LIVE: Full Senate Committe Hearing - March 7, 2012

[psloss]

My favorite depressing line from Dr. Tyson in the hearing -- "...I'm not going to turn around and say the country has problems because we're not training our children, I'm going to say the country has problems because not enough adults understand what these arguments are."

[QuantumG]

The alternate explanation is that his arguments are nonsense and sensible adults who hear them reject them as such.

[yg1968]

We need the linked statements and the webcast archive when available.

Hearing over.

Here is the archived webcast:
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Hearings&ContentRecord_id=a2593bd3-8859-4e7d-869d-7e670a654664&ContentType_id=14f995b9-dfa5-407a-9d35-56cc7152a7ed&Group_id=b06c39af-e033-4cba-9221-de668ca1978a

The Bolden testimony:
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/?a=Files.Serve&File_id=265e0d7f-b487-46c3-95e7-84b3adb023bf

The deGrasse Tyson testimony:
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/?a=Files.Serve&File_id=a602152c-2050-4e4e-bdca-c02b0229d0e9

[yg1968]

I thought that Bolden did very well in defending commercial crew today. A few things that I got from the hearing is that the Administration is now trying to sell commercial crew as necessary in order to spur an industry and not just for the ISS. Bolden made it very clear that he wanted at least 2 providers and I don't think that he will be back down from this even if it means commercial crew being late (e.g. commercial crew being pushed to 2018). 

As a side note, the fact that Marco Rubio came out supporting commercial crew and cargo is important. He is considered a rising star among Republicans.

[robertross]

The deGrasse Tyson testimony:
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/?a=Files.Serve&File_id=a602152c-2050-4e4e-bdca-c02b0229d0e9

Thanks for the links.

I consider the above linked PDF 'required reading' for all Americans, especially politicians - not just space enthusiasts.

What an incredibly accurate & inspiring speech. I wish the powers that be could see the benefits that 'dreaming big' can provide.

[STS Tony]

Thanks for the coverage! Bolden really is becoming a much stronger speaker at these events. He needs to be, as there's some strong Senators there too.

[Peter NASA]

Thanks for the coverage! Bolden really is becoming a much stronger speaker at these events. He needs to be, as there's some strong Senators there too.

A huge amount of coaching has been invested in him.

[rdale]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xhc25v0DpJc&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Xhc25v0DpJc&rel=1</a>

[notsorandom]

Thanks for posting that Rdale. I was able to catch the first part of the hearing but was unable to watch Dr. Tyson's testimony. Wow looks like I missed the best part!

[robertross]

Thanks for posting that Rdale. I was able to catch the first part of the hearing but was unable to watch Dr. Tyson's testimony. Wow looks like I missed the best part!

I want to be on his team. Dream big, but not really asking for a lot, yet it could return so much more. What's not to like?

[zerm]

Bolden and KBH had a good scrum and KBH came out unscratched (politically). It's important to keep in mind (and I'm saying it again for those who may have lost sight of the overall concept) that all NASA Administrators serve at the pleasure of THE PRESIDENT. Thus, the Obama administration works in part in conjunction with the agency in the process of development of the their budget that is then placed into the the President's overall budget proposal. If items in that proposal to Congress are not in line with what the Congress wants, the Administrator is called upon to sit and defend the items. Charlie is there by forced to do his best to, for lack of a better word on my part, "cover" for his president's proposal. If you go back and watch the replay, you'll see a lot of that. It's done by circle talk, changing subjects, and cranking up emotions.

The biggest issue that I was looking for in both hearings was the slight of hand that took place in reducing SLS/Orion Development funding while increasing "Commercial" funding. 51D explained this quite well a few weeks ago. The subject came up in both the Senate and the House. Gen. Bolden, of course, could not reply other than to spin and cover. Of course this basic sort of stuff has taken place with all other presidents and all other congresses in every budget.

Bottom line is that this is a "process" and what we saw in these hearning is only the second step. There is a lot more to come in the process.

[Robotbeat]

Bolden and KBH had a good scrum and KBH came out unscratched (politically).
...

And can you imagine the outrage if KBH didn't? If Bolden attacked KBH the same way Congress attacked Bolden?

NASA can't "call out" Senators. That'd be political and attacked (rightly?) as a politicization of NASA.

That's why these hearings are ALWAYS fairly one-sided. No matter if it's Bolden, Griffin, etc.