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 May 2-8, 2021 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• NASA lunar programs:
  • Artemis human landing system selection:
    • NASA Suspends HLS Contract With SpaceX – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • NASA freezes SpaceX’s lunar lander cash due to protests – GeekWire
    • Blue Origin Protests NASA’s HLS Award to SpaceX – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin protests NASA HLS award to Elon Musk’s SpaceX – CNBC
    • Blue Origin protests Starship contract award for lunar lander – Behind-the-Black
    • Dynetics Also Protesting NASA’s HLS Award – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • Dynetics HLS protest argues NASA should have revised competition after budget shortfall – SpaceNews
• Biden space:
  • Biden-Harris Admin. Shows Strong Support for NASA in First 100 Days | NASA
  • Will Biden’s NASA win the space race with China? | TheHill
  • National Space Council:
    • Harris Will Chair National Space Council, Swear in Bill Nelson on Monday – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • Vice President Kamala Harris to lead National Space Council – CBS News
    • Harris to place “personal stamp” on National Space Council – SpaceNews
    • Beam her up: Harris to chair the National Space Council – POLITICO
    • Harris to spearhead National Space Council | TheHill
    • Sen. Bill Nelson Statement on National Space Council | NASA
  • Bill Nelson as NASA administrator:
    • Nelson Swearing-In Ceremony Highlights Bipartisanship and Continuity – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • Statements on Bill Nelson’s Senate Confirmation as NASA Administrator | NASA
    • Nelson Confirmed by Senate to be NASA Administrator – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • Senate unanimously confirms Nelson as NASA administrator – SpaceNews
    • Senate confirms former Sen. Bill Nelson to lead NASA – Florida Politics
    • Op-ed | Sen. Nelson is strong choice to advance 21st century space priorities – SpaceNews
• NASA budget:
  • Beyer seeks funding for NASA in infrastructure bill – SpaceNews
• NASA science programs:
  • Ingenuity shifts from technology to operations demo after successful fourth flight – SpaceNews
• Human spaceflight:
  • Crew Dragon splashes down to end Crew-1 mission – SpaceNews
• ISS & other space stations:
  • Roscosmos discusses ISS withdrawal strategy and new space station for mid-2020s – NASASpaceFlight.com
• Commercial space:
  • Op-ed | Competition delivers the goods and the crew for all NASA commercial space services – SpaceNews
  • SpaceX’s Elon Musk has become the coolest capitalist of them all | TheHill
  • Constellations:
    • SES Favored Over Eutelsat, However, Mega-Constellations Will Change Industry Economics – SatMagazine
  • Finance:
    • Space industry in midst of transformation following record private and public investments – SpaceNews
• Planetary defense:
  • Defending the Earth from Impacts | The Planetary Society
• Regulation – spectrum, export control, launch, etc:
  • SpaceX:
    • U.S. FAA authorizes next three SpaceX launches | Reuters
    • Amazon sees ‘positive outcome’ in FCC’s SpaceX satellite ruling – GeekWire
    • FCC lets SpaceX cut satellite altitude to improve Starlink speed and latency | Ars Technica
    • FCC approves SpaceX Starlink modification, despite objections – CNBC
    • FCC approves Starlink license modification – SpaceNews
    • FCC votes to approve SpaceX satellite plan: official – Reuters
    • Elon Musk’s War on Regulators – WSJ
  • Startup and established IoT satellite operators exchange blows in regulatory battle – SpaceNews
  • Space Café Summit 02 Recap “Occupy Space – Where are we going?” – SpaceWatch.Global
• Space traffic & environment issues:
  • SWF Releases Updated Fact Sheets on Anti-Satellite Testing, Rendezvous and Proximity Operations, and the X-37B – Secure World Foundation (SWF)
  • Avoiding low-Earth orbit collisions — the clock is ticking – CIS 471
  • It’s not how big your laser is, it’s how you use it: space law is an important part of the fight against space debris – The Conversation
• US states space:
  • Midland Space Port companies providing jobs, notoriety to the city | newswest9.com
  • SpaceX’s Boca Chica venture has all the ‘versus’ categories covered -MySanAntonio.com
  • SpaceX to open new Port of Long Beach facility – Press Telegram
  • SpaceX to occupy 6.5 acres at Port of Long Beach, mayor says – Long Beach Post News
• Weather & remote sensing satellites:
  • Op-ed | How Elon Musk’s CO2 XPRIZE can fight climate change and advance space exploration – SpaceNews
  • Op-ed | Are we there yet? A journey to more clearly see the changing planet – SpaceNews
  • Forest measuring satellite passes tests with flying colours – ESA
• US Defense space:
  • We have to maintain national security momentum in space | TheHill
  • CSO: Space is the ‘Wild, Wild West,’ Requiring New Norms for Operating in Orbit – Air Force Magazine
  • Cybersecurity:
    • Sen. Angus King: Cybersecurity a major concern in U.S. nuclear command-and-control system – SpaceNews
  • Orbital traffic:
    • Space Force sees need for civilian agency to manage congestion – SpaceNews
  • Technology:
    • Solar Power Sats Help Drive DoD Deep Space Push – Breaking Defense
    • On National Security | Is space-as-a-service a viable option for the DoD? – SpaceNews

International space

• Australia:
  • ESA to build second deep space dish in Australia – ESA
• Brazil:
  • Virgin Orbit Selected to Bring Orbital Launch Capabilities to Brazil | Virgin Orbit
  • Brazil to launch from Alcântara on Virgin Orbit – SpaceWatch.Global
• China:
  • China’s state rocket company unveils rendering of a Starship look-alike | Ars Technica
  • Wenchang City benefiting from space launch projects – CGTN
  • Space Café Greater Bay Area China Recap by Blaine Curcio: Gregg Daffner, CEO of Gapsat – SpaceWatch.Global
  • Space Station:
    • Huge rocket looks set for uncontrolled reentry following Chinese space station launch – SpaceNews
    • China’s new space station will need 10 more launches to complete | Space.com
    • China launches Tianhe space station core module into orbit – SpaceNews
    • China Is Set to Launch First Module of Massive Space Station – Scientific American
    • China Space Station: Hosting International Science Experiments – Leonard David
    • China’s Critical, Must Succeed Launch: Tianhe-1 Space Station Module – Leonard David
    • Q&A: Getting to know China’s space station – Xinhua
  • China/Russia lunar co-op:
    • China, Russia open moon base project to international partners, early details emerge – SpaceNews
  • Science:
    • China makes ‘world’s largest satellite image database’ to train AI better | South China Morning Post
  • Commercial space:
    • China launches robot prototype capable of catching space debris with net | Reuters
• Europe
  • Setting sail for sustainable space – ESA
  • ESA Explores a fictional asteroid impact – ESA
• India:
  • Second Covid wave sweeps ISRO’s rocket station, 350 new cases reported in Sriharikota- The New Indian Express
• Israel:
  • Israeli startups can disrupt the global space industry – CTech
• Lithuania:
  • Lithuania becomes ESA Associate Member state – ESA
• Norway:
  • Space Flight Laboratory’s NorSat-3 Maritime Smallsat Launched — Commissioning Underway For The Norwegian Space Agency – SatNews
• Portugal:
  • Portugal leading in tracking space junk – The Portugal News
• Russia:
  • Russian cosmonauts may not fly on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon until 2022 | Space.com
  • Russia’s preparations for Luna-25 mission launch proceeding on schedule — Roscosmos chief – TASS
  • Russia to start work on adapting Vostochny spaceport for Oryol spacecraft launches – TASS
  • ISS:
    • Russia de-orbited Progress MS-14 space freighter – Roscosmos – TASS
  • New Russian station:
    • Roscosmos discusses ISS withdrawal strategy and new space station for mid-2020s – NASASpaceFlight.com
  • China co-op:
    • China, Russia open moon base project to international partners, early details emerge – SpaceNews
• Scotland:
  • Space Café Scotland Recap by Angela Mathis: Movers and Shakers from the Scottish Space Leadership Council – SpaceWatch.Global (Includes video)

Webcasts:

** China Space Station Tianhe Module Launched, Megaconstellation Operator China SatNet Created – Ep 31 – Dongfang Hour – YouTube

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Dongfang Hour China Aero/Space News Roundup! Without further ado, the news update from the week of 26 April – 2 May.

1) Chinese Space Station: launch of the core Module Tianhe on-board Launch March 5B …
2) Creation of a New Space SoE China SatNet …
3) Long March 6 launches a Batch of 9 Smallsats into Orbit, many payloads of interest …

See also #SpaceWatchGL Column: Dongfang Hour China Aerospace News Roundup 26 April – 2 May 2021 – SpaceWatch.Global

#SpaceWatchGL Column: Dongfang Hour China Aerospace News Roundup 26 April – 2 May 2021 – SpaceWatch.Global

** China plans four crewed missions to space – SciNews

According to Yang Liwei, China’s first astronaut, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) plans for crewed missions to space. A total of 12 astronauts will be launched in 2021 and 2022 to the China Space Station. The Tianhe Core Module, the first component of the China Space Station, is scheduled to be launch this spring. Credit: China Central Television

** New journey begins: China launches space station core module Tianhe – New China TV – China’s Space Station: Assembly Plans Detailed – Leonard David

** China’s ISS Competitor Begins Construction In Orbit – Scott Manley

** Episode 35 FCC NEPA Ruling on Space X Starlink Constellation – Space Thoughts (YouTube) – Space Law & Policy Solutions/Michael Listner

** Sunday, May.2.2021 – Dr. David Livingston led an open lines program discussion “with multiple callers, lot of subject and topic variety, email questions and more“.

**Thursday, Apr.29.2021 – Rod Pyle and Aggie Kobrin discussed

the NSS Ad Astra Special Issue devoted to space settlement which they referred to as living in space. The second part of our program focused on the all virtual and completely free ISDC 2021 toward the end of June this year.

** Hotel Mars – John Batchelor Show/The Space Show – Wednesday, Apr.28.2021 – Anatoly Zak of RussianSpaceWeb.com spoke with John Batchelor and Dr. David Livingston about

the Russian plans to build a new space station after the ISS agreement expires in 2024. We talked about their new station plans, the use of existing modules though never flown on the ISS, their plans for the existing modules connected to the ISS, their plans to handle the ISS in its final period plus build out the new station, both at the same time. Also discussed was the planned orbit of the new Russian station and what this might mean for ISS activities with the Russians, especially regarding costs. The development of the Chinese space station came up and Anatoly discussed the TRL for China and their space station work.

** The Space Show – Tuesday, Apr.28.2021 – Eric Berger of Ars Technica discussed “is new book about the beginning phase of SpaceX, Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX [Amazon commission link]. Eric responded to multiple questions about Artemis, the recent NASA Human Lander Award and what might come next plus general Elon Musk and SpaceX questions.”

***How Starlink, Project Kuiper and other satellite broadband providers could change society – GeekWire

*** NLRA 2021-7: Technology Advancement and Applied Research on the ISS National Lab (Cycle 2) – ISS National Lab

** Space Café WebTalk REGIONAL NETHERLANDS – Dr. Hilde Stenuit – 19. March 2021 – spacewatch. global – News Room – YouTube

Dr. Hilde Stenuit is a seasoned researcher and team leader for Space Applications Services working to provide fast and direct access to space for research and technology users through the ICE Cubes, or International Commercial Experiment Cubes program. This program offers cube-sized experiments in microgravity allowing or people on Earth to interact directly with their experiments up in space. This past week, space-interested students Bano Barzingi and Chiara Moenter, sit down with Hilde to discuss her work as well as the factors of space sustainability trends and a need for awareness outside of the space sector.

With over 20 years of experience working within the space industry and an immense passion, Hilde’s experience and knowledge are incredibly valuable. Onboard the International Space Station, Hilde, and her team are using the ICE Cubes to conduct research in microgravity. The first ICE Cube was installed by Alexander Gest in July 2018. Ever since, multiple experiments were conducted in life science, biology, fluid dynamics, agriculture, and many other fields.

So what happens if you take gravity out of the equation?

** April 30, 2021 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast

** April 28, 2021 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast

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