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Year: 2022
Thomas Zurbuchen Farewell Video
Thomas Zurbuchen Farewell Video

From NASA SMD: “This is a farewell video is in honor of Dr. Thomas H. Zurbuchen (Dr. Z) on his last day of federal service – December 31, 2022. Dr. Z began as the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Associate Administrator (AA) in October 2016. He made a significant number of major accomplishments during his 6 year tenure. The overall NASA Science budget grew to its highest level. Numerous major missions were conceived and selected.”

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  • NASA Watch
  • December 31, 2022
Space Droids Are Part Of Human Space Families
Space Droids Are Part Of Human Space Families

Keith’s note: Below is an email from Todd Kramer. His father Richard Kramer died recently. Richard Kramer had a long career in the space business and worked on the ISEE-3 spacecraft in Maryland back in the 1970s. This note embodies a special connection his family had with space – something that I, as a on-and-off space person, can firmly attest to since I have had one myself.

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  • NASA Watch
  • December 20, 2022
OIG Review of NASA STMD Portfolio
OIG Review of NASA STMD Portfolio

“In 2020, STMD began the Strategic Technology Architecture Roundtable (STAR) initiative to prioritize technology gaps within the Directorate’s portfolio. This process uses information from stakeholders to identify priority technology gaps that should be addressed in the near term. The first iteration of the STAR process took 2 years and culminated with the 2022 issuance of reports describing how STMD’s portfolio contributes to achieving 17 desired outcomes to close technology gaps related to commercial competitiveness as well as Moon, Mars, and future science missions.” Full report

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  • NASA Watch
  • December 19, 2022
After 2 Years Of Fumbling – A New National Space Council Users Advisory Group (UAG)
After 2 Years Of Fumbling – A New National Space Council Users Advisory Group (UAG)

Keith’s note: Hooray – we have a new National Space Council Users Advisory group. You have to wonder why it took so long for the National Space Council, Vice President’s Office, and NASA to come up with a simple panel of space people whose job is mostly to sit on telecons and read a few white papers. We’re already halfway though the first term of the Biden-Harris Administration. These committees move slower than a snail’s pace, become totally bogged down in white papers and endless consent cycles, and in the end they always defer to rubber stamping whatever talking points the White House staff wishes to have endorsed. We still have no idea when the UAG will meet. And when it does get started you can rest assured that it will take the rest of this Administration’s term to produce a report with actions items or something. Four years to make a difference with another UAG – wasted (again). Oh and the picture of the UAG posted online at NASA? (see above) Its the Trump UAG membership on a web page that is more than 2 years old. Here is the official release and list of names – followed by more commentary:

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  • NASA Watch
  • December 16, 2022
NASAWatch Does Artemis TV
NASAWatch Does Artemis TV

Keith’s note: (So far) today’s TV appearances are: 8:00 AM EST CTV; 1:00 PM EST France 24, and 2:00 PM EST Deutsche Welle. UPDATE: I am doing Deutsche Welle again at 6:00 pm EST. Audio recordings below.

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  • NASA Watch
  • December 11, 2022
NASA Space Apps Challenge Ignored (Again) By NASA
NASA Space Apps Challenge Ignored (Again) By NASA

Keith’s note: The 2022 Global winners of the 2022 NASA International Space Apps Challenge were announced today. You can read about it but only outside of NASA at the Space Apps website. There was mention many days in advance by the NASA International Space Apps Challenge Twitter account @SpaceApps as well as by the various SpaceApps participants around the world. But that’s more or less all the visibility that was given for this event – an activity that is an impressive demonstration of the truly global soft power projection that NASA is capable of inspiring. There was no mention of this event at NASA.gov before or after the annoncement today. No NASA media advisory was sent out, nor was any press release posted by PAO anywhere within the NASA web universe. Take a look below at how pervasive the ambivalence about this amazing NASA activity was at NASA today:

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  • NASA Watch
  • December 8, 2022
Revised SMD Scientific Information Policy
Revised SMD Scientific Information Policy

Keith’s Note: According to NASA SMD: The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) announces a revised Scientific Information Policy SMD Policy Document (SPD-41a). The policy defines SMD’s commitment to sharing scientific information produced from NASA’s missions and research through Open Science practices. For new missions and grants starting with ROSES-2023, SPD-41a requires that:

  • Peer-reviewed publications are made openly available with no embargo period.
  • Research data and software are shared at the time of publication or the end of the funding award.
  • Mission data are released as soon as possible and unrestricted mission software is developed openly.
  • Science workshops and meetings are held openly to enable broad participation.

More

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  • NASA Watch
  • December 8, 2022