Recently in Policy Category

Back to the Moon? Not any time soon, says Bolden, Space Politics

"However, [Bolden] made it clear NASA has no plans to lead its own human return to the Moon under his watch. "NASA will not take the lead on a human lunar mission," he said. "NASA is not going to the Moon with a human as a primary project probably in my lifetime. And the reason is, we can only do so many things." Instead, he said the focus would remain on human missions to asteroids and to Mars. "We intend to do that, and we think it can be done."

Charlie Bolden Intends To Press President Obama on Mars Mission Mandate for NASA, earlier post

"At one point, Bolden teared up and said that "Mars is the Goal". Bolden claimed that he was intent upon going to the White House, "pounding his shoe on the table", and demanding a commitment from President Obama to direct NASA to send humans to Mars. Bolden said that he needs that commitment to allow him to decide what to do (not do) with regard to extending the ISS."

Keith's note: There is no mention of an Administration committment to a human mission to Mars in the NASA FY 2014 Budget. Either Charlie Bolden never pounded his shoe at the White House - or (more likely) they were not listening when he did.

Senate funding measure gives NASA $2.1B for SLS for rest of 2013 (updated), Huntsvile Times

"A bipartisan Senate Appropriations Committee budget for the rest of fiscal year 2013 continues strong funding for NASA's Space Launch System and calls on the agency to speed up its construction. The measure released by committee leadership Monday night gives the overall SLS program $2.1 billion for the rest of the fiscal year, including $260 million for ground-related launch support construction, and also provides $515 million for NASA's commercial crew program."

Explanatory Statement for the Senate Substitute Continuing Resolution (NASA Excerpts)

"This Act includes $17,862,000,000 for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). A table of specific funding allocations for NASA is delineated below, and additional detail may be found under the relevant account headings."

OSTP Memo to Departments and Agencies: Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research

"The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) hereby directs each Federal agency with over $100 million in annual conduct of research and development expenditures to develop a plan to support increased public access to the results of research funded by the Federal Government."

American Astronomical Society Applauds Obama Administration's New Open-Access Policy

"So why is the AAS supportive of open access? "Because we're already in compliance with the administration's new guidelines," says AAS Executive Officer Kevin B. Marvel. "Research articles from all AAS journals are available online, without charge, 12 months after their original date of publication, and they've been available that way for years."

Keith's update: Why NASA hasn't said anything about this? No mention at the NASA Open Government Initiative.

Education & Public Outreach, Lars Perkins, Chairman Education and Public Outreach Committee NASA Advisory Council 29 November 2012

Larger image

NASA Says It Cannot Advertise - and Then Buys Advertisements, (NASA Watch posting referenced in this NASA Advisory Council Chart).

Keith's 25 August 2011 note: I have lost count how many times people at NASA have told me that they cannot self-promote, advertise, lobby, or otherwise try to use standard marketing tools to inform the public of the things that they do. They always cite dire Congressional prohibitions against such activities. Then they go off and totally violate these prohibitions with advertising procurements such as this one. I am not certain that they actually know what it is they are allowed or not allowed to do and just throw this answer out when they do not want to do something.

Keith's update: This story has not changed. If you ask, NASA tells you that it cannot advertise. And then they do.

Can Commercial Space Rescue NASA From Deadly Public Indifference?, Forbes

"Sustainable public advocacy will depend upon around bold goals and clear plans that warrant substantial investments. Writing in Reason magazine, Gregory Benford correlated public interest in space exploration with a natural desire for vicarious adventure. Benford observed that: "Much of the passion in science fiction springs from a deep-rooted human need: to reach out, to prefer movement to stasis, to understand." Accordingly, he concludes that NASA has a choice: "swing for the bleachers or die."

For D.C. shelter's 600 homeless children, a crucial source of fun and escape

"On Thursday, the children arrived in the big recreation room and found a spacesuit waiting for them. "There's no one inside. That's fake!" one girl insisted. "I"m right here," said Leland Melvin, standing behind her, delighted at her defiant challenge. Melvin is an astronaut. "What do you think I do in this blue suit?" he asked, pointing to his flight suit. "Nothing," a bunch of kids wisecracked. It's a tough crowd. Every year, Melvin brings a NASA spacesuit and a slide show of his adventures in space. It doesn't hurt that he also tells the kids about his time in the NFL, getting drafted to play with the Detroit Lions. And then getting injured."

Keith's note: If you ask NASA for their plan - i.e. their strategy - guidance - goals - for engaging the public in education and public outreach activities they cannot provide you with one. Yet they always tell you (they think) that some one is working on one - but it doesn't cover everything that NASA does because NASA is incapable of adopting an agency-wide strategy or plan. And even if something resembling a plan starts to emerge, it never goes beyond draft stage due to infighting and turf disputes. After 4 years the NASA Advisory Council Committee on Education and Public Outreach has done absolutely nothing to address this situation. They are meeting in Washington in a week or so. Not sure why they even bother.

All this being said, you still see poignant attempts to go beyond the normal audiences such as Leland Melvin did at this homeless shelter. Alas, these activities go unnoticed since NASA is clueless as to how to inform others that they even take place. Oh yes - OMB is going to significantly cut NASA's Education budget for FY 2014 - again. And yet they will tell you with a straight face that the White House supports education blah blah blah. I guess its hard to totally blame NASA when the White House won't even stand behind its own rhetoric.

Charlie Bolden Intends To Press President Obama on Mars Mission Mandate for NASA, earlier post

"At one point, Bolden teared up and said that "Mars is the Goal". Bolden claimed that he was intent upon going to the White House, "pounding his shoe on the table", and demanding a commitment from President Obama to direct NASA to send humans to Mars. Bolden said that he needs that commitment to allow him to decide what to do (not do) with regard to extending the ISS."

Keith's note: It has been more than 3 months since Bolden proclaimed his intent to go to the White House and bang his shoe if he did not get his way. In addition to not approving the L2 station, there is nothing in the FY 2014 budget passback regarding any additional, strong Mars commitment that Charlie Bolden declared must be in the budget (other than what the President has already said, that is). No word yet as to whether Bolden has requested a meeting at the White House for his shoe pounding event - although he was there last week and was told that he could not do some of the other things that he wanted to do. Stay tuned.

- Bolden Seeks To Force Mars Goal Commitment From Obama, earlier post
- Is It Time For Charlie Bolden To Pound His Shoe?, earlier post

NASA OIG: NASA's Efforts to Reduce Unneeded Infrastructure and Facilities

"NASA Inspector General Paul K. Martin today released a report evaluating NASA's efforts to reduce unneeded Agency infrastructure. NASA is the ninth largest Federal Government real property holder, with over 124,000 acres and 4,900 buildings and other structures that have a replacement value of more than $30 billion. Primarily located at 10 Centers in Alabama, California, Florida, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia, this property includes such technical facilities as wind tunnels, rocket test stands, and launch complexes and such non-technical facilities as office buildings, roads, fences, and utility systems."

"Guest List for the First Lady's Box State of the Union Address"

"Bobak Ferdowsi (Pasadena, CA) Flight Director, Mars Curiosity Rover

Bobak Ferdowsi, aka NASA's "Mohawk Guy," is a member of the Mars Curiosity rover team at NASA and Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. After the successful landing of the Curiosity rover in August 2012, President Obama called to congratulate the team on their success, and singled out Bobak for his unique haircut that captured the imagination of millions of people around the world. The Curiosity rover is a car-sized robot equipped with a laser, chemistry set, and drill for assessing whether Mars ever had an environment able to support small life forms. Bobak is an Iranian-American and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professional who, in addition to his inspiring day-to-day work on the Mars Curiosity mission, volunteers as a FIRST robotics mentor to get more boys and girls excited about STEM education."

Keith's note: Here's my audio interview with Bobak Ferdowsi, aka NASA's "Mohawk Guy", about his upcoming attendance of the President's State of the Union Speech as a guest of Mrs. Obama.

Letter from Paul Damphousse to National Space Society Board

"During the last year in this role it has become abundantly clear, however, that as long as elements of the existing leadership of the NSS continue to pursue courses of action-- and perpetuate an atmosphere-- that are not in the best interests of the Society, the challenges the organization face will become insurmountable. For both professional and personal reasons, I have decided to pursue other opportunities."

Keith's note: The NSS really needs to get its act together. This organization is already on the borderline of irrelevancy. When good, talented people like Paul Damphousse leave, you know that something is very broken.

Space Abhors a Policy Vacuum; The NRC Report and The Need for a Broad National Space Policy, Dennis Wingo

"...The above sentence in its implication says that a scientifically justifiable space program is the only means to continue its international leadership in space. This has been the underpinning of all NASA related strategic thinking for the past thirty years but is it still tenable, is it still complete to say so? It is my opinion that the answer is no and indeed it has never truly been the case and to think of space through this narrow lens is actually the reason that we have been unable to come to any kind of national consensus on space. The key word in their mandate is national consensus, not just a presidential fiat or even a consensus between the congress and the president. If we are to move forward toward a national consensus we must look beyond the scientific justifications for a space program and look at the broader aspects of national interest to underpin our reasoning."

NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus, Briefing to FISO Telecon Jan. 30, 2013 Marcia Smith, SpacePolicyOnline.com, NRC Committee Member (link fixed)

"- NASA does not and cannot set its own strategic direction.
-- A national consensus is required
-- There is no national consensus at this time
- The administration should lead in developing that consensus, working with Congress, and holding technical consultations with potential international partners
- President Obama's proposal that an asteroid be the next destination for human spaceflight has not won broad support within or outside NASA, undermining the ability to establish a strategic direction.
- There is a mismatch between the programs Congress and the White House have directed NASA to pursue and the resources provided to accomplish them."

Keith's note: NASA's Future In-Space Operations (FISO) Working Group Telecons are held on a regular basis. But NASA doesn't really want to share the information with the public until after the fact (try and find links to this on NASA.gov). To further obscure access, they post presentations on a webserver at the University of Texas at Austin (not NASA.gov). This caveat is posted "Note: This is NOT a public telecon. You may share this link only with qualified participants. Feel free to share publicly our archive site, which is at http://spirit.as.utexas.edu/~fiso/archivelist.htm".

Here is how to listen in (until they change it): Future In-Space Operations (FISO) Working Group Telecon Wednesdays, 3pm EST Dial in: 877 921 5751 Passcode: 623679" Next week's topic is "CST-100 Program Status" Keith Reiley, Boeing". But you are not supposed to know that since most of us are not "qualified participants".

What is especially odd is this statement: "The content of these FISOWG telecon presentations are considered the intellectual property of the person who gave that presentation." Since when are NASA employee presentations not in the public domain when they pertain to the person's official responsibilities? Oh yes, then there is this: "Presentations, papers, visualizations, and graphics produces by the FISOWG and collaborators are archived here -- http://www.futureinspaceoperations.com/". Click on the link. It goes to "Future In-Space Operations Hints on dealing with aging difficulty related to physical attractiveness". Wow. The future of space has to do with physical attractiveness. Who knew?

Oh yes, I almost forgot. All of these FISO presentations are very cool. Too bad NASA has no idea how to make all of this more widely available and accessible.

NASA mulls plan to drag asteroid into moon's orbit, New Scientist

"Researchers with the Keck Institute for Space Studies in California have confirmed that NASA is mulling over their plan to build a robotic spacecraft to grab a small asteroid and place it in high lunar orbit. The mission would cost about $2.6 billion - slightly more than NASA's Curiosity Mars rover - and could be completed by the 2020s. .. Robotically bringing an asteroid to the moon instead would be a more attractive first step, the Keck researchers conclude, because an object orbiting the moon would be in easier reach of robotic probes and maybe even humans."

Keith's note: This study has not been released yet so we don't know what is in it. All we hear is how to go get an asteroid and bring it back to Earth - but not why. If the idea is to study an asteroid close up, I would think that you could send a swarm of satellites, large antennas, etc. based on existing hardware to an asteroid and allow high fidelity telepresence capability for the same/less cost and less complexity than using brute force to bring it to Earth. The only possible rationale for bringing an asteroid back to Earth would be to use the materials in it. I have yet to see any mission statement that charters NASA to mine asteroids. Indeed, the White House doesn't even support the more modest L2 station that Charlie Bolden (sometimes) wants to build using traditional engineering.

The last time I checked, one of the main reasons why the White House tasked NASA to send humans to an asteroid in the first place was to test out long duration deep space human capabilities as a prelude to sending humans to Mars. Bringing their asteroidal destination to Earth sort of defeats that initial intent. Who knows: maybe Charlie Bolden wants to bring Mars closer to Earth to cut down on travel time.

Keith's update: the original report has indeed been released previously. But the specific mission proposal that NASA has sent to the White House has not been released - nor will it be any time soon since this is all "predecisional" stuff.

Nasa plan to 'lasso' asteroid the size of two buses and turn it into a 'space station' to orbit the moon, Daiy Mail

"Nasa scientists are planning to capture a 500 ton asteroid, relocate it and turn it into a space station for astronauts on their way to Mars. The White House's Office of Science and technology will consider the 1.6bn plan in the coming weeks as it prepares to set its space exploration agenda for the next decade. Nasa declined to comment on the project because it said it was in negotiations with the White House, but it is believed that technology would make it possible within 10-12 years."

Bolden: NASA Does Not Have To Actually Go To An Asteroid

"Bolden also said "on our way to an asteroid or Mars we may find a way to get people to the Moon or a LaGrange point .... some reporter in the back of the room is going to write saying that we are going to a LaGrange Point. I did not say that"

Charlie Bolden Intends To Press President Obama on Mars Mission Mandate for NASA, earlier post

"At one point, Bolden teared up and said that "Mars is the Goal". Bolden claimed that he was intent upon going to the White House, "pounding his shoe on the table", and demanding a commitment from President Obama to direct NASA to send humans to Mars. Bolden said that he needs that commitment to allow him to decide what to do (not do) with regard to extending the ISS."

Is It Time For Charlie Bolden To Pound His Shoe?, earlier post

"When NASA gets its FY 2013 budget passback from OMB they will see that in addition to not approving the L2 station, there is none of the additional, strong Mars commitment that Charlie Bolden declared must be in the budget (other than what the President has already said, that is). No word yet as to whether Bolden has requested a meeting at the White House for his shoe pounding event."

Keith's note: The President directs NASA to send a human mission to an asteroid and prepare for a trip to Mars in the 2030s. NASA responds with plans to build a space station at L2 and Charlie Bolden says he'll bang his shoe on the table if the President does not give NASA a mandate to go to Mars and says that a mission to an asteroid doesn't need to actually go to an asteroid. Now NASA wants to bring an asteroid back to Earth. You can get whiplash if you follow Charlie Bolden's strategic planning too closely. When it comes to having a coherent, consistent, strategic plan, NASA doesn't have one. Instead, it spins around in 10 directions at once - as if it has institutionalized Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Someone needs to hit the reset button.

Bolden: Don't Have to Travel Far to Asteroid to Meet President's Goal, Space PolicyOnline

"Bolden said that when the President announced that an asteroid would be the next destination for NASA's human spaceflight program, he did not say NASA had to fly all the way to an asteroid. What matters is the "ability to put humans with an asteroid," Bolden said. An NRC report released earlier this month concluded that sending people to an asteroid has not won wide support in NASA or the nation. Bolden did not criticize that report directly, but said that NRC committee had only a short time to complete its study and it was done at a time of "relative silence" from NASA because of the election and did not have the benefit of the information he was presenting this morning. The only new material he presented this morning was this information about the asteroid mission and the news that NASA will soon stand up a Space Technology Mission Directorate."

Keith's note: Bolden also said "on our way to an asteroid or Mars we may find a way to get people to the Moon or a LaGrange point .... some reporter in the back of the room is going to write saying that we are going to a LaGrange Point. I did not say that"

NASA Really Doesn't Want to Do That Whole Asteroid Thing, earlier post

National Academy of Sciences Committee on Human Spaceflight Meeting

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Yet Another Slow Motion Advisory Committee on Human Space Flight

"The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 was signed into law on 11 October 2010. It has taken more than 2 years for everyone to get around to starting this study. The start date listed for this committee is November 2012 and its report is due for delivery in May 2014. That's 1 year, 7 months. This NRC is responding to authorizing legislation passed in 2010 by the 111th Congress, with a committee now being requested by the 112th Congress, and its report will be presented to yet another Congress (113th) during the second year of a new presidential administration in mid-2014 - one where policies are in place that will differ from those in place when the task was assigned, with budgets that differ from initial conditions under which the study was undertaken.

Net result: the committee's advice will be out of synch with reality and somewhat overtaken by events having taken a total of 3 years, 7 months to complete. Oh yes: the cost of this study? $3.6 million."

Secure resources and funding, and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016, We The People, White House

"Those who sign here petition the United States government to secure funding and resources, and begin construction on a Death Star by 2016. By focusing our defense resources into a space-superiority platform and weapon system such as a Death Star, the government can spur job creation in the fields of construction, engineering, space exploration, and more, and strengthen our national defense."

Keith's 7 Dec note: It would seem that the vast majority of the 5,118 6,111 8,709 10,823 14,108 25,000 signers of this petition are male.

Death Star petition on White House website succeeds

"The petition, which calls for the administration to "begin construction of a Death Star by 2016, crossed the mark Thursday for 25,227 signatures, which is the level the White House requires before it will respond."

Here We Go Again. The Space Policy Wheel Turns. What Was, Is, Dennis WIngo

Just as the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 did not put the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads in charge of the economic development of California and the yet to be formed states in between, there is no reason for NASA to be in charge of the economic and industrial development of the solar system. Thus the vision statement for a national space policy short and succinct could be: "The economic and industrial development of the resources of the solar system for the benefit of the United States of America and all mankind is the goal of our national space efforts."

Hearing: The Future of NASA: Perspectives on Strategic Vision for America's Space Program

Wednesday, December 12, 2012 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Live webcast

"Over-Arching Questions

- What steps could the government take over the next 3 to 5 years to help maintain America's capabilities and retain world leadership in space?
- What are the priorities that policy makers should consider when evaluating future NASA plans?
- How best can NASA and its stakeholder community reach consensus on identifying and preserving critical capabilities necessary for future space science, aeronautics, and exploration programs and missions?
- What steps can NASA, Congress, and the White House take to promote greater overall efficiency at the agency, as well as maintain programmatic and funding stability for projects and programs?"

Witness testimony: Robert Walker, Ronald Sega, Marion Blakey, Thomas Zurbuchen, Scott Pace

NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus, NRC

"The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is widely admired for astonishing accomplishments since its formation in 1958. Looking ahead over a comparable period of time, what can the nation and the world expect of NASA? What will be the agency's goals and objectives, and what will be the strategy for achieving them? More fundamentally, how will the goals, objectives, and strategy be established and by whom? How will they be modified to reflect changes in science, technology, national priorities, and available resources?"

- NRC Report on NASA's Goals and Objectives, earlier post
- Space Policy: Going Everywhere - and Nowhere?, earlier post
- NASA's Somewhat Confused Destination(s), earlier post

Why We Need NASA To Fix Its Problems And Lead America To Money-Making Opportunities in Outer Space, Forbes

"A bunch of tech wonks and nerds issued a report last week that provided a shockingly accurate conclusion about NASA's Strategic Plan: it's vague, generic, and there's no national consensus for taxpayer support. Now it's time for the agency to look beyond its comfy fishbowl of geeks and contractors to fix its problem."

Report: NASA is broken and it's up to us to fix it, Ars Technica

"Again, the lack of a consistent vision has been a problem. The manned program is specifically called out as a paragon of confusion. "Other than the long-range goal of sending humans to Mars," notes the report, "there is no strong, compelling national vision for the human spaceflight program, which is arguably the centerpiece of NASA's spectrum of mission areas."

Duelling visions stall NASA, Nature

"There is no broad acceptance of the asteroid as the next principal destination for space flight, despite the fact that the president has indeed said so several times," says Albert Carnesale, chairman of the committee behind the report and a former chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles. For its part, NASA -- whether through inertia or out of practicality -- seems unwilling to shift the focus of its human space-flight efforts away from the Moon.

NASA Needs 'National Consensus' on Mission, Report Concludes, Science

"The report recommends that Congress, the White House, and NASA pursue one or more of a number of options to set things straight. Options include restructuring the space agency's programs so as to reduce infrastructure and personnel costs; finding ways to partner with other agencies, the private sector, and international partners; and increasing NASA's budget or shedding programs that don't fit NASA's current budget profile."

Direction for Space Needed, Paul Spudis, spudislunarresources.com

"Interestingly, the report does not state the obvious conclusion - that if the first option has any validity, the last two options are not only pointless but actually undesirable from the standpoint of wise governing practice. Why should we spend more money on something perceived to be of marginal value? On the other hand, if the agency could be "restructured" to accomplish its mission with the current budgetary profile, why wouldn't it be?"

National Disagreement Over NASA's Goals and Objectives Detrimental to Agency Planning, Budgeting Efforts

National Disagreement Over NASA's Goals and Objectives Detrimental to Agency Planning, Budgeting Efforts, NRC

"A current stated interim goal of NASA's human spaceflight program is to visit an asteroid by 2025," said Albert Carnesale, chancellor emeritus and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who chaired the committee that wrote the report. "However, we've seen limited evidence that this has been widely accepted as a compelling destination by NASA's own work force, by the nation as a whole, or by the international community. The lack of national consensus on NASA's most publicly visible human spaceflight goal along with budget uncertainty has undermined the agency's ability to guide program planning and allocate funding."

National Disagreement Over NASA's Goals and Objectives Detrimental to Agency Planning, Budgeting Efforts, National Research Council

"Without a national consensus on strategic goals and objectives for NASA, the agency cannot be expected to establish or work toward achieving long-term priorities, says a new report from the National Research Council. In addition, there is a mismatch between the portfolio of programs and activities assigned to the agency and the budget allocated by Congress, and legislative restrictions inhibit NASA from more efficiently managing its personnel and infrastructure. The White House should take the lead in forging a new consensus on NASA's future in order to more closely align the agency's budget and objectives and remove restrictions impeding NASA's efficient operations."

Expert panel: NASA seems lost in space, needs goal, AP

"In his statement, NASA's [David] Weaver said: "We're fully utilizing the International Space Station; developing a heavy-lift rocket and multi-purpose crew vehicle capable of taking American astronauts into deep space; facilitating development of commercial capabilities for cargo and crew transport to low Earth orbit; expanding our technological capabilities for the human and robotic missions of today and tomorrow; pursuing a robust portfolio of science missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope; developing faster and cleaner aircraft and inspiring the next generation of exploration leaders."

[Panel member Marcia] Smith said that statement itself shows the problem: "If it takes you that many phrases to explain it, then you do not have a crisp, clear strategic vision."

Space Foundation Recommends NASA Adopt Pioneering Purpose

"In a report released today, the Space Foundation made a number of recommendations for strengthening the focus, oversight and funding of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and strengthening the U.S. civil space program. The 70-page report and a separate executive summary are now being distributed to policymakers, industry leaders and media by the Space Foundation, an independent non-profit advocacy and education organization committed to advancing space exploration and utilization."

The Vision for Space Exploration: After the Vision, What Next? (Part 5), Paul Spudis

"Many of us working in or with NASA recognized that the 2004 Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) was a breakthrough, the necessary fulcrum needed to change our approach and direction to spaceflight. It was a program that would have opened the door to a wide variety of previously unobtainable missions. In this five-part series to establish and clarify the history and intent of the VSE, I've shared my insider's perspective on why and how it was conceived, executed and eventually terminated - a cautionary tale, if you will, and hopefully, an instructive one. In this last post, I want to examine what lessons should be drawn from this history and how we should move forward in a positive way to have and to build a U.S. space program truly "worthy of a great nation."

Ditch the asteroid mission, Mr President, BBC

"Whatever the truth, I hope that Nasa is aiming big, because its current ambitions are - by its own scientists admissions - somewhat lacking. Although we now have the capability to return humans to the Moon, and travel beyond with manned missions to Mars, the world's leading space-faring nation has another destination in its sights: an asteroid. A small lump of rock."

Almost Being There: Why the Future of Space Exploration Is Not What You Think, Wired

"Congress was all for ditching the moon and Mars plans but decided to keep building the shiny new rocket (maintaining employment in many of their constituent districts). The Space Launch System, which is scheduled to be ready for human crews in 2019, will be the most powerful rocket ever built, capable of bringing astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit, where the space station sits, for the first time since the Apollo days. This puts NASA in a conundrum. "Once you're out there, then what do you do?" said astronomer Jack Burns from the University of Colorado. Within a decade, we may be able to get people in the vicinity of the moon but "there's not enough money in the budget to build a human lander."

A glimpse at a gateway, Space Review

"This is a multi-center team that's been working on trying to figure out what the agency's going to be doing next," [Harold White] said in a presentation that was part of a panel session on advanced concepts at the conference. "In principle, this is an incremental approach to human space exploration. We're trying to take small steps and use as much of the stuff that we have in hand, and incorporate advanced technologies where appropriate to close the architecture."

Charlie Bolden Intends To Press President Obama on Mars Mission Mandate for NASA, earlier post

"At one point, Bolden teared up and said that "Mars is the Goal". Bolden claimed that he was intent upon going to the White House, "pounding his shoe on the table", and demanding a commitment from President Obama to direct NASA to send humans to Mars. Bolden said that he needs that commitment to allow him to decide what to do (not do) with regard to extending the ISS."

Keith's note: The President directed NASA to send humans to an asteroid and eventually (in the 2030's) to Mars. But with talk of L2 or L1 bases, Moon missions, etc. it would seem that some parts of the agency have engaged in mission creep beyond what the White House directed them to do. Then again, the President did say "Mars in the 2030s" and planning for that has to start sooner or later. Regardless of what destination(s) that different parts of NASA think they are aiming for, there is no money for the payloads needed to accomplish any of the missions. With Thanksgiving looming, so is NASA's "passback" on the FY 2014 budget to OMB. Word has it that there will be some of Bolden's Mars shoe pounding included in NASA's budget response. Stay tuned.

Keith's note: President Obama has won re-election. What will this mean for space policy? Will (should) NASA have a new administrator? - if so, then who? Should NASA's budget be increased? Should there be more commercial focus? Does the planetary science budget need to be increased? Will Congress be more or less cooperative with the White House? Thoughts?

Oh yes: Charlie Bolden is on a trip to Hawaii for 6 days for the local 237th Marine Corps Birthday Ball. He's the guest of honor at this event.

Earlier Election 2012 posts

Keith's note: The National Research Council has created the Committee on Human Spaceflight - yet another semi-annual effort to study and advise Congress on NASA's human space flight activities: "In accordance with Section 204 of the NASA Authorization Act 2010, the National Research Council (NRC) will appoint an ad hoc committee to undertake a study to review the long-term goals, core capabilities, and direction of the U.S. human spaceflight program and make recommendations to enable a sustainable U.S. human spaceflight program."

Do these congressionally-mandated NRC policy committees ever really say anything useful or new about space policy? These NASA efforts are quasi-regular exercises where a group of familiar names an a few new ones are brought together for a series of sedate meetings that last for more than a year. You see, congressional authorization committees direct NASA to pay for these studies when they feel that Congress needs a blue ribbon panel to produce verbiage that they can use to beat NASA and the current administration over the head when Congress feels that they are not being listened to.

Once completed, the policy reports are only cited if the have useful sentences that support (or seem to support) a niche position that one politician or committee may take. By definition, NRC reports are never controversial but rather embody lots of slow-motion consensus and inevitable watering down of important issues. Its not that these are substandard efforts by any means since the NRC is an impressive, competent organization. At most, however, these studies take a long time to conduct and are usually a blip on the radar when they issue their final document.

The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 was signed into law on 11 October 2010. It has taken more than 2 years for everyone to get around to starting this study. The start date listed for this committee is November 2012 and its report is due for delivery in May 2014. That's 1 year, 7 months. This NRC is responding to authorizing legislation passed in 2010 by the 111th Congress, with a committee now being requested by the 112th Congress, and its report will be presented to yet another Congress (113th) during the second year of a new presidential administration in mid-2014 - one where policies are in place that will differ from those in place when the task was assigned, with budgets that differ from initial conditions under which the study was undertaken.

Charlie Bolden Intends To Press President Obama on Mars Mission Mandate for NASA

"This long term ISS operations plan did not sit well will NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. Bolden said that he needed to know directly from President Obama whether or not missions to Mars starting in the 2030s was to be NASA's ultimate goal. If this is not the President's goal for NASA, then Bolden wondered why NASA should be expected to continue funding the ISS for another decade and a half. At one point, Bolden teared up and said that "Mars is the Goal". Bolden claimed that he was intent upon going to the White House, "pounding his shoe on the table", and demanding a commitment from President Obama to direct NASA to send humans to Mars. Bolden said that he needs that commitment to allow him to decide what to do (not do) with regard to extending the ISS."

The Vision for Space Exploration: A Brief History (Part 1), Paul Spudis

"Near the end of my recent two hour co-appearance with Dr. Jim Vedda on The Space Show (October 19, 2012), an ongoing misconception emerged about the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) and prompts me to detail some of the history of the VSE and its original intent. Such a review is timely as discussions rage about NASA's current and future direction."

NASA chief Bolden says criticism of agency's direction 'undermines our nation's goals at a very critical time', Houston Chronicle

"NASA Administrator Charles Bolden dismissed rumors that the future of U.S. space exploration is in jeopardy and rejected speculation that his agency has no plans for future human spaceflight. "Those who perpetuate that myth only hurt the space program," Bolden told businessmen, academics and journalists Tuesday afternoon at the National Press Club. "Such talk undermines our nation's goals at a very critical time," he said. "The truth is we have an ambitious series of deep space destinations we plan to explore and we are hard at work exploring the hardware and the technologies to get us there."

Are you considering increasing funds to the space program?, Reddit

President Obama: "Making sure we stay at the forefront of space exploration is a big priority for my administration. The passing of Neil Armstrong this week is a reminder of the inspiration and wonder that our space program has provided in the past; the curiosity probe on mars is a reminder of what remains to be discovered. The key is to make sure that we invest in cutting edge research that can take us to the next level - so even as we continue work with the international space station, we are focused on a potential mission to a asteroid as a prelude to a manned Mars flight."

Seeking Inputs on NASA's Plans, Programs and Priorities, open.NASA

"In the FY2012 appropriations bill that funds NASA, Congress requested an independent study of NASA's strategic direction. The study is being conducted by a committee of the National Research Council. The study statement of task directs the committee to "recommend how NASA could establish and effectively communicate a common, unifying vision for NASA's strategic direction that encompasses NASA's varied missions." Strategic direction can be thought of as the steps NASA needs to take over time to accomplish its vision and mission."

Can NASA keep public's curiosity piqued?, Houston Chronicle

"Paul Spudis, a senior scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, said Curiosity's success doesn't change the fact that the agency is still looking for a vision. "It's tangential to the agency's fundamental problem - where is it going and why?" Spudis asked. "Since (2010) NASA has been floundering in strategic aimlessness and national irrelevance. Only the momentum of existing programs started long ago, like the International Space Station and Mars Science Laboratory, are keeping it alive at all."

Editorial: Curiosity rover critics shortsighted, USA Today

"Those who would slash space program budgets apparently haven't learned history's lessons and don't see the great possibilities that the future presents -- possibilities reflected in every image transmitted back from the rover."

Editorial: NASA scientists nail gold medal Mars dismount, Ventura Star

"President Barack Obama, who has been accused by Republicans of being insufficiently ardent about "American exceptionalism," called the landing an "unprecedented feat of technology that will stand as a point of national pride far into the future."

NASA chief: U.S. won't go it alone on manned Mars mission

"U.S. astronauts won't land on Mars by themselves but with international partners in the 2030s, NASA's chief said Wednesday. "I have no desire to do a Mars landing on our own," Bolden said. "The U.S. cannot always be the leader, but we can be the inspirational leader through international cooperation" in space exploration. Obama administration plans are for the $17.7 billion space agency to land an astronaut on an asteroid in 2025, then go to Mars by the middle of the 2030s."

Keith's note: Given these time frames - "2025, middle 2030s", no one presently working in the White House or on the 9th floor of NASA Headquarters will be in a position to implement - or even do the initial planning for - a human mission to Mars. Indeed, for missions more than a decade or two in the future, they will have little if any impact on what is or is not done. As such, this commentary by Charlie Bolden is simply pointless - including his "desires". Charlie Bolden needs to focus more on the near future where he can actually have some impact.

As for Bolden's statement that "The U.S. cannot always be the leader", gee, that sounds preemptively defeatist. Why bother trying? If Bolden is already thinking that way, then all this future stuff he pontificates about is really beyond his influence. Time for a leadership reboot.

Take the National Academies' Space Studies Board Survey on NASA's strategic Direction

"In the FY2012 appropriations bill that funds NASA, Congress requested an independent study of NASA's strategic direction. The study is being conducted by a committee of the National Research Council. The Strategic Directions Committee is listening to a wide variety of experts in aeronautics and space science and technology, space policy and programs, and communications strategy, and it wants to hear from other stakeholders, including the public, as well."

For NASA, there's no liftoff from politics, USA Today

"The glass is either half-full or half-empty at NASA," says space policy expert John Logsdon, author of John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon. The agency won approval to proceed with building the SLS last year but faces doubts in Congress over the lack of a long-term vision. "NASA's budget only supports a program that is fragile and doesn't make long-term sense," Logsdon says. As an example, he points to the SLS, which will launch in 2017 and carry astronauts only in 2021, with a less-defined schedule thereafter."

There's still hope for NASA, editorial, Houston Chronicle

"But the going gets tougher in the political arena, where NASA and JSC have taken some serious hits in their budgets and faced even more serious questioning of their mission over the past few years. The results are obvious and troubling. It galls Mike Coats that "we're not a space-faring nation right now" because of the retirement of the space shuttle. Instead, he laments, "we're paying the Russians a lot of money to fly our people up there." He's galled because we're paying a lot of Russian engineers when he'd like to be hiring American engineers."

Keith's note: If you look over at the calendar on the right side of NASA Watch you'll note that the NASA Advisory Council and all of its committees are meeting toward the end of July. NASA has expanded the audience for these public meetings by putting them on Webex and dial-in audio feeds - live. A good use of technology - with one exception: the only committee that will not be available live via Webex or dial-in is the Technology and Innovation Committee which focuses on the NASA Chief Technologist's Office. Go figure.

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies: Science and Technology Priorities for the FY 2014 Budget

"This memorandum outlines the Administration's multi-agency science and technology priorities for formulating FY 2014 Budget submissions to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). These priorities require investments from and cooperation among multiple Federal agencies for success. They build on priorities reflected in this Administration's past budgets and documents, such as the President's Strategy for American Innovation."

Government and Space: Lead, Follow, and Get Out of the Way, Rick Tumlinson, Huffington Post

"2012 will see those committed to settling space (O'Neillians) begin orbital delivery operations, private microgravity experiments on the space station, and sub-orbital, commercial, human space-flight tests. Recently, the revolution jumped another level, as a commercial space-station company announced it is partnering with a commercial spaceflight firm, thus completely eliminating the government from the equation. And yet, even as some of today's savviest and wealthiest business leaders begin to dive into this new ocean of possibility, many of yesterday's space heroes, our government and political class, don't get it. The irony should not be lost that this same year, a presidential candidate got laughed off the campaign stage for suggesting a human colony on the Moon -- just days before a group of American entrepreneurs worth tens of billions of dollars announced plans to mine asteroids."

Keith's note: Not to single you out, Rick, but people are out of work. They do not want moon bases or asteroid mines, they want jobs. And people do not really get to worried about whether or not the government is involved in things or not. They do not really waste a whole lot of time on the "D" or "R". They just want whatever is broken to be fixed i.e. they want results. They are going to vote for the politicians who they think will accomplish that task. The fact that the current Democratic Administration is pro-space business and Congressional Republicans are often adamantly opposed to the support of space commerce by NASA just confuses this discussion further.

Space cadets unite! Otherwise we're irrelevant, Jim Banke, Orbital Inclinations

"While I often bristle at Cowing's blunt style, I completely agree with the substance of his response to The Moon Society's president. And believe me, I wish it weren't the case because actually moving the needle on space policy is really the key challenge we face in the space advocacy community. We have yet to find a way to turn all that outstanding public outreach into viable political currency such that every Senator, every member of the House of Representatives, and each occupant of the White House - no matter what party they represent - will support a robust national space policy."

'Radical' bill seeks to reduce cost of AIDS drugs by awarding prizes instead of patents, Washington Post

"More broadly, the Obama administration has pushed prizes for technological advances, sponsoring 150 contests across 40 agencies since 2010. NASA has helped lead the way, handing over $6 million to 23 prize-winning companies since 2005 for such items as better astronaut gloves and more fuel-efficient airplanes. From 2000 to 2007, philanthropic groups have put up some $250 million to spur technologies as varied as robotic moon rovers and cheaper tests for tuberculosis, according to a recent report from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy."

NASA Simply Stopped Being a Priority, Huffington Post

"For the past four decades, America's budget made it clear that space was not a top priority. As we think of America over the span of centuries and not from budget cycle to budget cycle, will we look back and ask ourselves whether the decision to abandon space was a wise decision? Or will historians look back and identify this decision as a textbook example of when America sacrificed long-term strategic goals for short-term interests?"

Prepared remarks of Tom Kalil at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation April 12, 2012 Washington, DC

"Another recent prize was NASA's Green Flight Challenge that called upon aviation innovators to build and demonstrate a super-fuel efficient full-scale aircraft. The cash prize purse of $1.65 million offered by NASA attracted 14 teams, which collectively invested more than $6 million. In a historic achievement, the two winning teams exceeded the performance requirements by nearly a factor of two, flying more than 200 miles on the energy equivalent of just half a gallon of gas, all while averaging 100 mph with two people on board. NASA further leveraged taxpayer dollars, by partnering with the CAFE Foundation, which invested over $1 million in rigorous evaluation and publicity - extending the impact of the prize. The high-profile demonstration of safe, low-emission technologies may spark a new electric airplane industry."

Keith's note: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson both testified before the Senate on NASA's FY 2013 budget the other day. Simple word clouds reveal starkly different messages. Click on word cloud image to enlarge.

Testimony by NASA Administrator Bolden Before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

"Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, today it is my privilege to discuss the President's FY 2013 budget request for NASA. Our requested budget of $17.7 billion will enable NASA to execute the balanced program of science, space exploration, technology, and aeronautics agreed to by the President and a bipartisan majority of Congress."

Testimony by Neil deGrasse Tyson Before the Committee on Commerce Science & Transportation

"Currently, NASA's Mars science exploration budget is being decimated, we are not going back to the Moon, and plans for astronauts to visit Mars are delayed until the 2030s --on funding not yet allocated, overseen by a congress and president to be named later."

Keith's note: I had planned on listening in on the NASA Advisory Council's Education and Public Outreach Subcommittee meeting today via Webex. But I changed my mind and decided that it would be a waste of time - time better spent on doing real work (and cleaning out my garage). I am not sure that what the NAC or any of its subcommittees does or says actually matters in any significant way. NASA clearly ignores them. The NAC is actually rather passive (more so than ever in the past) and never actually says anything strategic or insightful. And they never, ever push NASA hard on the things that are clearly screwed up. Indeed, all the NACsters ever say is "nice job", "what would you do with a bigger budget?", "thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us", or "there's a typo on your chart". Check the calendar on the right for their other meetings over the coming days. Or not. Yawn.

Keith's update: Let me add that the new NAC Chair, Steve Squyres should be a breath of fresh air. He is an explorer's explorer and, contrary to a lot of NAC members, he does not dwell behind a desk or reflexively seek a TV camera. Instead he goes to remote and dangerous places to explore and to make sure that the Mars rovers that he helps to build will be able to do their job. Whether he can inpsire his fellow NACsters to show a little spine and advise NASA in a more pointed and strategic fashion remains to be seen. I wish him luck.

Double the Space Budget?, Paul Spudis, Air & Space

"More funding would enable more activity, but to do what? As we no longer have a reasonable, near-term strategic goal (and I do not count empty promises of human Mars missions 30 years in the future as such), more money might accelerate progress on some programs, but money alone will never establish a healthy and vigorous space program. What has held us back from creating a strong space program? I contend that it is the lack of any strategic direction, by which I mean not simply a goal, but a believable goal, one that combines clear and pressing societal value with attainable, decadal timescales, at costs at or less than their projected budget line. Under the existing operational template, most proposed space goals satisfy one or two, but not all conditions."

Cislunar Space Next

"Develop a space transportation system using existing assets to the extent possible, build new reusable vehicles to transit cislunar space, develop lunar resources with the aim of propellant production, emplace staging nodes in LEO (use existing ISS), geosynchronous orbit (GEO), Earth-Moon L-1, low lunar orbit (LLO) and on the lunar surface."

In Search of Charlie Bolden's Solid Plan for NASA

"According to NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden in yesterday's budget press conference, "The time for debate about our future is over. We have a solid plan, a sustainable plan, and we are moving out to implement it, opening the next great chapter of American exploration." "Solid plan"? Quite the contrary."

National Research Council Report Identifies and Prioritizes Key Technologies for NASA

"In 2010 NASA created 14 draft technology roadmaps to help guide and prepare for the agency's future space exploration and mission needs. Using these draft roadmaps as a point of departure, a new National Research Council report, NASA SPACE TECHNOLOGY ROADMAPS AND PRIORITIES: RESTORING NASA'S TECHNOLOGICAL EDGE AND PAVING THE WAY FOR A NEW ERA IN SPACE, identifies and prioritizes key technologies needed for NASA to make advances in earth and space sciences. It also details how the effectiveness of the technology development program can be enhanced in the face of scarce resources."

State Department: "Space Security - An American Perspective"

"Space is no longer an environment accessed nearly exclusively by two superpowers or a few countries. Barriers to entry are lower than ever, and many countries are enjoying access to and the benefits of space in unprecedented numbers. Today, space is the domain of a growing number of satellite operators; approximately 60 nations and government consortia operate satellites, as well as numerous commercial and academic satellite operators. Paradoxically, while it is becoming increasingly easier to access as well as to benefit from space, space is also becoming increasingly congested and contested. This situation means we need to think carefully through how we can all operate there safely and responsibly. Our goal is to ensure that the generations that follow us can also benefit from the advantages that space offers."

Independent Assessment of NASA's Strategic Direction and Management

"This proposal requests funding for the NRC's Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences to organize an ad-hoc study to determine whether the strategic direction of NASA remains viable and if the agency's activities and organization efficiently and effectively support that direction in light of the potential for constrained budgets in the foreseeable future. The study will be carried out by staff from the division's Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board and Space Studies Board. The amount requested is $834,104 for the period January 15, 2012 to January 14, 2013."

Statement by Secretary Clinton: International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities

"The long-term sustainability of our space environment is at serious risk from space debris and irresponsible actors. Ensuring the stability, safety, and security of our space systems is of vital interest to the United States and the global community. These systems allow the free flow of information across platforms that open up our global markets, enhance weather forecasting and environmental monitoring, and enable global navigation and transportation."

Fact Sheet: An International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities

"The Obama Administration is committed to ensuring that an International Code enhances national security and maintains the United States' inherent right of individual and collective self-defense, a fundamental part of international law. The United States would only subscribe to such a Code of Conduct if it protects and enhances the national and economic security of the United States, our allies, and our friends. The Administration is committed to keeping the U.S. Congress informed as our consultations with the spacefaring community progress."

Keith's note: This statement and the Fact Sheet was sent to me by the State Department Press Office in separate emails - both with this same note: "This email is UNCLASSIFIED."

Duh.

Where is U.S. Space Policy Headed?, Marcia Smith, Space Quarterly

"President Obama released his National Space Policy (NSP) in June 2010. Although it made few national headlines, it was big news for the space community. Broad national policies that cross interagency borders are by necessity generalized documents. Getting everyone to agree on virtually any topic is a Herculean task. This policy was coordinated across the government by Peter Marquez, then the Director of Space Policy for the White House National Security Council (NSC) and now with Orbital Sciences Corp. Marquez always credits Damon Wells, his counterpart at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), as his teammate in getting the policy out just 17 months after the President took office. In Washington, that's lightning fast. Is it important, either that the NSP came out so quickly or that it came out at all? As with most things, the answer is both yes and no."

Congress Slashes Budget of White House Science Office, AAAS/Science Insider

"First words, then deeds. Frustrated that White House officials have ignored congressional language curtailing scientific collaborations with China, legislators have decided to get their attention through a 32% cut in the tiny budget of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Science lobbyists say that's a bad idea. A 2012 spending bill expected to be approved later this week slashes OSTP's current $6.6 million budget to $4.5 million. The cuts won't mean layoffs or furloughs for the office's 90-person staff, many on loan from other agencies or outside institutions. But it "will have real consequences on OSTP's operations," says OSTP spokesperson Rick Weiss, forcing OSTP "to prioritize existing activities" in fields ranging from science education to sustainable energy."

- Report on U.S. - China Security Issues Published, earlier post
- Hearing on China, OSTP & NASA (Political Theater Synopsis), earlier post
- Did China Hack U.S. Satellites? (NASA Update), earlier post
- Hearing: Wolf Vs NASA/OSTP on China, earlier post
- NASA Astronaut Andy Thomas is Still Bashing China On The Job, earlier post
- -Other posts on China

State Department: Leading with Diplomacy to Strengthen Stability in Space

"Remarks by Frank A. Rose Deputy Assistant Secretary U.S. Department of State at the USSTRATCOM Cyber and Space Symposium: The space environment is at serious risk from a number of sources, including space debris and a lack of transparency in the conduct of space activities. It is our belief that one of the most beneficial multilateral TCBMs for strengthening stability in space could be the adoption of "best practice" guidelines or an international "code of conduct." A code of conduct could help establish guidelines for safe and responsible use of space, avoid collisions, reduce radiofrequency interference, and call out irresponsible behavior."

Funding hinges on clearer NASA vision, Posey warns, Florida Today

"NASA faces an uphill battle for funding in Congress unless it clarifies vague exploration plans, U.S. Rep. Bill Posey said Tuesday.

Absent a clear mission, human spaceflight, I'm afraid, will be very vulnerable, he said. Out of sight, out of mind."

An enduring value proposition for NASA human spaceflight (part 1) - Where are we, and how did we get here?, the Space Review

"In 2007, I published an article in The Space Review titled "Sustaining Exploration: Communications, Relevance, and Value" that described NASA as a value delivery system (VDS). In it I made a case for re-alignment of the agency and its activities by means of a "value discovery process". (The reader is directed to the previous paper for an explanation of value systems as applied to NASA and links to reference material.) The article identified some issues driving resistance to change within the agency and warned of the possibility of "organizational obsolescence" if NASA continued to hold tight to past successes as a raison d'tre for activities in the present and future."

NASA's Invisible Advisory Council

"This week the NASA Advisory Council (NAC) and its various committees are meeting. This body is federally chartered to formally advise NASA - yet the public knows little - if anything about what this committee does. By law the public is supposed to be informed of these meetings, allowed to attend, and offered means whereby they can present their views to the committee. By law, these meetings are announced in the Federal Register. But unless you are a policy wonk, you are not likely to read these notices. That is why I post them on NASA Watch (look to the calendar) and on SpaceRef. Alas, beyond the formal notification process, NASA does not lift a finger to make certain that the public is aware of these activities and the means whereby the public is supposed to be encouraged to participate. NASA's NAC staff and PAO have done a pitiful job informing the public of these meetings."

Keith's 3 Aug note: The NASA Advisory Council is meeting on Thursday and Friday. Charlie Bolden will be there. The meeting will be available to the public on WebEx and via telecon (info). Given NASA's previous shyness/ambivalence with regard to encouraging public appreciation of - and participation with - the NAC, you can expect continued silence from the NAC and PAO.

Imagine the visibility that the NAC - and the topics it wil be discussing - would get if NASA used its Twitter account to reach its 1.3 million followers. Imagine also if NASA used one of its 4 TV channels to webcast the meeting. Alas, NASA PAO is focusing today on sending LEGO dolls to Jupiter.

Keith's 4 Aug update: Interestingly, unlike nasa.gov, the open.nasa.gov folks are paying attention to the interests of the public and are letting their readers know that there is a NAC meeting - and how to participate. Well done!

America's space program is crashing, opinion, Mark Albrecht, Washington Times

"The conventional wisdom in the federal bureaucracy is that you can reduce spending or you can restructure, reprioritize and reorganize. You can cut programs or start new programs. But you can't do both. Now, our backs are to the wall. To re-establish our leadership in space, we must defy conventional wisdom and cut spending, start new initiatives and radically restructure a mature agency - all at the same time. It won't be pleasant, and it won't be easy, but neither was putting a man on the moon."

NASA's new journeys, opinion, John Holdren and Charles Bolden, Politico

"One misimpression is that the U.S. human spaceflight program is stalled. The truth is quite the opposite. Soon after President Barack Obama took office, an independent commission concluded that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's then-existing plan for the post-Shuttle era was not viable under any feasible budget scenario."

NASA: Reducing Regulatory Burden; Retrospective Review Under E.O. 13563

"As part of its implementation of Executive Order 13563, Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review, issued by the President on January 18, 2011, NASA is seeking comments on the Agency's preliminary plan to conduct a retrospective analysis of its existing regulations. The purpose of this analysis is to make NASA's regulatory program more effective and less burdensome in achieving its regulatory objectives."

Former Senator Schmitt Proposes Dismantling of NASA and Creation of a New, Deep Space Exploration Agency

"Is there a path forward for United States' space policy? When a new President takes office in 2013, he or she should propose to Congress that we start space policy and its administration from scratch. A new agency, the National Space Exploration Administration (NSEA), should be charged with specifically enabling America's and its partners' exploration of deep space, inherently stimulating education, technology, and national focus. The existing component parts of NASA should be spread among other agencies with the only exception being activities related to U.S. obligations to its partners in the International Space Station (ISS)."

Is our space vision still shortsighted?, MSNBC

"I think with regard to this year's budget, the match is reasonable," [Norm] Augustine said. "But if we're to have a program of the type that we described as attractive in the report that we put out, there's not enough money in the out years to do it. The question is whether we'll add that money in the out years or not. If we don't have it, then we're probably pursuing the wrong program. If we add the money, then this will be the right program, in my judgment." What does he think it will take? "Unless that money is increased by about $3 billion a year, real dollars, over what it was at the time we did our study, then this whole thing is very tenuous," he said. "But if that funding is made available ... the path we're on so far is very consistent with what I think most of us would see as a sensible program."

NASA Administrator Thanks President Obama and Congress for Agency's New Direction Support

"We will foster a growing commercial space transportation industry that will allow NASA to focus our efforts on executing direction in the act to start work on a heavy-lift architecture to take astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit and to develop a multipurpose crew vehicle for use with our new space launch systems."

Coalition applauds President Obama for signing into enactment, the NASA Authorization Bill

"The passage of this legislation is a testament to our Congressional system," said Glenn Mahone, chairman of the Coalition. "Those who championed this bill obtained unprecedented, unanimous support in the Senate and advanced it through the House. With the President's signature, we enter a new chapter in 21st-century space exploration."

Keith's 6 Oct. note: NASA Watch sources report that this upcoming trip to China and then Indonesia is Charlie Bolden's idea first and foremost. The White House did not ask him to go to either country - nor do they want him to go. But he is going anyway. The trip to Saudi Arabia was similarly unrequested and unsanctioned as far as the White House was concerned. This begs the question in the White House and elsewhere as to why Bolden is focusing his energy on foreign trips at a time when NASA's domestic support is sagging. Moreover, there is growing concern within the White House as to why Bolden is not getting the message that the White House has been sending to him. Bolden's recent gaffs in the Middle East and ethics issues with Marathon Oil haven't exactly helped his relationship with the White House. Stay tuned.

Human Spaceflight on Agenda for Bolden's China Trip, Space News

"But it remains unclear whether Bolden is making his trip at the behest of the White House or on his own initiative. White House spokesman Nicholas Shapiro declined to comment on Bolden's China visit and referred media queries to NASA. When asked about Bolden's trip NASA spokesman Michael Cabbage referred to last November's joint U.S.-China communique that calls for expanded discussions on human spaceflight cooperation. Cabbage said the trip "is being coordinated with all appropriate government agencies," even as a senior Republican lawmaker requested a security briefing on the visit before it happens."

U.S. Lawmaker Balks at NASA Chief's China Visit, space.com

"In an Oct. 5 letter to the NASA chief, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) said he strongly opposes any partnership with Beijing that involves human spaceflight, including efforts to involve China in the international space station. "I need not remind you that no such planning or coordination has been approved by the Congress," wrote Wolf, the ranking member on the House Appropriations commerce, justice, science subcommittee that oversees NASA spending. "In fact, several recent NASA authorization bills have explicitly sought to place strict limitations on coordination with China."

Keith's 9 Oct. update: That's rather odd. The White House is normaly much more forthcoming on commenting on matters such as this given that a senior government official such as Bolden is going to China (and Indonesia and Viet Nam). Unless, of course, as is the case with this trip, this is not their idea and they'd rather that he not go on the trip in the first place. Relations between the U.S. and China are rather frosty right now. As such, you don't really want someone prone to public gaffs making a highly visible trip with media dogging him the entire time. Stay tuned.

ChasingAugustine, Wayne Hale

"A couple of months later I was notified that I would receive a Group Achievement Award for helping with the [Augustine] committee. I told them I did not want the award and would not accept it. They didn't know how to handle that request. I boycotted the awards presentation but they still sent me the certificate in the mail. My first impulse was to burn it. I still may. A fair question to ask is what about the committee's work so thoroughly upset me? There were a number of factors, far more than I can explore in one short post. So I will deal with the #1 reason: the committee was snookered by OMB."

Obama Space Adviser Leaves White House, Space News

"Peter Marquez, director of space policy for the White House National Security Council, stepped down Sept. 27 to pursue new opportunities. Marquez, who was appointed to the post in 2007 by then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, played a central role in shaping U.S. President Barack Obama's new national space policy issued by the White House in June."

Back to the Past, editorial, NY Times

"President Obama's call for sweeping changes in the space program got mugged by lobbyists and pork-minded legislators. An authorization bill for NASA -- the National Aeronautics and Space Administration -- that cleared Congress will leave the agency mired in past technologies. ... A primary goal of those who drafted the legislation was to provide money and save jobs at existing NASA centers and their contractors. At a time of high unemployment, it's hard to argue with that impulse. But the result will be to postpone -- possibly for decades -- the development of the new technologies that could revolutionize long-distance space travel."

Congress's budget battle leaves NASA without a clear mission, editorial, Washington Post

"This flawed bill only proves that the biggest challenges now facing NASA are on the ground. Members of Congress, hoping to protect jobs in their districts, have fought against the shutdown of the Constellation manned spaceflight program, which a blue-ribbon commission on the future of human spaceflight found to be doomed by excessive ambition and insufficient funds."

KillingConstellation, Wayne Hale

"There are probably any number of factors which have wounded the Constellation program, perhaps mortally. But taking longer to return the shuttle to flight, costing more to return the shuttle to flight, and delaying the completion of the ISS and the retirement of the shuttle; those were major causes too. Coupled with the top-level decisions not to ask the Congress for more money, the squeeze was well-nigh intolerable. From my standpoint the consequences were unintentional. But unintentional or more precisely with the best of intentions, the result was severe. So yes, I had a role in the killing of Constellation; a long time before February 1, 2010."

A Pledge to America (Draft), full text, MSNBC

"- Cut Government Spending to Pre-Stimulus, Pre-Bailout Levels: With common-sense exceptions for seniors, veterans, and our troops, we will roll back government spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels, saving us at least $100 billion in the first year alone and putting us on a path to begin paying down the debt, balancing the budget, and ending the spending spree in Washington that threatens our children's future.

- Establish a Hard Cap on New Discretionary Spending: We must put common-sense limits on the growth of government and stop the endless increases. Only in Washington is there an expectation that whatever your budget was last year, it will be more this year and even more the next. We will set strict budget caps to limit federal spending on an annual basis. Budget caps were used in the 1990s, when a Republican Congress was able to bring the budget into balance and eventual surplus. By cutting discretionary spending from current levels and imposing a hard cap on future growth, we will save taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars."

Keith's note: So much for the Obama Administration's plans to increase NASA's budget ...

State Department: Implementing the National Space Policy: Opportunities and Challenges

"I would like to talk about four things today. First, I will briefly describe what we have been doing to implement the space policy since its release in late June. Second, I will discuss some challenges and opportunities we face in international cooperation and collaboration in space, and how we are tackling those challenges. Third, I will point to some of the continuing critical issues facing the United States and the international community as we expand our utilization of the space environment and work to strengthen stability in space. Finally, I'd like to challenge you in the audience to think about how we can work together across space sectors and interests to solve these difficult issues in the years ahead."

NASA administrator draws an ethics reprimand, Orlando Sentinel

"Administrator Bolden continues to be not only a distraction for the administration, but most importantly to the mission of NASA," said an administration official, who is not authorized to speak on the record, about Monday's reprimand. The official could not recall another incident in which a similarly high-level leader was so publicly reprimanded."

NASA Chief Erred in Call, Report Says, New York Times

"The episode was the latest in a series of missteps by General Bolden. Over the summer, he said in an interview with the Middle Eastern news network Al-Jazeera that one of NASA's main tasks was to reach out to the Muslim world and help Muslims feel good about their historical contributions to science. NASA and the White House spent a good part of July trying to defend and explain his comments."

Keith and Frank's note: [Revised] It looks like Charlie Bolden may be headed back to the Middle East soon - this time, to Saudi Arabia.The purpose? Some would say that he is trying to get the Saudis more involved in ongoing peace negotiations at the behest of the Obama White House. But others note that he has some personal agenda items at work as well - all under the excuse of commemorating a Space Shuttle flight 25 years ago.

The excuse being used for this trip is the 25th anniversary of the flight of Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a nephew of the King of Saudi Arabia, on STS-51G in 1985.

Keith's note: Sources report that Charlie Bolden is bringing his wife along on this trip and that Associate Administrator for International and Interagency Relations Michael O'Brien will be travelling with Bolden - also with his wife. Spouse travel costs are all (apparently) being covered by NASA.

Conflict over NASA spaceflight program complicates funding, Washington Post

"NASA's human space program, long the agency's biggest public and congressional asset, has become instead its biggest headache. As never before, NASA watchers say, an agency that generally is funded and directed through White House and congressional consensus has become the focus of a brutal, potentially crippling and politically topsy-turvy battle for control that is likely to come to a head next week. NASA politics have always defied labels. But now a series of unlikely alliances and negotiating positions have left Congress in an especially difficult bind, with the distinct possibility that the fiscal year will end this month without an approved 2011 budget. The result, congressional negotiators and observers say, would be layoffs and a very unpredictable agency future."

NASA's No. 2 says it's time to go beyond Apollo, Space.com

"NASA needs to evolve for the future, not get stuck in the past, the agency's deputy chief said this week. Speaking at a TEDxMidTownNY event at Manhattan's Explorers Club, NASA's second in command, Lori Garver, said it was time to kick-start commercial spaceflight to low Earth orbit and shift NASA's focus to more ambitious exploration missions. "Our space program needs to not be reliving the space program of the past," she said. "We have been trying to relive Apollo for 40 years now." Instead of sending astronauts back to the moon, Garver espoused the new plan put forward by President Barack Obama to pursue trips to an asteroid and Mars. Meanwhile, NASA would try to shift the responsibility for transporting people to the International Space Station to the private sector, which has already made some strides toward commercial spacecraft capable of reaching orbit."

Frank's note: In these pages we have seen one disconnect after another on how poorly NASA sometimes produces its own message. An overwhelming majority of people have no idea what NASA does, other than Shuttle missions and the Hubble. Strangely enough though, according to a focus group done for NASA in 2008, when people are told some details about the space program, belief that it is important to the nation soars.

If you have had the need to interact with NASA Public Affairs folk, like Keith and I have done for years, the results are a mixed bag. Some are incredibly industrious, hardworking and endeavor to get you what you need when you need it. Others could care less, and act as if their job is to make it hard to get at information. Like it is a dwindling resource. One has to wonder if this extends to briefing members of Congress or even the White House. One thing is sure: if this doesn't change for the better and soon, NASA may have missed an historic opportunity to galvanize public support at a critical time in its history.

My question for NASA Watch readers: Let's say you were in charge of NASA Public Affairs for one month. And were given free reign by the Administrator. What or how would you improve things? Or is the situation too far gone?

Frank's note: Of all of the recent NASA Administrators (Goldin, O'Keefe, Griffin) former Marine General Charles F. Bolden, Jr. has given the fewest public appearances of them all. Excluding college commencements and STEM talks to school children, Bolden has been largely AWOL from the public square this summer. The face of NASA leadership, to the public, agency employees and the press has been that of Deputy Administrator Lori B. Garver. The last time Bolden went before the press it was Al Jazeerra. Need we say more?

The question of his advocacy's absence has raised, rightly or wrongly, questions about the support for the Obama Administration's own space plan, and that of the Administration for him as leader. All of this could change tomorrow, but as for now there is a perception of a rudderless NASA adrift waiting for Congress to decide how much of Project Constellation to cram down the agency's throat. Central to the heart of this issue is just how important is the NASA Administrator in today's political climate. Sandwiched between the President's policy (as directed under this President by the Office of Science and Technology Policy OSTP) and the priorities of the Congressional space committees, a NASA Administrator has little leeway for his or her own direction. If there are clear lines of authority, strong center and directorate managers, much of what an administrator does on a day-to-day basis seems perfunctory. In such a climate, the Deputy Administrator's portfolio, directing institutional change in the agency's structure and messaging, seems the more interesting lot.

My question for NASA Watch readers: If you were the Administrator of NASA, what would be your priorities, given the President's overall space plan? (no, you can't change the plan) How visible would you or should you be? And how would you go about educating the public on your agency's vital functions? Ideas?

Bolden Is Operating In Cloaked Mode These Days, earlier post

As Space Priorities Shift, Orbiting Station Takes On a Central Role, NY Times

"NASA's Moon program, known as Constellation, has been hamstrung. Although pieces of it could survive in bills under consideration in Congress, it remains unclear what rockets NASA is to build, what their destinations would be and how long it would take to get there. Without the space station, NASA's financing of commercial rockets to take crew and cargo there would almost certainly evaporate. And without government financing, companies would be unlikely to invest billions of dollars to pursue a speculative market."

Cape Canaveral reverberated with the effects of politics this week. One of the Republican candidates for Florida governor stumped around the area as space contractor giant United Space Alliance (USA) laid off another 900 employees.

This however did not dissuade Kennedy Space Center Director from predicting a bright future for the space center.

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) announced this week that they would shoot for a September launch for the next flight of their Falcon 9 rocket. Space Florida announced it had signed an agreement with a United Kingdom group to help further international commercial space cooperation. Over at OPF-3, Discovery was being readied for what could be her final flight. This week also marks the anniversary of rockets exploring the heavens from Cape Canaveral.

Frank Sietzen Jr.: Last week, the Senate Commerce, Science and Space Committee marked up a draft of a proposed FY2011 Authorization bill for NASA. That bill maintains the Obama administration's top line budget for the civil space agency, but otherwise it contains virtually none of the individual funding areas for human spaceflight that the administration had sought.

But it's my contention that the bill, whether or not it ever gets passed into law, is an historic development in legislative space affairs. Back in 2004, in our book "New Moon Rising", Keith Cowing and I used the phrase "opening a hinge of history" to describe how the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster provided an opening for an historic new direction in space policy. We initially perceived that direction as being the first era of human spaceflight since 1972 that was not to be dominated by the Shuttle program. But what really emerged would eventually become the so-called "Vision for Space Exploration".

Diplomacy: Nothing new about NASA outreach, editorial, Houston Chronicle

"Bolden's comments are a reminder of what we could do, what we could be and how we could continue to help create a better world. He could make it happen if he had the political backing of national will. That his comments ring hollow and make him appear nearly foolish to many shows the tragedy of having an American president who thinks we are unexceptional, arrogant to assume we can lead and too poor to tell our children there is more to see, to do and to learn. What he said was, "Yes, we can!" What he did was, no, we can't. So, it makes me sad for my friend Charlie. And, it makes me sad for my country."

NASA Needs Integrated Strategy to Control Mission Costs, NRC

"NASA should develop a broad, integrated strategy to contain costs and maintain schedules as earth and space science missions are planned and designed, says a new report by the National Research Council. The report also calls on NASA, Congress, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to consistently use the same method to quantify and track costs."

Letter from Former Columbia Accident Investigation Board Members Regarding Crew Safety

"As former board members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB), we agree with your view that assuring crew safety is an essential element in the discussion of future U.S. crew transportation systems. As members of the CAIB, we have also noted with interest recent space policy discussions where our report has been cited. In particular, we have been somewhat surprised to learn that some people, both within and outside of the Congress, have interpreted the new White House strategy for space which gives a greater role to the commercial sector in providing crew transportation services to the International Space Station, as being not in line with the findings and recommendations of the CAIB report. Our view is that NASA's new direction can be a) just as safe, if not more safe, than government-controlled alternatives b) will achieve higher safety than that of the Space Shuttle, and c) is directly in line with the recommendations of the CAIB."

Obama chooses path of submission, opinion, news-journal.com

"NASA is now primarily tasked with making people feel good about math and science, and in particular the Muslim world. No longer is it concerned with manned space flight, no longer is it charged with increasing our knowledge of the universe. It is charged with making everyone in the world and in particular Muslims feel good. The excellent news about that is it should not take nearly as much money to do this. We will no longer need to invest in rockets or spaceships. It is all about feelings. Perhaps, NASA can be combined into the Department of Education or the State Department."

Obama's Spaced-Out Mission, opinion, Richmond Times Dispatch

"Nowhere in the act was NASA assigned the responsibility to expand international relationships or reach out to "the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science and engineering." However, according to a recent interview NASA Director Charles Bolden gave to AlJazeera, that is exactly what President Obama informed him the space agency's foremost mission was to be."

Lost in space: Obama's NASA program, Daily Caller

"When did it become the NASA administrator's top job to "reach out" to the Muslim world and make them "feel good?" In the past, NASA administrators were busy managing their agencies, but not Mr. Bolden. He is our ambassador to the Muslim world, speaking for President Obama. In the interview, Bolden sounded more like a politician or a diplomat than a NASA administrator."

Debating NASA's mission, Letters, Houston Chronicle

"So President Obama has charged NASA chief Charles Bolden with the crucial mission of finding a way to reach out to the Muslim world to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math and engineering ("NASA's crucial missions hijacked by liberal agenda," Page B9, Thursday). How condescending. I have read that Arab schools stress these achievements and rightly so. They don't need the U.S. to tell them to be proud of their heritage. Let's let NASA get on with the mission for which it was created."

Obama's NASA Chief: Muslim Outreach is My Foremost Mission, Rush Limbaugh

"RUSH: That's right. That's precisely why it's wrong. Obama is the new chief executive and all of America's wrong. The original mission statement of America is wrong. That's the Constitution, and that's under assault, too. Not just the initial mission statement of NASA. If he's going to run around and say that NASA's purpose now is to spread science and math understanding to Muslim countries and to recognize their contributions to math and science, then you can imagine what this bunch thinks of the Constitution."

NASA's new mission -- make Muslim countries 'feel good', Glenn Beck

"GLENN: But imagine how condescending that is to say that NASA's going to go over and say, look who's been smart in the past, look what you've done. Who can take an abacus and turn it upside down? You can. I mean, that is the most condescending thing I've ever heard. Make them feel good about their history. And isn't that so very progressive. Make them feel good. That's the charge of NASA? That's what we're doing with NASA money?"

Does the 'S' In NASA Suddenly Stand for 'Stupid'?, Opinion, Fox News

"So don't fault Bolden, fault his commander in chief. Every time conservatives underscore the idea that Obama is not a Muslim, he does everything within his power to cozy up to the very powers that hate our guts and dominate the Muslim world."

State Department Daily Press Briefing, NASA Excerpts, 6 July 2010

"QUESTION: Can you speak to why the NASA administrator was doing outreach to the Muslim community? There was an article over the weekend.

MR. TONER: Well, I mean, I think it's an interagency cooperative effort. And so obviously - but I - as to specific comments today, I think I saw it on TV, I didn't listen to them closely enough to have any response for you. I can just say that part of the new approach to space - this Administration's new approach to space is to engage in international partners and that would - obviously, that would include in the Muslim world."

Keith's note: Gee, of all places, why would anyone ask the State Department about a recent visit by a senior Administration official to several mideast countries - at the request of the White House?

State Department Officials Afraid To Use Real Names When Talking About Space Policy, earlier post

This week at Cape Canaveral saw the red, white and blue honored by one of the most historic of American traditions. It also saw local leaders both working to improve the economic future of the Space Coast region and acknowledging the benefits of the shuttle era extending into another year.

Obama space policy: Share the sandbox, Nature

"The most striking emphasis to me is something that is not at all new: a continued push to get the government out of the rocket business. Commercial space has been a clear focus of the new NASA ever since the presidential budget was released in February. But what's not clear is if it will end up happening, given Congressional intransigence."

White House Space Policy: Good News For Greens, Time

"NASA junkies continue to howl at the Obama administration's plans for human space exploration, and with good reason: there's just no there there."

Obama reverses Bush's policy on space, NY Times

"The Obama administration Monday unveiled a space policy that renounces the unilateral stance of the Bush administration and instead emphasizes international cooperation, including the possibility of an arms-control treaty that would limit the development of space weapons."

Obama Backs Away from Intergalactic Domination, Wired

"Space: to President Obama, it's an opportunity for nations to join gloved hands and perform a glorious multinational spacewalk, all for the good of science. But he's not ready to rule it out as a potential battlefield, either." W.H. releases National Space Policy, Politico

"NASA was not part of the press conference. Pavel said the space agency was just one of "a couple of dozen departments around the table," including the State Department, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Department of Energy, meeting to develop a policy that "reflected the president's priorities."

Commercial Spaceflight Federation Welcomes Newly Released National Space Policy

"Bretton Alexander, President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, stated, "The National Space Policy reinforces the President's new plan for NASA, particularly the use of commercial providers for transport of crew and cargo to the International Space Station. The National Space Policy recognizes the benefits of a robust commercial space industry and lays down a series of clear policies to enable further growth of this sector."

The End of the Apollo Era - Finally?, John Logsdon, Space News

"I interpret the new space strategy set out by the White House Feb. 1 to be at its foundation a proposal to move from the 20th century, Apollo-era approach to human spaceflight to a new approach consistent with 21st century national and international realities and future exploration and other strategic space objectives. It is not surprising that those with positive memories of Apollo and with vested interests in continuing the space status quo have been so strong in their opposition to the new approach; they are defending a space effort that to date has served them well. These critics have been met with a -- literally -- incoherent defense of the new strategy by its advocates inside and outside of the government. U.S. President Barack Obama confused the situation even further in his April 15 speech at the Kennedy Space Center. The result has been a polarized debate unprecedented in my more than four decades of close observation of space policymaking."

Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on the President's National Space Policy Via Teleconference

"SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: No, no. What it does is it sets up best practices for things like transparency, confidence building measures. I don't know if my colleagues want to add anything more on that.

SENIOR ADMINSTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Yeah, it is not an arms -- a legally binding arms control agreement. What it is, again - is, again, set up best practices how responsible space-faring nations would act. And it would be politically binding, not legally binding. That is a confidence in transparency building measure. And I think in the near term that's where the focus of the Administration's efforts will be."

Keith's note: Yesterday, the space media got a 6 minute warning by email that White House officials were going to have a media telecon to discuss the new space policy. NASA PAO only found out at the last minute and did their best to alert us. Yesterday, the State Department also had a stealth press briefing - by telecon - about space and NASA apparently did not get a heads up - ergo no media advisory for the space media. But in addition to no advanced notice, no one at the State Department was willing to use their name or allow comments to be attributed to them. I am trying to decide if this is attributable to arrogance or cowardice. It is probably safe to assume both.

But the most post hypocritical part of this entire stealth exchange is when "Senior Administration Official One" and "Senior Administration Official Two" start to talk about "best practices for transparency." What could these two people possibly know about "transparency"? They won't even use their own name in an official State Department activity, a transcript of which is posted on an official website.

Obama seeks international cooperation in space, AP

"Saying the U.S. is no longer "racing against an adversary," President Barack Obama called Monday for greater international cooperation in exploring space. Obama said in a statement that the U.S. seeks peaceful collaboration with other countries that will ward off conflict and make it easier to expand exploration. The United States must do more to address debris and other hazards in space, he said, and called for a "burgeoning commercial space industry."

Obama Focuses Revised Space Policy on International Cooperation

"President Barack Obama called for greater international cooperation for space exploration and bolstering U.S. companies that build spacecraft. Obama vowed to maintain the U.S. competitive edge in space exploration and in systems that support national security operations. At the same time, the president said, U.S. policy must recognize that the world has changed since the end of the Cold War."

Obama calls for international cooperation in space, Orlando Sentinel

"President Barack Obama on Monday underscored his desire to turn space into a place for peace on Monday, releasing a policy paper that advocated international science missions and opened the door for future treaties that could limit space junk and weapons above Earth. But administration officials said the push for international cooperation does not mean the U.S. necessarily would ask its allies to join Obama's proposed mission to send NASA astronauts to an asteroid by 2025, which he outlined during a visit to Kennedy Space Center in April, or immediately seek a treaty that would ban space-based weapons."

Keith's note: I (and other space media) just got this White House Press Secretary advisory one minute ago from NASA PAO. I had a total of 6 minutes advanced notice. I can't think of a better way to cut down on questions:

"Today: Senior Administration Officials to Hold A Conference Call Briefing on the New National Space Policy

WASHINGTON--Today at 1:30 PM EDT, Senior Administration Officials will hold a conference call with reporters to discuss the administration's new National Space Policy.

WHAT: Conference call briefing to discuss the administration's new National Space Policy
WHO: Barry Pavel, NSC Senior Director for Defense Policy and Strategy,
Jim Kohlenberger, Chief of Staff of the Office of Science and Technology Policy,
Peter Marquez, NSC Director of Space Policy
WHEN: Today, Monday, June 28 at 1:30 PM EDT
Dial-in: United States: (877) 941-8639
Call Title: "White House Conference Call"

I will live tweet the content of this briefing here.

-- National Space Poicy (full text)
-- Fact Sheet: The National Space Policy

New National Space Policy Conciliatory, not Confrontational, Spacepolicyonline.com

"Whenever it is formally released, President Obama's new national space policy will have a very different tone than his predecessor's. Rumors remain rampant that the new policy will be released on Monday, but some of those in the know say that it more likely will be later in the week. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley intimated on Wednesday that it might even be longer than that. Nevertheless, a one page summary of the policy's "Top Level Messages," dated June 25, is making the rounds. It says that the two major principles of the policy are "responsible use of space" and "nurturing the U.S. space industry."

New Space Policy Calls for Global Cooperation, Wall Street Journal

"The Obama administration as early as Monday is expected to call for significantly greater international cooperation than ever before in outer space, covering a wide range of civilian and national-security programs. The new policy, according to industry and government officials familiar with the details, also endorses the pursuit of verifiable arms-control proposals for space. And it envisions stepped-up U.S. government efforts to bolster domestic rocket and satellite manufacturers, making them more economically viable and competitive overseas."

Keith's note: OK, so the White House makes all sorts of budgetary and contractual changes to NASA programs with little or no advanced warning, questionable pre-coordination, bad rollout - all with no cogent space policy in evidence. Chaos ensues. And then they fiddle with it. Now they are going to actually release a space policy - but only after all of their earlier efforts at NASA have run into brick walls (Congress). Is this going to clarify things - or just make things even more confusing? Stay tuned.

Playing politics: President's NASA policy could haunt his party at the polls in Harris County, Editorial, Houston Chronicle

"A parade of administration officials, starting with the president, has gone to Florida to promise federal assistance. In a speech at KSC, where some 20,000 NASA and contract workers are affected, Obama pledged an additional $40 million in job assistance. No such consideration has been shown toward other NASA facilities around the country, including the Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake. It stands to lose up to 7,000 NASA and contractor jobs. We smell the stench of political favoritism in the consideration lavished by the administration upon Florida, a presidential swing state, while facilities in Alabama and Texas, two reliable GOP strongholds, are ignored."

Joint Statement by Space Organizations on the FY 2011 NASA Budget

"We the undersigned, a diverse group of organizations with a vital interest in our Nation's space program, make the following statements:

- We strongly support the top line FY2011 NASA budget.
- We believe an important goal of the NASA budget is to accelerate the development of the intellectual capital of the United States by investing in a high-cadence exciting program.
- We are excited by the increases in science, aeronautics and technology initiatives.
- We believe both human exploration and research are important: destination, milestones, engagement and story matter.
- We believe this is an opportunity for NASA to craft the exploration strategy in partnership with science and applied science that includes the International Space Station, safe and cost-effective access to low earth orbit, robotic precursors, and other missions. Heavy lift launch and in-space servicing enable new realms of exploration and science.
- We believe it is critically important that the American people can and must participate and be engaged in the journey of discovery and exploration."

Presentations From The Closed Space Organization Meeting (Update), earlier post
Meeting of Space Organizations, earlier post

Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research, NRC

"Approximately 20 percent of all NASA facilities are dedicated to research and development: on average, they are not state of the art: they are merely adequate to meet current needs. Nor are they attractive to prospective hires when compared with other national and international laboratory facilities. Over 80 percent of NASA facilities are more than 40 years old and need significant maintenance and upgrades to preserve the safety and continuity of operations for critical missions. ... The equipment and facilities of NASA's fundamental research laboratories are inferior to those witnessed by committee members at comparable laboratories at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), at top-tier U.S. universities, and at many corporate research institutions and are comparable to laboratories at the Department of Defense (DOD). If its basic research facilities were equipped to make them state of the art, NASA would be in a better position to maintain U.S. leadership in the space, Earth, and aeronautical sciences and to attract the scientists and engineers needed for the future."

NASA'S Outdated Labs Jeopardize Research: Report, Reuters

"The panel found that NASA has systematically neglected research laboratories at six NASA centers -- the Ames Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, the Glenn Research Center in Ohio, Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, Langley Research Center in Virginia, and Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama."

NASA Boss Wants Innovation, Technology Review

"But [Bolden] called for a new era of invention at the agency. "We have not done anything in the past decade for basic research," he said. "The frustration for me is that when I go to Congress, all we talk about is Constellation and human spaceflight. We forget that the president's plan is to spend a lot of money on basic research."

Letter from Lester Lyles, Raymond Colladay, and Len Fisk To Rep. Frank Wolf Regarding NASA FY 2011 Budget

"It makes no more sense to have a NASA with an under-emphasis on human spaceflight than it did to have a NASA with an over-emphasis. The strategic leadership of the United States in a rapidly evolving globalized world, the economic well-being of our people, and the sense in our society that our future is promising, all require a NASA that has breadth in science and technology, and accomplishments in both robotic and human spaceflight. The burden of proof thus now lies with Congress and NASA to define and to develop a human spaceflight program that does not re-inflict damage on the breadth of NASA's activities and that serves the nation well. It is possible to do this."

NASA Managers Push Plan In Congress, Academia, Aviation Week

"So far it does not appear the Obama administration's plan is winning many hearts and minds. A session with a range of space organizations produced a few tidbits, like word that the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate plans to release a bunch of requests for information in the next couple of weeks to get industry input as a Houston-based NASA study panel prepares road maps for human space exploration. Those would replace the Constellation Program, which refuses to lie down and die on Capitol Hill even though President Barack Obama wants to kill it. Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and other agency officials asked a gathering of mostly academic space organizations for help with the plan in Congress, after barring reporters from the meeting. But the groups decided not to form a coalition for that purpose, and as of the end of last week were still hammering out details of a joint statement that will endorse some -- but not all -- of the space policy changes embodied in NASA's Fiscal 2011 budget request."

Launch could be first test of rocket and Obama space plan, USA Today

"For company founder Elon Musk, it's showtime. "We're super excited to be launching from Cape Canaveral," Musk said. "It's like opening on Broadway." For others, the flight will be a measure of President Obama's plan to kill NASA's moon program, dubbed Project Constellation, and instead invest in developing commercial "space taxis" for astronauts traveling to and from low Earth orbit. The plan has encountered opposition in Congress. The odds of success on the first launch of any new rocket are about 50-50. "I hope people don't use us as a bellwether for commercial space," Musk said."

Meeting of Space Organizations, 5 May 2010

"This meeting will enable private organizations and associations with a stake in the outcome of this discussion to better understand the current NASA program and its implications for science and technology, and to exchange views on the value of establishing an ongoing coalition of space related organizations."

Challenges and Opportunities at the Dawn of a New Decade, 18 May 2010

"Conference attendees will have the opportunity to network with industry leaders and participate in educational sessions including "The Vital Role of Aerospace Assets in National Security," "The Future of Human Space Flight," and "Air Transportation Modernization."

Keith's note: Given the immense interest in NASA's new policy directions, and the tens of thousands of jobs directly (and adversely) affected, one would hope that these discussions would be streamed live. All it takes to do this is a laptop and a USTREAM.TV account. Otherwise, the only folks who'll be participating (or benefiting) from these discussions will be the usual suspects and space policy wonks known to frequent Washington, DC

Bolden tries to raise spirits at JSC, Houston Chronicle

"But unlike the president's stop in Florida, where he offered to provide the work force there with $40 million in transition aid and made other concessions, Bolden announced no new initiatives that might benefit Johnson Space Center."

Houston Layoffs Not in NASA Plan ... Yet, My Fox Houston

"For you to go to members of Congress, the media and the American public with contradictory information about the road ahead and the need to move beyond the Constellation program isn't helping," said Bolden."

Bolden in Houston to discuss future of NASA, KTRK

"Reasonable people can agree to disagree," Bolden said in his speech, of which a copy was obtained by ABC13. "However, my friends, now is the time that we must pull together."... "If we flounder and lose out on this opportunity, it is unlikely that our nation will have a similar opportunity in our lifetime," Bolden said."

Former Secretary of Transportation Mineta Praises Obama's NASA Plan For Jump-Starting Commercial Spaceflight

"Norman Mineta, who served as Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush and as Secretary of Commerce under President Bill Clinton, and who represented Silicon Valley in Congress for more than 20 years, has published an op-ed stating, "With Russia, China and India close on our heels, the only way we can maintain our hard-won leadership in space transportation is by employing America's unique entrepreneurial strength. Obama's new plan for NASA does exactly that."

Obama's April 15th Speech at Kennedy Space Center

"Obama started out his day visiting the KSC area by avoiding the workers. Though NASA and United Space Alliance had sent down word that no personal opinions of the employees would be allowed (also no twitter, Facebook, or talking with the media) would be allowed or tolerated, many of the workers, from what I've been told, had left their jobs briefly to line the road and express their "opinion" of Obama's new policy. But Obama the coward took a back route in from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to get to his teleprompter at the Operations and Checkout Building many miles away from the workers."

Space Watchers Critique President Obama's Proposal for NASA's Future, PBS NewsHour

"Keith Cowing, editor, NASA Watch: It's a paradigm-shifting proposal. It has matured a little over the past few months and will continue to mature. But what it does overall is challenge the status quo as to how America explores space. And that involves making some difficult decisions. It's changing the policy begun by President Bush with the Constellation program, and it says we want to go further in terms of using private sector than ever before.

Tom Young, former Lockheed Martin executive vice president and former NASA official: I think it's a significant mistake. Not because I don't think the aerospace industry is enormously capable, but I think it's not capable of doing something as challenging as humans in space by itself. I think the probability of it being unsuccessful is very high."

Americans Back Space Exploration, Know Little About Proposed Policy Changes, Everett Group 'Space Poll' Finds

"As Pres. Barack Obama vows continued commitment to space exploration, including increased funding to explore the solar system and the ultimate goal of landing astronauts on Mars, he finds support from many Americans. Most Americans have a positive image of NASA, the country's space agency, and one-third say it's very important to them that the U.S. continue to explore the solar system (with one-third more saying it's somewhat important to them)."

Keith's note: Yawn - yet another space poll with the same results as the last dozen space polls. I am not certain why people keep paying to do these polls. The polls always come up with the same answers - yet government, private sector, and the general public do not care about the results enough to do anything to change the situation. Until someone, somewhere gets off their ass, nothing is going to change.

For half a decade Americans were told by the White House and NASA, with great excitement, that we were going back to the Moon. Then the next President suddenly tells everyone "Why go to the Moon?, we've already done that". Its as if we walked away from Apollo in 1967. These back and forth policy changes leave everyone with a case of intellectual whiplash. Why should anyone understand (or care) about policy changes when they end up meaning little in the end.

Consumers spent billions to see a space-themed film like "Avatar" and yet NASA was incapable of seizing the opportunity to capitalize on this interest before, during, or after the film's release. And then there is the "Summer of Innovation" that NASA has the lead on from the White House. Summer is only a matter of weeks away. Has anyone heard anything about what this project is going to do? Finally, there was the Space Summit/Conference last week with the President. NASA/OSTP waited until only hours before the event to tell people what was actually going to happen at this event. As for follow-up, how will all Americans learn of the event's results?

Don't hold your breath. If NASA does not care enough to reach out and inform the taxpayers who fund its activities, why should it get upset when people's interest in what the agency does is not all that it could be?

What's next for NASA?, opinion, Fran DiBello

"There are still many political battles to be discussed and fought nationwide. The looming dread of entire regions that stand to lose not just jobs but also valuable talent assets in the shuttle workforce, and now the Constellation teams too, hangs heavy over November elections. Florida's central region from Cape Canaveral to Tampa, known as its high-tech corridor, is a key voting block, and these policies will certainly sway voters as the potential loss of more than 23,000 direct and indirect jobs will grab headlines and the hearts of voters."

Obama's space plan adds insult to injury, opinion, Douglas Ma"cKinnon, Orlando Sentinel

"With all due respect to President Obama, regarding his speech in Florida on "Space Exploration in the 21st Century," I simply have to ask, "Are you kidding me?" As one who has consulted on and written extensively about our space program, worked in the White House and drafted a speech or two, I know shameless pandering filler when I read it."

Space politics: Obama must do more to ensure that all NASA centers receive transition assistance, editorial, Houston Chronicle

"What about us? That was the common refrain from Houston-area elected officials after President Barack Obama's speech at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida this week outlining measures to soften the blow to thousands of NASA employees who will be laid off with the cancellation of the Constellation program. In attempting to placate congressional critics of his new NASA road map, Obama explicitly set a goal of a manned landing on Mars in the 2030s, a revival of the Orion manned capsule as a lifeboat at the International Space Station and development of a powerful rocket with the capability to send astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit."

Texans team up against Obama space vision, Houston Chronicle

"Texas' congressional delegation presented a united, bipartisan front on Friday, saying President Barack Obama's compromise on his space budget doesn't go far enough and calling upon him to visit Johnson Space Center. Meeting with the media in the shadow of a massive Saturn V rocket like those that blasted Apollo astronauts to the moon, Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and four Houston-area representatives said America must not lose its capability of launching U.S. astronauts into space."

Buzz Aldrin Explains Importance of Obama's Mars Mission, CBS

"Aldrin said the key to the space program in the future is sustainable colonies on celestial bodies, rather than on orbiting space stations. Aldrin said he wanted to see "permanence on Mars within 15 years," and that Mars' moon Phobos may be the best spot for a permanent settlement. "This moon is the key to permanence of human beings from Earth on another planet in the solar system," said Aldrin."

Has Obama's NASA Strategy Fizzled at Launch?, Time

"Never mind the tropical sun. Visit Florida and dis the space program, and the reception you'll get is going to be awfully cool. Nobody knew that better than President Obama on Thursday, when he toured the Kennedy Space Center and then spoke to a roomful of 200 VIPs about his plans for NASA after the shuttle program ends later this year. The President had to know that more than the agency's future could be on the line. In Florida -- the ultimate presidential swing state -- his could be too. So how was the temperature in the room? Chilly -- and not without reason."

NASA and Obama's budget: the politics and ideals of human space exploration, CS Monitor

"... public reaction pushed the president on Thursday to set a timetable for the first Mars trip - by the mid-2030s - as well as a schedule to land on an asteroid (near 2025). He also had to set 2015 for starting construction of a heavy-lift launcher based on new innovative technology. But Obama only partially backed down on his proposal to cancel a Bush-era program called Constellation."

Not Your Grandfather's Space Program, US News & World Report

"Space-policy analyst Howard McCurdy of American University in Washington, D.C., says he doesn't see much difference in adherence to timetables and goals between Bush's plan and that of Obama's. But he says he's intrigued by Obama's willingness to "leapfrog" over smaller goals."

Obama's Hollow Promise On Space, Opinion, Tim Jones, Fox

"Last year the U.S. had a proven spacecraft in the shuttle, and a well-defined plan for sending American astronauts to deep space. Next year we will have no spacecraft, and no credible plan to develop our own deep space craft for a decade or more. Our experienced NASA team will have left for jobs elsewhere--if they can find them. Our claims for space leadership will be believed only by the president's speechwriters."

Mr. President, here's my NASA to-do list, Buzz Aldrin, USA Today

"Other astronauts might have different views, and I respect them, but I believe that working with this president toward a consensus on how America can lead human exploration, commercialize that effort in a timely way as possible, and set our collective sites on Mars is more likely to create the kind of sustained effort, commitment and legacy that we all want to see. This seems more productive than simply opposing a change of course."

Buzz Aldrin gets ride on Air Force One, CNN

"Buzz Aldrin is used to traveling on high-profile missions. His 240,000-mile trip to the moon on July 20, 1969, set the precedent. On Thursday, Aldrin is hitching a ride aboard Air Force One to Cape Canaveral's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at the invitation of President Obama, White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said. It appears to be just one of the perks for being on Obama's side of the controversy over the president's new space program, which cancels former President George W. Bush's plan to return U.S. astronauts to the moon by 2020."

Keith's note:NASA TV has "special coverage" of todays events in Florida here at 2:40 p.m. when President Barack Obama speaks.

NASA Announces Conference on the American Space Program for the 21st Century

"Following the President's remarks, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will host a conference overview, beginning at 3:45 p.m. EDT, with Norm Augustine, chair, Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee and John Holdren, assistant to the President for science and technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The conference overview and the four concurrent conference sessions, beginning at 4:25 p.m., will take place in both the Operations and Checkout Building and in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will host a conference wrap-up with the four panel moderators at 5:40 p.m. in the visitor complex's Astronaut Encounter Theater."
Feud Over NASA Threatens America's Edge in Space, Wall Street Journal

"Even the Florida summit sparked friction. White House aides initially encouraged lawmakers to organize the event, but then decided to do it themselves. Aides to Mr. Obama then promised to reserve tickets for any members of Congress who wanted to attend, according to legislators and staffers. But invitations were later limited, according to a White House email this week that blamed Democratic Congressional leaders and apologized for "any misunderstanding."

Keith's note: Apparently all manner of space advocacy groups have mananged to get tickets - and are bragging about that fact - yet rank and file KSC employees are not as lucky.

Buzz Aldrin gets ride on Air Force One, CNN

"Buzz Aldrin is used to traveling on high-profile missions. His 240,000-mile trip to the moon on July 20, 1969, set the precedent. On Thursday, Aldrin is hitching a ride aboard Air Force One to Cape Canaveral's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at the invitation of President Obama, White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said. It appears to be just one of the perks for being on Obama's side of the controversy over the president's new space program, which cancels former President George W. Bush's plan to return U.S. astronauts to the moon by 2020."

Statement from Buzz Aldrin On The White House Space Policy

"The President's program will help us be in this endeavor for the long haul and will allow us to again push our boundaries to achieve new and challenging things beyond Earth. I believe that this is the right program at the right time, and I hope that NASA and our dedicated space community will embrace this new direction as much as I do. By so doing we can together continue to use space exploration to help drive prosperity and innovation right here on Earth."

Put NASA on a Diet?! Them's Fightin' Words, Mr. President

"... reaction ranged from mild (Buzz Aldrin endorsed Obama's original plan) to downright irate: moon veterans like Neil Armstrong and Jim Lovell slammed the cuts as effectively dismembering the U.S. space program, saying it "destines our nation to become one of second- or even third-rate stature."

Keith's note: One thing that is really starting to annoy me: all of the complaining about - or campaigning for - this new policy does is being done by people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s - most of whom had their shot in the sun a generation or more ago. Where are the voices of the people who will inherit this space program and actually go to these new places? I do not see them being interviewed. And who will be at the Space Conference/Summit/Flyby event at KSC? The usual hand-picked suspects, I suppose - all fighting over table scraps of an old way of doing things.

OSTP Fact Sheet on the President's April 15th Address in Florida: A Bold Approach for Space Exploration and Discovery

"On Thursday, April 15, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the President will outline a bold strategy for human spaceflight that increases the NASA budget by $6 billion over the next five years. His plan represents an ambitious effort to foster the development of path-breaking technologies; increase the number, scope, and pace of manned and unmanned space missions; make human spaceflight safer and more efficient; and help create thousands of jobs."

To do the heavy lifting, Paul Spudis, Air & Space

"I'm confused. If a heavy lift launch vehicle (HLLV) is not needed for future human missions beyond LEO, why are we spending billions of dollars researching aspects of it in order to make a design decision five years hence? If a heavy lift launch vehicle is needed for such missions, why are we waiting five years to make that decision when we have the parts and workforce needed to make the vehicle now?"

KSC employee note: "I guess Obama doesn't want to see any employees during his visit. The O&C, where he will speak has been closed to all employees on Thursday. Security Bulletin text included below. Not clear yet whether employees will be told to stay home or just hang out somewhere else. I'm guessing about 1000 employees are affected by this closure, including many of the technology development laboratories."

"SECURITY FLASH - O & C CLOSURE: The O&C Facility will be closed to all personnel on Thursday, April 15, from 7:00 a.m to 7:00 p.m., to accommodate President Obama's visit. All services within the building, to include but not limited to, fitness center, Rehabworks, massage, cafeteria, sundry store, etc., will be closed. No access will be permitted unless previously authorized and included on an approved entry authorization list. Parking will not be permitted in the O&C east parking lot or the front curb parking area. All vehicles, including GSA vehicles, must be removed from these areas no later than 7 a.m. on Thursday, April 15th. The O&C west parking lot will be partially closed. All vehicles, including GSA vehicles, must relocate to the western-most portion of this parking lot (closer to the Training Auditorium)."

Keith's note: One of the oddest things I have learned in the past week or two is that Mike Griffin has been telling people that the 9th floor at NASA HQ has been purposefully leaking things to me for posting on NASA Watch so as to advance their cause. If that is the case, then they are not having much success, are they Mike? Just have a look at what I have been posting - and then think about what I was posting long before this crowd arrived to clean up the mess you left behind. I really don't need anyone to do my thinking for me. The next time you think about circulating a rumor like this, start using the logic lobe of that mega brain of yours to do a sanity check before you engage your speech center.

President Obama to Deliver Remarks at Kennedy Space Center

"On the afternoon of Thursday, April 15 President Barack Obama will visit Cape Canaveral, Florida and deliver remarks on the bold new course the Administration is charting for NASA and the future of U.S. leadership in human space flight. ... The breakout sessions in between will be closed press ... media can only cover either the arrival/departure of Air Force One or the President's remarks. It will not be logistically possible to cover more than one event. Media credentialing and logistic details, for planning purposes only, can be found below."

Keith's note: This last minute stuff is a function of White House rules - not NASA PAO. This is all rather pointless since you either get to take pictures (nothing else) or you can watch the actual events from afar outside the presidential bubble with zero Q&A interaction. In other words, there will be no real media access, no interaction whatsoever with rank and file NASA KSC employees, no possible compromises offered - just staged political theater where the President tries to convince everyone how great his policy is.

Blakey Calls for a U.S. Space Strategy

"In 1962, President Kennedy didn't say we'd go to the moon today; he said, this decade," Blakey said at a meeting of the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla. "Despite the financial troubles that lapped at his feet, President Kennedy stepped up to the challenge and urged us forward, with a goal and a vision and a plan. Today, a lack of urgency and specificity will not sustain the vision and, as we know, where there's no vision, the programs -- and the skills and workforce that go with them -- perish."

Kosmas added to 'Save Space' rally

"U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas has been added to the roster of speakers for Sunday's "Save Space" community rally at the Cocoa Expo Sports Center. The rally is designed to emphasize that human space exploration should be the critical aspect of NASA policy."

Kosmas and Posey to Participate in Florida Today Space Forum

"Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24) will participate in the Florida Today Space Forum at the Simpkins Fine Arts Center on the Brevard Community College Cocoa campus. Kosmas, along with Congressman Bill Posey (FL-15), will answer questions on the future of the space industry in Florida and its impact on Space Coast communities."

NASA Internal memo: "You are invited to join Administrator Charlie Bolden and Deputy Administrator Lori Garver in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at Headquarters for a special NASA Update today at 1 p.m. EDT. The program will be carried internally on NASA Television on Headquarters channel 76. The program also will be streamed internally over the Web to NASA Headquarters employees at: http://aquarius.hq.nasa.gov/ramgen/broadcast/hq.rm

Administrator Bolden and Deputy Administrator Garver will outline the next steps in implementing the new exploration strategy outlined in the 2011 fiscal year budget proposal. Please join them for this important announcement."

NASA Work Assignments Topic of Media Telecon on Thursday, April 8

"NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Deputy Administrator Lori Garver will brief reporters on Thursday, April 8, about the next steps in implementing the agency's new exploration initiatives outlined in the new fiscal year 2011 budget."

Information is now online here.

- NASA Johnson Space Center Director Michael Coats Avaialable Thursday to Discuss Center's Roles in 2011
- NASA Kennedy Center Director Holds Media Briefing on April 8
- NASA to Hold New Exploration Strategy Briefing; Marshall Center Director Robert Lightfoot to Speak with Media
- Media Invited to Dial In for NASA Langley Assignment News

Keith's note: Relibable sources also note that a conference call is being arranged for today between the Vice President's office and key members of Congress involved in the space policy and budget debate.

Florida State Senate Moves Rapidly to Pass Jobs Bill

"Floridians have kept our nation on the cutting edge of space exploration and development, and the loss of any Florida space jobs will create overwhelming challenges for the Space Coast and our state's entire economy," Governor Crist said. "I applaud Senators Gaetz, Haridopolos and Altman, as well as Representatives Steve Crisafulli and Ritch Workman, for their commitment to preserving and retaining our leadership in the global space arena."

Brevard group takes space-industry fight to D.C., Florida Today

"With a heightened sense of urgency in the face of thousands of pending job losses in Brevard County, Cocoa Beach Chamber of Commerce officials are working to gather a group of citizens for a trip to Washington D.C., to plead with lawmakers to support the space industry before it evaporates."

NASA chief on new space strategy, Achenblog, Washington Post

"Q. Is Obama going to offer any sweeteners when he goes to central Florida [for April 15 space conference]? The fact that the President is taking time to visit Florida to discuss the future of America's space program demonstrates his commitment to NASA, and our robust exploration vision. I think people will see firsthand what I see - his passionate commitment to a bold future in space which is at the heart of the decision to add an additional $6 billion to NASA's budget."

Unused NASA tower epitomizes brewing fight over space budget, The Hill

"Our greatest accomplishment in human space flight were gained because President Kennedy said we will land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth by the end of this decade," Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) said in February. "President Kennedy didn't say, 'We're going to spend a few billion dollars on some really unique research and development.'"

Imagination may be casualty of loss of space program, Deseret News

"Five years ago, I wrote in favor of privatizing the space program, mainly because of costs. I was wrong. The race to the moon never was a competition to see whether capitalism or communism was superior. The U.S. space program was just as dependent on the public treasury as was the Soviets'. It was, rather, a matter of pride and national security. Maybe we've lost that vision because our chief enemies these days, fanatical Middle Eastern terrorists, don't have a space program. But the price of becoming "a second-rate space country" is just as unthinkable as it was 40 years ago."

Keith's 23 Mar update: I have learned that after the President holds his summit event at the KSC Headquarters area the President will then have a town hall meeting onsite at NASA KSC where he will hear - and take questions from KSC employees. He will also tour a number of KSC facilities (VAB, OPF etc.) It would seem that the concerns of the KSC workforce have managed to trickle up to OSTP. Stay tuned.

Lt. Gov wants Obama to debate; space summit venue hunt is on, Orlando Sentinel

"It remains to be seen what exactly White House plans are for the meeting, which is now being called a "Space Conference." NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver was at Kennedy Space Center last week scoping out possible venues for the meeting. Her choices are the Operations and Checkout (O&C) building that was recently refurbished as a factory to assemble the Orion crew capsule that is now on the Constellation chopping block; the Operations Support Building 2; the Training Auditorium; the Debus Center at the visitor complex; and the Saturn Center ... The location of the meeting isn't the only aspect of the conference taxing officials' minds. Administration insiders are still discussing various formats as well as whom to invite to the event."

Prepared Statement by NASA Administrator Statement of Charles F. Bolden before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations

"Before I discuss the details of the NASA budget request, I would like to talk in general about the President's new course for human exploration of space. With this budget, the United States has positioned itself to continue our space leadership for years."

Remarks by NASA Deputy Administrator Lori B. Garver at the American Astronautical Society's 48th Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium

"The President's budget, should it be approved by Congress, will enable NASA to align with the priorities of the Nation and to more optimally contribute to our Nation's future."

Workers Prep For Final NASA Missions At Michoud, WDSU

"Two sets of astronauts will visit NASA's Michoud facility this week, even as the facility's future remains in question. Hundreds of workers have been laid off over the past two years. Lockheed Martin was contracted between 1973 and 2008 to do $10.7 billion in work for the federal government. With federal funding for NASA in question, the 1,426 people who still work there wonder what is next for the agency and for themselves."

Fla. Senator Says Obama 'Restructuring' NASA Plans, WESH

"Florida's senior senator, after talking to the president, said U.S. astronauts could wind up launching in an American-built spacecraft after all. It would mean developing a giant rocket based on space shuttle engines, tanks and boosters to go with a new spacecraft, Billow said, perhaps the very one NASA was designing anyway."

NASA's down-to-earth problem, op ed, Lou Friedman, LA Times

"However the budget proposal is acted on in Congress, it is clear that the nation is not going to go ahead with the Constellation project, which had a primary goal of returning humans to the moon by 2020 -- neither its Ares I rocket, which was to replace the space shuttle in delivering humans into Earth orbit, nor its moon mission. The 2004 Vision for Space Exploration may have been farsighted, but its implementation plan for Constellation was shortsighted: an inadequate goal and inadequate funds to achieve it."

Our Opinion: Saving Constellation is a noble mission, editorial, Tallahassee Democrat

"We salute Florida's temporary U.S. Sen. George LeMieux for working mightily in Washington to stop the de-escalation of America's space programs, most specifically termination of the Constellation Program as submitted in a budget proposal by the president. Mr. LeMieux, offering an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization bill regarding NASA, knows the importance of space missions to Florida. If diminished, hundreds of jobs will be lost along the Space Coast, but the loss of science, research, technology and space travel aspirations will create a negative ripple effect in myriad ways well beyond our state."

Can commercial space win over Congress?, Space Review

"At last week's Senate hearing ULA president and CEO Michael Gass said his company was interested in and capable of serving the human spaceflight market. "The EELV rockets provide the quickest and safest approach for closing the gap following the retirement of the space shuttle," he said. "We will be working with multiple companies that will compete for crew services, and we plan to provide launch services in support of their proposals."

Mayor Parker urges Obama to save Constellation, KTRK

"Houston Mayor Annise Parker this week invited President Barack Obama to come to Houston during her trip to Washington, D.C. to ask for help and to fight for NASA. ... Mayor Parker did meet with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden during her time in D.C. this week. She asked him to consider a Plan B to keep Constellation alive and, if not that, then some sort of soft landing for Johnson Space Center. That way Houston doesn't lose all those jobs overnight after the last shuttle flight in September."

AL and FL Lawmakers begin push to Stop NASA from canceling Constellation, WAFF

"U.S. Senators George LeMieux (R-FL) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL) launched an effort to prohibit the termination of the Constellation Program, NASA's program to replace the soon-to-be-retired space shuttle Thursday. The amendment to the FAA Reauthorization bill reiterates federal law prohibiting NASA from using funds in FY2010 to cancel Constellation contracts. Joining LeMieux and Sessions in the effort are Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Bob Bennett (R-UT)."

Where Will Space Summit Be Held?

"I anticipate it will be a very staged and scripted event where protestors will not be on camera," [Chirs] Muro said. "I would assume it would be at the Kennedy Space Center, invite only." According to NASA public affairs at KSC, they haven't been given any direction so far from the White House as to the event on their property."

Space: The pull of gravity, Financial Times

"Three elderly American heroes have been touring US military bases in Europe and Asia this month, telling inspiring tales of space adventures that took place before most people in the audience were born. But the Apollo astronauts - Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan and Jim Lovell - were not just living on past glories. They looked at the future of manned space flight and lamented President Barack Obama's decision last month to cancel the Constellation programme under which Nasa would have taken Americans back to the moon by 2020. "We will go back to the moon, notwithstanding our president and his outlook for the future of space," said Mr Cernan at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. The man who in 1972 was the last to walk on the lunar surface added: "Under the president's proposed budget, it is a mission to nowhere."

"Headed to Oval Office for meeting with the president about America's space program. Lots of folks unhappy with newly released plan for NASA", SenBillNelson on Twitter

Nelson sees NASA gains after talk with Obama, Florida Today

"We'll see the fruits of that conversation when the president visits on April 15," Nelson told journalists after his Oval Office meeting. Nelson, D-Orlando, met with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to discuss the space program and, more briefly, health care reform legislation. "Excellent conversation," Nelson said of the talk. But he wouldn't comment on whether Obama supports his push for an extra shuttle flight or for pushing ahead with plans to develop a heavy-lift rocket, saying only, "To be determined."

Utahns in Congress all against cuts to NASA, Salt Lake Tribune

"Such a course will come back to haunt us in the future," said Sen. Orrin Hatch. "Canceling the project now, in a time of high unemployment and after our nation has already invested heavily in the technology, is penny wise and pound foolish." Hatch signed the letter to President Barack Obama along with Republican Sen. Bob Bennett, Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz and Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson."

NASA: Ending Constellation Will Cost More, Aviation Week

"The $2.5 billion in NASA's Fiscal 2011 budget request to terminate the Constellation Program is probably "oversubscribed," and will not cover all of the expenses expected to grow from shutting down the shuttle-follow-on effort."

Crist, lawmakers wring hands over NASA job losses, Orlando Sentinel

"Gov. Charlie Crist huddled with Florida lawmakers Tuesday to figure out ways the state could stop a White House plan for NASA that cancels the agency's moon rocket program and its future jobs at Kennedy Space Center. But his Capitol Hill tour generated little more than sound bites. The only concrete strategy came from U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, who suggested that Crist work with other governors to create a united resistance to the new NASA plan."

Parker heads to D.C. to talk up NASA, light rail, Houston Chronicle

"Parker is scheduled to meet with senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Transportation Secretary Roy LaHood, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and members of the local congressional delegation in a two-day blitz. Shortly after she was elected, the administration had invited her to "open dialogue" on certain key issues in Washington, and today's trip marks her first opportunity to take the president up on the offer, Parker said."

Parker to Rally Support for NASA in Washington D.C., Fox Houston

"From a conference room at city hall, Houston Mayor Annise Parker set her sights on Washington D.C. And a recent decision by the Obama administration to cancel funding for a program that could result in nearly 7,000 lost jobs at Johnson Space Center."

Shuttle stretch: Congress should provide funding to extend the life of the shuttle program, Houston Chronicle

"We agree with Sen. Hutchison that the nation should not be forced into a false choice between maintaining the shuttle or developing other programs while relying on the Russians or Chinese for access to space. We can -- and must -- do both, and additional short-term funding for the shuttle is the best route to preserving our independent launch capabilities while building a robust manned space program for the future."

Slow new space shuttle, don't kill it, says Bishop, Salt Lake Tribune

"Bishop called Obama's cut "naive" and argues that it will not only cede American space superiority to Russia, India and China, but it will hurt national security. "The kinds of people and the kinds of jobs that build a rocket to put a man on the moon, are the same kinds of jobs and the same kinds of people who build missiles to defend this country," he said."

Lawmakers want another NASA study, Orlando Sentinel

"The lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, want NASA to conduct a 30-day study that would find ways within NASA's proposed $19 billion budget to "ensure uninterrupted, independent U.S. human space flight access," according to a letter outlining their request."

Obama facing uprising over new NASA strategy, Reuters

"U.S. President Barack Obama is trying to tamp down an uprising in politically vital Florida against a new strategy for NASA that has rankled space veterans and lawmakers and sparked fears of job losses. ... It is making for a potentially explosive environment when Obama travels to the Cape Canaveral area on April 15 to host a space conference with top officials and leaders in the field. "What reception will they get? Not good," said Keith Cowing, editor of nasawatch.com, a website that closely monitors the U.S. space agency. "It's a gutsy move. It's Daniel in the Lion's Den."

Obama's plans for NASA changes met with harsh criticism, Washington Post

"They made a mistake when they rolled out their space program, because they gave the perception that they had killed the manned space program," said Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who disagrees with that perception but wants the Obama plan modified. Nelson said the president should declare during the Florida conference that NASA's goal is to send humans to Mars. Nelson noted that the Interstate 4 corridor through Central Florida is critical for national candidates. "I think it has a lot of repercussions for the president. If a national candidate does not carry the I-4 corridor, they don't win Florida," Nelson said."

Keith's note: The buzz at KSC and among the Florida Congressional delegation is that President Obama will hold a "Town Hall" style meeting on 15 April and that he will use that event to announce that he is authorizing one additional space shuttle mission after the four remaining flights currently on the shuttle manifest. This would stretch out employment for shuttle workers by as much as six months - well into the Summer and early Fall of 2011 - just as the 2012 presidential campaign season is starting to fire up.

The question I have to ask is why do this? In so doing it just opens the door to delaying the shut down of the shuttle program initiated by President Bush. If the White House wants to do one additional launch, then why not do three or six? Adding one launch simply buys you six months or so of workforce retention but the end result is still the same. If the intent is to shut down the shuttle program, then NASA should do so and move on to a new way of getting into space. If, on the other hand, the White House wants to develop a true shuttle-derived launch vehicle like the sidemount, one that purposefully uses existing shuttle infrastructure and workforce, then that is another issue. Alas, no one has yet given me a reason to do this other than to keep people employed. While it may be a humane thing to do now that Constellation won't be there with a safety net, this is not the way to try and shift paradigms. Rather, it is a way to stall that shift.

What's next for NASA?, Mario Livio, Baltimore Sun

"In recent days, some of those criticizing NASA's proposed budget have tried to paint a picture of an agency without a vision. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. NASA's far-reaching ambitions in space science have been, and will continue to be, truly inspiring"

Keith's note: While Livio does make a number of cogent points about space science, I find it a little odd that he can make statements about the agency's overall "vision" while making zero mention of human spaceflight. If some members of Congress have their way, NASA will need to find more money somewhere - and that somewhere may well be space science. Perhaps then he'll take the time to look at the other things that NASA does. I am rather certain that Livio was in the audience last night at the Air and Space Museum for the premiere of Hubble IMAX 3D - a movie that was equally balanced between human and robotic spaceflight. I guess he missed all of those space suited astronauts working on the gem of his institute's research - one of whom works down the hall from him at STScI ...

Obama plans Florida space summit to defend his vision for NASA, Orlando Sentinel

"In the latest sign that his NASA vision is in peril, President Barack Obama will announce today his plans to host a space summit in Florida on April 15. The move follows weeks of criticism from Congress about his proposal to cancel NASA's Constellation moon-rocket program in favor of an approach that would push NASA engineers to develop new technologies while using commercial rocket companies for future astronaut missions."

President Obama to Host Space Conference in Florida in April, White House

"The President, along with top officials and other space leaders, will discuss the new course the Administration is charting for NASA and the future of U.S. leadership in human space flight. Specifically, the conference will focus on the goals and strategies in this new vision, the next steps, and the new technologies, new jobs, and new industries it will create. Conference topics will include the implications of the new strategy for Florida, the nation, and our ultimate activities in space."

Keith's note: This is not good news for the annual backslapping fest in Colorado Springs (the National Space Symposium). Charlie Bolden is supposed to be speaking on the last day - i.e. 15 April. I would guess that he will now be in Florida on this date - along with most of the news media. Oh well, Spock speaks on the evening of the 15th.

Sen. Nelson urges Obama to set NASA agenda, WDBO

"Part of that would be saving the workforce at Kennedy Space Center that otherwise in large part would be laid off in the cancellation of the Constellation program," Nelson said. "There's only one person that can lead the space program and that's the president. If he'll clearly set the goal, if he'll clearly say we're going to mars within a defined time frame, then we can get this space program back on track," he said."

Keith's update: Jay Costello is reporting on MSNBC that NASA has been urging the President not to travel to KSC for this summit. My sources at NASA Headquarters tell me that this is not the case.

Either way, it should be clear that this summit was not a NASA idea. Announcing something like this on a Sunday afternoon - with no NASA follow up is weird enough. In addition, the choice of a date is weird. Not only does it chop the end off of a large annual event that many space people attend, but it also brings the need for enhanced security during a shuttle mission - one whose launch could slip at a moment's notice. In addition, there is a question of cost. Given that the focus is on human space flight, and by its location, on Florida, one would expect that the entire KSC work force will want to try and attend or listen in. Given the logistics involved, this could amount to loss of perhaps half a work day. Multiply this by the tens of thousands of people affected. This time not only needs to be charged to something, it also puts a crimp in preparations for subsequent shuttle missions.

While the President is almost certain to walk into a buzz saw of public outrage over the new space policy, there is something to be said about this trip. Not unlike Daniel in the lion's den, instead of relying on staff or surrogates to push this new policy, he's going to take the message there personally. Given the reaction to this space policy across the state of Florida this may not be the smartest thing to do politically, but given that it is "his" policy, it is probably the right thing to do from a personal perspective.

That said, he is going to get an earful. Telling people about how cool his new policy is or reminiscing about sitting on his grandfather's shoulders as an Apollo lunar crew passed by won't go far with this crowd. They live and breathe space exploration 365 days a year - and have done so for decades - and now they are going to be unemployed.

After 50 years of NASA, we must not leave space, Sen Hutchison

"If President Obama has his way, the U.S. will retire the space shuttle program later this year, just as the International Space Station is finally complete and without a viable alternative to take its place. America has spent billions of dollars building and maintaining the space station. Now that it is complete, the Obama budget plan ensures that we will no longer have easy access to it."

NASA's plan B(olden), Nature

"America's space agency seems to be in a right old state at the moment. NASA was already on the back foot after President Obama announced the cancellation of its planned replacement for the Space Shuttle (which should normally be prefixed with the word 'aging' or 'antiquated'). Now it seems to be putting out mixed messages about using private companies to get American's into space instead."

NASA's varied missions worthy of full budget support, William S. Smith Jr, Washington Post

"The goals of NASA's space science program are unequivocal and far-reaching. These missions rewrite textbooks regularly. NASA deserves great credit for its sustained commitment to space science. While there are a handful of celestial bodies accessible to human visitation, our scientific horizons are limitless. NASA's budget request for fiscal 2011 should be strongly supported."

Building a technology showcase, interview with Wallace Wood, National Space & Technology Association, Houston Chronicle

"What I'm looking to do is to hold a world-class conference that includes the public. That goes beyond just mere businesses coming together. I want to bring the public into it. In my mind you have this industry that's designing the future. At the end of the day, we're all consumers. That industry needs the consumer to keep it viable and strong. I think that a public that is included and informed in the process makes for an accountable industry."

NASA Internal memo: Message from the Administrator - March 5, 2010

"During a Strategic Management Council meeting on Tuesday, I asked JSC Director Mike Coats and MSFC Director Robert Lightfoot to put together a very small team to help me develop an accelerated plan for research and development on a heavy lift launch vehicle for future exploration, in support of that element of the President's FY11 NASA budget. Regrettably, this was subsequently reported by the news media as a request for a "Plan B" alternative to the President's budget."

Shelby has frank discussion with NASA Administrator, WAFF

"A frank discussion took place on Capitol Hill Thursday between Senator Richard Shelby and NASA administrator Charlie Bolden. It took place behind closed doors in Senator Shelby's office. Bolden and Shelby are very far apart on NASA's vision and therefore NASA's budget. In fact, many in Congress don't even see a vision for the space agency if there is no government owned and operated human space flight program , namely Constellation, once the shuttle retires."

A Strategic Retreat From Leadership, Rep. Mike Coffman, Huffington Post

"Seeking to put his stamp on America's storied adventures in rocketry and robotics, the president could have gone boldly in new directions, using past achievements as a springboard to new destinations. But his proposed budget for space exploration describes an approach that is both reckless and nave."

New NASA plans developing in Congress and, reportedly, inside NASA itself, Huntsville Times

"Bolden said in a statement later Thursday that NASA isn't undercutting the White House plan. "The president's budget for NASA is my budget. I strongly support the priorities and the direction for NASA that he has put forward," Bolden said. "I'm open to hearing ideas from any member of the NASA team, but I did not ask anybody for an alternative to the president's plan and budget."

Aderholt "Extremely Pleased" NASA May Be Planning Alternatives To Ending Constellation

"I am extremely pleased that NASA may be considering a Plan B option to the President's proposal to cancel human space flight. Since the President announced his Budget last month, I and many of my Republican and Democrat colleagues have expressed our disapproval of the plan, along with our desire in continuing with Constellation. But the fight is not over. I will continue to work on this because I believe that human spaceflight and exploration beyond earth is the very reason for NASA's existence."

Massive Fight Under Way To Keep Shuttle Program, WESH

"On Thursday, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said he still supports the president's plan to end U.S. human spaceflight. However, when he meets with members of Congress, he is expected to at least discuss Plan B."

New hope for Ares, ATK / NASA may be considering compromise, standard.net

"Bishop, R-Utah, cited a news story in the Wall Street Journal that says a memo by a member of Bolden's staff is telling NASA officials to plan out "what a potential compromise might look like" to satisfy Obama administration critics of the Constellation program. Bishop said Thursday that congressional delegations from Utah, Alabama, Florida and Texas are joining forces to work with NASA to keep Constellation alive. He said the memo is a hint that NASA is starting to listen."

NASA Administrator Reaffirms Support for 2011 Budget, NASA

"I'm open to hearing ideas from any member of the NASA team, but I did not ask anybody for an alternative to the President's plan and budget."

NASA Chief Bolden Seeks 'Plan B' for the Space Agency, Wall Street Journal

"NASA chief Charles Bolden has asked senior managers to draw up an alternate plan for the space agency after members of Congress indicated they wanted to reject a White House proposal to hire private companies to ferry U.S. astronauts into orbit and beyond. In an internal National Aeronautics and Space Administration memo viewed by The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Bolden ordered officials to map out "what a potential compromise might look like" to satisfy critics on Capitol Hill. By calling for an alternative plan, Mr. Bolden threatened to undercut White House efforts to get its proposed NASA budget through Congress."

Johnson Space Center Prepares 'Plan B' at Bolden's Request, Space News

"Bolden, however, said March 4 that he did not request NASA human spaceflight officials to come up with an alternative to Obama's plan. "The President's Budget for NASA is my budget. I strongly support the priorities and the direction for NASA that he has put forward," Bolden said in a written statement. "I'm open to hearing ideas from any member of the NASA team, but I did not ask anybody for an alternative to the President's plan and budget. We have to be forward thinking and aggressive in our pursuit of new technologies to take us beyond low-Earth orbit, and the President's plan does this. After years of underinvestment in new technology and unrealistic budgeting, we finally have an ambitious plan for NASA that sets the agency on a reinvigorated path of space exploration."

Keith's note: According to Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee staffer Jeff Bingham, posting as "51D Mascot" at nasaspaceflight.com regarding Sen. Hutchison's recent proposal:

"Absolutely right, but the point here is timing. At this stage you have "camps" at the extreme edges of "PoR" or bust and "Bold New Idea" with many of the influential folks and key players taking those positions--now. But when it becomes clear, as I believe it will, that neither of those are going to be sustainable, then a mddle ground will be sought. But it has to be articulated as an option, and THAT is the true purpose of this bill. Thus, an attempt to line up all those players prior to introduction would have been counterproductive. The hope is that having a reasonably cohesive, credible alternative "on the table" can provide an eventual rallying point for a path forward, or at the very least a focal point for the serious discussion of what that path should entail."

Bingham also notes here that "The Ares 1 references are, first, "suggestive" as options to be reviewed as part of HLV development. The notion is that an evolvable shuttle-derived HLV could begin with a core that might be an in-line configuration of 4-segment SSRBs, coupled to an ET-sized core segment (strengthened and with a boat-tail at the bottom holding SSMEs, and a payload attachment/inter-stage carrying an accelerated Orion with LAS attached) which would become the "government-operated" LEO/ISS support capability, with a target IOC of 2013."

Is NASA's New Space Plan Really That Radical?, Space.com

"['Radical'] might be a little bit dramatic, but it's certainly a big shift," said Leroy Chiao, former NASA astronaut and a member of the blue-ribbon panel President Obama commissioned to review NASA's plans before designing the new proposal. "I would say it's unprecedented." He said he thought it made sense to look to commercial industry to provide transport to low-Earth orbit, but that NASA should also stay in the business of building spacecraft. "NASA's job should be focused on exploration, going beyond low-Earth orbit," he said. Even though it may be a significant change, Chiao said it might be for the best. "Transitions are difficult but sometimes you need some kind of a dramatic change in order to get that improvement," he said."

NASA Gets Flak on New Course, Wall Street Journal

"Criticism of Mr. Bolden's actions came from unexpected directions. Various lawmakers typically supportive of NASA requests said they were "floored" or shocked by the budget package. Complaining that the agency provided only "vague assurances that [astronaut] safety will not be undermined" by the new plan, Rep. Pete Olson, a Texas Republican who represents many NASA employees, confronted Mr. Bolden. He said NASA's leader "managed to surprise, frustrate and anger those of us who have been your greatest advocates."

Technology Would Shape New NASA, Aviation Week

"The objections fall into two broad categories--lack of a clear destination in space for the new program, and a "faith-based" belief, in the words of one House member, that a commercial route to orbit for U.S. astronauts is better than the government-managed Ares I and Orion vehicles. Members also are irritated by delays in getting specifics of the broad-brush plan released Feb. 1, and the apparent lack of consultation outside of a small administration circle in the decision to make such a "radical" change away from a space policy Congress has endorsed."

House Appropriators Grill Obama's Science Adviser on NASA Plan, SpaceNews

"Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) accused Holdren of not consulting senior NASA personnel on the decision to terminate the Constellation program. "Your associate administrators and field center heads were not even told of the final details of the plan to cancel Constellation until just a couple of days before its release," he said. Holdren denied the accusation. "They were consulted early in the process and during the process about the options, the characteristics of different possibilities," Holdren said. Tensions mounted near the end of the hearing when Wolf accused three White House staff members seated behind Holdren of wearing smug facial expressions during Culberson's final round of questioning. "I don't care who you work for," he said. "I think you really bring a degree of arrogance here that is just almost offensive."

Aderholt Challenges The President's Science Advisor On Human Space Flight

"This plan abandons any hope of astronauts actually going anywhere, beyond the station, for at least 20 years. I am aware of the OMB statement of NASA's mission of getting ready to go to Mars. But these science projects should be worked on at the same times as launch systems like Constellation which will actually get us somewhere."

Verbal Testimony by Miles O'Brien: Senate Hearing on NASA's FY 2011 Budget

"While I give the Administration plan high marks for its steely-eyed reassessment of priorities - it did a horrible job telling this story. The headlines should have read: "Space is now open for business". Or - "Space travel now for the rest of us" Or "Space Station science gets a big reprieve" or "NASA to work on fixing air traffic delays" or "NASA to focus more on our favorite planet: Earth".

So it is the perfect storm: the agency is not sold on the change...the communications plan is non existent...the reporters are not well informed...and the public is disengaged."

Keith's note: Hmmm .. the person responsible for all of this messaging is NASA PAO AA (and self-proclaimed "White House Liaison for space") Morrie Goodman who said last week: "I need to make sure that the agency's message is heard loud and clear and that our position is well known, well articulated, in the best way possible for people to understand and hopefuly come to the same conclusions that we do about the things that we do and where we are going."

Something is broken, Morrie.

NASA Chief Bolden reorganizes his space agency (includes memo excerpts with other changes), Orlando Sentinel

"As announced previously, the Office of Strategic Communications will be disbanded. ... Office of Public Affairs: This organization will be renamed the Office of Communications and will be led by an Associate Administrator. The Associate Administrator for the Office of Communications will report to the Office of the Administrator and will also serve as NASA Press Secretary (also see "Changes in Center Reporting")..."

Keith's note: Curiously, the description of NASA PAO AA Morrie Goodman's job - as offered by Goodman himself last week during a meeting of the NASA Advisory Council's Education and Public Outreach Committee - is a little bit more expansive. Make that MUCH more expansive. If you listen to this video (starting at around 08:25) Goodman says:

"I have three goals. Number one is I need to make sure that the agency's message is heard loud and clear and that our position is well known, well articulated, in the best way possible for people to understand and hopefuly come to the same conclusions that we do about the things that we do and where we are going. The other job that I have is to be - I am the White House liaison for space. Uh, uh, um, In that fashion I have to articulate not only NASA's view but - you know, it is NASA's view - because what the President decides for NASA is what NASA does - basically."

"I am the White House liaison for space"? Hmm. I thought David Noble was the White House Liaison. It even says so here at NASA.gov. Goodman is the guy who is supposed to do all of NASA's messaging "loud and clear", so what he said must be accurate, right?

Embedded video below

Keith's note: The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation's Science and Space Subcommittee will hold a hearing onChallenges and Opportunities in the NASA FY 2011 Budget Proposal today starting at 2:30 pm EST. NASA will be broadcasting and webcasting this hearing on NASA TV - Watch. You can follow things on Twitter here.

Witness Panel 1: Charles Bolden , NASA

Witness Panel 2: Robert "Hoot" Gibson, Astronaut (Ret.); Michael J. Snyder, Aerospace Engineer; Miles O'Brien, Journalist and Host "This Week in Space"; and A. Thomas Young, Lockheed Martin Corporation (Ret.)

NASA will be broadcasting and webcasting on NASA TV - Watch

U.S. no longer a space-faring nation, The Hill

"A uniquely American vision of a bold space program can be supported by Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives. It would inspire the public and provide numerous technological and engineering spin-offs, while demonstrating to the world that the U.S. remains an optimistic and courageous leader. Congress should firmly reject President Obama's belly-gazing approach to the future and the next frontier by reaffirming the U.S. commitment to manned spaceflight and colonization, set dates for a manned mission to Mars, and boost NASA's budget with these goals in mind."

Last rocket to be fired in Utah as final space shuttle launch nears, KSL

"I believe that we will develop something better in the future," [Harry Reed, ATK Shuttle Program Manager] said. "But at this point in time I don't believe there's another product that delivers more, that is safer and more reliable than what we have to offer." The fight in Congress over the space program is just getting started."

Locals dismayed by space cuts, Knoxville News

"Former U.S. Sen. Harrison "Jack" Schmitt, an Apollo 17 astronaut and friend of Taylor's who spoke at UT in November 2008, has chaired NASA's Advisory Council. He is much more blunt than Taylor in his criticism of Obama: "The administration finally has announced its formal retreat on American space policy after a year of morale-destroying clouds of uncertainty. The administration does not understand, or want to acknowledge, the essential role space plays in the future of the United States."

Analysis: NASA must take next giant step, Houston Chronicle

"The rationale given by administration officials was viable, said Keith Cowing, a former NASA manager who for years has served as editor of the NASA Watch Web site as well as Spaceref.com. "The costs were spiraling, the rockets weren't working and the cost would have been something NASA never would have been expected to get. I was surprised they went as far as they did. ... There's something to be said for killing it completely, once and for all." What Cowing and others -- meaning just about everyone else -- have a difficult time understanding is where exactly manned exploration under NASA is headed. "Flexible is an interesting word," Cowing said. "It means you adapt, you listen, you learn. But path means there is a direction you are heading. I don't see that yet."

Obama overhauls NASA's agenda in budget request, Washington Post

"The decision to kill Constellation is akin to President Richard M. Nixon's decision to end the Apollo program in the early 1970s and build the space shuttle."

Space group attacks Obama's plans for NASA; calls for lunar return, Orlando Sentinel

"The National Space Society, which was once headed by NASA's current deputy administrator Lori Garver and chief of Staff George Whitesides, said in a press release today that the White House plans to increase spending on science, technology and commercial space companies to ferry astronauts for the international space station was commendable. "However, we believe the President's 2011 budget request would leave the job only partly done," the release said. "NSS calls for the President and Congress to restore funding for human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit."

Impact of a scale-back goes far beyond Houston, Sen. Corwyn, Houston Chronicle

"But NASA cannot pass the baton of human spaceflight to a runner that is still trying on its shoes. The private sector requires years of further development before it can send a human being to the moon or compete with America's international rivals. NASA was assigned the Constellation mission for the same reason it took on Apollo: It remains the only entity in the country capable of getting it done."

NASA chief: Mars is our mission, Houston Chronicle

"The president's plan is not what our country needs at this time," said Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land. "We have been the world's leader for 50 years, and I can't accept that we're going to fall behind. We are going to fight, fight, fight to ensure that the next person who steps on the moon is an American." Olson said the right thing to do is add $3 billion to NASA's budget annually for the next five years to ensure Constellation is fully funded."

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden looks to work out NASA future, Huntsville times

"I've got tiger teams out there looking to put meat on the bones" to define future NASA work, Bolden told a group of reporters and editors during a meeting at The Times today. "This is not a decision that will be resolved in a day."

Davis defends NASA, Huntsville Times

"Davis, a candidate for governor, joined Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin in the meeting with 20 aerospace executives from companies such as Boeing and Dynetics to discuss strategies to keep the Ares rocket and return trips to the moon in the federal budget."

Hopes for NASA's moon mission fade, Washington Post

"White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said Sunday, "The President is committed to a robust 21st century space program, and his budget will reflect that dedication to NASA. NASA is vital not only to spaceflight, but also for critical scientific and technological advancements. The expertise at NASA is essential to developing innovative new opportunities, industries, and jobs. The President's budget will take steps in that direction."

Change in Space for NASA: Renting the Right Stuff, AP

"Getting to space is about to be outsourced. The Obama administration on Monday will propose in its new budget spending billions of dollars to encourage private companies to build, launch and operate spacecraft for NASA and others. Uncle Sam would buy its astronauts a ride into space just like hopping in a taxi."

The End of an Era? Brian Williams, MSNBC

"During the State of the Union, I turned to David Gregory and Andrea Mitchell and blurted out the obvious: I could never be president. The specific reason I gave was that I'd bankrupt the nation by re-starting an all-out push into space - back to the moon, to Mars and beyond."

Texas lawmakers balk at cutting manned spaceflight, Dallas Morning News

"Everyone in Washington wants fiscal restraint these days - except when it comes to their priorities. Case in point: NASA. Texas lawmakers in both parties are girding for battle with the Obama administration over the future of human spaceflight. Many of the same lawmakers routinely accuse the president of sending deficits into the stratosphere."

The Future of NASA: Space Policy Issues Facing Congress, Congressional Research Service (PDF)

"Summary of Major Issues for Congress

- Should the space shuttle program be terminated at the end of 2010 (or in early 2011) as currently planned? If so, how should the transition of the shuttle workforce and facilities be managed? If the shuttle program is to be extended, what actions are needed to ensure the safety of its crews after 2010, and what impact will its continuing cost have on the availability of funds for other NASA programs?

Moon mission gets help in Congress, Houston Chronicle

"Fearful that the White House might scale back manned space exploration, a bipartisan group of lawmakers slipped a provision into a massive government spending package last week that would force President Barack Obama to seek congressional approval for any changes to the ambitious Bush-era, back-to-the-moon program. The little-noticed legislative maneuver could yield massive payoffs for the Houston area, which has tens of thousands of jobs tied to manned space exploration. The congressional action hands NASA supporters additional leverage in their behind-the-scenes campaign to persuade Obama to budget an extra $3 billion a year to finance the return of astronauts to the moon by 2020 rather than revamping -- and cutting -- the manned space effort."

New Course for Space Exploration Promotes Private Firms, WS Journal

"While no firm decisions have been made and budget numbers remain in flux, there appears to be broad agreement inside the administration over using private rockets and capsules to access the orbiting space station. "There is clearly a recognition that if you want to do that, it should be done seriously and with enough funding" to succeed, according to one senior administration official involved in the deliberations."

Report that Obama decided on space policy may be premature , Orlando Sentinel

"A report by a respected science publication that said President Barack Obama has decided on a new space policy for NASA may be premature, according to Write Stuff sources. The report, which was posted Thursday night on the "Science Insider" blog at the web site of the journal Science, quoted unnamed sources saying that in a meeting on Wednesday with NASA chief Charlie Bolden, the president decided to add an extra $1 billion to NASA's budget."

Keith's note: It would seem that Science Magazine jumped the gun a bit. As is the case with the Orlando Sentinel, NASA Watch sources report that the story published in Science is incomplete and, in some cases, is just plain wrong. Specifically it asserts that a final decision has been made as to what NASA will be told to do. That is not the case. But it is likely that NASA will be getting a budget bump of upwards of $1 billion.

After last week's Obama/Bolden meeting, NASA is on the hook from White House to provide additional information between now and January to be factored into the final decision making process. Among other things, these decisions include the fate of Ares 1 and the new path that may be chosen regarding launch vehicle utilization and development. Moreover, sources report that the impetus for this "leak" was someone in or around the White House - someone who is not necessarily all that thrilled with certain options that are on the table. So, in classic Washington style, they leaked someone else's potentially good news - but did so early - and the results were counterproductive.

You can be certain that neither the White House or the 9th Floor at NASA HQ are remotely thrilled that this stuff is leaking out this soon given that some final number and policy crunching needs to be done. Having to bat down stories - accurate and inaccurate - serves only to distract them from that process. Given that there is lingering concern in some quarters about NASA's capabilities, seeing this stuff dribble out - regardless of the source(s) works against the agency as it strives to make its case to President Obama.

That said, having a high profile meeting at the White House just before Christmas and then expecting everyone to stay silent until the FY 2011 budget comes out in February is unrealistic - and somewhat naive in this day and age since no one can keep their mouth shut any more.

As always, stay tuned.

Conflict of interest? Congresswoman staunchly backs Constellation -- and is wed to astronaut, Orlando Sentinel

"On Memorial Day weekend in 2007, Kelly flew to Indiana to watch the Indy 500 with Giffords, his then-fiance. Kelly listed the purpose of the trip as "Space Flight Readiness Training." NASA later said the flight may have violated the agency rules requiring astronauts "to avoid any appearance of inappropriate use of NASA T-38's" when logging their required monthly flight hours. The trip cost taxpayers almost $9,000."

Closing memo/final report/transmittal memo for several National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigations , Government Attic

"2. 0-KE.07.0167-S, March 11, 2008, Possible Misuse of NASA Aircrafts/Lisa Nowa k"

On May 7, 2007, Raymond Sander, Johnson Space Center, presented the following scenario to Michael Griffin, NASA Administrator, at an ongoing "Ask the Administrator" meeting: "If 1, as a NASA employee in good standing get involved in some emotional, non lethal altercation and arrested by law enforcements agents in Florida, will NASA quickly dispatch my supervisor in a Government T-38 or equivalent, to represent NASA and assess the matter?" The Administrator responded to this question by answering "No."

Keith's note: I find it somewhat annoying that JSC often complains that there is not enough travel money for astronaut appearances and yet astronauts can fly T-38's almost any where they want to since the T-38 air time counts against their flight proficiency. That said, based on my experience, such questionable T-38 usage is the exception - not the rule. But it still happens.