Editor’s note: Gee, this sure sounds like a political endorsement to me. I guess Mike had a chat with a lawyer about the Hatch Act.District 22 congressional race gets crowded, Galveston County Daily News“The congressman did pick up surprisingly out of the norm endorsement over the weekend when NASA director Michael Griffin asked those in the space community to send DeLay back to Washington.In his keynote speech to the Rotary […]

Frederick D. Gregory, former NASA Deputy Administrator, joins Lohfeld Consulting Group“The Lohfeld Consulting Group announced today that former NASA Deputy Administrator Frederick D. Gregory has accepted a position with the corporation as Managing Director, Aerospace and Defense Strategies. Mr. Gregory will lead the Aerospace and Defense strategy practice offering consulting services to aerospace, defense and information technology companies to assist in the development and execution of their strategies in government […]

Exploration gap could cost NASA skills, jobs, The Hill“That gap means something very different to us. We intend to be the operator of the constellation systems, so we have to be able to negotiate and navigate that gap with our skill base and with our credentials intact,” said Jeff Carr, spokesman for the Alliance.” Editor’s note: You “intend” to be the operator? This sounds a little presumptuous, Jeff. Jeff Carr […]

Destination Space, Channel 13“More trouble in NASA’s return to flight plans as space shuttle Discovery is again damaged in an accident at the Kennedy Space Center. The space agency says workers were repositioning a lamp near the nose of the shuttle’s external fuel tank when it fell, causing it to ding the foam insulation.”Space shuttle engineers assess new wiring issue, SpaceflightNow“Initial wind tunnel tests indicate recent modifications to the foam […]

Funds for hunting extraterrestrial life restored by NASA, New Scientist“Researchers said NASA was responding to protests from scientists and lawmakers and called for the pressure to continue. “It seems to me that instead of going away quietly with what we were given, we ought to be emboldened to ask for more,” said Jill Tarter, [SETI Institute].” Editor’s note: At a “NASA Town Meeting” held on Monday night at this conference, […]

Robotic space exploration needs continued support, The HillA new space race for a new generation, The HillMobilizing NASA’s mission of human space exploration, The Hill“I worked with the administration to ensure that increased funding was specifically designated in this budget for the space shuttle program, allowing for 16-17 shuttle missions. Though some have criticized this robust series of flights as an impossible goal, the “impossible,” after all, is NASA’s business.”

NASA’s SAP Launch Drags – Inspector general blasts the $116M financial systems upgrade , Computer World“A major upgrade to the core financial systems of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has encountered turbulence from end users and the agency’s inspector general before getting far off the ground. The $116 million financials upgrade is the cornerstone of a larger project, dubbed the Integrated Enterprise Management Program, which is expected to cost […]

Astrobiology Serves NASA and The National Interest – Statement Prepared by Principal Investigators of the NASA Astrobiology Institute“Astrobiology is the interdisciplinary study of the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth and in the universe. It melds the understanding of life on Earth, the nature of our solar system and its potential to support life, and the search for habitable environments and life on planets around other stars. […]

NASA Extends Crew Exploration Vehicle Contracts“NASA has authorized contract extensions for development of the agency’s new Crew Exploration Vehicle. The companies, Lockheed Martin Corp., and a team of Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., and The Boeing Co., were selected as CEV Phase 1 contractors in June 2005. They have been working with NASA to define requirements and develop conceptual designs for the agency’s next-generation vehicle for human space flight. … NASA […]

NASA Announces Final Dawn Decision Today“NASA will host a media telecon at 2:30 p.m. EST today to discuss results of the committee reviewing the decision to terminate the DAWN mission.”” Editor’s 11:00 am EST update: NASA Watch has learned that NASA will restart the Dawn mission.NASA Reinstates the Dawn Mission“NASA senior management announced a decision Monday to reinstate the Dawn mission, a robotic exploration of two major asteroids. Dawn had […]