pay for all the nifty space toys? They only do inreach – not outreach.
And you wonder how things like SLS never die despite chronic delays and overruns?
Pace Accepts Space Foundation’s Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award on Behalf of Vice President Pence, National Space Council
“The Morrow Award stands for an important concept: heightening the public awareness and understanding of space programs and technology. The President, by reinvigorating the National Space Council, and the Vice President, through his determined leadership, have taken strides in elevating space policy on the national stage.”
Keith’s update: Looks like they are drinking the same flavor of Koolaid at the National Space Council. “elevating” is not outreach. Go ask 100 people at random on the street anywhere outside of Washington DC what they think of “SPD-1”. You can even explain the acronym as you ask. No one will know what you are talking about. All they know is that NASA does not have spacesuits for women in space. Tick tock.