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 August 9-15, 2020 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• NASA programs:
  • Back To The Drawing Board: Why SpaceX Success Demands NASA Revolution – Charles Beames/Forbes
• Congressional space:
  • Space Weather Bill Clears Senate, Creates Pilot Program at NOAA – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• Planetary defense:
  • Opinion | We all have a stake in SpaceX’s success. The pandemic ought to make clear why. – The Washington Post
• Commercial human spaceflight:
  • Captured flag – The Space Review
  • After Starship’s Hop, NASA Needs to Partner With SpaceX – Space Development Steering Committee
  • How SpaceX and NASA overcame a bitter culture clash to bring back US astronaut launches – CNN
• Commercial space:
  • Small launch industry sees pandemic, government affecting market – SpaceNews
  • New NASA office coordinates rideshare launches of smallsat science missions – SpaceNews
  • Report calls for “whole-of-government” approach – Albuquerque Journal
  • SpaceX is building the road to the moon and Mars in Texas | TheHill
• Regulation:
  • INSIGHT: Space Travel and Liability—The Next Frontier
• Space law:
  • Space Café WebTalk Recap: Christopher Johnson on Lunar Exploration Governance – SpaceWatch.Global
• Space traffic:
  • #SpaceWatchGL Opinion: Space Traffic Management – Impact of Large Constellations on Military Operations in Space – SpaceWatch.Global
• US states space:
  • California seeks to expand commercial space launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base – SpaceNews
  • State auditor investigating accusations of impropriety at Spaceport – santafenewmexican.com
  • Michigan spaceport launch facility sees growing opposition – Freep.com
  • Space race redux – Albuquerque Journal
• Weather satellites:
  • NOAA issues solicitation for commercial radio occultation data – SpaceNews
  • Space Weather Bill Clears Senate, Creates Pilot Program at NOAA – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• US national security:
  • Launch:
    • Space Force Awards National Security Space Launch Phase 2 Launch Service contracts to United Launch Alliance, LLC (ULA) and Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) – US Space Force
    • SpaceX and ULA win 2022 Pentagon rocket launch contracts – CNBC
    • ULA, SpaceX Win NSSL Phase 2 Awards – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • Pentagon picks SpaceX and ULA to remain its primary launch providers – SpaceNews
    • News Analysis | With Pentagon award, SpaceX joins the establishment – SpaceNews
    • In a consequential decision, Air Force picks its rockets for mid-2020s launches | Ars Technica
    • BE-4 Engine Will Support U.S. Space Force’s National Security Space Launch Program – Blue Origin
    • Elon Musk’s SpaceX Advances Goal of Becoming Trusted, Long-Term Military Launch Provider – WSJ
    • Air Force to end agreements with Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman, prepares for launch contract protests – SpaceNews
  • [ Update: Space Force releases 1st doctrine, defines “spacepower” as distinct form of military power – US Space Force]
  • Scolese: NRO sees growing opportunities to use small satellites – SpaceNews
  • Space Force Chief: DOD Must Work to Ensure Strong Space Industrial Base – Defense Department News
  • More Steps Forward for Space Command and Space Force – SpacePolicyOnline.com
  • The U.S. is at risk of attacks in space – Axios
  • General Atomics to design Space Force weather satellite prototype – SpaceNews
  • Opinion | Why giving the Space Force naval ranks might widen the schism with the Air Force – POLITICO
  • Opinion | ‘Space Force officers must think like Navy officers if they are to succeed’ – POLITICO

International space

• Multi-national issues:
  • Mars race rhetoric – The Space Review
• Argentina:
  • China and Argentina Resume Joint Venture for Space Exploration – Bloomberg
•  Australia:
  • #SpaceWatchGL Opinion: Towards a sovereign space capability for Australia’s defence – SpaceWatch.Global
• China:
  • China is moving ahead with lunar south pole and near-Earth asteroid missions – SpaceNews
  • China seeks payload ideas for mission to moon, asteroid – Xinhua
• India:
  • India’s Astronauts Undergo Training in Russia – LeonardDavid.com
  • What India’s Space Activities Bill must address – Asia Times
• Luxembourg:
  • Luxembourg Space Agency and LIST join forces – SpaceWatch.Global
• Russia:
  • [ Update: Russia’s space leader blusters about Mars in the face of stiff budget cuts | Ars Technica]
  • Indian astronauts to complete training at Russia’s Gagarin Center in early 2021 – TASS
  • Russia postpones dispatch of Nauka research module to Baikonur spaceport to August 10 – TASS
  • Russia’s new spacecraft can make flights to Moon and Mars, says chief designer – TASS
  • #SpaceWatchGL Opinion: Russian ASAT Test: More Trouble for Space Security – SpaceWatch.Global
  • #SpaceWatchGL Perspective: Did Russia Test a Weapon in Space? – Part 1 – SpaceWatch.Global
  • #SpaceWatchGL Perspective: Did Russia Test a Weapon in Space? – Part 2 – SpaceWatch.Global
  • Russia’s Return to the Moon – Leonard David
  • Russia gearing up to launch moon mission in 2021 – Space.com
• S. Korea:
  • South Korea faces hurdles with space projects – KoreaTimes
•  UAE
  • China, UAE eye space ties after launching Mars probes: envoy – Global Times
  • #SpaceWatchGL Share: Middle East’s ‘little Sparta’ by Arhama Siddiqa – SpaceWatch.Global
  • Abu Dhabi’s Tawazun and Airbus to build satellite centre in Al Ain – SatellitePro ME
  • Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala reports 7% stake in Virgin Galactic | ZAWYA MENA Edition
  • UAE to launch navigation satellite next year – SatellitePro ME
• UK:
  • Cornwall Newquay Airport grant for Spaceport building | Falmouth Packet

Webcasts:

** E27 – Space Force – How did we get here (with Marty Whelan and Doug Loverro) – Aerospace CSPS

** MSBN S01E24 – Gordon Roesler – State of the Space Industrial Base 2020 Report – Cold Star Technologies – YouTube

Dr. Gordon Roesler, past DARPA Program Manager and founder of Robots In Space, joins us on the Make Space Boring News show to share his involvement with and the outcomes of the US State of the Space Industrial Base 2020 report. The process of developing and compiling this report produced an in-depth look at key areas of where the US must improve to regain dominance in the space industry. Read and download the State of the Space Industrial 2020 report pdf here 

Robots In Space website: https://robots-in.space/

** The Space Show – Tues. Aug.4.2020 – John Strickland talked about “Terraforming Mars, Mars buffer gas, nitrogen, human landing sites on Mars, common hardwarefor the Moon and Mars, Mars sample returns to Earth, Covid vaccines, the Beirut explosion and much more”.

** Hotel Mars – John Batchelor Show/The Space Show – Wed. Aug.5.2020 – John Batchelor and David Livingston spoke with CBS News space correspondent William Harwood about “the return of the Crew Dragon Demo 2 flight and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. … Our next topic focused on the SpaceX Starship hop testing in Texas.”

** The Space Show – Fri. Aug.7.2020 – Mark Bray talked about the “SLS, rocket design and engineering, testing, landers, commercial launchers, and more”.

**  The Space Show – Sun. Aug.9.2020 – Open lines discussion with listeners including “a call from Robert Jacobson about his book and book offer, Crew Dragon splashdown, SpaceX, SLS, terraforming vs. paraterraforming on Mars, cosmology, Starship & more”.

** August 4, 2020 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black

** Space Policy Edition: Why the SLS is a… | The Planetary Society

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