2019年8月31日 星期六
M45: The Pleiades Star Cluster
2019年8月30日 星期五
Hubble Views Final Stages of a Star’s Life
ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/29/2019
August 30, 2019 at 12:00AM
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Joe Biden Is Not Cratering
1. Joe Biden
It’s been a pretty ugly summer. He still leads.There was a comical moment earlier this week in which it looked like voters might actually be turning on Joe Biden. A national poll from Monmouth University, a quality pollster, showed Biden falling to 19 percent from his usual perch in the low 30s, trailing Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, each at 20 percent. Over the next couple of days, however, a slew of other national polls came out showing Biden still in the low 30s, prompting Monmouth to issue a statement acknowledging that its survey was a foul ball. Those few hours after the Monmouth poll was released, though, were quite a time to be alive. What if a summer of bad debates, stammering, “gaffes,” and general questions about Biden’s cognitive fitness really were catching up to him? What if the words Biden and electable really had been divorced in the collective mindset of the Democratic primary voter? Was seeing Biden refer to New Hampshire, the very famous and well-known first primary state, as VERMONT the final straw? Nope. Biden’s doing just fine in the polls. He’s still the leader. One season down, a couple more to go.
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2019年8月29日 星期四
NGC 7129 and NGC 7142
United States Space Command Established
"Today, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, the Secretary of Defense established the United States Space Command to ensure space superiority. The United States Space Command strengthens our ability to deter conflict and ensure unfettered access to, and freedom to operate in, space. United States Space Command will be established as the newest unified combatant command under the Department of Defense and will include forces from all Military Services. United States Space Command will consist of military personnel, civilian employees, and contractors. The new unified combatant command will accomplish strategic objectives and enhance the capability of our military to protect America's dominance in space by: Employing assigned forces from every branch of the military to achieve vital victories in space. Delivering combat power by operating superior space capabilities such as communications, intelligence, navigation, and early missile detection and warning. The establishment of United States Space Command represents a crucial step to improving the Nation's space warfighting structure in our ever evolving world."
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Marsha Ivins Opines On Gender Diversity At NASA: "Enough Already!"
I'm a Retired Female Astronaut and I Can't Understand the Obsession With 'Gender Diverse' Space Crews, opinion by Marsha Ivins, Time
"And then there was Saralyn Mark, an M.D. and specialist in gender-based medicine, who spoke about gender bias. Her main point: NASA needs to -- no kidding -- realize there are gender differences because sending "gender diverse" crews to Mars is going to be difficult. At least I think that was her point. It was frankly hard to listen to because enough already! ...
... After Dr. Mark's testimony, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine once again mentioned how inspired his 11-year old daughter would be to see women taking leadership positions in space exploration. Well, Mr. Bridenstine, your agency has had women in leadership roles on and off the planet far longer than you have held your current position. And there have been women astronauts living, working and leading on spacecraft decades longer than your daughter has been alive. Why is she not inspired by that?"
Alas, Marsha Ivins seems to think that having women on space mission crews and in some leadership positions at NASA means that the whole diversity and gender equality thing is solved. It is not. Even the most cursory review of recent news stories will provide ample evidence of ongoing sexual harassment, pay disparities, imbalances in educational opportunities, and lingering paternalistic management practices within NASA, the aerospace industry, and the various scientific and academic institutions that make up the lager community that explorers space. But Marsha thinks that this was "hard to listen to because enough already!" Really Marsha?
Astronauts are special class of employees at NASA and often occupy a slightly strange position at the agency - one that is often isolated from reality. I know enough astronauts well enough to have seen this with my own eyes. In Ivins' case she saw diversity in space crews and says OK well we have diversity. Check that box. Next task. What about the rest of NASA, Marsha? In reality this most certainly is not the case across the agency and the aerospace industry and the scientific community as a whole.
Jim Bridenstine literally jumped out of the gate on his first day at NASA pledging to support diversity and equality at NASA. Bridenstine goes out of his way almost daily to talk about diversity and his personal commitment to enhancing equality. What does Marsha Ivins do? She crosses the line and dares to question the sincerity with which a father speaks of his own daughter's inspiration and future opportunities.
People look up to astronauts as role models. As such what does it say to people searching for guidance from an astronaut role model to see op eds with the words "I Can't Understand the Obsession With 'Gender Diverse' Space Crews" in the title? Such tone deaf and ill-informed comments do a disservice to everyone who strives to have a role in the exploration of space.
It's time for people like Marsha Ivins to descend from the former astronaut ivory towers and engage with the real world where pushing for more diversity and inclusion is never a bad thing to do. It will always be a work in progress. Contrary to what Ivins saw while wearing her flight suit there are 300 million people out there who live totally different lives - and they pay for this whole party in space. To them diversity and equality in opportunity matter. NASA succeeds best when all people can see themselves reflected in what NASA does.
Note: back in 2007 Marsha Ivins wanted to become a big time TV player in Hollywood. Have a look at her proposed project. At one point she says "I also understand that they should have access to a lot of stuff but do not get free reign to dig around in places we don't want them digging, and again since I have total control over the story line since there are only 2 of us writing it, we can guide the story." Hmmm ... "places we don't want them digging ..."
National Space Council Transcript of comments by Dr. Saralyn Mark 20 August 2019. Source: C-SPAN
Click to read
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ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/28/2019
August 29, 2019 at 12:00AM
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Celebrating Spitzer's Sweet Sixteen
2019年8月28日 星期三
M27: Not a Comet
SpaceX Plans Orbital Flight Of Starship In A few Months
Aiming for 20km flight in Oct & orbit attempt shortly thereafter. Starship update will be on Sept 28th, anniversary of SpaceX reaching orbit. Starship Mk 1 will be fully assembled by that time.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 28, 2019
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North Carolina Students to Speak with NASA Astronaut on Space Station
August 28, 2019
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Lifting the Space Launch System Core Stage Into Place
ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/27/2019
August 28, 2019 at 12:00AM
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2019年8月27日 星期二
Messier 61 Close Up
Moon 2024 Goal Delays SLS Availability For Europa Clipper
NASA OIG Follow-up to May 2019 Audit of Europa Mission: Congressional Launch Vehicle Mandate, NASA OIG
"NASA's renewed focus on returning humans to the Moon on an accelerated timetable means that an SLS will not be available to launch the Clipper mission to Europa before 2025 at the earliest. Given all of the foregoing factors, we urge Congress to consider removing the requirement that NASA launch the Europa Clipper on an SLS and allow the Agency to decide whether to use an SLS or a commercial vehicle based on cost, schedule, vehicle availability, and impact on science requirements."
NASA OIG Audit: Management Of NASA's Europa Mission, NASA OIG, earlier post
"In addition, although Congress directed NASA to use the SLS to launch the Clipper, it is unlikely to be available by the congressionally mandated 2023 date and therefore the Agency continues to maintain spacecraft capabilities to accommodate both the SLS and two commercial launch vehicles, the Delta IV Heavy and Falcon Heavy."
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More Sad News For Laurel Clark's Family
Couple who died in Oro Valley crash were parents of astronaut Laurel Clark, Tucson.com
"The couple that died in a crash in Oro Valley on Wednesday were the mother and stepfather of an astronaut who died in the space shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003. Margory and Richard Brown, both 85, died Wednesday morning after a crash on West Tangerine Road at North La Cañada Drive."
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Astronaut Andrew Morgan Performs His First Spacewalk
ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/26/2019
August 27, 2019 at 12:00AM
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2019年8月26日 星期一
Fighting Climate Change By Nuking Hurricanes
Trump suggested nuking hurricanes to stop them from hitting U.S., Axios
"During one hurricane briefing at the White House, Trump said, "I got it. I got it. Why don't we nuke them?" according to one source who was there. "They start forming off the coast of Africa, as they're moving across the Atlantic, we drop a bomb inside the eye of the hurricane and it disrupts it. Why can't we do that?" the source added, paraphrasing the president's remarks. Asked how the briefer reacted, the source recalled he said something to the effect of, "Sir, we'll look into that." Trump replied by asking incredulously how many hurricanes the U.S. could handle and reiterating his suggestion that the government intervene before they make landfall. The briefer "was knocked back on his heels," the source in the room added. "You could hear a gnat fart in that meeting. People were astonished. After the meeting ended, we thought, 'What the f---? What do we do with this?'"
Why don't we try to destroy tropical cyclones by nuking them ?, NOAA
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Christine Darden: From Human Computer to Engineer
2019年8月25日 星期日
Flashback: Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
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2019年8月24日 星期六
Leaving Earth
What Laws / Ethics Rules Govern Astronaut Behavior In Space?
Nasa said to be investigating first allegation of a crime in space, BBC
"So if a Canadian national were to commit a crime in space, they would be subject to Canadian law, and a Russian citizen to Russian law. Space law also sets out provisions for extradition back on Earth, should a nation decide it wishes to prosecute a citizen of another nation for misconduct in space. As space tourism becomes a reality, so might the need to prosecute space crime, but for now the legal framework remains untested. Nasa officials told the New York Times that they were not aware of any crimes committed on the space station."
A NASA Astronaut's Divorce Has Sparked Claims of a Crime in Space: Report, Space.com
"According to Worden, her bank account was accessed without her permission from a NASA-affiliated computer network, prompting her to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. A family member also filed a complaint with NASA's internal Office of Inspector General."
But you can find 14 CFR § 1214.403 - Code of Conduct for the International Space Station Crew here. The NASA Office of General Counsel Ethics Rules page points you to a 21 December 2000 Federal Register notice. We posted it too. There does not seem to be any mention of which laws apply to an astronaut's behavior in space in this document. FYI This was developed when NASA and the ISS partners discovered that they had no rules to govern Dennis Tito's behavior on the ISS. Spolier: he did not break anything.
BTW the The NASA OGC link to Multilateral Intergovernmental Agreement -- United States, Canada, European Space Agency, Japan, Russia (January 1998) is broken (security issue or something) as are the links to all of the bilateral agreements. I found another page that lists the original 1998 bilateral agreements. I searched through them and can't seem to fin anything about which laws apply to astronauts while aboard the ISS.
I read through all of the United Nations treaties affecting activities in outer space. Unless I missed something or did not understand what I was reading (likely) I do not see anything in these treaties about astronaut behavior being governed by terrestrial law. I am not a lawyer. But you'd think that NASA would make the basic agreement available to the public to read - especially now that there is a story in the news about alleged illegal behavior in space. And if there are specific rules about legal aspects of living and working in space you'd think that NASA would want to find them and add them to whatever rules the place of public-facing websites. Just sayin'
- Shh! The Astronaut Code of Professional Responsibility is Online, (2008), earlier post
- Evolving Traditions Aboard the International Space Station (2003), earlier post
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2019年8月23日 星期五
Millions of Stars in Omega Centauri
ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/22/2019
August 23, 2019 at 12:00AM
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Hubble Captures Dynamic Dying Star
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Farwell, Jay Inslee, You Were Good
2. Joe Walsh, Mark Sanford, Jeff Flake, John Kasich
Let’s get slaughtered and be legends.Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’re cheating by lumping four candidates together. But (a) the greatest trick the Surge ever pulled was convincing you there were rules, and (b) each of these four Republicans considering a primary challenge to President Donald Trump amounts to roughly ¼ of a legitimate presidential contender, so the math checks out. As the Washington Post reported this week, “the anti-Trump movement inside the Republican Party—long a political wasteland—is feeling new urgency to mount a credible opposition to Trump before it’s too late.” This “movement,” which appears to be the usual gang of Bill Kristol and a couple of his interns, has been displeased with the lack of enthusiasm out there for the existing Republican primary challenger, boring patrician Bill Weld, and is working the phones for a new candidate to also elicit zero enthusiasm. The idea is that only one of them should run to unify the anti-Trump conservatives. Much like Weld, though, this idea is boring and makes the primary challenge easier for Trump to ignore. All of them should get in, and there should be televised Republican primary debates, tempting Trump to participate.
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2019年8月22日 星期四
NGC 1499: The California Nebula
It’s Time to Acknowledge the History and Legacy of Slavery
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Lunar Community Speaks Up About Exploration Plans
Community Letter regarding NASA's Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program
"As you are aware, the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program (LDEP) is the continuation of a credible plan to re-engage in lunar surface exploration that has evolved and matured in the past few years, and shown significant progress in the last year. After years of planning next steps toward the Moon, we believe this program is designed for both expediency and cost-effectiveness. That is why we urge its full funding in FY2020, thereby ensuring the continued operation of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, and restoring U.S. access to the surface of Earth's nearest neighbor for the first time in almost five decades.
We believe that the LEDP is critical to a vibrant space economy that will bring new and exciting employment opportunities to the next generation of scientists and engineers, as well extend beyond to all sectors of society. The LDEP will give the United States the opportunity to, at long last, systematically prospect for lunar resources, gather comprehensive new samples from many new locations, explore lunar lava tubes, investigate magnetic anomalies, and address a long list of unanswered geophysical questions whose answers have deep implications for advancing our knowledge of the formation of the Solar System and key planetary processes."
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NASA TV to Air US Cargo Ship Departure from Space Station
August 22, 2019
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ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/21/2019
August 22, 2019 at 12:00AM
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NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir Available for Last Interviews Before Space Mission
August 22, 2019
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Wildfires in the Brazilian Rainforest Creating Cross Country Smoke
2019年8月21日 星期三
Nearby Spiral Galaxy NGC 4945
Newt Gingrich Has A Space Posse - And A Space Plan
The Moon-Mars Development Prize Competition, Gingrich 360
"A number of us have been working on prizes for lunar development (for an illustrated outline of possibilities that currently exist or are in development go to Gingrich 360 for a paper inspired by Gen.l Kwast and his team). We believe that a prize open to American companies and American teams would attract a lot of talent and private investment. We also believe that such competitive innovation and entrepreneurship will create new assets and capabilities for the emerging Space Force."
However, some of what Newt's posse has suggested may well happen anyway - without any prodding from government prizes. Let's wait and see what SpaceX and Blue Origin do - with their own money - for their own reasons. Its called disruptive innovation and it is happening in plain sight in Boca Chica. When SpaceX's Starship reaches orbit things will change forever.
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Output From The National Space Council Meeting
Recommendations Approved by the National Space Council to President Trump
"1. Within 60 days, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator will designate an office and submit a plan to the Chairman of the National Space Council for sustainable lunar surface exploration and development, including necessary technologies and capabilities, to enable initial human missions to Mars.
2. NASA and the Department of State will continue joint efforts to engage international partners in identifying prospective cooperation involving the 2024 Moon landing and subsequent activities around and on the Moon. Lunar surface operations will be NASA's top priority for international cooperation.
3. At the next Council meeting, the NASA Administrator will present a plan to stabilize the Space Launch System and Orion programs and prevent future cost and schedule overruns. The plan will include the current projected launch windows for the first two launches of these vehicles.
4. At the next Council meeting, Council members will report on support to NASA in implementing Space Policy Directive-1."
"Today, President Donald J. Trump issued a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) on the safe and effective utilization of space nuclear systems as America explores and uses the Moon to develop sustainable technologies and operations necessary for human missions to Mars and elsewhere in the solar system."
Remarks by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross at the Sixth National Space Council Meeting
"Within the Commerce Department, we have re-established the Office of Space Commerce after it was dormant for decades. It is the only place within the U.S. Government that is charged with pursuing the unique interests of the commercial space industry. The commercial industry has said repeatedly that it needs an advocate -- a one-stop shop -- in its dealings with both the U.S. government and foreign governments."
National Space Council Remarks As Prepared for Deputy Secretary Brouillette
"Today, we are working with NASA on a number of major initiatives to enable nuclear power space exploration over the next decade including powering the Mars 2020 Rover, demonstrating nuclear thermal propulsion and fission surface power, and developing the Dragonfly Rotorcraft, which in the 2030s will explore Saturn's moon Titan."
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ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/20/2019
August 21, 2019 at 12:00AM
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A View of the National Space Council
NASA Administrator to Tour New Colorado Aerospace Complex, Discuss Artemis Program
August 21, 2019
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2019年8月20日 星期二
The Orion You Can Almost See
Vice President Pence's National Space Council Comments
Remarks By Vice President Pence at The Sixth Meeting Of The National Space Council
"But as we gather here today, we do so recognizing that it's been 47 years since the last American set foot on the moon. In fact, our great shuttle program, including the space shuttle Discovery behind me, was grounded nearly a decade ago. And the truth is, as all of you know, for too long America was content with low-Earth orbit, and missions focused on the Earth instead of aiming for the stars. But I'm proud to report that under President Trump's leadership, all of that is changing. As the President said in his Inaugural Address, "We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space..." And that's exactly what we're doing. (Applause.) It's true. After two and a half years under the President's leadership, America is leading in space once again. This President recognizes what the American people have known for more than a half a century, and that is that our security, our prosperity, and our very way of life, depend on American leadership and American leadership in space. Now, we acknowledge that low-Earth orbit is not our final destination, but rather it is a training ground for the infinite frontier of space. And I can assure you the American people are ready for the next chapter in our nation's history in space."
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ISS Daily Summary Report – 8/19/2019
August 20, 2019 at 12:00AM
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SpaceX Dragon Crew Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal
2019年8月19日 星期一
Animation: Spiral Disk around a Black Hole
National Space Council Meeting On Tuesday
NASA Television to Broadcast Sixth Meeting of the National Space Council
"NASA Television and the agency's website will provide live coverage of the sixth meeting of the National Space Council at 9:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 20, from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. This meeting will address a whole-of-government effort for deep space exploration, prospective cooperation with international partners, and strengthening U.S. commercial space leadership."
Panel: "Innovative Space Initiatives"
- Rex Geveden, President and Chief Executive Officer, BWX Technologies, Inc.
- Dr. Clive Neal, Professor, College of Engineering, University of Notre Dame
- Dr. Saralyn Mark, Founder and President, iGIANT® and SolaMed Solutions, LLC
- Dr. Elizabeth Turtle, Planetary Scientist, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Watch live at https://www.nasa.gov/live/
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NASA's Big Astrobiology Mission To Europa Makes No Mention Of Astrobiology
But if you go to the link featured in today's NASA JPL press release about Europa Clipper - you know the "astrobiology" mission that is going to Europa to search for possible indications of life etc., Astrobiology is nowhere to be found. I looked throughout the entire europa.nasa.gov website. The word "astrobiology" is never mentioned once. The only related term is used to describe several participating scientist as being an "astrobiologist". But "life" - as in the search for - shows up more than a hundred times. Nor is any link provided to NASA's Astrobiology program.
Why is that?
How is it that NASA's 20+ year old program - one that recognized by the National Academies of Science in multiple reports and mentioned by name in congressional legislation - cannot be mentioned on the official NASA website for a mission that is overtly Astrobiology-themed? It really does look like one part of NASA does not know and/or does not seem to care what other parts of NASA are doing. If NASA cannot coordinate the interaction between some of its basic programs and organizations regarding this billion dollar mission how is the public is going to fully understand what this mission will do - and how other related work that NASA does in Astrobiology relates to it?
- NASA Makes Big Astrobiology Mission Announcement Without Saying "Astrobiology"
- NASA Leads The World In Astrobiology. Wow, Who Knew?, earlier post
- NASA Can't Figure Out What Astrobiology Is - Or Who Does It, earlier post
- NASA Is Incapable Of Explaining How It Does Astrobiology, earlier post
- NASA's Astrobiology Program Works Hard To Ignore Itself, earlier post
- NASA's Astrobiology Programs Ignore One Another, earlier post
- NASA Leads In Astrobiology. It Needs To Act That Way., earlier post
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Correction
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Hooray Yet Another Space Plan
"As our legacy space companies and NASA continue to fumble around and protect their prized projects, China is aggressively seeking to overcome the United States as the dominant space- faring nation."
Newt Gingrich trying to sell Trump on a cheap moon plan, politico
"Newt Gingrich and an eclectic band of NASA skeptics are trying sell President Donald Trump on a reality show-style plan to jump-start the return of humans to the moon -- at a fraction of the space agency's estimated price tag. The proposal, whose other proponents range from a three-star Air Force general to the former publicist for pop stars Michael Jackson and Prince, envisions creating a $2 billion sweepstakes pitting billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and other space pioneers to see who can establish and run the first lunar base, according to a summary of the plan shared with POLITICO."
Oh yes, depending on who you talk to about this plan it is/is not about China and there is/is not a new space race. You'd think that this sort of basic notion would be necessary in order to build a new space plan for America - right?
Let's be blunt about this. The current Administration has thrown in their total support plus some additional fire power to make the so-called "program of record" (SLS/Orion) work. They have accelerated the 2028 date for putting humans on the Moon by 4 years. And they have added a lot of new commercial aspects so as to engage the flexibility and ingenuity of the private sector. Alas, the budget to support this - or the previous - program of record is yet to be found. That said Jim Bridenstine has done his best to meld old and new, slow and fast, dull and inspirational together and make a big push to try and pull it off. Maybe we should at least try and make this one work?
Its not easy to pivot NASA and billions of dollars in space when the goals and goal posts are constantly changing. We have had many presidential marching orders in space. Since 2004 gone from Finish Shuttle and ISS, then Moon, then Mars; to Asteroid then Mars (skip the Moon); to Moon without ISS; to ISS then Moon; to ISS, then Moon, then Mars; to why the Moon - lets go to Mars before the end of my second term; then back to Moon (but quickly) to Mars." We are in the whiplash era of space policy formulation.
If the 2020 election gives this Administration another 4 years then perhaps there is a chance to accomplish the singular goal of putting Americans back on the lunar surface - once - using a mixture of SLS/Orion and private sector assets as is currently envisioned. However the whole "sustainable" aspect of this program lies beyond any notional second term for this Administration.
For the current administration to simply drop their current plans and pivot to whatever it is this new space policy cabal wants to do would give them at a minimum 1.5 years and a maximum of 5.5 years (with a second term) to pull it off. Given the current polls and mood in the country a change in Administrations is highly probable. If so then whatever is being done by NASA now under the current administration will face tumult and rearrangement - as was the case when the Obama Administration departed. While no one knows who the Democratic nominee i.e. potential 46th President will be, it is a safe bet that there will be substantial pivots, edits, deletions, and other chances in the current American space policy that would make current and proposed space policies moot including this one that people are emailing one another about.
In other words more whiplash.
To be certain Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are going to do whatever they are going to do on their own timeline and will be more than happy to accept NASA business. But they are going to go ahead with what they are doing undeterred even if the government does not buy a ride. America needs an actual plan for its space activities - one that is actually a "plan" i.e. one built outward from simple basic precepts (or directives), utilizing a consistent but adaptable strategy, with goals and objectives that everyone understands and works toward that transcend partisan politics. Absent that plan then all we are going to get are homemade space plans that bounce around email lists and evaporate every time the body politic shifts in its collective seat.
This latest space plan too shall pass.
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3D Printing and the Future of Aeronautics
2019年8月18日 星期日
MSFC Offers Time Off If People Go To A Meeting With The Boss
Always enjoy town halls at @NASA centers. Our @NASA_Marshall workforce will be critical for our #Artemis program. I'm grateful for the incredibly talented team here in Alabama! pic.twitter.com/hcT3acgfYx
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) August 16, 2019
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