Impact of the Federal Shutdown on Private Industry and the Nation: The NASA-Johnson Space Center Experience, Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership “Before the shutdown, JSC had approximately 3,200 federal employees and 11,000 private sector employees supporting its human spaceflight and exploration mission. As a result of the shutdown, JSC is closed, except for 100 federal and a very limited number of contractor employees who support the International Space Station’s operations, […]

NASA Joins Community in Shuttlebration Weekend Celebration “Houston has been with NASA’s Space Shuttle Program for 30 years and 135 missions, and this weekend, Houston and NASA will celebrate together as a souvenir of the program arrives in Clear Lake.” Space Center Houston’s full-size Space Shuttle replica to arrive June 1 “Shuttlebration Weekend” “On Sunday, June 3, the replica will make an estimated three-hour trek down NASA Parkway from the […]

Houston-area members of Congress again press NASA on awarding Enterprise to NYC, Houston Chronicle “Nine Texas Republicans led by Rep. Pete Olson, whose Sugar Land district includes JSC, are challenging NASA administrator Charles Bolden once again on virtually every aspect of NASA’s decision to move the Enterprise from a Smithsonian facility outside the nation’s capital to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.” – NASA Has Given Enterprise to New […]

A closer look at Houston’s shuttle snub, KTRK “He awarded the shuttles using a point system that gave no points for connection to space despite its inclusion in the law. But gave 20 percent of all points to international access — meaning how many international tourists could see the shuttle. That’s nowhere in the law. “He essentially said, ‘I care more about foreign tourists than I do about the community […]

Obama to reporter: ‘Let me finish my answers’ next time, The Oval (with video) “Obama also bristled at claims that is administration skipped Houston in the award of space shuttle orbiters and favored states that could help his re-election. “That’s wrong,” the president stated. “That had nothing to do with it; the White House had nothing to do with it.” When Watson persisted, Obama said, “I just said that was […]

Texas lawmakers introduce bill to bring space shuttle to Houston, CNN “Two Texas lawmakers, upset that Houston was not picked as one of the retirement homes for NASA’s space shuttles, introduced legislation [H.R. 1590] Friday that would bring the Discovery shuttle to the city for 15 years.” No retired shuttle for Houston? Not without a fight, Florida Today “U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said he heard an outcry — “Earth […]

Why Houston Did Not Get A Shuttle, Wayne Hale “Immediate reaction from many people in the Houston area was that the Orbiter disposition decision was politically tainted. For example, this was the explanation of my old Rice classmate Annise Parker, her honor the Mayor of Houston. Maybe there is some truth to that. It’s hard to say what goes on inside the Washington beltway with any certainty. But my suspicions […]

Mitchel: ‘You give up space, you lose’, The Bay Area Citizen “[BAHEP President Bob Mitchell] Think about this: It was no coincidence that it took seven months to appoint a NASA administrator because the transition team of Lori Garver and her three people from OMB put this plan together, and at the end of seven months when we were all wondering what the heck is going on, they were busy […]

Parker heads to D.C. to talk up NASA, light rail, Houston Chronicle “Parker is scheduled to meet with senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Transportation Secretary Roy LaHood, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and members of the local congressional delegation in a two-day blitz. Shortly after she was elected, the administration had invited her to “open dialogue” on certain key issues in Washington, and today’s […]