Keith’s note: Several people are live tweeting a NASA Advisory Council HEO committee meeting – a public, on-the-record, official advisory body of the federal government chartered under FACA. Wayne Hale, who is departing from NAC service, offered a candid, thoughtful, and accurate assessment of the nature of the Artemis program and how it is not suited for anything like the “space race” that Bill Nelson et al love to claim that it is. So … what do members of this FACA committee say? Comments that can be summarized as: So what Wayne. That may be true but we need to spin it as a “race” so as to garner and maintain political support. These FACA committee members are openly approving a dishonest approach by the NAC – and NASA – to steer public discussion of a taxpayer-funded activity for political reasons – not transparent and accurate ones. Do these NAC committee Einsteins understand that this is a public meeting? One has to wonder if the OGC and OIG are listening to this meeting.

Keith’s note: Will someone please explain how a bunch of older folks (all well-intentioned, to be sure) on the NASA Advisory Council are expected to have clear knowledge of what the Artemis Generation actually wants their future in space to be? Based on these official photos, there is no one on the NAC who is apparently under 50. Many are over 60, several are well over 70. Two are over 80. The youngest of them will be in their 60s if/when we land on Mars. Just sayin’ Oh yes I am 68.

Keith’s Note: There is a NASA Advisory Council Meeting (NAC) today and tomorrow. If you have nothing better to do and want to listen to a bunch of people put forth opinions and ideas that NASA simply ignores, then tune in: Oh yes: Why is there never anyone under 40 – or under 30 – on the NAC? With all this talk about Artemis Generation, education, STEM diversity etc. there is no one on the NAC representing the ACTUAL sector of society that is moving into NASA and the global space industry. is there anyone on the NAC STEM committee who is actually a member of the Artemis Generation? No. Meeting info

NASA Advisory Council Meeting “Tuesday, August 9, 2022, 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Eastern Time; and Wednesday, August 10, 2022, 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The agenda for the meeting will include reports on the following NAC priority focus areas: -Climate Change -Commercial and Industry Partnerships -Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility -International Collaboration -Program Management and Acquisition The agenda for the meeting will also include reports from the following NAC committees: -Aeronautics […]

Keith’s note: It is June July August 2022. The last time the National Space Council poked its head out through the curtains was December 2021. Six Seven Eight months. Does anyone know what they are doing? If you go to the official National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group (NSpC UAG) page at NASA you are greeted with banner image of the Trump Administration’s UAG. If you go to the membership […]

NAC notes: Wayne Hale, closing today's NASA Advisory Council meeting, suggested the agency would be better served by increased transparency, citing public affairs "happy words" vs more frequent briefings/discussion of technical challenges, problems and solutions — William Harwood (@cbs_spacenews) January 19, 2022

Keith’s note: The NASA Advisory Council Human Exploration and Operations Committee is meeting today and tomorrow. Here’s my summary/preview. I have seen this movie before. @NASA splits this function. Then #NASA put sit back together. Then they split it again. Etc. Nothing is ever more efficient. Duplication is always the end result @SenBillNelson wants you to think he's fixing things. He's not. pic.twitter.com/SZuFxfn7hy — NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) January 18, 2022 […]

Keith’s note: There are a variety of advisory bodies set up for the purpose of soliciting expert advice for how America should run its space activities. One entity, the NASA Advisory Council (NAC) is supposed to be the prime focus on such advice collection. Given the whole pandemic thing, it should be expected that things have fallen behind. But while NASA does everything else, it seems to be unable to […]

NASA Federal Advisory Committees; Notice of Committees Re- Establishment Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Federal Register “The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has determined that the re-establishment of four (4) NASA Federal advisory committees under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) is necessary and in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed upon NASA by law. This determination follows consultation […]

Executive Order on Evaluating and Improving the Utility of Federal Advisory Committees, White House “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and consistent with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Review of Current Advisory Committees. (a) Each executive department and agency (agency) shall evaluate […]