Obama facing uprising over new NASA strategy, Reuters

"U.S. President Barack Obama is trying to tamp down an uprising in politically vital Florida against a new strategy for NASA that has rankled space veterans and lawmakers and sparked fears of job losses. ... It is making for a potentially explosive environment when Obama travels to the Cape Canaveral area on April 15 to host a space conference with top officials and leaders in the field. "What reception will they get? Not good," said Keith Cowing, editor of nasawatch.com, a website that closely monitors the U.S. space agency. "It's a gutsy move. It's Daniel in the Lion's Den."

Falcon 9 Engine Test Update, SpaceflightNow

Keith's 8 March note: SpaceX is apparently going to attempt to hotfire all 9 first stage engines in its Falcon 9 rocket in preparation for a launch later this month. A test that had been planned for today but it has been postponed until tomorrow. Several days ago some cork insulation came off of the first stage during a tanking test. That will have to be replaced before the vehicle is launched.

Keith's 9 March note: The static test firing is planned for 1:00 pm EST today.

Obama Plans Florida Forum to Discuss NASA's Future, NY Times

"Joseph R. Fragola, a safety consultant, said the review had found no critical flaws for Constellation. "Money is the problem," he said. "It's not technical."

- More Inconsistencies From the Ares 1 Risk Guru, earlier post
- Hanley Changes His Story On Ares 1 Safety - Again, earlier post

Which track for NASA?, Huntsville Times

"President Barack Obama plans to affirm his administration's commitment to space exploration and NASA next month in Florida, the White House said Monday, but the space agency plan cancels the 5-year-old Marshall Space Flight Center-managed Ares rocket program. And Obama's plans are at odds with Alabama's senior senator on Capitol Hill - Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa."

Analysts point to politics over Obama's NASA conference, Houston Chronicle

"Nelson took to the Senate floor late Monday to welcome Obama's April 15 visit and praise his plans to seize leadership of the space program, even as he went on to excoriate unnamed presidential aides and "the budget boys from OMB" for allowing the chief executive to create "the perception that the president had killed the manned space program." Nelson added pointedly: "There is outright hostility (in Florida) toward President Obama and his proposals for the nation's human space program."

Nelson hopes Obama clarifies space vision, Florida Today

"Despite a commitment to extend the life of the International Space Station to 2020 and increase NASA funding by $6 billion over five years, Nelson said last month's poor rollout of the administration's new direction for NASA allowed critics to frame it as the end of U.S. human spaceflight. "He's got to clear that up," Nelson said. "That is one of the misconceptions that the president is going to have to correct."

Obama Plans Florida Forum to Discuss NASA's Future, NY Times

"The president's upcoming space meeting here in Florida provides a chance for meaningful progress," said Representative Suzanne M. Kosmas, whose district includes the Kennedy Space Center. She requested a meeting when she and others in the state Congressional delegation met last month with Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, and John P. Holdren, Mr. Obama's science adviser."

Obama's plans for NASA changes met with harsh criticism, Washington Post

"They made a mistake when they rolled out their space program, because they gave the perception that they had killed the manned space program," said Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who disagrees with that perception but wants the Obama plan modified. Nelson said the president should declare during the Florida conference that NASA's goal is to send humans to Mars. Nelson noted that the Interstate 4 corridor through Central Florida is critical for national candidates. "I think it has a lot of repercussions for the president. If a national candidate does not carry the I-4 corridor, they don't win Florida," Nelson said."

Keith's note: The buzz at KSC and among the Florida Congressional delegation is that President Obama will hold a "Town Hall" style meeting on 15 April and that he will use that event to announce that he is authorizing one additional space shuttle mission after the four remaining flights currently on the shuttle manifest. This would stretch out employment for shuttle workers by as much as six months - well into the Summer and early Fall of 2011 - just as the 2012 presidential campaign season is starting to fire up.

The question I have to ask is why do this? In so doing it just opens the door to delaying the shut down of the shuttle program initiated by President Bush. If the White House wants to do one additional launch, then why not do three or six? Adding one launch simply buys you six months or so of workforce retention but the end result is still the same. If the intent is to shut down the shuttle program, then NASA should do so and move on to a new way of getting into space. If, on the other hand, the White House wants to develop a true shuttle-derived launch vehicle like the sidemount, one that purposefully uses existing shuttle infrastructure and workforce, then that is another issue. Alas, no one has yet given me a reason to do this other than to keep people employed. While it may be a humane thing to do now that Constellation won't be there with a safety net, this is not the way to try and shift paradigms. Rather, it is a way to stall that shift.

Obama's plans for NASA changes met with harsh criticism, Washington Post

"Congress must approve NASA's strategic change. Lawmakers in Florida, Alabama and Texas, states rich in space jobs, have sharply criticized the Obama plan as a job-killer. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) says that under Obama's strategy "America's decades-long dominance of space will finally come to an end."

Introduction of S. 3068 by Sen. Hutchison, Congressional Record 3 March 2010

"The legislation I am introducing today would ensure that a final decision on the timing of the space shuttle retirement, or even the number of missions it might still be required to fly, would not be made until the issues involved are fully considered and resolved and we are fully convinced that the shuttle's capability is no longer needed. In particular, we must answer the question of how we support, maintain, and fully utilize the ISS, not just in 5 or more years, when any new commercially-developed vehicle might be available, but right now, as we are about to cut the ribbon on it as a finally completed research facility."

Keith's note: In this post by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation staffer Jeff Bingham (51D Mascot) on nasaspaceflight.com he notes that "The Hutchison Bill, by its very structure, is written so as to be the "core" of a broader NASA Authorization Bill, and it is fully planned and expected, going in, that it will likely be "absorbed" into that larger NASA Authorization Bill, which will likely be reported by the Commerce Committee, once it is satisfied with it, and it goes through the process known as "mark-up" (amendment and endorsement by the Committee) as a new and separate bill."

What's next for NASA?, Mario Livio, Baltimore Sun

"In recent days, some of those criticizing NASA's proposed budget have tried to paint a picture of an agency without a vision. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. NASA's far-reaching ambitions in space science have been, and will continue to be, truly inspiring"

Keith's note: While Livio does make a number of cogent points about space science, I find it a little odd that he can make statements about the agency's overall "vision" while making zero mention of human spaceflight. If some members of Congress have their way, NASA will need to find more money somewhere - and that somewhere may well be space science. Perhaps then he'll take the time to look at the other things that NASA does. I am rather certain that Livio was in the audience last night at the Air and Space Museum for the premiere of Hubble IMAX 3D - a movie that was equally balanced between human and robotic spaceflight. I guess he missed all of those space suited astronauts working on the gem of his institute's research - one of whom works down the hall from him at STScI ...

Space shuttle can fly beyond 2010, if money is there: NASA, AFP

"The US space shuttle fleet can continue flying beyond NASA's September 30 deadline if the money is made available to keep it going, a US space agency official told reporters Tuesday. "I think the real issue that the agency and the nation has to address is the expense," said Space Shuttle Program Manager John Shannon, noting the shuttle fleet costs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 200 million dollars per month to maintain it in working condition. "Where that money comes from is the big question," he added."

Obama's New Mission for NASA Sets Off Intense Criticism, Fox

"It's amazing that we're headed down a path where we're not going to have any vehicles at all to launch from the Kennedy Space Center for an extended period of time," John Shannon, NASA's space shuttle manager said at a news conference. "And to give up all the lessons learned, the blood, sweat and tears that we have expended to get the space shuttle to the point where it is right now where it is performing so magnificently," he said."

Keith's note: With the popularity of retro TV shows such as "Mad Men" comes a second look at how we used to advertise things in the 1960s - products, ideas, etc. The early space age was an exciting time when we were doing things no one had done before - and we were pretty proud of doing it. Some of the artwork is rather classy and, with a few tweaks, might even work today. If you go to this page at io9 you will some examples of ads from the dawn of space exploration.

Reaching for the Stars When Space Was a Thrill, NY Times

"... Or the American Bosch Arma Corporation showing off, in Fortune, its "Cosmic Butterfly," a solar-powered electrically propelled vehicle to ferry passengers and cargo across the solar system. Most Americans never saw these concoctions, but now they have been collected and dissected by Megan Prelinger, an independent historian and space buff, in a new book, "Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957-1962." It is being published on May 25 by Blast Books."

Ex-NASA Official Pleads Guilty in Contracts Case, WS Journal

"A former high-ranking National Aeronautics and Space Administration official pleaded guilty in Mississippi to designing contracts that netted him more than $270,000 in illegal profits. Liam P. Sarsfield is a former chief deputy engineer in Washington, D.C. ... Mr. Sarsfield will be sentenced June 24. He pleaded guilty to one charge of acts affecting a personal financial interest."

Ex-NASA official pleads guilty, AP

"The U.S. Attorney's office would not comment on whether Sarsfield is cooperating with authorities in the case against Stadd. However, Sarsfield was charged in a criminal information, which is filed by prosecutors when the defendant has agreed to waive grand jury indictment and plead guilty. They are often used when a defendant is cooperating."

NASA Presolicitation Notice: Engineering Services: Liam P. Sarsfield, earlier post from July 21, 2005

"NASA/HQ intends to award a purchase order to Mr. Liam P. Sarsfield. The authority is 10 U.S.C.2304(c)(1) "only one responsible source."

I’m SO excited to share details about NASA’s newest, coolest, never-been-done-before sustainability initiative, LAUNCH:Water.

Accelerating Innovation for a Sustainable Future.

We’ve been working on this project for some time — an innovative collaborative process to “launch” ideas, or disruptive green technologies, that address some of this planet’s growing pains.

All props to NASA’s Robbie Schingler, who envisioned a barcamp-type atmosphere to discuss sustainability challenges. We’d been looking for ways to tell our Space Station green story, and this concept fit the bill. We pulled together a team of creative folks, all bringing together different strengths, to birth theLAUNCH:Water incubator we’ll debut next week.

We wanted a TED-style event but with teeth, where we can chomp into issues and mash-up new approaches and solutions.

We created LAUNCH as a global initiative to identify and support the innovative work that is poised to contribute to a sustainable future. We want this process to accelerate solutions to meet urgent challenges facing our society. That’s the goal: to make a difference, leave this world better tomorrow than it is today.

We chose water as a logical starting point because it’s an issue we deal with on Space Station every day in orbit. Not only is water a critical commodity for our orbiting pioneers, but for so many living on our home planet.

Scarcity within a hostile environment is something we Earthlings and space travelers share.

So what is LAUNCH:Water? We are working with our founding partners, USAID,State Department, and NIKE, to allow 10 water-related emerging technologyinnovators the opportunity to present their ideas to a small group of thought-leadersfrom varied disciplines for a two and a half day conversation about possibilities. We break into small impact rotations to discuss content-focused issues/opportunities that affect each innovator individually. We have a team working with the innovators to develop how we shape these impact sessions for maximum benefit. Our hope is to use these structured conversations to leap-frog these ten innovators further down the path toward success in solving water issues facing our planet.

Why NASA? Because we’re problem-solvers — against all odds.

We solve problems. That’s what we do. I like to call it our brand reduction sauce– after all the ingredients are thrown into the pot and cooked and the essence is left behind. So why not convene a group of expert problem-solvers in various disciplines to address issues we face both on Earth and in the heavens above? LAUNCH is a gathering of problem-solvers to solve one MAJOR problem:

how to sustain life ON and OFF Earth.

We’ll live-stream the innovators’ presentations on Tuesday March 16th and Wednesday March 17th, so you can be part of this glorious experiment with us. We have a LAUNCHorg twitter account that we’ll keep updated, as well.

I’m looking forward to meeting all the innovators in person next week. I’m particularly excited about one of the innovations that bubbled up in the process: Manna Energy, run in his spare time by astronaut Ron Garan or @astro_ron on Twitter. You can go to their website or @MannaEnergy twitter feed to learn how they’re deploying water filtration devices in more than 400 schools in Rwanda, along with biogas generators and high efficiency cookstoves at 300 locations. Gives me goosebumps.

We’ll have so much to share as we move toward our inaugural event next week. We plan to serve “recycled water” just like our astronauts drink on Station, BTW. I guess we can’t serve it in paper cups or plastic bottles — neither are friends of the environment. Yet, if we serve in glass cups, we’ll have to wash them with water and detergent — not nice to the our planet either. Our most sustainable option will be to squirt “reformed urine” directly into the mouths of our guests. Now that will be a sight to see, won’t it? Good thing we’re live-streaming the event.

Stay tuned for frequent updates from the field.

Crosspost on BethBeck’s Blog and GovLoop.

NASA rethinks $1.5B enterprise data center contract, Washington Technology

"NASA has announced it's reworking its strategy for acquiring an enterprise data center, and has postponed the release of a final request for proposals for what could have been a $1.5 billion contract. NASA said its plans for the NASA Enterprise Data Center (NEDC) program didn't meet its enterprise needs. The agency said it made the decision after a reassessment in light of leadership changes and new requirements from the Office of Management and Budget regarding cloud computing, greening information technology, virtualization, and federal data center guidance."

NASA Reworks $1.5B Enterprise Data Center Plans, Web Host Industry Review

"NASA said it is looking to develop a data center plan that will consolidate all data centers, systems, applications, as well as include a data center architecture and full enterprise assessment. This would give the agency the chance to design an infrastructure strategy according to its business requirements and use technologies like cloud computing to cut energy costs."

Ex-NASA Official Pleads Guilty in Contracts Case, WS Journal

"A former high-ranking National Aeronautics and Space Administration official pleaded guilty in Mississippi to designing contracts that netted him more than $270,000 in illegal profits. Liam P. Sarsfield is a former chief deputy engineer in Washington, D.C. ... Mr. Sarsfield will be sentenced June 24. He pleaded guilty to one charge of acts affecting a personal financial interest."

Houston mayor plans visit with NASA chief, Bay Area Citizen

"Houston Mayor Annise Parker will take the community's fight to save the Constellation program straight to NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden next week, while a group of Clear Lake area businessmen will make a similar trip to Washington March 22. Parker's trip to the nation's capital comes as Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership President Bob Mitchell, who will head the Clear Lake delegation, works to rally Texans to save America's manned space flight program."

'NASA-enabled' is new mantra, Huntsville Times

"Late last week, reports said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden was working on a "Plan B" in the face of bipartisan congressional opposition to the Obama plan, but Bolden denied it. Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, has introduced legislation that would keep the space shuttle flying to 2015 and keep parts of Constellation, specifically the Orion crew module and the heavy-lift rocket needed for exploration beyond Earth orbit."

Following criticism, Obama to host NASA forum on 'next steps', The Hill

"While the White House did propose an additional $8 billion for NASA as part of its new budget, some lawmakers are apoplectic that the boost comes at the expense of NASA's Constellation program -- a project commissioned in 2005 by former President George W. Bush, who tasked the agency with plotting a second trip to the Moon."

Its space jobs in jeopardy, Ala. comes a-courtin', Baltimore Sun

"From the Alabama space community, Mikulski received $14,400 from Francisco J. Collazo of COLSA Corp., a contractor on NASA's moon rocket program, and five members of his family, FEC records show. Collazo has also contributed more than $400,000 to Shelby campaigns and committees over the years, Bloomberg News reported in a 2006 article that said Shelby had steered at least $50 million in government earmarks to COLSA. Four members of the 25-member Huntsville task force personally directed $7,300 in contributions to Mikulski's re-election. Three others work for aerospace contractors that have given $14,000 through their political action committees, records show."

Mikulski fundraising shows bipartisan sleaze, Baltimore Sun

"In an excellent expose of how Washington really works, West reveals how President Obama's desire to shut down NASA's program to revisit the moon has turned into a fund-raising bonanza for Maryland's senior senator -- with Republican help."

2010 contributions for Sen. Mikulski, OpenSecets.org

Keith's note: Hmmm - have a look at this map. After Maryland, ($475,650) the next largest contributor to Mikulski's campaign in 2010 (so far) is Alabama. ($78,610). This places Huntsville as the 4th ranking metropolitan area after Baltimore, Washington, and New York - and ahead of Chicago.

A Closer Look at Sen. Shelby, Money, NASA MSFC, and Lobbyists, earlier post

"Collazo Enterprises is a registered Lobbyist in Washington, spending lots of money to influence Congress, yet it apparently has no employees in Huntsville and is owned entirely by Mr. Collazo. Collazo Enterprises owns Colsa. Colsa Corp is Shelby's 16th ranked donor and contributed $21,300 between 2005 and 2010. Collazo Enterprises is ranked #9 among Shelby's donors and made a total of $26,100 in contributions during the same time period. That's a total of $47,400. A number of Colsa employees made a contribution to Shelby on 11 March 2009 as did other spouses, relatives, etc. and lots of people with the last name "Collazo."

Obama plans Florida space summit to defend his vision for NASA, Orlando Sentinel

"In the latest sign that his NASA vision is in peril, President Barack Obama will announce today his plans to host a space summit in Florida on April 15. The move follows weeks of criticism from Congress about his proposal to cancel NASA's Constellation moon-rocket program in favor of an approach that would push NASA engineers to develop new technologies while using commercial rocket companies for future astronaut missions."

President Obama to Host Space Conference in Florida in April, White House

"The President, along with top officials and other space leaders, will discuss the new course the Administration is charting for NASA and the future of U.S. leadership in human space flight. Specifically, the conference will focus on the goals and strategies in this new vision, the next steps, and the new technologies, new jobs, and new industries it will create. Conference topics will include the implications of the new strategy for Florida, the nation, and our ultimate activities in space."

Keith's note: Apparently no one does fact checking for NBC's Jay Barbree any more. In this video he says that NASA has spent "$10 billion" on the Constellation program and that NASA Is "close to completing it". He also claims that it would cost "$5 to 6 Billion to shut this program down" and that "70 to 100,000" NASA and contractor jobs would be lost. He also claims that "Mission Control would go dark in Houston at the Manned Spacecraft Center ... as well as installations in California and Utah." He then says "America will be going to third, fourth, and fifth place" in space. As for where the policy came from he says "I cannot find anybody to tell me that President Obama's fingerprints are on this [plan] ... the only fingerprints that I know are on this plan are from lower level bureaucrats." In closing he says "We need to get to the bottom of this because pretty soon we could be killing a lot of astronauts".

After 50 years of NASA, we must not leave space, Sen Hutchison

"If President Obama has his way, the U.S. will retire the space shuttle program later this year, just as the International Space Station is finally complete and without a viable alternative to take its place. America has spent billions of dollars building and maintaining the space station. Now that it is complete, the Obama budget plan ensures that we will no longer have easy access to it."

NASA's plan B(olden), Nature

"America's space agency seems to be in a right old state at the moment. NASA was already on the back foot after President Obama announced the cancellation of its planned replacement for the Space Shuttle (which should normally be prefixed with the word 'aging' or 'antiquated'). Now it seems to be putting out mixed messages about using private companies to get American's into space instead."

NASA's varied missions worthy of full budget support, William S. Smith Jr, Washington Post

"The goals of NASA's space science program are unequivocal and far-reaching. These missions rewrite textbooks regularly. NASA deserves great credit for its sustained commitment to space science. While there are a handful of celestial bodies accessible to human visitation, our scientific horizons are limitless. NASA's budget request for fiscal 2011 should be strongly supported."

Building a technology showcase, interview with Wallace Wood, National Space & Technology Association, Houston Chronicle

"What I'm looking to do is to hold a world-class conference that includes the public. That goes beyond just mere businesses coming together. I want to bring the public into it. In my mind you have this industry that's designing the future. At the end of the day, we're all consumers. That industry needs the consumer to keep it viable and strong. I think that a public that is included and informed in the process makes for an accountable industry."

Keith's 3 March note: AA for Public Affairs Morrie Goodman has been reassigned to be a special assistant to the administrator of NASA. Bob Jacobs is the acting AA for Public Affairs.

The automotive industry has faced hardships in recent times, but it can and will survive by renewing itself through innovation. After enduring a $14.6 billion loss in 2008, Ford reported a $2.7 billion profit in 2009 and applied for a total of 119 patents for the 2010 Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid. Clearly, now more than ever, inventive thinking is key to any automaker’s success. In the process, automotive engineers have not gone it alone — collaborations with various scientific disciplines continue to inspire and reinvent the design of safer and more efficient vehicles.