A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government (US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest:

• Schedule:
  • What’s Happening in Space Policy June 9-15, 2019 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• NASA commercialization initiative for LEO (see also the video below of the NASA ISS commercialization presentation):
  • NASA Opens International Space Station to New Commercial Opportunities | NASA
  • NextSTEP-2 Appendix I: Commercial Destination Development in Low Earth Orbit using the International Space Station – Federal Business Opportunities
  • NASA releases ISS commercialization plan – SpaceNews.com
  • NASA is opening the ISS to commercial business and more private astronauts – The Verge
  • NASA plans to open space station to tourists – CNBC.com
  • Statement on NASA Commercial Space Station Policy Announcement – NanoRacks
• Trump space:
  • White House reiterates human moon missions on the path to Mars – SpaceNews.com
  • Pace: Trump’s Tweet Reflects Impatience – SpacePolicyOnline.com
  • Trump Changes Course on NASA’s Moon Plans – SpacePolicyOnline.com
  • Trump tweet throws space policy into chaos – SpaceNews.com
  • Trump sends surprising tweet, says NASA ‘should not be talking about going to the Moon’ | Fox News
  • Trump comes out against NASA effort to return to the moon | TheHill
  • Trump Chides NASA for Focus on Moon After Focusing NASA on Moon – Bloomberg
• NASA management:
  • How Jim Bridenstine recruited an old enemy to advise NASA | TheHill
• SLS/Orion
  • Safety Panel Doubles Down on Need for SLS Green Run Test – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• Lunar missions:
  • Ozmens’ SNC Continues to Aid in America’s Return to the Moon – Sierra Nevada Corp.
• Space exports:
  • Ex-Im Bank advocates push for 10-year authorizations – SpaceNews.com
• Space industry:
  • Raytheon, United Technologies Agree to Blockbuster Defense Deal – Bloomberg
  • Raytheon to merge with United Technologies, creating a military-industrial behemoth – The Washington Post
  • Raytheon and United Technologies’ merger would shake up the industry – CNBC
• US states space:
  • Houston Spaceport Groundbreaking, First Company Tenant Expected Within Weeks – Houston Public Media
• US military space:
  • Op-Ed | Only a separate service can create a space culture – SpaceNews.com
  • In joint confirmation hearing, Scolese and Raymond vow to cooperate on space matters – SpaceNews.com
• Chinese space:
  • China Set to Announce Space Station Experiments – LeonardDavid.com
  • Handbook China Space Station and its Resources for International Cooperation – UNOOSA (pdf)
• Euro space:
  • Unveiling technologies for future launch vehicles – ESA
• Russian space:
  • First launch of Angara carrier rocket from Vostochny spaceport scheduled for 2023 – TASS
  • Russia to create new orbital satellite grouping for Internet of things – TASS
  • Russia, China should team up for lunar station, remote sensing projects — Roscosmos – TASS

Webcasts:

** NASA Opens International Space Station to Commercial Opportunities:

During a June 7 news conference at Nasdaq in New York City, NASA announced that the International Space Station is now open for commercial business. A new policy provides the opportunity for up to two short-duration private astronaut missions to the space station beginning as early as 2020, if the market supports it. The policy also, for the first time, includes prices for use of U.S. government resources to pursue commercial and marketing activities aboard the station. The agency’s goal is to foster a robust ecosystem in low-Earth orbit through which it can purchase services as one of many customers. This will allow NASA to focus resources on its Artemis missions to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024.

** The 2019 Humans to Mars Summit – videos of panels, talks, and interviews are available now on the ExploreMars.Org YouTube channel. For example:

*** Is There a Commercial Market on or Around the Moon that will Lead to Mars?

• Moderator: Scott Hubbard (Stanford University)
• Justine Kasznica (Shareholder, Babst Calland)
• Henk Rogers (International MoonBase Alliance, Founder)
• Alexander MacDonald (NASA, Senior Economic Advisor, Office of the Administrator)
• Ken Davidian (FAA, Director of Research, Office of Commercial Space Transportation)

*** Should We Commit to an Early Orbital Mission to Mars?

• Moderator: Tim Cichan (Lockheed Martin Company, Systems Engineer)
• Richard M. Davis (NASA, Science Mission Directorate)
• Jennifer Stern (NASA GSFC, Planetary Geochemist)
• Joe Cassady (Aerojet Rocketdyne, Executive Director, Space; & Explore Mars, Inc., Board of Directors Member)

** June 7, 2019 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black

 

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The Case for Space:
How the Revolution in Spaceflight Opens Up
a Future of Limitless Possibility