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:

• Space politics:
  • Mike Pence will visit the Space Coast for a major SpaceX launch Tuesday – Orlando Sentinel
  • What’s Happening in Space Policy December 16-31, 2018 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• NASA commercial space
  • Update: Congress and commerce in the final frontier (part 2): A brief legislative history of US commercial space law – The Space Review
  • NASA’s warped measure of safety | Behind The Black
  • NASA: Commercial Crew Program 2018
• Commercial space policies:
  • Summary Report From the 2018 Roundtable on Value and Benefit Creation in Commercial Space | Secure World
  • 2018 Roundtable on Value and Benefit Creation in Commercial Space Summary Report (pdf)
  • Virgin Galactic flight wins praise from government and industry – SpaceNews.com
• Space regulation:
  • Update: SpaceShipTwo finally makes it to space* – The Space Review (addresses the border to space issue)
  • Committee recommends review of planetary protection policies – SpaceNews.com
• Asteroid hunting:
  • Update: When the search for asteroids is under the weather – The Space Review
• US defense launch:
  • Air Force open to reusable rockets, but SpaceX must first demonstrate performance – SpaceNews.com
  • Air Force says it doesn’t have concerns about SpaceX’s processes as NASA launches a safety review – Los Angeles Times
• Chinese space:
  • Update: The Moon’s far side and China’s space strategy – The Space Review
• Russian space:
  • Roskosmos: Potential troubles loom for Angara pad – RussianSpaceWeb.com
  • Russian Progress Freighter to Fly to ISS Under Short Scheme for 2d Time – Source – Sputnik International
• UAE space:
  • Will Virgin Galactic flights launch from UAE soon? – Khaleej Times

Webcasts:

** The Space Show – Sun, 12/16/2018 – Space lawyer Michael Listner discussed various space law and regulation issues.

** The Space Show – Fri, 12/14/2018 – Former NASA chief technologist Dr. Robert Braun spoke about “Colorado and the University of Colorado space, science, engineering and human spaceflight development opportunities, Mars EDL, advanced propulsion and more”.

** The John Batchelor Show – December 14, 2018 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black:

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:

• Space politics:
  • We have the technology to build a colony on the moon. Let’s do it. – The Washington Post – Bob Zubrin and Homer Hickam
  • Mankind needs Ted Cruz to step up for NASA [Editorial] – HoustonChronicle.com
  • Trump’s NOAA Nominee Won’t Get Senate Vote This Year – The New York Times
  • Bill Nelson’s Senate farewell to space speech urges exploration forever more – Orlando Rising – Note: See below a video of Nelson’s speech.
  • Nelson continues effort to extend space station – SpaceNews.com
• Space regulation:
  • How rocket launches like SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy affect air traffic – Washington Post
  • Why defining the boundary of space may be crucial for the future of spaceflight – Verge.com
  • Why the “Amazonification” of satellite data communications is a good thing – SpaceNews.com
• US space policy
  • Government’s leading space think tank has busy year ahead – POLITICO
• Plutonium for space missions:
  • NASA Doesn’t Have Enough Nuclear Fuel For Its Deep Space Missions – Ethan Siegel/Forbes.com
• Planetary protection:
  • NASA to Form Task Force to Review Planetary Protection Guidelines – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• US defense space:
  • Shanahan: Space Force Decision Made, But Not Ready To Reveal It – SpacePolicyOnline.com
  • DARPA’s next project: Design a Space Development Agency – SpaceNews.com
  • Air Force Space Command officially takes over as chief buyer of satellite communications for the Defense Department – SpaceNews.com
  • New Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee Gets Space – SpaceDaily.com
  • Aerospace Corp. to lay out strategy to ‘outpace the threat’ in space – SpaceNews.com
• US defense launch:
  • Highly anticipated GPS 3 launch just days away – SpaceNews.com
  • Live coverage: Delayed flight of ULA’s heavy-lift rocket set for Tuesday night – Spaceflight Now
  • Getting Vulcan up to speed: Part one of our interview with Tory Bruno | Ars Technica
  • ULA chief Tory Bruno on competing with Blue Origin, SpaceX rocket landings | Ars Technica
• Australian space:
  • Australia’s new national space agency to be based in Adelaide – The Guardian
• Canadian space:
  • Note: See the Planetary Radio program below about Canadian space.
  • 2019 Federal Pre-Budget Consultation Report Mentions ” Significant, Ongoing Investments to Advance Canada’s Space Program” – The Commercial Space Blog
  • Is Canada’s space program slipping out of orbit? – Macleans.ca
  • Canadian Intelligence Agency “Warning Country’s Top Universities” About Chinese Telecom Giant Huawei – The Commercial Space Blog
  • Williams: Canada must continue to be a spacefaring nation. Here’s why | Ottawa Citizen
• Chinese space:
  • Chang’e-4 spacecraft enters lunar orbit ahead of first-ever far side landing – SpaceNews.com
  • The Moon’s Far Side and China’s Space Strategy | The Diplomat
• Egyptian space:
  • Egypt Receives Second ITU Extension For Military Satellite Due To Launch Delay – SpaceWatch.Global
• Euro space:
  • Update from ESA Council, December 2018 – ESA
• Japanese space:
  • First commercial launch of Japan’s H3 rocket set for 2022 | Aerospace Testing International
• Russian space:
  • Russian spacewalkers carve away at Soyuz spaceship to inspect plugged hole – GeekWire
  • Russia Wants to Extend U.S. Space Partnership. Or It Could Turn to China. – The New York Times
  • France signs contract to join Russia’s Bion-M2 bio-satellite project – TASS
  • Russia delivers 3 more RD-180 space rocket engines to US – TASS
• Syrian space:
  • Syria Wants to Launch First Domestically-Produced Satellite Into Orbit – Sputnik International
• Turkish space:
  • Turkey’s President Erdogan Establishes National Space Agency – SpaceWatch.Global
• UK space:
  • Could the United Kingdom really build its own global satnav system?
• Uzbeki space:
  • Uzbekistan And India To Cooperate On Satellite Communications And Space Research – SpaceWatch.Global

Webcasts:

** Senator Bill Nelson, U.S. Space Program, December 10, 2018

On December 10, 2018, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) gave a speech on the floor of the Senate discussing the American space program. This was Senator Nelson’s farewell address on space before leaving office in January 2019.

** Space Policy Edition: Canada’s Uncertain Future in Space (with Kate Howells) | The Planetary Society

Canada was the third country in history to launch a satellite into space, but now lags in its space ambitions, capability, and spending. What happened? Kate Howells, who serves on the Canadian Space Advisory Board, joins the podcast to talk about the challenges facing Canada’s future in space and how the nation needs to do a better job of communicating the benefits of space exploration to its citizens. Casey and Mat also look at the latest machinations of the U.S. Congress, which has yet to fund NASA for 2019 and is rapidly running out of time to do so.

** At the Space Settlement Summit With Former NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden | The Planetary Society

He led NASA for eight years, but not till he had flown on four Space Shuttle missions and enjoyed a long military career. Charlie Bolden talks with Mat about his time at the space agency and where we’re headed on the final frontier. Space station designer Al Globus says a city in space may be much easier to achieve than was thought. Planetary Society Senior Editor Emily Lakdawalla has news about five planetary science missions. Mat has a surprise for Bruce Betts and more great prizes for the space trivia contest.

** Kickstarting Space Industry with Isaac Arthur

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 December 9-15, 2018 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• NASA commercial:
  • Update:
    • [Slides from recent CCP review at NAC meeting] – Commercial Crew (CCtCAP) – Discussion Thread
    • Commercial Crew Program (CCP) Status, Phillip McAlister, NASA  (pdf)
  • NASA and SpaceX still aiming for January commercial crew test flight – SpaceNews.com
  • Musk Meets With NASA on SpaceX Launch Key to Flying Astronauts – Bloomberg
• Political space:
  • Update: Congress and commerce in the final frontier (part 1): A brief legislative history of US commercial space law – The Space Review
  • Culberson optimistic about 2019 spending bill and Europa mission funding – SpaceNews.com
  • Culberson Optimistic Restrictions on US-China Space Cooperation Will Remain – SpacePolicyOnline.com
  • Congress Clears Bill to Fund Government Through December 21 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• US military space:
  • Is It Time for ‘Space Arms Control’? | The National Interest
  • After two-year defense buildup, Pentagon still lags in technology innovation – SpaceNews.com
  • Griffin: Pentagon ‘scrambling’ to figure out space reorganization – SpaceNews.com
• Space settlement:
  • Four Legal Challenges to Resolve Before Settling on Mars – Futurism
  • Looking Ahead to 2019 | Space Studies Institute
• Canadian space:
  • Space Mining and Innovation Should Be Encouraged Through the Tax Code, According to NRCan and CATA Alliance – The Commercial Space Blog
• Chinese space:
  • Why Boeing Just Backed Out of Satellite Deal With a China-Funded Firm. | Fortune
  • Here’s what you need to know about the Chang’e-4 mission to the far side of the Moon | gbtimes.com
  • China launches two satellites for Saudi Arabia – Xinhua | English.news.cn
  • Long March 2D launches SaudiSAT-5A/B – NASASpaceFlight.com
• Ethiopian space:
  • Ethiopia’s satellite plans come with strings attached | Africa Times
• Euro space:
  • The rocket tower being built in tropical jungle – BBC
• Indian space:
  • Can India be the next space startup haven, or will China beat us to it? – ThePrint.in
  • India, Russia to create working group on cooperation in manned cosmonautics – TASS
  • Japan-India ‘Space Dialogue’ to include surveillance sharing – Nikkei Asian Review
• New Zealand Space:
  • Rocket Lab: The extraordinary story of how New Zealand entered the space race – The Listener
• Russian space:
  • Russia’s crumbling Baikonur spaceport is Earth’s only launch pad for manned flights – ABC News
  • Roscosmos claims it is victim of smear campaign in Russian, foreign media – TASS
  • Rogozin to supervise key int’l space projects – Roscosmos – Interfax
  • Roscosmos in talks on deploying GLONASS stations in US – TASS
• South Korean space:
  • Promoting space industry – Korea Times
  • Thales Alenia Space to build four radar satellites for South Korea – SpaceNews.com

Webcasts:

** The Space Show – Fri, 12/07/2018 – Dr. George Fox discussed “hardy Earth organisms survive mission sterilization, humans to Mars, Planetary Protection, the lunar environment, RNA sequencing, and more”.

** Dr. Robert Zubrin – Why a lunar base is better than LOP-G – 21st Annual Mars Society Convention