Congress
Congressional report refutes claim that a Space National Guard would be ‘cost neutral’
CBO estimates that standing up a Space National Guard would cost about $100 million a year.
Air Force: Report on space acquisition reforms ‘not finalized’
A report sent to Congress last week proposing changes to Space Force acquisition programs was an “initial version” and not the final product, the Air Force said.
Space agencies working on a ‘unified message’ on industry stimulus
The Space Acquisition Council is collecting data on the state of the defense supply chain.
Space Force officials defend plan to consider alternatives to a Space National Guard
DoD is taking a "clean sheet" look at how reserve components would support the U.S. Space Force
Op-ed | H.R. 5666 will launch the U.S. in the wrong direction
In his Feb. 3 SpaceNews opinion piece, Louis Friedman argues that the NASA authorization bill that recently cleared a House space subcommittee is best direction for America in space. The bill, H.R. 5666, would require the United States to abandon the moon after a flags and footprints lunar landing (while effectively preventing commercial firms from participating). We could not disagree more.
Spending bill highlights ongoing debate on Commerce Department’s role in space traffic management
Language in a fiscal year 2020 spending bill suggests that Congress is unlikely to act soon on the future of the Office of Space Commerce or the Commerce Department’s proposed role in handing civil space traffic management.
NASA to receive $22.6 billion in fiscal year 2020 spending bill
A final fiscal year 2020 spending bill released by congressional appropriators Dec. 16 would give NASA more than $22.6 billion, but falls short of the agency’s request for lunar lander development.
HASC Chairman: Single-contractor bid for new ICBM is ‘troubling’
Smith said he offered to help Boeing but the company wasn't interested.
Senate defense appropriators support DoD space request, propose ‘tactical responsive launch’ program
The SAC-D fully funded the $1.2 billion request for the National Security Space Launch program.
U.S. Space Command and National Reconnaissance Office will join forces to defend space
The intelligence community and the DoD agreed to align U.S. Space Command and the NRO into a unified defense structure.
House Armed Services Committee denies funding for Space Development Agency
The committee cited concerns about the "turmoil surrounding the Space Development Agency."
Space Force legislative talks at impasse over personnel issues, cost concerns
The House and Senate voted in support of a space service to be nested inside the Air Force, but much still remains unresolved.
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.
SASC bill directs DoD to make use of commercial spaceports for small satellite launches
The small launch amendments made it into the SASC markup that the committee voted in a closed session May 22 to advance to the Senate floor.
House appropriators deny Space Force funding, call on DoD to study alternatives
The HAC notes that the decision to not back the $72 million request should not be read as a complete rejection of the idea of establishing a Space Force.
