Yet Another Military Infomercial From ISS
Tune in as 1,000 #FutureSoldiers across the nation launch their careers in the @USArmy and take their oath of enlistment from the @space_station with Col. @AstroDrewMorgan. https://t.co/rgjF7FiVCq
— U.S. Army (@USArmy) February 26, 2020
NASA’s Crew-1 commander to be sworn into U.S. Space Force from the International Space Station, Space News
“NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins, a U.S. Air Force colonel and the commander of the upcoming SpaceX Crew Dragon mission, is transferring to the U.S. Space Force and is expected to be commissioned aboard the International Space Station. “If all goes well, we’re looking to swear him into the Space Force from the International Space Station,” said Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force.”
Keith’s note: Swearing in someone to get a new job elsewhere in the Federal government on the ISS may seem a little extreme – but why not. But wait: has anyone else’s new job been announced like this from the ISS by the U.S.? Out of curiosity, since NASA is all about charging people for things being done on the ISS, who is paying for the crew times, comms, etc. involved in this announcement? That would make a fun FOIA request to file. NASA is supposed to be a civilian space agency. And I seem to recall from my days at NASA that Japan signed on to the ISS with the caveat that no military activities be conducted there. And yes, I know that many U.S. Astronauts still have military ties.
But since the Space Force came into existence, the once clear lines between civilian and military space seem to have become increasingly blurred – especially when the NASA Administrator makes repeated complimentary public statements about Space Force – with the ISS used as a backdrop for military recruiting commercials. Just sayin’
– Earlier Military space postings
Has anyone quantified how often/year NASA Admins mentioned the Air Force vs. the current rate for the Space Force, which has largely taken over NASA-related Air Force space activities and ranges?
When I was a NASA civil servant this was always played down. Not any more.
Then today’s mentions are more accurate than yesteryear’s suppressions?
Yet, it has been done before….
https://www.nasa.gov/missio…
Orbiting Astronauts Swear in Navy Sailors
“A special re-enlistment ceremony was held on Jan. 29 for 16 Navy sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The reenlistment oath was read by a fellow sailor, but one on a very different ship: the International Space Station.”
Like it or not, a very common career path to space, in all space faring nations, is via the military and so this is no different just because it involves the newest branch, the USSF.
“Like it or not”? Have you ever read the basis for creating NASA in the first place.
Yes, along with the various historical articles/books on the Cold War politics that shaped President Eisenhower decision to push for a civilian space agency as opposed to the military based program of the U.S.S.R.
However the miliary and NASA have always been closely linked with a large number of active military serving at NASA in the early days, including as astronauts, as this history at NASA on “military Detailee” relates.
https://history.nasa.gov/HH…
So having military servinhg as astronauts is a long tradtion at NASA. All the USSF does is add a new page to that chapter of NASA history. I know some folks still see space as a utopia that should be military free, but that is simply not realistic given human nature and politics.
NASA is a civilian agency. It is being used to promote the military. That is not why NASA was created. I don’t need a lecture on the NASA workforce since I actually worked there. Did you?
Than you should know that the military has always had personnel detailed to work at NASA and if NASA wants to honor that long successful relationship while welcoming the new kid on the block with this ceremony it fits well within that long tradition.
As for me working at NASA, that is irrelevant to this discussion.
And none of them wore their uniforms to work, asked to be addressed by their rank, made any reference to anything military etc. This is a recent development. As for you working at NASA – yes it is relevant since you are guessing at things you have no first hand knowledge of.
I’ve been one of those who was initially skeptical about Bridenstine as Administrator, then generally pleased with the work that he has done. The extent to which he’s been cosying up to the military in ways that seem to break with established practice (and law), is, frankly, souring me on his leadership. I’ve gone from hoping that he’s kept on to looking forward to the end of his tenure after January 20.
As far as I can tell, the situation is that Col. Hopkins is simply transferring from the Air Force to the Space Force while on board ISS. His job is the same, though… he’s detailed to NASA and is carrying out a civilian human spaceflight operations role as long as he is so assigned. Perhaps he will go back to a military role in a few years. I don’t know if a detailed military astronaut has ever been promoted while in orbit… but this would seem pretty much the same thing.
The idea of NASA charging the Space Force for what is essentially an advertisement is pretty funny. I suspect that Mr. Bridenstine is smart enough to use this as barter for some joint sponsorship of NASA-led research by the Space Force, saving NASA more than the tiny amount (<<$1 million) they would get in revenue.
“simply transferring” – right. He is getting full NASA cooperation on a media event for a personal career change that will cost taxpayers a substantial amount of money to promote and transmit – as an infomercial for a military activity. If Obama did something like this you would have been screaming about it.
That isn’t entirely obvious. The astronauts on ISS do get some amount of NASA-provided communications services for personal use and things which are not, strictly speaking, part of their job as part of the ISS crew. For things like calling friends and relatives or voting from space. If Col. Hopkins is using some of his personal allocation for a Space Force swearing in ceremony, that would be his business. If the Space Force uses its own resources to distribute and promote the video, that’s their business. In terms of legalities and cost to NASA, it isn’t clear to me this would be any different from him using the same time to have a video call with his wife. In terms of the image it projects and NASA public relations, it’s a different matter.
Let me know if you find any other examples where an astronaut got a new job and used NASA spacecraft and facilities during their mission to do a self-promoting media opportunity at taxpayers’ expense.
Keith, he didn’t get a NEW JOB. He got traded from one sponsoring organization to another. The only change is that he goes back to the Space Force instead of back to the Air Force after he completes his assignment at NASA.
Is the Space Force using the fact that the transfer from one loaning agency to another could occur while he is in space? Damn straight. It’s exactly the sort of creative PR you are ALWAYS pushing NASA to do themselves. I really don’t think this ceremony stains NASA any more than a transfer from the Marine Corps to the Navy would have for an Abbey-era astronaut.
If anything, the existence of the Space Force will create a better, focused home for military-related space activities inside DOD, instead of NASA carrying them out behind a curtain. USSF should grow into a military space organization that allows NASA to be more purely civilian. Which you want, so why hate on the Space Force?
Frankly, I think you have a much better case for criticizing the Space Force itself for their space-illiterate advertising copy.
I think I have made my reasons why I am critical of how Space Force has been implemented. We’ll see what happens next Tuesday.
I would suggest reading “The U.S. Military Has Been in Space From the Beginning” By Jason Daley (https://www.smithsonianmag….
June 19, 2018
“NASA and the military also maintain a strong relationship. Over the decades, the vast majority of NASA astronauts have been military service members. During the heyday of the space shuttle, NASA would routinely ferry classified payloads into orbit for the Department of Defense among other projects the agencies have collaborated on.”
Or this NASA web page (https://www.nasa.gov/featur… – accessed today
“Active duty military personnel must apply to the announcement on the USAJOBs website and notify their respective military services using procedures and requirements determined by their service. If selected, military personnel are detailed to NASA for a selected period of time.”
How about this NASA web page (https://www.nasa.gov/stem-e…
“Over NASA’s 50-year history, and even before as the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, or NACA, the agency has helped to improve military aircraft.”
There has always been cooperation and “cross pollination” between the military and NACA/NASA. This is not something new.
Yea no kidding I am a former NASA civl servant and worked shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of reservists. They never asked me to address them by rank. never wore their uniforms, never recruited, never did a thing with a hint of military focus. NASA never did live military themed events on-orbit. Military shuttle missions were totally blacked out. Now, NASA rents out space on the ISS for recruiting and career change photo ops and infomercials.
Then demand that the Space Force pay like any other customer. Help validate the demand for Axiom and other private space platforms.
They most certainly should pay.
To me, the bigger point is that the ISS is, well, international. And it feels really wrong for one country to run their military ads on an international, civilian facility. As an European, I feel insulted by this.
Wonder how the Russians are feeling about it? ESA are by charter so non-military they can’t even touch nuclear propulsion. NASA were supposed to be too. It is all of a rather worrying piece with how things are going stateside. Not that much of Europe isn’t following behind as usual.