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:
- Space weather:
- Commercial space:
- Spectrum:
- American states space:
- 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:
- Bhutan:
- Canada:
- 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:
- India:
- Japan:
- Kazakhstan:
- Russia:
- UAE:
- UK:
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.
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