A reader points me to this CNBC interview with Steve Jurvetson (a founder of the famous DFJ venture capital fund) who talks about rocket costs and SpaceX (one of DFJ investments) in the context of the Senate hearing on Wednesday about Defense Dept launches : SpaceEx board member: Beginning of long new-space period – CNBC

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More space policy/politics related links

• Elon Musk’s Statement to US Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense – SpaceX
• Near-term Pool of Competitively Awarded U.S. Military Launches Shrinks for SpaceX – SpaceNews.com
• Elon Musk On Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine – Business Insider
• SpaceX, ULA spar over military contracting – Spaceflight Now
• Another Year, Another Set of Bizarre Cuts to NASA’s Budget – Phil Plait/Slate Magazine

Update:

• Inspiration Mars Sets Sights on Venus/Mars Flyby in 2021  – Dennis Tito/SpaceNews.com
• Tears in Rain: The Case For Manned Space Travel – SpaceNews.com
• Why Aren’t We on Mars Yet? – Chris Carberry/SpaceNews.com
• Crimea Situation Not Affecting U.S.-Russian Space Relationship So Far – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• China expects to launch cargo ship into space around 2016 – Xinhua | English.news.cn
• Japan moves forward with replacement for H-2A rocket – Spaceflight Now

Update 2:

• Time to End Our Dependence on Russian Spaceships – Rand Simberg/PJ Media
• Elon Musk chimes in on Lockheed-Boeing space launch monopoly – L.A. Biz
• In testimony to Congress Wednesday, Elon Musk described how allowing SpaceX to compete as a military launch provider would significantly lower costs – Behind The Black
• SpaceX woos Pentagon for secret satellite business  – Florida Today

Update 3:

• The Path Forward In American Space – 2014 Edition – Dennis Wingo/SpaceRef – An extended essay by Dennis on space policy.
• Mixed reactions to NASA budget proposal – Space Politics
• Ukraine crisis could end U.S. space reliance on Russia – Leigh Munsil/POLITICO.com

Webcasts:

• John Batchelor Hotel Mars, Wednesday, 3-5-14 – Thespaceshow’s Blog –  Anatoly Zak of (www.russianspaceweb.com) discusses US-Russian space relations in the wake of the Crimea invasion.
• Tues 3/4/14 Hr 3 | John Batchelor Show – Bob Zimmerman‘s latest report
• A Planetary Radio Special Feature: NASA Unveils Its Proposed FY2015 Budget – The Planetary Society

A selection of space policy/politics related links:

• Ukraine Crisis Highlights America’s Propulsion Problem – Innerspace.net
• Two key Texas races heading to runoffs – Space Politics
• Why Ukraine crisis won’t affect Russia, U.S. space collaboration – CNN.com
• NASA Budget 2105 Proposal:
  • NASA FY 2015 budget supports asteroids, Europa, and commercial crew, but sacrifices SOFIA – Space Politics
  • Lagging Congressional funding for private space companies continues to put NASA at the behest of Russia – SciGuy
  • To Europa!…Slowly.- The Planetary Society
  • NASA’s Space Exploration and Tech Goals for 2015 (Images) | Space.com
  • Space Foundation Comments on President’s FY15 NASA Budget Proposal – Space Foundation
  • U.S. Air Force’s 2015 Budget Request Funds Fewer GPS 3 Satellites – SpaceNews.com
  • CSF Applauds NASA’s Proposed FY 2015 Budget – Commercial Spaceflight Federation
  • Congressman Adam Schiff : Press Releases : Rep. Schiff – President Obama’s Budget an Improvement for Planetary Science But Still Insufficient, Greater Investment Needed for Mars, Europa
  • NASA Spending Blueprint Aims to Boost Commercial Ventures – WSJ.com

Update: Reports on today’s Senate hearing on defense dept. launch services:

• SpaceX and ULA Offer Competing Views in Senate Hearing – Innerspace.net
• SpaceX and ULA go toe-to-toe over EELV contracts – NASASpaceFlight.com
• Recap: Live blog of Senate space hearing with Elon Musk – Capitol Report – MarketWatch

Webcast and witness testimonies at  at Hearings & Testimony.

The administration will release its 2015 NASA budget proposal today:

• What to look for on budget day – Space Politics
• NASA Will Seek Funds For Europa Flyby, Dark Energy Missions – Aviation Week

Update: The budget has now been released. Total NASA budget is $17.5B. No big new initiatives. SLS/Orion, Commercial Crew, James Webb telescope, asteroid retrieval, etc are continued from last year.

• The Budget | The White House
• NASA Budget Page
• FY15 Summary Brief (pdf)
• White House budget would ask for $17.5 billion for NASA – Washington Post

Other space policy links:

• They Told You So – Space KSC
• Russia’s Ukraine Ordeal Won’t Affect US Astronaut Trips to Space Station, NASA Says – Space.com

Update 2:

• Bolden downplays impact of Ukraine crisis on NASA – William Harwood/CBS News/Spaceflight Now
• NASA administrator says Americans and Russians still getting along fine in space – The Washington Post
• President Requests $17.5 Billion FY2015 Base Budget for NASA Plus $886 Million in OGS Initiative – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• NASA Releases FY15 Proposed Budge – Space KSC

NASA teleconference on the budget: