Keith’s note: According to this press release Science Committee Democrats Request Inspector General Audit of Goddard Closures and Relocations: “Today, Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Science Committee Democratic Members sent a letter to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) requesting a formal audit of the agency’s recent actions regarding widespread closures and relocations at the Goddard Space Flight Center including its main campus in Greenbelt, Maryland”. More below

Keith’s note: There is some chatter in DC that scheduling the re-nomination hearing in the Senate for Jared Isaacman on 3 December may mean that he misses a batch of nominations that are expected to come to a vote soon. So we may not see a vote happen for a while – perhaps even early next year. Meanwhile – remember Matt Anderson? He was nominated to be Deputy NASA Administrator in May. No one has said much – if anything – about his confirmation process.

Keith’s note: I am watching Dick Cheney’s funeral at the National Cathedral. There is a Moon rock in one of the windows. Those of us in Washington, DC realize at moments like this how we’re all 1 or 2 degrees of separation from the White House, Congress, heads of agencies – and each other. We all worked together because this is a small town and we had to. This used to be a strength. Now we’re shunned as being “Deep State”. The space community is even more tightly knitted. We’re propelled by nothing short of exploring the entire cosmos to benefit all of humanity. Somehow our community has to try and fix its small part of this mess. Otherwise we’ll abdicate our nation’s pre-eminence in space. And others will make the impossible – possible while we just watch. Ad Astra y’all.

Keith’s note: ISS astronaut Zena Cardman will be participated in the 2025 Global Women’s Summit today. This could have only happened without coordination with NASA Public Affairs. This astronaut took time out of their scheduled to speak. Check the hourly cost of an astronaut’s time – fully loaded. Its not insignificant. Alas, the @NASA Twitter account with 87.8 million followers and all other agency social media outlets, NASA TV, NASA.gov etc. made zero mention. Yet another chance to reach outside the space bubble squandered.

Keith’s note: lots of imaging and other observations of Comet 3I/ATLAS by various NASA spacecraft. Sorry, Avi Loeb: No aliens. 👽 More info here.

Keith’s note: According to this press release from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation there will be a “Full Committee Nominations Hearing for Jared Isaacman (NASA) and Steven Haines at Dept. of Commerce on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST in Committee Hearing Room, Russell 253. The hearing will stream live on the Committee web site and YouTube.”

Keith’s note: according to this LAist article: “The Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for a roughly 40,000-square-foot expansion that will include indoor and outdoor science learning areas and space for special exhibits. The centerpiece of the buildout will include an interactive display of the Inspiration space shuttle mockup, where visitors can go inside the cargo bay.” When I worked at Rockwell Downey in the early 1980s (location of the Columbia Memorial Space Center) I used to climb inside this plywood orbiter mockup (Missing its left wing) in the DEI room at noon to eat lunch. Shh! I was not the only one who did this (you Rockwell alumni know you did too). I also stood inside the aft end of Discovery and Atlantis during assembly in Building 1, past Challenger in Palmdale, and drove around Downey in an old gas scooter with hardware spares of what would eventually become Endeavor one day. There was Apollo junk in the desk I used. Lots of fun by this 20-something space fan. 30 years later when the Columbia Center opened I spoke at the opening ceremony as a member of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education board of directors. The Columbia Center building is located where I used to park my car. Discovery is 15 minutes from my house now (unless Ted Cruz takes it). My friends and things I helped designed flew on all of them. It’s fun when life coming full circle.

Keith’s note: Update on the next Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) sponsored by USRA’s LPI.

• If you go to the LPSC abstract submission page, the top Abstract Submission Criteria listed says “All submitted abstracts must comply with Administration Executive Orders. Any non-compliant abstracts will be removed from consideration for the conference program.”
• The words “Administration Executive Orders“ links to a page regarding DEI which says “NASA headquarters advised LPI and the AGs in late January that all AG activities were to be paused to give the agency time to review them to ensure that they complied with “presidential actions.” Among those presidential actions are various Executive Orders, memoranda, and other directives terminating DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion)-related positions and activities throughout the federal government. (“IDEA” is LPI’s term for “DEI.”)”
• I already know of several instances wherein people have submitted LPSC abstracts including DEI topics which were summarily rejected. I have also seen social media postings wherein space and planetary scientists and students are objecting to this policy and, in some cases, are refusing to attend/participate at this year’s LPSC.
• Oddly enough LPI has a rather DEI-centric Code of Conduct listed on its site – something that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusions that the NASA DEI police might take issue with. Just sayin’.
• Update On USRA/LPI/LPSC Diversity Censoring (earlier post)
• LPI DEI Censorship Memo From USRA/LPI (earlier post)
• USRA’s Non-Deletion Deletion of LPI Website Material (earlier post)

Keith’s note: According to this press release: “Bale Dalton – a distinguished Naval Aviator and former Chief of Staff of NASA – announced his candidacy for Congress in Florida’s 7th District.”

Keith’s note: the following letter was sent by the Maryland Congressional delegation to Acting NASA Administrator Duffy on 13 November 2025 with regard to a variety of issues raised about actions being taken at NASA Goddard. Answers requested by 17 November 2025. Full letter below.