Keith’s 21 May update: Earlier this week Bill Nelson suggested that NASA could solve all of its financial woes by getting $10-11 billion out of the new Infrastructure bill. Well, tick tock. Republicans balked at the overall bill so President Biden came back with a smaller counter offer. There will likely be more. It looks like there is a lot less money in the cookie jar – and R&D is […]
Bill Nelson's confirmation hrg to be NASA Admin will be next Wed, Apr 21, at 10:00 am ET. [Same time as "Countdown Clock" bfg prior to Crew-2 launch the next day.] Cmte will also consider nomination of Lina Khan to head Federal Trade Commission.Watch at https://t.co/t98Qxo60CD — Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) April 15, 2021
Sources report that the confirmation hearing for @SenBillNelson's nomination to become the next @NASA Administrator will be held on 28 April. pic.twitter.com/as7vEgDi8v — NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) April 5, 2021
President Biden Announces his Intent to Nominate Bill Nelson for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, White House “Most every piece of space and science law has had his imprint, including passing the landmark NASA bill of 2010 along with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson. That law set NASA on its present dual course of both government and commercial missions. In 1986 he flew on the 24th flight of the Space […]
Keith’s note: Rumors are starting to bubble up. Bill Nelson wants you to know that he really, really wants to be the next NASA Administrator. There is one small problem however: according to his own previously established criteria for who should – or should not – be NASA administrator, he is not qualified. Oh yes: former NASA Adminstrator Charlie Bolden agreed with Nelson’s qualification criteria. Just sayin’ Keith’s update: there […]
NASA has gone a year without a formal leader–with no end in sight, Ars Technica “Five months ago, the Trump administration finally put forward a nominee for the post of administrator, Oklahoma Congressman and pilot James Bridenstine. Although he was confirmed along a party-line vote twice during Senate confirmation hearings, he has yet to receive a vote before the full Senate. Increasingly, it is obvious that the White House does […]
Spending debate puts NASA’s mission up in air, Hearst “What is sad to me is that NASA has always been above politics,” says Nelson, who flew aboard Shuttle Columbia for six days as a payload specialist in 1986. “Now it’s gotten to be a partisan issue and that is a sad day for the country.” Keith’s note: Politics? Senator Nelson laments the appearance of politics in space policy?! Stunning news. […]
Nelson Tells Blakey: “Put a Fire Under Your Executives”, Space Policy Online “[Sen. Bill] Nelson was not assuaged. “You do not have to convince the White House,” he admonished [AIA President Marion Blakely], adding that he had met “with two of your CEOs last week” and “they were not ready to step up and go talk to the [House] leadership” about the shutdown, but would if a debt default appeared […]
Senator: NASA May Have To Consider Having Only 2 Launches “NASA is getting a stern reality check from one of its biggest supporters. Senator Bill Nelson admitted Monday there may only be two more shuttle missions instead of three. WFTV learned NASA will announce another delay for Discovery on Tuesday and, Nelson says, if engineers can’t fix Discovery’s external tank they must cancel the Atlantis mission and use that tank, […]
Senator Nelson says White House will support robust space program “It is perpetuating the perilous practice of pursuing goals that do not match allocated resources,” the report says. More specifically, the space program needs another $3 billion annually. “I’ve asked the president to use money from leftover stimulus funds,” said Nelson, in a prepared statement. Chairman Gordon and Subcommittee Chairwoman Giffords Comment on Augustine Committee Report “Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee […]
