Today’s selection of space policy/politics related links:

• Safe Is not an Option –  Michael Belfiore
• The Obama Legacy in Planetary Exploration –  Space.com
• Astronomers’ bold visions clash with limited budgets – Space Politics
• The Diane Rehm Space Discussion – Transterrestrial Musings
• Elon Musk On Colonizing Mars – Business Insider (short video)
• Europa New Frontiers Mission? (Or why I like the Europa Clipper concept even more now) – Future Planetary Exploration
• ISRO’s indigenous cryogenic engine a success, GSLV-D5 launches GSAT-14 – ibnlive.in.com
• After lengthy delay, India’s GSLV set for crucial launch – Spaceflight Now
• India’s make-or-break countdown for joining cryogenic rocket club begins – NDTV.com
• Efforts on to reduce cost of space exploration – The Hindu
• India Succeeds in Return-to-Flight Launch of GSLV – spacepolicyonline.com

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Some space policy/politics related links:

• Garver Would Cut SLS, Mars 2020; Says Space Isn’t Partisan, But Parochial – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• Lori Garver says NASA should not build the SLS: “Where is it going to go?” – SciGuy/Houston Chronicle
• Garver: NASA should cancel SLS and Mars 2020 – Space Politics
• New year, old issues – Space Politics
• Private American Rockets Blast Open 2014 & Commercial Space Race with Big Bangs on Jan. 6 & 7 – Universe Today
• Canadian Military Hungry for More Radarsat-2 Imagery – SpaceNews.com

[ Update:

• Nye: NASA’s asteroid mission concept won’t happen -Space Politics
• ESA Says It Is on Track To Reduce Its Station Costs by 30 Percent – SpaceNews.com
• Iran plans satellite launch in February: Official – PressTV
• Huntsville-designed Space Launch System should be killed, former NASA No. 2 Lori Garver says – Huntsville Times
• Garver: NASA Should Cancel SLS and Mars 2020 Rover – SpaceNews.com

]

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Rick Boozer points me to a presentation he will be giving next week: Rick Boozer – Timeline Photos

R.D. Boozer (MoA in astrophysics) will give a presentation about NASA’s current dilemma and realistic steps to remedy the situation. The event will be held at the next meeting of Midlands Astronomy Club in Columbia, SC at 7:30PM on Thursday January 9 in the South Carolina Educational Television office building beside the University of South Carolina’s football stadium. The title of the presentation is “Sending Americans into the Solar System, Starting Now”

Immediately following the presentation, signed and personalized copies of Mr. Boozer’s book, “The Plundering of NASA” will be available.

[ Update: Report on the program:

• Garver: NASA should cancel SLS and Mars 2020 – Space Politics
• Garver Would Cut SLS, Mars 2020; Says Space Isn’t Partisan, But Parochial – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• Lori Garver says NASA should not build the SLS: “Where is it going to go?” – SciGuy/Houston Chronicle

]

Space policy was a topic of discussion today on the Diane Rehm program: The Future Of Space Exploration – The Diane Rehm Show from WAMU and NPR

Guests

• Joel Achenbach – 

  science reporter, The Washington Post; writer for Achenblog; author of “A Hole at the Bottom of the Sea: The Race to Kill the BP Oil Gusher.”

• Scott Pace – 

  director, Space Policy Institute, and professor of the practice of international affairs, George Washington University.

• Lori Garver – 

  general manager, Air Line Pilots Association and former NASA Deputy Administrator.

• Mike Gold – 

  director of D.C. Operations and Business Growth, Bigelow Aerospace

A set of space policy/politics related links on this New Years Day:

• NASA Reacts to China’s Lunar Landing, LRO Images Chang’e-3 and Yutu – SpacePolicyOnline
• We don’t need to land to find life on Europa – opinion/New Scientist
• Joint Mission with India Studied as NASA Seeks Earth Science Savings –  SpaceNews.com
• Media reports on “Manned Mission to Moon” – ISRO
• ISRO: No Manned Mission to Moon – The New Indian Express
• UAE To Launch Khaifa Sat in 2017 –  SpaceNews.com

Update:

• China: The Next Space Superpower: A lunar rover, a crewed space station, and new rockets top China’s space agenda – IEEE Spectrum – Read Stephen C. Smith’s comments at the bottom of the article.
• Big space missions to watch in 2014 – CBS News
• Year in PReview: going to the Red Planet requires a lot of green – NewSpace Journal