LIVE: Full Senate Committe Hearing - March 7, 2012

[Chris Bergin]

And the webcast is up. Anyone got a VLC link? (Edit, it's Flash, so I'll do it the old fashioned way )
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Home

[Chris Bergin]

Starting.

[Chris Bergin]

General Bolden by himself at the moment.

Sen Nelson making a point about ISS transition to utilization.

[Chris Bergin]

Sen Nelson notes AMS.

On Shuttle Retirement:

"When we lost Columbia in 2003 we were told we should fly only as long as it would take to build the ISS and replace it with a safer rocket"

Notes inline rockets with LAS as those safer rockets.

[Chris Bergin]

Sen Nelson:

"STS-135 was carried out to PERFECTION, to PERFECTION (he said it like that), despite that workforce knowing they were about to be sacked."

Notes EFT-1: "Orion will launch in two years" - SLS engine testing. KSC refurbishment. $400m of modernization over the next seven months.

[Chris Bergin]

Sen Nelson is really perky on this all - really enjoying this!

Notes Kepler. Notes MSL.

"This thing is amazing, it's the size of a VW. It has two eyes! It's got a scooper! It's got a beam that's going to zap rocks."

[Chris Bergin]

Sen Nelson:

FY13 is a flat budget, which is actually good as most agencies got wacked.

Going to talk about the Chinese hacking into NASA.

"FY13 Leaves us with some tough choices, but security can't be on the chopping block".

Dr Tyson will be on "the second panel" - so we get General Bolden and Dr Tyson in two parts.

[spectre9]

KBH now on 

"The actions don't seem to be following the words of the agreement"

Should get interesting from here.

[QuantumG]

Should get interesting from here.

Relatively

[Chris Bergin]

Lots of praise for Sen Hutchison, from Sen Nelson, and that praise is returned.

Sen Hutchison:

Notes she was at JSC and met some cub scouts, who asked why NASA is giving up on spaceflight.

"We not giving up, our Shuttles were wearing out (careful Senator! )..." noting how Auth 2010 has SLS and Orion BEO, COTS to ISS, CCDev to ISS, JWST dev.

BUT:

"Admin, the actions don't seem to be following the words. We want not only the words, but the actions"

Notes the agreeement (finally) on SLS.

"FY13 was the opportunity to review, which gives me great concern and the commitment."

"I think we have the available funds, but it's a question on how we implement them. I have questions about the amounts requested/commercial crew. I want to hear what you have to say". (Uh oh!)

[Martin FL]

Hutchison's got Bolden sweating!

[Chris Bergin]

Sen Hutchison:

Dr Ting gets a mention for AMS. Noting how the fought for AMS, "a future that was vital for the future."

Lots of Dark Matter talk, including relevate to Mars missions.

[QuantumG]

"Hutchison: AMS will help us determine what the dark matter is "and how we can harness it", such as for a Mars settlement (?!)" - Jeff Foust (Twitter)

"Message to the Universe: NASA did not invent Velcro, Teflon, or Tang." - Alan Ladwig (Twitter)

[Chris Bergin]

Sen Hutchison: "I am commited that we go in the right direction. I so believe in NASA and it's potential for our country. I want to make sure we don't fudge NASA.

"I hope we can work together to address the concerns. I am commited to commercial, but not against the vehicle. I think you know how I feel."

[Chris Bergin]

Sen Nelson: "OMB thinks it's been running the space program for the last decade. Fortunately that's starting to change."

Bolden on!