SOFIA
House appropriators partially restore funding for planetary defense mission
House appropriators partially restored funding for a planetary defense mission as part of a spending bill while also raising concerns about NASA’s closure of an airborne observatory and plans to return samples from Mars.
Astronomers want “strong finish” for SOFIA
The organization that operates an airborne astronomical observatory that NASA is shutting down this year wants to end the project on a high note.
NASA defends decision to shut down SOFIA
NASA officials say they believe the latest effort to shut down an airborne observatory is more likely to be successful because of the endorsement of doing so by last year’s decadal survey.
NASA and DLR to end SOFIA operations
NASA and German space agency DLR announced April 28 they will end operations of an airborne astrophysics observatory in September.
SOFIA makes case for continued operations
Officials with a NASA airborne observatory responded to a stinging rebuke in the latest astrophysics decadal survey by arguing that the facility, targeted for termination, is essential to the agency’s broader science program.
Astrophysics decadal survey recommends NASA terminate SOFIA
The future of NASA’s SOFIA airborne observatory remains in limbo after the astrophysics decadal survey gave the program, proposed for termination by NASA, a vote of no-confidence.
House appropriators approve NASA spending bill with revised lunar lander and nuclear propulsion language
The House Appropriations Committee passed a spending bill July 15 that leaves intact overall funding for NASA but tweaks language regarding the Human Landing System and nuclear thermal propulsion.
SOFIA operations continue despite cancellation threat
Despite facing the threat of cancellation for the second straight year, a NASA airborne observatory is continuing with regular operations.
NASA requests $24.8 billion in 2022, proposes to cancel SOFIA again
NASA released its fiscal year 2022 budget request May 28, asking for $24.8 billion to support a number of new and existing science and exploration programs but also proposing once again to cancel an airborne astronomical observatory.
NASA receives $23.271 billion in fiscal year 2021 omnibus spending bill
Congress will provide NASA with nearly $23.3 billion in the final fiscal year 2021 omnibus spending bill, restoring several science programs but falling far short of the funding sought for a lunar lander program.
NASA expects to cover JWST launch slip with budget reserves
NASA hopes to keep the costs of additional delays in the James Webb Space Telescope within the program’s existing reserves and thus avoid asking Congress for additional funding.
SOFIA preparing to resume flights after being grounded by pandemic
A NASA airborne astronomy observatory that has been grounded for nearly three months by the coronavirus pandemic may resume flights later this month as advocates for the program address another cancellation threat.
NASA’s SOFIA airborne observatory faces termination again
NASA’s fiscal year 2021 budget request proposes cancelling an airborne observatory, a move that has surprised many astronomers but is also not the first time the project has faced termination.
White House requests significant NASA budget increase to fund Artemis program
The White House is proposing to increase NASA’s budget by more than two and a half billion dollars in fiscal year 2021, providing substantially increased funding for the Artemis program while seeking once again to cancel several science and education programs.
NASA to adjust SOFIA operations to improve productivity
NASA plans to adjust operations of an airborne astronomical observatory in order to increase its scientific productivity.
Shutdown grounds NASA’s airborne observatory
The ongoing partial government shutdown has grounded NASA's SOFIA airborne observatory amid reviews about how to operate that program in the future.
NASA planning alternative reviews of SOFIA
NASA is planning two alternative reviews of an airborne observatory amid conflicting congressional views on whether the program will be eligible for the next senior review of astrophysics missions.
SOFIA resumes observations after extended maintenance
A NASA airborne observatory that enjoys unusual protection from regular reviews resumed science flights recently after an extended maintenance period.
