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NASA Sleepwalks Through Its Economic Impact Report Release
NASA Sleepwalks Through Its Economic Impact Report Release

Keith’s note: NASA put out a report NASA’s Economic Impact Report for fiscal year (FY) 2023. In addition to its data rich/ lousy common language construction (see A Nice NASA Economic Impact Report By / For Wonks) NASA is not really spending much effort to tell people about it. In addition to the report there are additional data files and one PDF file for every state (but nothing for Puerto Rico). But other than some info from GSFC, KSC, and Armstrong, NASA PAO seems to have ignored its own websites and not sent out any media advisories or press releases relevant to local state economic impacts (no mention here) just their main release and a KSC link. NASA has once again demonstrated that it is utterly clueless and bereft of strategic thought when it comes to demonstrating its value and relevance to its stakeholders, taxpayers, and its puppet masters in DC. This is going to come back and bite the agency. It is downright embarrassing that the same agency that can look outward and back at the beginning of time and reprogram 50 year old spacecraft in interstellar space can’t explain itself to the people that pay for the whole space thing. More snarky detail below.

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  • NASA Watch
  • October 24, 2024
The View From The Summit
The View From The Summit

[L] Astronaut Scott Parazynski stands atop Everest, the highest point on Earth’s surface, watching a sunrise. [R] Astronaut Jared Isaacman stands atop Resilience, the highest vantage point in Earth orbit, watching a sunset.

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  • NASA Watch
  • September 12, 2024
NASAWatch on TV: Go Polaris Dawn!
NASAWatch on TV: Go Polaris Dawn!

Keith’s note: Looks like the crew of Crew Dragon Resilience are off to a good start. After a weather delay at 3:23 am they launched on-time at 5:35 am EDT and are now safely in space. It would be an understatement to say that this is going to be a cool mission. I was just on CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt and Kristin Fisher [Audio] and yes, I compared the new SpaceX spacesuits to what a DJ might wear at a EDM rave. I was also on BBC World News [Audio] and Deutsche Welle [Audio] this afternoon. During my BBC interview I used yet another prop (picture below). This time it was a plastic savings bank shaped like a Mercury capsule I got when I was 7 years old back in 1960s when it was the current advanced human spacecraft. Its the shape that’s important.

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  • NASA Watch
  • September 10, 2024
NASAWatch on TV: Boeing CFT-1 And Chang’e-6
NASAWatch on TV: Boeing CFT-1 And Chang’e-6

Keith’s note: On Friday I did a live shot on Scripps News on the Boeing Starliner CFT-1 mission. [Audio] I also taped some comments in advance for Bloomberg Radio that they’ll use tomorrow. On Saturday I’ll be on CTV at 1:00 pm EDT and at 2:00 pm EDT on Deutsche Welle talking about CFT-1. I’ll be on CGTN on Saturday at 7:00 pm EDT to talk about the Chang’e-6 lunar landing and then on Deutsche Welle on Sunday to talk about Chang’e-6 as well. Oh – Starship is going to do something next week, so … UPDATE: launch scrubbed at T-3:50 – launch sequencer saw something that it did not like. Further Further Update: I spoke with BBC Five Live Radio about the launch scrub for Boeing’s Starliner and China’s successful landing of Chang’e-6 on the far side of the Moon. (oh yes, there is a tennis update in the middle) [Audio]

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  • NASA Watch
  • June 1, 2024
An Astrobiology Spinoff?
An Astrobiology Spinoff?

Keith’s note: Although NASA did not sponsor research wherein tardigrade proteins were tested in human cells to see if they work and possibly influence human metabolism – someone did -and it worked. This emerged as the result of prior work into extremophiles. Tardigrades are a favorite extremeohpile amongst astrobiologists. They have even been studied on the International Space Station. Drug companies scour the world – sifting through soils, undersea creatures, and toxic waste dumps for interesting organisms that can provide new industrial processes or biomedical applications. One would hope that the people at NASA who do the whole Spinoffs thing every year would pay attention to things like this. Perhaps a little funding might be worth considering. NASA loves to talk about all the things ISS biomedical research can do for people back on Earth. Who knows maybe the notion of hibernating astronauts on long space missions could benefit. Last week NASA was crowing about the Biden Cancer Moonshot thing. Well, NASA Astrobiology research might also have similar spinoff benefits. But NASA won’t know unless it starts to poke around. Full release.

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  • NASA Watch
  • March 26, 2024
Say Howdy To The New Texas Space Commission
Say Howdy To The New Texas Space Commission

Keith’s note: Unfortunately Governor Abbott and his posse are diminishing the rights of many of the current and future space employees in Texas to have control over their own bodies. Not the best way to attract business. Good luck with that Texas Space Commission. it is much the same situation in other space states like Alabama and Florida. Don’t be surprised when people turn down job offers. Just sayin’. Here’s the press release.

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  • NASA Watch
  • March 26, 2024
Ike Gillam
Ike Gillam

According to Legacy.com: “After serving in the Air Force, Ike began working for NASA. There, he held a series of jobs starting with managing the Delta Program, which launched communication and weather satellites into orbit. He later oversaw the approach and landing tests of the space shuttle as the Director of Space Shuttle Operations, which led to his becoming the first Black person to lead a NASA center as the Director of NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center. Next, Ike was appointed as a science advisor to the White House, before serving as the first associate administrator of the Office of Commercial Programs (OCP), that expanded private sector investment in space activities. In the late 1980s, Ike moved to the private sector, initially as Senior Vice President for OAO Corp., and later, for Allied Signal (Honeywell), where he retired.” Ad Astra Ike

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  • NASA Watch
  • February 2, 2024
Post Flight Re-write?
Post Flight Re-write?

Keith’s note: In 2021 I posted a book review of “Not Necessarily Rocket Science – A Beginners Guide To Life In The Space Age” by Kellie Gerardi – who just became an actual astronaut. So …. I am wondering if she is going to put out a revised version – with her daughter Luna’s input, of course. 😉 Update: @kelliegerardi Bold of me to write a whole damn book before the biggest life dream came true Chagrin!

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  • NASA Watch
  • November 9, 2023
My Suborbital Life Blog 9: Anticipation, Revealed — S. Alan Stern
My Suborbital Life Blog 9: Anticipation, Revealed — S. Alan Stern

This is the 9th and next to last blog I’ll write surrounding my inaugural spaceflight, which took place as a research and training mission that flew last week on Virgin Galactic. Here, I want to close the loop for you on the things I said I was so highly anticipating knowing once I had flown; I published that list in my 6th blog in this series, called “Anticipation.” So, here’s that list again, this time with answers about how each question turned out.

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  • NASA Watch
  • November 7, 2023