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:

• NASA deeps space plans:
  • NASA Rushes to the Moon – The Atlantic
  • NASA Plans Transition from Robots to Crewed Moon Landings – NASASpaceFlight.com
  • NASA unlikely to return Mars samples in the 2020s – SpaceNews.com
• SLS/Orion/Gateway:
  • Shutdown to delay first element of NASA’s lunar Gateway – SpaceNews.com
  • OIG announces an audit that will evaluate NASA’s management of the Ground and Flight Application Software.
    — NASA OIG (@NASAOIG) February 26, 2019
  • See item below about Canada joining the Gateway program.
• Commercial space:
  • Falcon 9, Crew Dragon Pair Up for Critical Flight Test – Commercial Crew Program/NASA
  • SpaceX prepares for historic DM-1 mission, Dragon 2’s maiden flight to the ISS – NASASpaceFlight.com
  • NASA, SpaceX ready next step to returning astronauts to American launches – Florida Politics
  • Wilbur Ross: Launching toward a $1 trillion space economy | Commentary – Orlando Sentinel
• NASA budget:
  • NASA’S FY2019 Budget Request – Fact Sheet – SpacePolicyOnline.com (pdf)
  • NASA could see a 5 percent budget cut next year, official says – HoustonChronicle.com
• ISS:
  • U.S. Sen. Cornyn files measure to extended U.S. operations on space station to 2030 – HoustonChronicle.com
  • Senate bill seeks extension of the space station – SpaceNews.com
• Nuclear space:
  • NASA is going back to the future with nuclear rockets | TheHill
  • NASA Will Flight Test a Nuclear Rocket by 2024 and Other High Tech NASA Projects – NextBigFuture.com
• Space policy history:
  • Ronald Reagan and the Space Frontier – The Space Review
• Spaceports:
  • • Twenty years in, was Oklahoma’s space investment worth it? | KOKH
    • Is the time right for Arizona to build a spaceport? | AZ Big Media
    • Spaceport America anticipates hosting manned flights in 2019 | KOB 4
    • Companies flourishing at Spaceport America | KOB 4
    • Rocket startups could breathe new life into Florida’s Space Coast – CNN
    • Why the space race will be one giant leap for Cornwall – Cornwall Live
• US military space:
  • The Changing Dynamics of Twenty-First-Century Space Power – James Clay Moltz (pdf)
  • Air Force laying groundwork for future military use of commercial megaconstellations – SpaceNews.com
  • A Space Service in support of American grand strategy – The Space Review
  • Why Trump’s new space directive resonates – Washington Times
• Australian space:
  • Will Australia Become the Third Nation to Encourage Private Sector Space Mining? – Commercial Space Blog
• Canadian space:
  • Canada is the First Nation to Formally Commit to the US Lunar Gateway – The Commercial Space Blog
  • The Planetary Society Celebrates Canada’s Major Space Program Investment | The Planetary Society
  • NASA Secures First International Partnership for Lunar Gateway | NASA
  • Canada commits to NASA’s Lunar Gateway boondoggle | Behind The Black
• Chinese space:
  • China’s Chang’e-4 probe resumes to work after lunar night – Xinhua | English.news.cn
  • Chinese state-owned firms preparing to launch new commercial rockets – SpaceNews.com
• Euro space:
  • European officials reject SpaceX complaints over launch subsidies | Reuters
  • Astrobotic Team Selected by ESA to Study Delivery of Lunar Resources Mission | Astrobotic
• Indian space:
  • ISRO to Launch Nearly 30 Satellites in March on New PSLV Rocket – NDTV.com
• Israeli space:
  • Israel’s Beresheet lunar shuttle completes another maneuver on way to moo – Jerusalem Post
  • First Privately Developed Lander En Route to the Moon – Eos
• Japanese space:
  • What should be Japan’s strategy for human space exploration? – The Space Review
• Russian space:
  • Putin sets sights on creating National Space Center in Moscow by 2020 – TASS
  • Next space expedition crew in final preparations for flight to orbital outpost – TASS
  • Russia to Invest Over $450,000 in Development of Backpack Vacuum Cleaner for ISS – Sputnik International
• UAE space:
  • UAE says its first astronaut going into space in September – ABC News
  • Op-ed | Sustainability on Earth depends on our exploration of space – SpaceNews.com
• Ukrainan space:
  • Ukrainian floating spaceport to be created in Kherson – First Ukrainian floating spaceport might be created in Kherson – 112.international

Webcasts:

** EXCLUSIVE: Former FL Sen. Bill Nelson on space exploration, UF historical docs

** February 26, 2019 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black

** The Space Show – Sun, 02/24/2019 – Linda Plush talked about “Human spaceflight medical concerns, challenges, solutions, mitigations, R&D, budget issues, progress, engineering differences and more”.

** The Space Show – Mon, 02/25/2019 – Micah Walter-Range discussed “how to expand and develop space with both government and private sector activity to establish a sustainable global space economy”.

** The Space Show – Tue, 02/26/2019 – Bernie Taylor discussed “Lunar time life, lunar cycles and life, extraterrestrial life, Drake equation modification to reflect the Moon, intelligent animals w/o lunar cycles and more”.

** Weekly Space Hangout: Feb 27, 2019: Dr. Ellen Stofan, Director of the National Air and Space Museum

** Episode T+113: Q&A – Main Engine Cut Off – “This month, we talk the GEO slowdown, the LEO boom, and as always, take on some fun launch vehicle questions.”

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Space 2.0: How Private Spaceflight, a Resurgent NASA, and International Partners are Creating a New Space Age

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:

• NASA lunar programs:
  • Editorial: Returning to the moon – Opinion – providencejournal.com – Providence, RI
  • Companies skeptical commercial lunar landers can fly NASA payloads this year – SpaceNews.com
• Protecting lunar historical sites:
  • A World Heritage site on the moon? That’s not as spacey as it sounds – Los Angeles Times
  • How Do You Preserve History On The Moon? – NPR
• Commercial Crew Program:
  • Dragon aces final NASA review, now set for test flight on March 2 | Ars Technica
• International Space Station:
  • U.S. Sen. John Cornyn plans to file measure extending U.S. operations of the space station to 2030 – Houston Chronicle
• US Defense space:
  • Pentagon Wants Satellites That Can Dodge Incoming Fire – Defense One
  • Air Force Space Banks On Private Space Firms For Military Launch Requirements – INDUSTRY NEWS
  • DARPA’s Fred Kennedy tapped to lead Space Development Agency – SpaceNews.com
• Canadian space:
  • Maritime Launch Services to Deliver NSE Focus Report by the Third Week of March – SpaceQ
• Chinese space:
  • China Space Station Progress: Shortlist of Experiment Ideas – Leonard David
  • First the moon, now China plans to launch space-based solar power satellite | TheHill
• Ethiopian space
  • Eutelsat Leases Video Capacity On EUTELSAT-8 West B To Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation And Association Of Ethiopian Broadcasters – SpaceWatch.Global
• Euro space:
  • Europe Seeks Out New Frontiers in Space Race – WSJ
  • SpaceX to European competitors: We’re not subsidized, you are – Ars Technica
  • Elon Musk Gets a `Non’ From France on Space-Tech Talks With EU – Bloomberg
  • Exclusive: SpaceX Accuses Europe’s Ariane Of Unfair Competition – Worldcrunch
• Russian space:
  • Russia to use Federatsiya spacecraft for deep space flights, says Roscosmos chief – TASS
  • Emergency at Egyptian Satellite Launch Caused by Human Factor – Sputnik International

Webcasts:

** The Space Show – Sun, 02/24/2019 – Linda Plush, Executive Director of the Space Nursing Society, discussed human spaceflight medical challenges.

** Episode T+111: SpaceX, the Established Launch Provider – Main Engine Cut Off – “A tale of politics, protests, and contracts tells the story of how SpaceX is in transition—and maybe has already transitioned—from a scrappy upstart to an established launch provider.”.

** Episode 1104: Mars Done? – “After examining the current launch log book and going over some significant breaking news with the Mars Exploration Rover Mission and NASA’s current lunar aspirations, the team discusses the latest findings from the New Horizons mission. We then celebrate the naming of the European Space Agency’s Exomars mission rover.   The ExoMars set for a 2020 launch attempt will be called the Rosalind Franklin after the British chemist who helped discover the true nature of the structure of Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA.  Is the Mars One colonization effort finished after its bankruptcy filingor is it simply attempting to respawn? The team does its best to find out. In the final segment,  Mark Ratterman observes the passing of one of the Apollo Program’s unsung heroes and we ask help in seeking out anyone who may have had an impact on Apollo’s success to tell their story on the program.  We also mark the untimely passing of space flight historian and good friend, Kate Doolan. ”

** February 22, 2019 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black

** Weekly Space Hangout: Feb 20, 2019: Dr. Emily Holt talks Archaeology and Ancient Astronomy

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The Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos

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:

• Congressional space:
  • New House space subcommittee chair plans to address commercial space issues – SpaceNews.com
  • How Ted Cruz, NASA And SpaceX Could Get America Back To The Moon – Mark Whittington/The Daily Caller
• Trump space:
  • National Space Council Directives | Office of Space Commerce
• Commercial Crew Program:
  • Demo-1 Flight Readiness Review Begins – Commercial Crew Program
  • NASA to Provide Coverage of SpaceX Commercial Crew Flight Test – NASA
  • NASA and SpaceX will determine fate of Crew Dragon launch debut this Friday – Teslarati.com
  • SpaceX, Boeing design risks threaten new delays for US space program – CNBC
    • Even as NASA announces schedule for SpaceX Dragon test flight, anti-American forces at NASA work to block that flight | Behind The Black
  • NASA’s Commercial Crew Program on the Verge of Making History – Commercial Crew Program
• SLS/Orion:
  • After nearly $50 billion, NASA’s deep-space plans remain grounded | Ars Technica
  • Laura Seward Forczyk (@LauraForczyk) – Twitter – “Amount spent on SLS thus far: $14 billion
    Amount spent on Orion thus far: $16 billion
    FY2019 SLS/Orion budget: $4,093 up from $4,045 in 2018.
    And yet people within NASA are complaining about the lack of money for SLS/Orion.”
  • NASA Needs to Stop Spending Like a Drunken Cosmonaut – InsideSources
• Arianespace vs SpaceX:
  • Exclusif : SpaceX accuse Arianespace de concurrence déloyale – LesEchos.fr (“Exclusive: SpaceX accuses Arianespace of unfair competition” – Google Translation)
  • Ariane 6 rocket sees first commercial deals in race with SpaceX | Reuters
• Lunar missions:
  • NASA Selects Experiments for Possible Lunar Flights in 2019 – NASA
  • Moon racing – The Space Review
• Space mining:
  • Advancing Space Mining: Are New Policies Needed? – Leonard David
  • New Policies Needed to Advance Space Mining – Issues in Science and Technology
  • New space mining policy needed, says Colorado School of Mines – Mining Magazine
• Science missions:
  • NASA’s Lucy mission gets caught in a fight between rocket companies | The Planetary Society
• US military space:
  • EELV:
    • Air Force awards $739 million in launch contracts to ULA and SpaceX – SpaceNews.com
    • SpaceX’s Falcon 9 beats ULA launch costs by 30% in latest Air Force contracts – Teslarati
  • Space force:
    • Pentagon to pitch Space Force plan to skeptical lawmakers – SpaceNews.com
    • Trump signs Space Force policy directive, now comes the heavy lifting – SpaceNews.com
    • Trump Officially Directs Pentagon to Create Space Force, Within Air Force – Defense One
    • Lawmakers Petition Trump to Put New Space Force COCOM Headquarters in Florida | Military.com
    • Growing ASAT Threat Behind New Space Force – FreeBeacon.com
• State space:
  • Critics line up to oppose spaceport authority – The Brunswick News
  • Lawsuit claims Camden County withheld Spaceport documents from environmentalists, residents – ajc.com
  • Rep. Tyler Sirois Announces Launch of Space Caucus At Florida Capitol – SpaceCoastDaily.com
  • Space Florida envisions the state as the world’s commercial spaceport – Florida Politics
• International space partnerships:
  • France And Singapore Discuss Space Innovation And Economic Development Cooperation – SpaceWatch.Global
  • S. Korea and India agree to step up cooperation in military and space sectors – AJUDaily.com
  • France And The UAE Discuss Hyperspectral, Space Exploration Cooperation Plans – SpaceWatch.Global
• Canadian space:
  • The Next Three Important Dates For the Canadian Space Industry – The Commercial Space Blog
• Chinese space:
  • Xi meets Chang’e-4 mission representatives – Chinadaily.com.cn
  • PLA welcomes launches of private rockets- China.org.cn
  • China to launch first rocket for commercial missions in H1 -ecns.cn
• Israeli space:
  • SpaceX launches Israeli lunar lander along with high-flying satellites – GeekWire
  • Israeli Moon Lander Team Draws Inspiration from Country’s 1st Astronaut Ilan Ramon – Space.com
  • NASA Administrator Statement on Israeli Moon Mission | NASA
  • SpaceX Is About To Launch Israel’s First Ever Mission To The Moon – Forbes
  • With help from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Israel could become fourth country to reach moon – The Washington Post
• Japanese space:
  • Japanese spacecraft successfully touches down on an asteroid, grabbing a sample of dust – The Verge
  • Japanese space probe touches down on asteroid to collect samples | Reuters
  • Hayabusa2 has touched down on Ryugu! | The Planetary Society
• Russian space:
  • Egyptsat-A satellite put into designated orbit – Roscosmos – TASS
  • OneWeb Satellites Launch Could Be Postponed After Soyuz Emergency – Sputnik International
  • Putin orders government to create National Space Center in Moscow – TASS
  • Roscosmos signs new contract on flight of two space tourists to ISS – TASS
  • Space Adventures hopes for fruitful cooperation with Russia’s Roscosmos – TASS

Webcasts:

** “Watch This Space with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine with the latest from the Moon” – NASA update by the administrator –

** “Space Solar: Common Ground from Space” – The National Space Society posts this

9-minute TED talk on space solar power is presented by Paul Jaffe, PhD, of the Naval Research Laboratory Space Engineering Department. Paul does research in space solar and power beaming. The talk was given in October 2018 and published January 28.

** February 19, 2019 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black