Policy & Politics
Smith to continue to press for change in national security space launch program
Smith so far has not been happy with the Air Force’s response to his concerns about the launch program.
Paying for Artemis: How much will it cost to go back to the moon?
NASA has laid out a rough plan for what it now calls the Artemis program, including what needs to be built — SLS and Orion, a “minimal” Gateway and lunar landers — and how it can come together in time for a 2024 landing. What the agency has been less forthcoming about, though, is how much it will cost.
House Armed Services’ space launch legislation revised in 11th-hour deal
The amended language retained two key provisions that help SpaceX and Blue Origin, and removed two others that were opposed by ULA.
House Armed Services Committee votes to create a U.S. Space Corps
HASC creates a United States Space Corps led by a four-star commandant.
Senate Armed Services bill shakes up management of Air Force space acquisitions
The SASC is trying to hold the Air Force more accountable for the performance of space acquisition programs.
Machinists union mobilizing to defeat HASC chairman’s space launch legislation
A bipartisan amendment to strike Smith’s space launch provisions is expected to be offered by Colorado lawmakers Lamborn and Crow.
Kennedy sees growing congressional support for Space Development Agency
Kennedy says SDA will work with all the services. “Nobody said I have to build it all."
House Armed Services markup to bring Space Force closer to reality
HASC Chairman Adam Smith: “We have an agreement on an amendment" to create a space force or space corps.
SpaceX gets a boost from House Armed Services Committee 2020 NDAA markup
Smith’s mark does not disrupt the LSP schedule and only directs some changes to the rules of the competition.
Op-ed | Only a separate service can create a space culture
If the culture issue is not addressed, the current organization will fail to develop the human capital required to preserve U.S. dominance.
White House reiterates human moon missions on the path to Mars
A day after President Trump appeared to cast doubt on NASA’s plans to send humans to the moon, a White House official said the moon remained a goal of the agency’s programs as a step towards Mars.
Trump tweet throws space policy into chaos
President Donald Trump disrupted months of civil space policy development in a single tweet June 7, suggesting that NASA should not return humans to the Moon.
Ex-Im Bank advocates push for 10-year authorizations
Supporters of the Export-Import Bank of the United States told Congress June 4 that the bank’s charter should last 10 years before requiring reauthorization instead of the three to five years normally allotted.
Advisory committee seeks significant changes in proposed commercial remote sensing regulations
An industry advisory group will recommend significant changes to a proposal to revise commercial remote sensing regulations, arguing the current proposal falls short of what’s needed to keep up with the industry’s capabilities and needs.
In joint confirmation hearing, Scolese and Raymond vow to cooperate on space matters
Sen. Jack Reed: “An issue that will be paramount for both of you is Space Command’s relationship with the NRO."
Space policy provisions but no Space Force language in HASC subcommittee bill
Several provisions in the markup address space procurement policy and assign specific tasks to the Space Development Agency.
