This Is No Time to Retire Shuttle, OpEd, Mike Snyder, Space News

"I am not a government employee, the CEO of an aerospace company or even senior management. I am an engineer, one of the tens of thousands of people around this nation who work daily on our efforts in space. In six months, the United States will retire the space shuttle, the most robust and capable space vehicle the world has ever seen, simply because our government has decided to do that. We have no vehicle to replace the space shuttle, and we will have no replacement for an unspecified amount of time."

Keith's note: Exactly one year ago I had the profound and life-altering privilege to live at Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 17,500 feet for a month so as to watch - and listen - and report - as my friend Scott Parazynski walked up into the Jet Stream to the summit of Mt. Everest. In the ensuing year, not a week goes by without one of us sending an email to the other noting that we still think about this epic part of our lives every day. Together with our friends Miles O'Brien and Bob Jacobs and the good folks at NASA HQ PAO, we sought to bring this experience to as many people as we possibly could using all manner of Internet, social media, and satellite toys - er tools.

Yes, if you look at the photo closely (larger view) you will see that Scott carried my first NASA badge from 1990 and a picture of astronaut Suni Williams' famous space dog Gorbie to the summit - all held together with authentic NASA duct tape.

The video below captures a moment in time shortly after Scott reached the summit. Our fervent hope in this era of "participatory exploration" and "citizen science" is that we helped to set the standard for how NASA will document and relay its future accomplishments to the world.

FWIW Charlie Bolden, you are not the only person who gets misty-eyed.

More information on the summit bid is online here. For those of you in the Houston area, Scott will be making a presentation on his climb at the Houston Museum of Natural Science on Thursday, 20 May. Please try and stop by. No doubt he will continue to spread utter lies about my experiences with the yaks of Nepal.

I carried an Apollo 11 Moon rock with me from America to Nepal and then to Everest Base Camp. Scott then carried it to the summit of Mt. Everest. We're still arguing as to which one of us has a world record for the amount of time that a Moon rock was in intimate proximity to our body. In either case, this year the Moon rock and a piece of the summit of Everest was carried into orbit on STS-130 to the ISS where it resides now.

Multiple historic and exploration resonances abound - just as they should since Neil Armstrong and Edmund Hillary were friends.

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Mars Institute "Moon-1" Humvee Rover reaches Devon Island, High Arctic

"An international team of researchers led by Mars Institute scientist Dr. Pascal Lee successfully reached Devon Island, High Arctic, on Sunday, 16 May, 2010 after a 13-day, 150 km vehicular journey from Cornwallis Island to Devon Island, along the fabled Northwest Passage."

Driving to Devon Island Across Sea Ice, earlier post

Allocade to Participate in NASA Spinoff Day on the Hill

"Allocade, Inc., the developer of innovative healthcare software technology solutions, today announced that it would participate in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Spinoff Day on the Hill. ... Members of Congress and the NASA administrator, Charlie Bolden, will speak about the importance of bringing NASA technologies out into the public sector. In addition, NASA's new chief technologist, Dr. Bobby Braun and NASA's director of the Innovative Partnerships Program, Doug Comstock, will highlight the selected participating companies."

Keith's note: At a time (once again) when NASA ought to be focusing on what it does for taxpayers, the private sector, Congress etc. you would think that there would be a little more effort put into promoting an event such as this. Yum. All that juicy NASA spinoff goodness just waiting to be shared.

Alas, there is no mention of it on the NASA calendar at the NASA.gov media page. No mention at the NASA IPP webpage either - or at NASA Tech Briefs - or on Twitter at NASA_Spinoff. Nor is there any mention at the House Science and Technology Committee's web page (Rayburn 2325 is one of the hearing rooms they regularly use).

Only 2 working days left to get the word out. And when no one from the media or elsewhere shows up at non-promoted events such as this, NASA scratches its collective head and wonders why. Oh well.

Keith's update: I have learned (from someone@NASA) who saw this posting on NASA Watch that there is a flyer online for this event as a PDF here. The flyer lists Brett Silcox at Code L as the contact. Yet when I check the Code L web page - there is no link.

Letter from Apollo Astronaut Russell Schweickart to Sen. Bill Nelson Regarding President Obama's Proposed NASA Budget

"I write this letter, as an Apollo astronaut, to state my strong support for the proposed NASA space program as modified by President Obama in his April 15, 2010 speech in Florida. I, like many of my fellow astronauts, am greatly concerned that our nation's historic leadership in space exploration is eroding to the point where we will shortly lose that title. We Apollo-era people gave the United States everything we had to regain leadership in space from the Soviet Union back in the 60s and we hate like hell to see it drift away from us now.

With what I believe to be the coming loss of US leadership in human space exploration in mind, the question of how best to regain that leadership breaks into two fundamental elements; our current situation and our direction going forward. In terms of relative importance I weigh these at 80% and 20% respectively.

Our current situation is akin to being on a dead end road. Instead of being on a path toward the goal we all seek, i.e. to regain our leadership position in human space exploration, we must recognize that we are (and have been) on a path to nowhere. We are confronted with arguments to ignore the clear signs of this sad situation and even encouraged to accelerate along this futile path.

The alternative to this is support for the President's proposed plan. It recognizes and eliminates the waste of precious resources in the current program and heads us in a productive direction toward our desired destination. In other words, when you recognize you are on a dead end road, stop, turn around, and head in a direction more useful to your goal."

Major NASA Spacebook Upgrades Now Live

"What is Happening: NASA Spacebook (https://nasaspacebook.nasa.gov) has a new look and simplified navigation to make collaboration easier. These latest changes just went live. For those that responded to our email on April 26, thank you. This notice is to inform you of a major upgrade that includes enhancements based on user feedback. We want to hear what you think about these latest enhancements! Please take a moment to fill out this short survey so we can continue to enhance the site to meet your needs: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/nasa_spacebook."

Virgin Galactic appoints its first Chief Executive

"Virgin Galactic, the US based and regulated Space Tourism Company, is delighted to announce the appointment of George T. Whitesides as its first Chief Executive Officer. Virgin Galactic, the US based and regulated Space Tourism Company, is delighted to announce the appointment of George T. Whitesides as its first Chief Executive Officer. In this role, Whitesides will guide the business through its transition from a development project to a commercially operational business."

House Science and Technology Committee Hearing: Review of the Proposed NASA Human Spaceflight Plan

"26 May 2010: Witnesses: Charles Bolden, Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, Tom Young"

Keith's note: It is becoming increasingly apparent that every hearing on the topic of President Obama's space policy - especially when Charlie Bolden is in the hot seat - is designed to be an ambush announced in advance. The witness panel is usually stacked numerically with opponents. In this case this hearing is a blatant attempt to pick up the food fight where it left off last week on the other side of the Hill. Since it is fair game to repeatedly have Apollo astronauts testify who are publicly against the plan, why not have a few Apollo vets testify who are publicly for it - like Buzz Aldrin and Rusty Schweickart?

And by the way, with all due respect for the accomplishments of all of these who have or will testify, but when is Congress going to call upon people to testify who will actually spend their future career living and working in the space program that is being discussed? Why is it that we only seem to hear from 60-,70-, 80-year olds talking about someone else's future?

Reader note: I have a habit of scouring through NASA procurement notices looking for interesting things - as well as comedic relief. love this one: "NASA SUDENT AMBASSADORS VIRTUAL COMMUNITY" issued on 11 May 2010 with an "original response date" of 14 May 2010. But the text says "Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing, by FAX or E-Mail, to the identified point of contact not later than 11:00 a.m. (EST.) on April 12, 2010."

I guess the only way you can meet this date is if you have a time machine handy.

The solicitation then goes on to say "Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government." Yet all the solicitation provides is a single little paragraph describing the project. It is rather unlikely that anyone would understand how to perform this task without detailed information much less use this sole paragraph as the basis for justifying their qualifications.

It certainy smells like NASA got caught in the process of using paperwork to justify a procurement decision that they already made and that they have zero interest in actually soliciting or considering input. Oops.

Atlantis and ISS On Orbit One Last Time

"This image features the space shuttle Atlantis's cabin and forward cargo bay and part of the International Space Station while the two spacecraft remain docked, during STS-132's flight day four extravehicular activity of astronauts Garrett Reisman and Steve Bowen (both out of frame). Though three sessions of extravehicular activity (EVA) will involve only three astronauts (two on each occasion) who actually leave the shirt leave environments of the two docked spacecraft, all twelve astronauts and cosmonauts on the two combined crews have roles in supporting the EVA work."

NASA chief urges Norway to pull out of Alberta oilsands, CP

"The head of NASA is trying to persuade the prime minister of Norway to order the country's state-owned energy giant to get out of Alberta's oilsands. James Hansen has written an open letter in a Norwegian newspaper asking the government to vote in favour of a motion at Statoil's annual general meeting Wednesday to end the company's oilsands project."

NASA scientist urges Norway to pull out of Alberta's 'destructive' oilsands, CB

"NASA's top scientist wants to persuade the prime minister of Norway to order the country's state-owned energy giant to get out of Alberta's oilsands."

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

When I was growing up, asking a classroom full of kids that question almost always included the answer “I want to be an astronaut!”  Space was cool. Space was something new, innovative and entrepreneurial. Inspiration was clearly NASA’s main value proposition.

Compare that with today.

What inspires tomorrow’s explorers, engineers and business leaders? From my personal experience, it has less and less to do with NASA, and more and more to do with other, well let’s just say “cooler” things.

Tomorrow’s leaders want to work for the “cool” company. They want to work for the next Google. The one that is open to new ideas. And so I wonder, how do we make NASA cool again? How do we use our space program as a catalyst to pass along that innovative, entrepreneurial, American spirit that got us to the moon in less than 10 years and launched a generation of innovators? Or better yet, how do we communicate all the cool things NASA is actually doing? Because, whether you know it or not, NASA does some amazing things!

I think it’s simple. Let them participate.

Think about it. Isn’t going to space so much cooler when you get to actually go?  Isn’t that lunar rover so much better when you actually get to build it and then drive it?  Isn’t that classroom outreach visit by the astronaut so much more relevant when they answer your question and then ask you one?

People want to be personally engaged. People want to see how they fit into the big picture. People, of all ages, want to be inspired. So that’s our challenge. We call it“participatory exploration” – creating a government agency that engages the American public in its mission and inspires the next generation of explorers, no matter what they want to be when they grow up.

How do people participate in what you do?

If you are in an organization, with a great product, that is having a tough time convincing your customers of your value proposition, you are not alone. I challenge you to think about how you can create a platform for participation in your organization. Don’t settle for mediocrity by just exposing people to or educating them about your product, collaborate with them to make it better.

If you want to attract the best and the brightest, open up your doors to new ideas and use participatory initiatives to attract the best and brightest earlier by allowing them to participate in your company.

At NASA, we know that business models are not eternal and we’re challenging the way we’ve always done things by working to make participatory exploration a core part of our business model. Whether NASA is designing the next exploration missions, using social networks to allow students to interact directly with astronauts living in space or creating a cutting edge Cloud Computing Platform to give the public unprecedented access to scientific data, NASA is engaging the American public in its mission.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a few of the successful initiatives that are leading the way at NASA:

• NASA’s highly successful Centennial Challenges prize program has engaged inventors from around the country to successfully build prototypes of technology and innovation for use in space.
• We’re using social engagement tools to collect hundreds of ideas for improving the agency’s openness and transparency, more suggestions than any other government agency.
• Through a new policy initiative, NASA is working to make open source software development more collaborative for the benefit of the agency and the public. NASA has created “Nebula,” the U.S. government’s only cloud computing platform, which offers an easier way for NASA scientists and researchers to share large, complex data sets with external partners and the public.
• NASA is giving the public live access to its missions through NASA TV and its many social media sites.
• NASA’s education outreach program includes initiatives where students have opportunities to control space instruments remotely.
• NASA is establishing a new Participatory Exploration Office, which will be charged with infusing more public participation into NASA’s mission in order to directly engage citizens in exploration.

This article is cross-posted from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business “McCombs Today” Blog and was originally published on May 14th, 2010.

Reader note: "Keith et al: My girlfriend sent me this link to a contest Google is running for student "Google Doodle" submissions. Voting is currently underway for the four finalists, one from each grade group (K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12).

The 4th through 6th grade submissions have two space exploration doodles. One for a playground in space, and another for space exploration. http://www.google.com/doodle4google/vote.html#grade-4-6 (see region 4 and region 9). The 7th through 9th grade submissions have one with a space component above the G in Google. http://www.google.com/doodle4google/vote.html#grade-7-9 (see region 6).

It seems that the 4th though 6th grade crowd aren't deterred by the debate about the future of NASA, they may just want to be part of it. Maybe with the help of NASAWatch readers there will be a student space doodle on the Google home page. - Mark"

A little less than 24 hours ago, I stood and watched six of the most intelligent and genial guys I’ve met get hurtled into and out of our atmosphere, to spend a couple of weeks in the void we’ve so aptly named space. They say third time’s a charm, and after attempting to view two other launches in the past (and failing), I’m glad it never worked out for me before and that this was the winning attempt. There’s some factor of emotion and investment when you know the folks strapped on top of such a dangerous, but beautiful machine. The launch (and the subsequent, on-going mission) has been the culmination of months of preparation for the flight crew and teams. And for me, it was a defining moment, the result of not only months of training and support of the crew, but years of dreams, hopes, prayers, passion, and dedication to the human spaceflight industry. I just couldn’t have asked for a better first experience.

I seem to always go back to this when I talk about my space adventures, but seventeen years ago, sitting in the viewing area of the Shuttle Flight Control Room (FCR), I still remember being in awe of the remarkable technological beauty that lay before me. To me, this was the epicenter of space…of everything I’d read and dreamed about for what, at the time, seemed so long. So, when I finally walked through the gates of Johnson Space Center as an employee, I was giddy with excitement.

In January, I arrived early, early one morning and made my way across a relatively empty parking lot, footsteps echoing on the pavement, towards Mission Control – the very ground human spaceflight pioneers and legends treaded years ago. That morning, I sat in the International Space Station (ISS) FCR for the first time, supporting my crew onboard the ISS during robotics operations. I watched as they used the concepts and techniques we’d trained months before, and I left later that morning, feeling as if things had come full circle, in a way. From eight to twenty-five, I had finally achieved my goal, the dream I’d had and declared as soon as I’d left the Shuttle FCR viewing room that fateful day years ago.

Thursday afternoon, I stared in utter silence and disbelief as the Orbiter Atlantis was unveiled to the world on Pad 39A, in preparation for her final voyage the following day. She majestically gleamed against the orange backdrop of her External Tank, flanked by the Solid Rocket Boosters that would propel her and her crew into the sky and literally out of this world. I returned later that night, to see her sparkling against the night sky; and though bright lights were shining to accentuate her innate beauty, I had no doubt in my mind that she didn’t need them at all.

And Friday…I have yet to be able to articulate my Friday in words. I still feel nothing could truly do such an awe-inspiring, magnificent, and beautiful sight justice. I still remember the feel of my heart beating with wild abandon, as I watched my crew walk out of their quarantine quarters and into the Astro Van, the recognizable, silver vehicle used to bring crew to the launch pad and their awaiting spacecraft, knowing just a few short hours later, they would be making an amazing, incredible trip.

The next four hours disappeared before I could even realize it, and there I was staring at the countdown clock, with the rest of the world, looking on as we came out of the t minus nine minute hold. And then, what seemed to be instantaneously, white smoke billowed around Atlantis, and every sensory organ was overloaded with intense feedback from her ascent into the heavens. I could not begin to accurately describe the magnitude of the rumbling heard and felt from our vantage point just three miles away, nor could I fully express the emotions that overtook me during those eight minutes until main engine cut off, when Atlantis finally embarked on her remaining orbits of our beautiful planet. With hands clasped over my mouth, a few tears in my eyes, I followed a trail of fire, propellant, and smoke, until Atlantis, a mere speck of light in the clear, cloudless, blue sky, disappeared.

I later realized that I was dumbfounded observing the entire sequence of events. Only hours after the fact did tears really well up in my eyes (and even now, as I recount), as it dawned on me that I’d witnessed a feat that truly characterizes the ingenuity, perseverance, innovation, and dedication of mankind. So, you see the dilemma – how can words even begin to do justice to a marvel of human creation? How can words even accurately begin to illustrate the result of the hard work and passion that is evidenced in every aspect of our human spaceflight industry? How can I even articulate an experience that has left me reeling so intensely and inspired me to continue to pursue one of my two passions in life (the other being music), in whatever capacity I am able?

This past week has been oddly bittersweet. Not only have I officially completed my training with the crew, but with a heavy heart, I’ve realized, despite my reluctance to do so, that what I’ve known during my life time with regard to the human spaceflight program is about to undergo a drastic change. The vehicle I grew up knowing, the one that’s just a few years older than me, is approaching its end, sitting on a deathbed that was laid a little over six years ago. And yet, after marveling at one of the greatest feats of human creativity and intelligence, I can’t help but feel comfort and hope that though our national human spaceflight capabilities will be on-hold, so to speak, temporarily…we will rise from this, more passionate, more resilient, more confident, more experienced, and more determined than ever before. Whatever plan gets finalized, however the budgets eventually roll out…we must not forget the innate yearning that we, as a species, have to explore. We now have the opportunity to draw from all of our many impressive years of experience and inspire others to not only marvel at our ingenuity and initiative, but contribute and invest in it. We now stand at a crossroads, at which we have the opportunity to honor those who have given their lives to help mankind escape the gravitational bonds that have tethered us to this lustrous planet for centuries, and explore the recesses of the unknown, bit by bit, in order to understand, appreciate, and provide for our species. Regardless of the next step, let us not forget that we are all passionate about the same thing; let us not ignore our inner child, who declared his/her desire to become an astronaut at age eight; and all the while, let us honor the legacies of the past, by embracing the possibilities and potential of the future. We owe those who’ve sacrificed their lives for the advancement of mankind at least that bit.

Support for space center at dueling rallies, The Daily News

"As the Space Shuttle Atlantis orbited its way for a rendezvous with the International Space Station in what likely will be that orbiter's final mission, two rallies were held in support of NASA's Johnson Space Center in League City on Friday night. The underlying message of saving local jobs was the same, but the ralliers' approaches were very much different. The Galveston County Democratic Party teamed with labor unions for its rally that officials said was focused on positive lobbying in support of the space center. Members of local tea party groups and Republican activists pledged the only way to support manned space flight was to bounce President Barack Obama and Democrats who hold the congressional majority from office."

reader note: "I just got home from the "Support NASA Jobs" rally held in League City, sponsored by the Democratic Party and several labor unions. The overall message was I received was that everyone needs to come together to preserve the jobs at NASA because these are skilled and talented people that do great things for our country. Free food and drinks were available, and there was no campaigning or fundraising."

"The proceedings began with a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. Unfortunately, I do not know the name of the person who sang it. This was followed by a prayer asking for unity. Next, dignitaries in attendance were briefly introduced.

The first speaker was former U. S. Representative Nick Lampson, who now works on behalf of the Center for Exploited Children. Nick travels around the world working with countries to pass laws to protect their children. Tonight, he reminded us of the important accomplishments of NASA, and that it has always been a battle to get proper funding. He spoke of other NASA programs that have been cancelled over the years, but that labor union leaders recently went to Washington, D. C. with a plan to save the Orion space capsule, and that resulted in a change to the Administration's space plan.

Just as Nick began to speak, a heavy rain started. Luckily, the rally was held under a large covered pavilion. A group of protesters (yes, they were protesting that Democrats wanted to save NASA jobs) were just outside of the pavilion, waving their "Stop Obama" signs and being as loud as they could. They got soaked, but to the Democratic speakers' credit, no one made comments about it being an "act of God."

The next speaker was U. S. Congressman Gene Green, who reminded us that NASA jobs are a bipartisan issue. He invited the Republican protesters to join us in seeking forward-looking solutions. The protesters did not accept his invitation. It began to rain harder. Rep. Gene Green also reminded us that the NASA talent needed to be kept, but also said (in an obvious reference to the troubled Ares I rocket) that we can learn from our mistakes, and that the research from that program can be used to advance a better program.

After Rep. Gene Green came dynamite speaker Rep. Al Green (No relation 😉 ). Al said, with great enthusiasm, that he was proud to be an American and proud of NASA. He also wanted to take time to pay tribute to our armed forces, who deserve great credit, no matter what you think about policy. He said we need to make sure that returning veterans get the best in medical care and affordable housing. He pointed out the protesters, reminding us that protesting is as American as apple pie. But he noted that we could do more for NASA and our community by working together. It began to rain much harder, with lightning (Al Green is also a minister), and the protesters left. Al said we elected the president to work with us, and that the best way to get changes to the NASA program is to work together, not turn our backs on those who's ideas we disagree with.

Next, two leaders from the labor unions spoke. They provided details of their plan for NASA, which includes:

- Extending the Space Shuttle through 2011 (perhaps 2012) by using all available hardware
- Continuing development of the Orion spacecraft
- Using an Atlas or Delta launch vehicle to put Orion in orbit to support the International Space Station. This can be done by 2013.
- Develop a heavy-launch vehicle by 2016
- Rebuild the long-neglected infrastructure of the Kennedy Space Center

There was hardly any mention of the commercial space initiative, but this was a save-the-jobs rally, and a company like SpaceX that can design and build a rocket and a seven-person space capsule in a few years with a total of only 900 people, isn't going to be real popular.

It was a great evening! Please do what you can to help our nation and our local community by supporting positive efforts for a productive space program."

Upcoming Raw guest hosts May 17, 2010: Buzz Aldrin The WWE Universe will be over the moon when legendary Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin guest hosts a special two-hour commercial-free Monday Night Raw live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Aldrin will be appearing under his official WWE name "Rocket Hero."

Mainstream Media Websites Failing to Adequately Cover end of Shuttle Era, Jason Rhian

"Reviewing where yesterday's launch of space shuttle Atlantis and the crew of STS-132 'placed' in regards to importance on the assorted media outlets websites provides a startling insight as to how we as a nation view manned spaceflight."

Busy Schedule for Rocket Obama Wants Scrapped, NY Times

"Last month, in a speech at the Kennedy Space Center, President Obama modified his proposal, originally unveiled in February, and called for continuing the development of the Orion crew capsule that was to ride on top of the Ares I, but only as a stripped-down lifeboat for the International Space Station. The Ares program would still be canceled. Jeffrey M. Hanley, the Constellation program manager, said in an interview that given the uncertainty of what might emerge in the final budget, "we felt it prudent to continue to operate in the program as if the program were to continue." He described that possibility as "the unlikely case." ... He acknowledged that his efforts were somewhat at cross-purposes with those of his bosses, who are trying to convince Congress that Constellation is unworkable. "I really have to leave it to them to sort out with the national leadership," he said.

Charlie Bolden's stand on NASA, Constellation and Ares I tests, Orlando Sentinel

"I talk to Jeff quite a bit. As far as I am concerned, Jeff does exactly what I asked him to do, to be quite honest. And Jeff and NASA, we are in a tough situation in that we have to comply with the 2010 provision in law that says we cannot terminate [Constellation], we cannot do this. Everybody knows that the language is and yet we have to be responsive to my desire to move forward."

Shelby adds Constellation-saving measure to emergency war bill, Huntsville Times

"U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, has raised the stakes in the fight over NASA's Constellation program by attaching a measure to protect it to an emergency war funding bill that must pass Congress this year. The amendment "clarifies and reinforces" current law, Shelby's staff said, which already requires congressional approval before ending Constellation."

NASA's Constellation gets big boost in Senate, Houston Chronicle

"The maneuver was pushed by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Dallas and proposed by Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah. By including the language in a $58.8 billion budget supplemental to underwrite the costs of combat, Hutchison and her allies virtually assured that the restriction will be adopted by the full Senate and House and signed by Obama -- because the costs of the Afghanistan war must be funded."

Mikulski 'Troubled' by Approach to Constellation Termination, Space News

"I am advised that NASA has undertaken a series of steps to direct industry to retain certain funds made available in fiscal year 2010 to cover prospective termination costs so as not to potentially violate the terms of the Antideficiency Act," Mikulski wrote in a May 10 letter to White House budget chief Peter Orszag. Mikulski, who chairs the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees NASA spending, gave Orszag until May 25 to review NASA's contract termination liability practices and develop a detailed plan to implement and pay for a new standard "to deal fairly with industry."

NASA's moon program gets a boost from Congress, Orlando Sentinel

"The measure by Republican Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama and Bob Bennett of Utah would force NASA to keep spending money on the Constellation moon program in 2010, even though President Barack Obama wants to cancel a key component: the Ares rockets that would boost an Apollo-like capsule into orbit."

Shelby: Amendment Protects Constellation Program

"The President's NASA proposal has no clear direction other than to cancel Constellation, at any price, even if it means relinquishing our leadership in space," said Shelby. "NASA is now attempting to undermine current law as it relates to Fiscal Year 2010 Constellation funding by slow rolling contracts and pressuring companies to self-terminate. It is disappointing that the political appointees at NASA have so much trouble following the letter and spirit of law."