Keith’s note: There will be a Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Hearing: “Strategic Trajectories: Assessing China’s Space Rise and the Risks to U.S. Leadership” Thursday, 4 Dec at 9:00 AM EST. Watch live here, Here is the charter. One tweet from the committee said “China’s rapid progress in space is a serious concern for the U.S.—threatening our leadership, national security, and economic future. Tomorrow, we will examine this challenge and what America must do to stay ahead.” OK, so enough arm waving. If you want NASA to effectively compete with China in space then don’t endorse NASA budget cuts and deep personnel cuts in FY 2026 as put forth by the Administration. All this rhetoric is just hot air. Do something. Or just sit down. Just sayin’.

Keith’s note: Testimony from Jared Isaacman at his confirmation hearing on 3 December 2025: “Thank you Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and distinguished members of the committee. I am honored and grateful to be here before you again as President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.” More below.

Keith’s note: on Wednesday 3 Dec the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a nomination hearing for Jared Isaacman (NASA) and Steven Haines (Commerce) at 10:00 am EST. It will be live streamed on the committee website and on YouTube. Meanwhile, NASA TV does not seem to have it listed. According to Marcia Smith “Sen. Cruz has already announced the Commerce committee will vote on Isaacman’s nomination next Monday, Dec. 8, at 5:30 pm ET, along with seven others. … Senate vote can be anytime thereafter.” There is talk of trying to fast track this vote so we could see Isaacman on the 9th floor in a week or so.

Keith’s note: House Science Committee Democrats just issued this press release that includes a letter and detailed spreadsheet listing GSFC changes to personnel, programs, and facilities in excruciating detail – and requests NASA feedback. My quick take: It would seem that no one is doing any real work at GSFC until next spring since everything is moving, being sold off, rebuilt, closed down. Other centers have similar albeit more localized changes like this but all of the actions have not hit them yet. So NASA will have lost staff, lose budget (programs, missions etc.) one way or another, and everyone is moving their offices or waiting for people to get to their new locations before resuming work. ‘Time for a new NASA phone book’ as we’d say at NASA. Full text and links below.

Keith’s note: Last week a large group of former NASA astronauts sent a letter to Senators Cruz and Cantwell in support of Jared Isaacman’s nomination to be NASA Administrator. His (re)nomination hearing will be held on Wednesday. Letter below.

Keith’s note: AI is the hot thing now: bubble or no bubble. NASA and the space community just lost much of its workforce. The OSTP Genesis Mission which talks about a “moonshot” AI effort makes no mention of NASA. But NASA is going to the Moon. Will NASA enter uncharted territory with AI to backfill for lost capability? Or will it be left behind to do more – with less? Or will NASA’s incredible charter and stellar workforce be energized to figure out a better path – “as only NASA can”? THAT is the challenge before Jared Isaacman. May The Force Be With Him 🚀 (image created with @Grok)

Keith’s note: the other day Russia broke the only launch pad it has that can launch Soyuz or Progress missions to the ISS. Space social media is all over the place with what needs to be fixed and how long it will take, cost, etc. NASA has not said much of anything other than admitting “yea, we noticed”. SpaceX is doing just fine. Boeing Starliner – well, not so much and they are not going to be in a position to do much heavy lifting for a while until they prove – for the fourth time – that their system works. As was the case after the loss of Columbia we’re back to a single string of crew launch capability i.e. no back-up. And you will recall all of the arm waving and fuss that the incoming Administration had about two “stranded” astronauts on ISS. Cargo supply to ISS is better off (Dragon, Cygnus, JAXA). Yet, when you add in the ticking clock for splashing ISS and what a reimagined Artemis will look like and NASA is going to have its hands full in 2026. With fewer staff and a significantly smaller budget projection, this is going to be a challenge. ‘Per Aspera’ is going to be more pronounced as we do the whole ‘Ad Astra’ thing.

Keith’s note: A press release from Representatives Chu, Bacon et al urges “Strong Final FY26 Appropriations for Space Science and Exploration.” Full text and letter below.

Keith’s note: This is how a NASA person speaks truth to power. You can leave NASA but NASA never leaves you. It’s that ‘Right Stuff’ we all share. Senator Mark Kelly posted this via @SenMarkKelly to deal with the ‘Wrong Stuff’ issued by the White House: “When I was 22 years old, I commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy and swore an oath to the Constitution. I upheld that oath through flight school, multiple deployments on the USS Midway, 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm, test pilot school, four space shuttle flights at NASA, and every day since I retired – which I did after my wife Gabby was shot in the head while serving her constituents. In combat, I had a missile blow up next to my jet and flew through anti-aircraft fire to drop bombs on enemy targets. At NASA, I launched on a rocket, commanded the space shuttle, and was part of the recovery mission that brought home the bodies of my astronaut classmates who died on Columbia. I did all of this in service to this country that I love and has given me so much. Secretary Hegseth’s tweet is the first I heard of this. I also saw the President’s posts saying I should be arrested, hanged, and put to death. If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”

Keith’s note: The White House, Department of Energy, and OSTP just launched a big flashy national AI thing called “Genesis Mission”. The Executive Order says “This order launches the “Genesis Mission” as a dedicated, coordinated national effort to unleash a new age of AI‑accelerated innovation and discovery that can solve the most challenging problems of this century.” Alas, there is no mention of NASA in the Genesis fact sheet and the press release mentions NSF, NISH, and NIH – but not NASA. There is no mention either of NASA things like space, astronomy, or aviation. NASA is trying to understand the scope and origin of the universe, search for life on other worlds, and build spaceships unlike any ever built before – and it is employing advanced computing and AI in all of this. But NASA apparently does not pass muster when it comes to inclusion in the White House/OSTP Genesis Mission.

Keith’s note: This email was sent to employees at the Engineering Technology Directorate at NASA GSFC. It would appear that these GSFC employees are now going to be working on “national security technologies” – despite the fact that NASA is a civilian space agency. Full email below.

Keith’s note: Remember DOGE? Well, it no longer exists as a thing with that name – although some of the chaos it caused is now formally part of OPM and other parts of the agency. According to Reuters: “U.S. President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency has disbanded with eight months left to its mandate, ending an initiative launched with fanfare as a symbol of Trump’s pledge to slash the government’s size but which critics say delivered few measurable savings. “That doesn’t exist,” Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor told Reuters earlier this month when asked about DOGE’s status. It is no longer a “centralized entity,” Kupor added, in the first public comments from the Trump administration on the end of DOGE.”

Keith’s note: According to this press release Science Committee Democrats Request Inspector General Audit of Goddard Closures and Relocations: “Today, Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Science Committee Democratic Members sent a letter to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) requesting a formal audit of the agency’s recent actions regarding widespread closures and relocations at the Goddard Space Flight Center including its main campus in Greenbelt, Maryland”. More below

Keith’s note: There is some chatter in DC that scheduling the re-nomination hearing in the Senate for Jared Isaacman on 3 December may mean that he misses a batch of nominations that are expected to come to a vote soon. So we may not see a vote happen for a while – perhaps even early next year. Meanwhile – remember Matt Anderson? He was nominated to be Deputy NASA Administrator in May. No one has said much – if anything – about his confirmation process.

Keith’s note: According to this press release from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation there will be a “Full Committee Nominations Hearing for Jared Isaacman (NASA) and Steven Haines at Dept. of Commerce on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST in Committee Hearing Room, Russell 253. The hearing will stream live on the Committee web site and YouTube.”

Keith’s note: Update on the next Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) sponsored by USRA’s LPI.

• If you go to the LPSC abstract submission page, the top Abstract Submission Criteria listed says “All submitted abstracts must comply with Administration Executive Orders. Any non-compliant abstracts will be removed from consideration for the conference program.”
• The words “Administration Executive Orders“ links to a page regarding DEI which says “NASA headquarters advised LPI and the AGs in late January that all AG activities were to be paused to give the agency time to review them to ensure that they complied with “presidential actions.” Among those presidential actions are various Executive Orders, memoranda, and other directives terminating DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion)-related positions and activities throughout the federal government. (“IDEA” is LPI’s term for “DEI.”)”
• I already know of several instances wherein people have submitted LPSC abstracts including DEI topics which were summarily rejected. I have also seen social media postings wherein space and planetary scientists and students are objecting to this policy and, in some cases, are refusing to attend/participate at this year’s LPSC.
• Oddly enough LPI has a rather DEI-centric Code of Conduct listed on its site – something that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusions that the NASA DEI police might take issue with. Just sayin’.
• Update On USRA/LPI/LPSC Diversity Censoring (earlier post)
• LPI DEI Censorship Memo From USRA/LPI (earlier post)
• USRA’s Non-Deletion Deletion of LPI Website Material (earlier post)

Keith’s note: the following letter was sent by the Maryland Congressional delegation to Acting NASA Administrator Duffy on 13 November 2025 with regard to a variety of issues raised about actions being taken at NASA Goddard. Answers requested by 17 November 2025. Full letter below.

Keith’s note: this letter was sent by Acting NASA GSFC Director Cynthia Simmons and NASA SMD AA Nicola Fox to Rep. Zoe Lofgren regarding Lofgren’s letter to NASA (House Demands Answers Over Goddard Changes) over concerns about actions being taken at NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center. . Full letter below.

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.