Keith’s note: A recent Politico article cited some internal ideas Jared Isaacman offered to Interim Administrator Sean Duffy. The article said “Isaacman’s manifesto would radically change NASA’s approach to science. He advocates buying science data from commercial companies instead of putting up its own satellites, referring to it a “science-as-a-service.” This article has morphed in various discussion to come out as characterizing Isaacman being anti-science at NASA. In his response summarizing his Project Athena document, Isaacman wrote: “Personally, I have publicly defended programs like the Chandra X-ray Observatory, offered to fund a Hubble reboost mission, and anything suggesting that I am anti-science or want to outsource that responsibility is simply untrue.” Below is the letter that Issacman wrote to former NASA Administrator Nelson in 2024 when news of defunding Chandra first broke. Just remember: Isaacman funded two crewed missions that he crammed full of science and in the process also raised a quarter of a billion dollars for research and support for St. Jude. More below.

Keith’s note: according to a Truth Social post: “Sean Duffy has done an incredible job as Interim Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This evening, I am pleased to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of NASA. Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era. Congratulations to Jared, his wife Monica, and their children, Mila and Liv. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT”

Keith’s lament: Apollo missions to the Moon were seen as great feats of exploration by the media. As we try to do that again NASA has clearly lost control of the narrative to tabloid-level stupidity. Since this whole ‘Back to the Moon, Mars, Beyond’ etc. thing was announced 21 years ago we constantly lose our way and get distracted and drag things out faster than we accomplish those things. And now we are going to beat China to the Moon? That’s not gonna happen unless we change the way the government/space industry hive mind does things. Moreover, it will not happen unless NASA gets the population and media on board while all this other crap is going on. Just sayin’

Keith’s note: according to a well researched and brutally accurate story “NASA is sinking its flagship science center during the government shutdown” at Space.com: “The workforce at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland, say this has put groundbreaking missions at risk, and is degrading roadblocks designed to safeguard human lives. Now, under the cloak of a closed U.S. government, nearly half the GSFC campus — the hub of NASA science — is marked for abandonment.”

Keith’s note: Has anyone heard NASA’s part-time leader Sean Duffy recently reach out, motivate his NASA workforce, seek out shutdown, furlough, RIF, layoff, concerns – or otherwise show visible, enduring support for their hardship? Or does DOT get all of his attention? Just wondering.

Keith’s note: In a nutshell, acting/interim/(maybe)actual NASA Administrator Sean Duffy says that SpaceX is behind “schedule” on its Artemis stuff. OK this may well be true. Yet Duffy can’t say when Artemis II, III, etc. will launch i.e. according to a “schedule” with dates etc. or if there’s an actual firm budget to stay on “schedule” or if his new ideas to try other approaches have a “schedule” or if a landing will have a NLT 19 Jan 2029 in its “schedule’. “Notional” won’t get us to the Moon, beat China etc. Just sayin’.

Keith’s note: according to “The Power Struggle Over Who Will Run NASA Is Turning Ugly“ in the Wall Street Journal: “Over the summer, Duffy told government officials he was interested in bringing NASA under the Transportation Department’s purview, people briefed on the conversations said. “Sean said that NASA might benefit from being part of the Cabinet, maybe even within the Department of Transportation, but he’s never said he wants to keep the job himself,” a NASA spokeswoman said.” Sounds like Sean Duffy has been thinking about expanding his turf at DOT by swallowing NASA.

Keith’s note: Over the years space supporters have complained when politics entered @NASA policy. Over the past few days Transportation Secretary Duffy who moonlights as Interim/Acting NASA Administrator has gone totally political. Remember – if you are a Democrat or attended these rallies this is what he thinks of you (see Tweet and quotes). But he only says these things as @SecDuffy – NOT as @SecDuffyNASA. Oh yes: the President has openly called for cutting budgets for “Democrat Agencies” and their programs. So, is NASA a “Democrat agency” Sean Duffy? This is certainly a “question the American people [especially those of NASA] deserve to have answered.” Just sayin’.

• “[It’s] actually a hate America protest” Source: News Nation
• “The ‘No Kings’ protest, Maria, really frustrating. I mean, this is part of antifa, paid protesters. It begs the question, who’s funding it? Source: The Hill

Keith’s note: The unions that represent some NASA employees continue to push back. Oddly JPL was trying to thwart union organization when the sky started to fall and other NASA centers merely tolerated unions. Now, as the White House severs their role with NASA – and all the professional space industry organizations mostly sit on their hands – they let the layoffs and budget cuts happen. But the Unions have risen to the challenge and now lead the way in championing the collective well being of space community employees. Bravo. For all of you non-union types, a large Bravo Zulu (“well done”) for the unions is in order. See “Legal challenges against Trump’s union EOs continue to proliferate” at Government Executive: “The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers has filed its second lawsuit seeking to block President Trump’s effort to strip collective bargaining rights from two-thirds of the federal workforce, this time on behalf of NASA workers.”

(Originally posted 30 Sep 2025) To The NASA Family: Selfish, shortsighted power brokers are toying with America’s technological leadership in a game of brinksmanship. People suffer as a result. It is people who enable science agencies and research organizations to discover and explore the unknown. From subatomic structure and the chemistry of life – to the structure of the universe and the tools to explore it – NASA is singular in its ability to explore existence at every known scale of time and cosmic organization. More below