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 (find previous space policy roundups here):

• Schedule:
  • What’s Happening in Space Policy February 23-29, 2020 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• Lunar programs:
  • The economic argument for sending blue-collar workers and others to the moon – Homer Hickam/The Washington Post
• Commercial space:
  • Mars: Elon Musk’s Plan to Settle the Red Planet – Robert Zubrin/National Review
•  SLS/Orion
  • SLS debut slips to April 2021, KSC teams working through launch sims – NASASpaceFlight.com
• NASA commercial programs
  • Op-ed | NASA: Need Another Space Assignment? – SpaceNews.com
  • How Elon Musk went from sleeping in the factory to being on the cusp of launching a crew into space – The Washington Post
• Orbital traffic:
  • Howard: “Urgent Need” for SSA Funding at Department of Commerce – SpacePolicyOnline.com
•  Planetary defense:
  • What should we do if a ‘planet-killer’ asteroid takes aim at Earth? | Space.com
• Space law:
  • IISL-ECSL Symposia – ESA
  • 2020 Symposium, “Space Law for the Global Space Economy” – Spacewatch.global
• American states space:
  • New Mexico Lt. Gov. predicts Virgin Galactic’s space tourism launch is close – KRQE News 13
  • ‘An amazing facility’: Spaceport hosts racing enthusiasts at land speed racing event – KVIA
  • Long Beach pushes to become hub for booming space industry – Long Beach Post News
• US military:
  • US Air Force’s top officer talks about the budget and why he won’t drop the 386 squadron goal – Defense News
  • SpaceX Starlink Satellites Have Bigger Role In ‘Massive’ Live Fire Air Force Test | Investor’s Business Daily
  • U.S. military’s annual list of ‘unfunded priorities’ includes $1 billion for Space Force – SpaceNews.com
  • Barrett outlines Air Force budget priorities, strategies for working with other services – U.S. Air Force
• International space
  • Australia:
    • Australian Space Agency Opens In Adelaide – SpaceWatch.Global
  •  China:
    • China wants to build a new space station. A launch planned for April will help prepare. | Space.com
    • China’s BeiDou satellites help navigate fight against epidemic – Xinhua
    • China’s First Rival to SpaceX Starlink Satellites Completes Key Test – Satnews
  • India:
    • Donald Trump’s India Visit: India, US Eyeing To Ink Five Pacts During Donald Trump’s Visit – NDTV.com
    • ISRO to Launch an Unprecedented 10 Earth Imaging Satellites – Satnews
  • Kenya:
    • Starry-eyed Kenya ready for race to space – The Standard
  • Saudi Arabia:
    • Saudi Space Programme To Establish National Training Base – SpaceWatch.Global

Webcasts:

** Hotel Mars/The Space Show – Thu, 02/20/2020 – John Batchelor and Dr. David Livingston spoke with Rand Simberg about “space property rights, the Moon treaty, owning a marketable title for space property and more”.

** February 21, 2020 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black

==

== Amazon Ad ==

Safe Is Not an Option

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 (find previous space policy roundups here):

• Lunar programs:
  • White House, NASA emphasize bipartisan support for lunar plans – SpaceNews.com
  • ‘By any means necessary’: Vice President Pence urges NASA on moon-Mars goal | Space.com
  • NASA needs to put a price on its moon landing missions to gain support from Congress | Space.com
  • Does NASA Need the Moon to Go to Mars? – The Atlantic
  • Jim Bridenstine on Twitter: “Thanks @blueorigin for responding to the @washingtonpost Editorial Board’s ill-informed criticism of NASA’s Moon to Mars efforts….. https://t.co/1PGXF6Gay7” / Twitter – Includes a copy of Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith’s commentary.
  • Op-Ed | [If] The United States won’t go back to the moon, I’ll follow China there instead – SpaceNews.com
• Space budgets:
  • What’s in the New Proposed NASA Budget – Sky & Telescope
• Space weather:
  • NOAA warns of risks from relying on aging space weather missions – SpaceNews.com
• Commercial space:
  • The real reason SpaceX hired former top NASA official | TheHill
  • America’s modern rocket industry illustrates the power of freedom | Behind The Black
•  Spectrum:
  • Intelsat to FCC: C-Band Alliance is dead, we deserve more money – SpaceNews.com
  • SES Responds to Intelsat’s Ex-parte Submission to the FCC Regarding the C-Band Spectrum Clearing Process | SES
• American states space:
  • Lawmakers, aerospace industry push Michigan for space launch facility – Freep.com
  • Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport named top spot for spaceport in Michigan – ABC12.com
  • LISTEN: From rocket launches to climate monitoring, NASA has big plans for Alaska – Alaska Public Media
• US military:
  • USSF signs vision for single, integrated Satellite Communications enterprise – United States Space Force
  • U.S. Space Force rolls out plan to change how it buys satcom services – SpaceNews.com
  • Op-Ed | Who should join the U.S. Space Force? – SpaceNews.com
  • Astra Ready for DARPA Launch Challenge – SpacePolicyOnline.com
  • Astra starts its race to win $10M DARPA Launch Challenge – GeekWire
  • DARPA makes last-minute change to launch competition rules – SpaceNews.com
  • Blackjack Gets 2021 Budget Boost For Two Sats – Breaking Defense
  • DARPA Doubles Dough For Nuclear-Powered Cislunar Rocket – Breaking Defense
• International space
  • Australia:
    • Perth makes bid for slice of new generation space race pie – ManMonthly.com.au
    • Prime Minister spruiks Australian role in NASA’s Mars plan at launch of space agency base – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
  • Bhutan:
    • Bhutan’s space and satellite journey – KuenselOnline
  • Canada:
    • National Research Council and the Canadian Space Agency Sign New Collaboration Agreement – SpaceQ
  • China:
    • China launches four ‘technology experiment satellites’ – Spaceflight Now
    • Construction of China’s space station about to start – Xinhua
    • Maiden flight of Long March 5B targeted for April | Behind The Black
    • China’s Chang’e-4 probe resumes work for 15th lunar day – Xinhua
    • China resumes space launch activity amid coronavirus outbreak – SpaceNews.com
  • France:
    • France And Russia Hold Space Cooperation Talks In Moscow – SpaceWatch.Global
    • China-France oceanography satellite put into service – Xinhua
  • India:
    • ISRO satellite to guard India’s borders soon; Satellite launch in March this year – The Financial Express
    • ISRO to validate design, engineering of rocket carrying India’s first manned mission ‘Gaganyaan’: K Sivan
  • Japan:
    • Japan space agency to send next probe to Phobos, aims to deepen understanding of Mars – The Mainichi
    • Air Force Funds Hosted Payloads On Japan Sats – Breaking Defense
  • Kazakhstan:
    • Kazakhstan to sign deal on upgrading ‘Gagarin Start’ launch pad at Baikonur spaceport – TASS
  •  Russia:
    • Roscosmos Replaces Russian Crew of Next Soyuz Mission – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • #SpaceWatchGL Perspectives: Malcolm Davis On Russia’s Orbital Rendezvous With The United States – SpaceWatch.Global
    • Russia’s Soyuz-5 carrier rocket to use booster developed for Angara-A5 launch vehicle – TASS
  •   UAE:
    • UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Attends Installation Of Final Component Of Hope Probe For Emirates Mars Mission – SpaceWatch.Global
  •  UK:
    • Shetland Space Centre gets £2m boost to make UK satellite launches a reality – Verdict.co.uk
    • Scotland at centre of new ‘space race’ for UK’s first launch site | HeraldScotland

Webcasts:

** Episode T+148: Gerst to SpaceX, and Why Landing is Part of Mission Success – Main Engine Cut Off

Long-time head of human spaceflight at NASA, Bill Gerstenmaier, has joined SpaceX as a consultant, but everyone is excited for the wrong reasons. And SpaceX missed a booster landing on their most recent Starlink launch, which prompted a new round of debates over whether booster recovery is part of mission success or not.

** The Space Show – Tue, 02/18/2020 – Nick Nielsen talked about his Bound in Shallows (pdf) essay including “a discussion of the major points offered up by Nick in this important essay impacting space going forward”.

** February 18, 2020 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black

** Life=Matter+Information: Paul Davies and the Demon in the Machine | The Planetary Society

Physicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist and author Paul Davies’ new book explores what he believes to be the defining quality of life on Earth and perhaps elsewhere. He talks about this and much more in a special, extended conversation. Paul’s book is one of the prizes in the new What’s Up space trivia contest.

==

== Amazon Ad ==

Moon: An Illustrated History:
From Ancient Myths to the Colonies of Tomorrow)

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 (find previous space policy roundups here):

• Schedule:
  • What’s Happening in Space Policy February 16-22, 2020 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• Lunar programs:
  • NASA Awards Contract to Launch CubeSat to Moon from Virginia | NASA
  • Why the International Lunar Decade still makes sense – The Space Review
• Trump space:
  • Commerce Department seeks big funding boost for Office of Space Commerce – SpaceNews.com
  • New Executive Orders for GPS, Space Council – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• Commercial crew:
  • Results of Starliner Review Expected in February – Air Force Magazine
  • Democratizing space exploration with new technologies – The Space Review
• Orbital traffic:
  • Will we hit the snooze button on an orbital debris wakeup call? – The Space Review
  • DirecTV’s defunct Spaceway-1 reaches high graveyard orbit in one piece – SpaceNews.com
•  Space law:
  • A Historic, but Dangerous, Moment in Space History – StarLaw Blog
• Space advocacy:
  • March Storm 2019 | Alliance for Space Development
    • March Storm 2020 Tickets, Sun, Mar 15, 2020 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite
• American states space:
  • How The Space Industry Is Creating Opportunities For Houston CRE – BisNow.com
• US military:
  • Does the Space Force need a Guard component? The National Guard says yes. – Defense News
• International space
  • Australia:
    • $8 million plan to propel Queensland’s space industry into orbit – The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory
  • China:
    • China quietly rolls out new rocket to launch mystery satellite – SpaceNews.com
    • Four BeiDou satellites start operation in network – Xinhua
    • China prepares to launch new rockets as part of push to boost space program | Space.com
  • Finland:
    • Finland needs its own space research centre, gov’t report says – yle.fi
  • Germany:
    • #SpaceWatchGL Interviews: Matthias Wachter Of The Federation Of German Industries (BDI) – SpaceWatch.Global
  • India:
    • ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ to Gaganyaan & more: Our pact is strong, says Glavkosmos chief – Times of India
  •  UAE:
    • UAE sees earth-bound purposes in outer space – Asia Times
    • #SpaceWatchGL Op-Ed: The Right Elements For A Thriving UAE Space Sector – SpaceWatch.Global
    • From Dubai to Mars, With Stops in Colorado and Japan – The New York Times

Webcasts:

** NASA 2021 Budget, Tesla Battery Production, SpaceX New Hire from NASA – Ep 71

Tim, and Ben talk about the NASA 2021 budget proposal numbers, Tesla’s in-house battery production, and SpaceX hiring a renowned NASA employee.

** Episode T+147: Mike Suffredini, President & CEO of Axiom – Main Engine Cut Off

Mike Suffredini, President and CEO of Axiom, joins me to talk about their recent announcement: Axiom has been selected by NASA for access to an ISS port. They will build out Axiom Station as an expansion of the ISS, and eventually operate it as a free-flying space station. Before Axiom, Mike was NASA’s ISS Program Manager for a decade.

** The Space Show – Sun, 02/16/2020 – Rand Simberg talked about ” his Reason article regarding socialism in space, the Moon treaty and private property rights in space plus much more”.

See also Multilateral Agreements For Real Property Rights In The Solar System – Rand E. Simberg – IAC-2019 (pdf)

** The Space Show – Fri, 02/14/2020 – Lt. General Steven Kwast, USAF (Ret) discussed “the new U.S. Space Force status, the needed Space Force future vision, leadership, China and much more”.

** Hotel Mars – Wed, 02/12/2020 – John Batchelor and Dr. David Livingston spoke with William Harwood about “the return of human spaceflight for NASA using the Crew Dragon and the Boeing CST 100”:

** The Space Show – Tue, 02/11/2020 – Dr. Robert Zubrin gave a “Review of his visit with Elon Musk and tour of Boca Chica site, Starship plan & production, Mars plan, NASA Moonand Mars and a lot more”.

** February 16, 2020 Zimmerman/Task Force Gryphon podcast | Behind The Black

** February 14, 2020 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black

==

=== Amazon Ad ===

Frozen Orbit