Blue Origin’s new engine isn’t good enough for some congressmen, Ars Technica “At the end of February, two US representatives, Mike Rogers of Alabama and Mac Thornberry of Texas, decided to push a little harder. On February 28, they sent a letter to Lisa Disbrow, the acting secretary of the US Air Force, and James MacStravic, who is performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and […]

Sen. Jeff Sessions Exerts Wide Influence Over Trump Space Plans, Wall Street Journal “One sign of the influence Mr. Sessions has with the president-elect is that job seekers actively seek his support. Three former astronauts, including retired Air Force Lt. General Thomas Stafford, who was the head of NASA’s astronaut corps and later was instrumental in development of the B-2 Stealth bomber, have urged the Alabama lawmaker to support [Doug] […]

Former NASA Managers Call for More Spending Despite Crunch, Space News “Among those who spoke at the von Braun symposium was one of Constellation’s chief architects, former NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. Griffin, who ran NASA from 2005 to 2009, scoffed at the idea that NASA is operating in a budget-constrained environment. “We are in a willpower-constrained environment,” said Griffin, who is now the Huntsville-based chairman and chief executive of science […]

NASA commitment to Senate wishes questioned, Space.com/MSNBC “Nelson had no luck getting NASA officials to pin down the date by which the agency could begin testing Orion atop the core elements of the congressionally mandated rocket. “I want to know how soon you can get testing the initial heavy-lift capability with the proposed funding levels,” Nelson told Doug Cooke, NASA associate administrator for exploration systems. Cooke demurred, citing ongoing studies, […]

NASA Statements On FAA Granting Reentry License To SpaceX “Congratulations to the SpaceX team for receiving the Federal Aviation Administration’s first-ever commercial license to reenter a spacecraft from Earth orbit,” NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said. “With this license in hand, SpaceX can proceed with its launch of the Dragon capsule. The flight of Dragon will be an important step toward commercial cargo delivery to the International Space Station. NASA wishes […]

NASA Team’s Space Exploration Proposal Aligns with Senate Bill, Space.com In outlining a human asteroid mission that would launch several years past Obama’s 2025 deadline, the HEFT recommended NASA begin work immediately on a space shuttle-derived heavy-lift rocket, skipping the five years of exploratory research Obama proposed. A set of the HEFT’s charts, dated Sept. 2, were posted on the NASA Watch website. “There is no benefit to delaying work” […]