Keith’s note: This White House Executive Order “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking“ dropped today. Highlights:

• “Discretionary awards must, where applicable, demonstrably advance the President’s policy priorities.”
• “Applicants should commit to complying with administration policies, procedures, and guidance respecting Gold Standard Science”.
• “Each agency head shall promptly designate a senior appointee who shall be responsible for creating a process to review new funding opportunity announcements and to review discretionary grants to ensure that they are consistent with agency priorities and the national interest.”
• “The term “senior appointee” means an individual appointed by the President, a non-career member of the Senior Executive Service, or an employee encumbering a Senior Level, Scientific and Professional, or Grade 15 position in Schedule C of the excepted service.”
• “Until such time as the process specified in subsection (a) of this section is in place, agencies shall not issue any new funding opportunity announcements without prior approval from the senior appointee designated under subsection (a) of this section, except as required by law.”
• “Discretionary awards shall not be used to fund, promote, encourage, subsidize, or facilitate: racial preferences or other forms of racial discrimination by the grant recipient, including activities where race or intentional proxies for race will be used as a selection criterion for employment or program participation; denial by the grant recipient of the sex binary in humans or the notion that sex is a chosen or mutable characteristic; illegal immigration; or any other initiatives that compromise public safety or promote anti-American values.”

Keith’s note: The President only found out about this “prior associations” issue (whatever that is) with regard to Jared Isaacman months after his nomination, a lengthy confirmation process, with a Senate vote on the calendar for this week. Just sayin’

Keith’s note: True to form, overt politico Senator Administrator Bill Nelson D-FL said “As history has proven, as the present has shown, and as the future will continue to demonstrate, an investment in NASA is an investment in America for the benefit of humanity,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “President Biden’s budget will fund our nation’s abilities and leadership for the future of space exploration, scientific discovery, cutting-edge technology, climate data, the next generation of aeronautics, and inspiring our future leaders – the Artemis Generation.” This is, of course, nonsense since NASA’s budget overruns/delays on Artemis, Mars Sample Return etc. have already begin to eat up other projects. An insufficient FY 25 budget simply makes things worse. Remember just a few years ago the NASA mantra was “Journey to Mars” in the 2030s. Well, the new variant – NASA “Moon to Mars” thing now only shows the Moon – no Mars – in the 2030s. Negative progress – indeed its space exploration Shrinkflation. Clicking your heels together, crossing your fingers, and whistling “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” ain’t gonna solve anything, Bill. NASA’s plans are royally screwed. And the Artemis Generation will not witness all the happy talk you continue to throw their way. I guess that Moon rock is not in the Oval Office anymore.

• According to Marcia Smith @SpcPlcyOnline {see chart above} From NASA budget summary, latest Artemis schedule. SpaceX Starship HLS test in 2026, same year as Artemis III landing. Artemis V, first use of Blue Origin’s HLS, now in 2030.
• According to @Lori_Garver The @POTUS ’25 @NASA budget of $25.38B is ~$2.5B less than projected last year. Along w/ congressional cut of $2.3B for 2024, the agency’s growth trend is now reversed. Absorbing these reductions w/out cancelling major programs will cause delays across the board. Tough choices.
• The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration put out a statement that only expresses concern about human spaceflight – not all the other things NASA does.
• In a 7 March Statement the Planetary Society only focuses on space science – and not human spaceflight
• Here are the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request documents posted by NASA. Read them and weep.

According to NASA PAO “Vice President Kamala Harris will award former NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken the Congressional Space Medal of Honor at 4:15 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 31. … Limited pre-credentialed media will join pooled press for the event.” Keith’s note: WRT “Limited pre-credentialed media” – In other words Marc Etkind and Jackie McGuiness at NASA PAO now hand-pick space media who can cover these things – in advance – (I guess) to get the most positive results for the event. FWIW its not that you can really ask questions at these highly scripted events. NASA only announced this event after media pre-selections have been made – and only after the White House gave the OK to do so. But we can still watch all the award stuff live on NASA TV etc. And this is a rather cool award! More details from the White House below.

Keith’s note: The news that the White House wants to name former Rep. Kendra Horn to be executive Secretary of the National Space Council was not exactly thrilled a lot of people. In case you weren’t paying attention, with Horn at the helm of the National Space Council, Big Aerospace and its allies would now be in control of NASA and the National Space Council. Her support for H.R. 5666 […]

Keith’s note: According to a media briefing with senior Administration officials at the White House today Bill Nelson will be sworn in on Monday by Vice President Harris – with some “special touches”. The White House is in the process of searching for an executive secretary for the National Space Council. No word on when that will be announced. The White House will also be keeping the National Space Council’s […]

Keith’s note: Today’s White House event will likely be carried live on NASA TV and will be online here as well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fuer5ws6ZY White House Statement on Space Policy Directive 1 (SPD-1) “The President, today, will sign Space Policy Directive 1 (SPD-1) that directs the NASA Administrator to lead an innovative space exploration program to send American astronauts back to the Moon, and eventually Mars.” NASA Provides Coverage of Today’s Space […]

NASA to Discuss FY2018 Budget Proposal, Provide Virtual Tours of Centers “Lightfoot will give a presentation at 12:30 p.m. EDT to NASA employees at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington on FY2018 budget highlights, setting the stage for the coming year at NASA and spotlighting the past work that led to current achievements. This presentation will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.” Budget Documents, Strategic Plans and Performance […]

Space is bigger than NASA, Scott Pace, The Hill “During the presidential campaign, Vice President Mike Pence promised to “relaunch the national space policy council headed by the vice president.” The White House does not, and has never needed, a space council to supervise NASA, but it does need a way to combine the separate strands of national security space programs, diplomatic engagement, commercial competition and civil space cooperation with […]

Here’s What President Obama Is Reading This Summer, Time “The presidential reading list also includes two big page-turners: Neal Stephenson’s Seveneves, a sci-fi adventure about space explorers returning to a post-apocalyptic planet Earth.” Seveneves, Wikipedia “At some unspecified date in the near future, an unknown force causes the Moon to shatter into seven pieces. As the shattered remnants of the Moon begin to collide with one another, astronomer and science […]