Thursday’s CSExtra finds an unusually large number of reports and commentary on Wednesday’s Senate Commerce Science and Transportation Committee hearing on the White House space policy. Universally, the focus was the opposition from the first and last Apollo astronauts to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan. Thursday’s CSExtra presents a selection of the reports. Also, emotions run high as shuttle Atlantis nears a final lift off on Friday at 2:20 p.m., EDT. Weather outlook favorable.
1. From the New York Times: Armstrong and Cernan oppose the cancellation of Constellation though briefed privately last week on the White House strategy by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Armstrong, who rarely speaks in public, was especially troubled by a lack of review given the plan before it was rolled out in February. “Lack of review normally guarantees that there will be overlooked requirements and unwelcome consequences,” he cautioned.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/13/science/space/13nasa.html?scp=2&sq=NASA&st=cse
2. From the Washington Post: White House plans still lacks specifics, say Armstrong and Cernan.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/12/AR2010051204404.html
3. From Time Magazine: Moon walkers oppose Obama space plan, “In terms of Senate hearings, this one had all the right stuff: high stakes, passionate speeches, shutdowns and as if that weren’t enough, astronauts with a score to settle. Not just any old astronauts either.”
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1989024,00.html?xid=rss-topstories#ixzz0nnktODeF
4. From the Public Broadcasting Systems News Hour on Wednesday. Neil Armstrong criticizes Presidential space strategy.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/jan-june10/nasa_05-12.html
5. From Space.com: Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong tells Senate panel that President Obama was poorly advised on his space exploration strategy. Armstrong worries that commercial providers cannot provide reliable transportation without cost overruns and technical problems.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/news/neil-armstrong-nasa-plan-senate-100512.html
6. From Spaceflightnow.com: In Senate testimony, Cernan says he was told by Bolden during a briefing last week that commercial providers might require a bailout on a scale with those afforded General Motors and Chrysler and possibly the largest federal bailout in history. The NASA Administrator told lawmakers this was not the way he recalled the briefing.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1005/12hearing/
A. From Spacepolitics.com: The websites takes focus on the conflicting quotes from Cernan and Bolden on a commercial space “bailout.” Spacepolitics notes a “bailout” on the scale of GM’s is improbable.
http://www.spacepolitics.com/2010/05/13/clash-of-the-bailout-quotes/
B. From Spacepolicyonline.com: However, Bolden assures the Senate panel he’ll do all in his power to assure the commercial space transportation providers succeed with NASA’s help.
http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/pages/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=893:bolden-will-do-everything-in-my-power-to-make-commercial-launch-companies-succeed&catid=67:news&Itemid=27
7. From The Hill: U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, urges colleagues not to think of NASA’s mission as a jobs program. The agency needs to change to improve its research and development, Rockefeller says during authorization hearing on Wednesday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/97559-rockefeller-nasa-budget-not-just-about-jobs
8. From MSNBC and Cosmic Log’s Alan Boyle: White House strategy likely concocted in secrecy, Apollo astronauts allege.
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/05/12/2311971.aspx
9. From the Orlando Sentinel: Criticism from Apollo veterans, evidence of a stalemate over Obama’s space policy.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/os-nelson-nasa-hearing-20100512,0,4476090.story
10. From Florida Today: In an editorial, Florida Today calls on policy makers to strike a compromise on space policy. They note an urgency with the impending retirement of NASA’s shuttle program.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100513/BREAKINGNEWS/305130006/1006/NEWS01/Our+views++Obama%E2%80%99s+NASA+plan+in+limbo+as+Congress+fights+his+proposals
11. From the Houston Chronicle: White House space plan hastily concocted and ill conceived.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/7002563.html
12. From Bloomberg News: Obama’s space plan places U.S. dominance at risk, says Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aZOPNEHLHH1I
13. From MSNBC: An extension of International Space Station operations under the White House space strategy could include experiments with artificial gravity, produced by a centrifuge, to determine whether it prevents the bone and muscle loss that accompanies long periods of weightlessness.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37120546/
14. From the Associated Press via yahoo.com: A scene setter for Atlantis, poised to lift off on its final mission. Passes for launch a hot ticket, while pins and patches “fly off the shelf.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100512/ap_on_sc/us_space_shuttle_atlantis
A. A self-professed “social media addict” heads to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for a “tweet up” and to watch Atlantis lift off on a final mission.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/science/space/article1094483.ece
B. From Collectspace.com: Atlantis loaded with memorabilia for final flight.
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-051210a.html
C. From Space.com: How to spot Atlantis in the night sky as the winged ship soars for the final time.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/spacewatch/last-chance-to-spot-shuttle-atlantis-100512.html
To subscribe to CSExtra via RSS feed click here.
If you would prefer to receive CSExtra in e-mail format, e-mail us at Info@space.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
Brought to you by the Coalition for Space Exploration, CSExtra is a daily compilation of space industry news selected from hundreds of online media resources. The Coalition is not the author or reporter of any of the stories appearing in CSExtra and does not control and is not responsible for the content of any of these stories. The content available through CSExtra contains links to other websites and domains which are wholly independent of the Coalition, and the Coalition makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or authenticity of the information contained in any such site or domain and does not pre-screen or approve any content. The Coalition does not endorse or receive any type of compensation from the included media outlets and is not responsible or liable in any way for any content of CSExtra or for any loss, damage or injury incurred as a result of any content appearing in CSExtra. For information on the Coalition, visit www.space.com or contact us via e-mail at Info@space.com.