Author Topic: National Space Council Reestablished  (Read 98094 times)

Offline AncientU

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #60 on: 10/05/2017 11:04 am »
Here's the roster:
Quote
Full list of participants in Thursday's National Space Council meeting.
https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/915654776402178048

Only 45 minutes for civil space, 30 minutes each for commercial and military!!!
Seems a total waste of time for such high level participants... 
What of substance can you do with three panelists (assuming each makes a statement) and then discussions/Q&A with council?
(Bad omen for style over substance.)

Yes, certainly. Did you expect anything different?

Hoping more than expecting...
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Offline AncientU

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #61 on: 10/05/2017 11:54 am »
Quote
In the years to come, American industry must be the first to maintain a constant commercial human presence in low-Earth orbit, to expand the sphere of the economy beyond this blue marble.​

To achieve these goals, the National Space Council will look beyond the halls of government for insight and expertise. In the coming weeks, President Trump and I will assemble a Users’ Advisory Group partly composed of leaders from America’s burgeoning commercial space industry. Business is leading the way on space technology, and we intend to draw from the bottomless well of innovation to solve the challenges ahead.

This is the most interesting part in my mind.

If panel composition is any indication, Boeing, LM, OrbitalATK are civil space in organizer's mind, SpaceX, Blue, and SN are commercial.
« Last Edit: 10/05/2017 11:55 am by AncientU »
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Offline gosnold

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #62 on: 10/05/2017 12:41 pm »
Quote
Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust
At the Udvar-Hazy Center for today’s National Space Council meeting.  A not-unexpected backdrop:


This picture would fit nicely in the opening credits of the TV series American Gods

Offline AncientU

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #63 on: 10/05/2017 01:21 pm »
ArsTechnica article:
Quote
It’s official: Trump administration turns NASA back toward the Moon

Quote
Left unsaid is how NASA will get humans to the Moon and (eventually, probably decades from now) Mars. He does not mention NASA's Space Launch System rocket nor the Orion spacecraft in his op-ed, both of which are the agency's flagship programs for sending humans into deep space.

Rather, Pence cites the need to "look beyond the halls of government for insight and expertise." He mentions an advisory group composed of commercial space leaders and says, "business is leading the way on space technology, and we intend to draw from the bottomless well of innovation to solve the challenges ahead."

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/10/its-official-trump-administration-turns-nasa-back-toward-the-moon/
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Offline Chris Bergin

Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #64 on: 10/05/2017 02:07 pm »
Opening remarks from Discovery? :)
« Last Edit: 10/05/2017 02:17 pm by Chris Bergin »
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Online zubenelgenubi

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #65 on: 10/05/2017 02:17 pm »
NASM Director Jack Dailey opening the session and introducing VP Pence.

Both NASA TV channels are showing this; the EVA coverage on Channel 3 has been pre-empted.

(EVA coverage continues at https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive .)

(I can't provide consistent coverage this morning, but I'll do what I can.)
« Last Edit: 10/05/2017 02:31 pm by zubenelgenubi »
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Offline Chris Bergin

Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #66 on: 10/05/2017 02:31 pm »
"We will return American astronauts to the Moon. Not only to leave footprints (but as a training ground for Mars)." So that's lunar landings, not just the DSG or fly bys.
« Last Edit: 10/05/2017 02:31 pm by Chris Bergin »
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Offline Chris Bergin

Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #67 on: 10/05/2017 02:38 pm »
The guests for this panel are from Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Orbital ATK.

This is going to be mainly about SLS, Orion and the Starliner side of Commercial Space then!

« Last Edit: 10/05/2017 02:44 pm by Chris Bergin »
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Offline sanman

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Offline Chris Bergin

Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #69 on: 10/05/2017 03:11 pm »
SpaceX, Blue Origin and SNC next.

"There is a renaissance in space right now" - Ms. Shotwell.
« Last Edit: 10/05/2017 03:15 pm by Chris Bergin »
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Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #70 on: 10/05/2017 04:01 pm »
Based on input from commercial panel, particularly SpaceX but also Blue Origin, VP Pence has just set an action for some of the council to look at streamlining regulation and report back for the next council meeting (within 45 days).

OMB representative on the council mentioned that they've already requested the SpaceX whitepaper on (de-)regulation which Gwynne Shotwell mentioned in her testimony.

So I think Gwynne will think her attendance today worthwhile!
« Last Edit: 10/05/2017 04:02 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline AncientU

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #71 on: 10/05/2017 04:13 pm »
Here's the roster:
Quote
Full list of participants in Thursday's National Space Council meeting.
https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/915654776402178048

Only 45 minutes for civil space, 30 minutes each for commercial and military!!!
Seems a total waste of time for such high level participants... 
What of substance can you do with three panelists (assuming each makes a statement) and then discussions/Q&A with council?
(Bad omen for style over substance.)

Yes, certainly. Did you expect anything different?

Hoping more than expecting...

I underestimated the potential for these brief panels; the panelists have been excellent -- would be a good place to start building an Advisory Committee.  They are deep into the meat of where we are in space and the risks/opportunities.
"If we shared everything [we are working on] people would think we are insane!"
-- SpaceX friend of mlindner

Online Svetoslav

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #72 on: 10/05/2017 04:20 pm »
Very well :)

Now... will anybody agree with me? Man on the Moon is way, way more exciting than man on an asteroid :) And a lunar lander looks more sexy than an asteroid lander or... an asteroid rock redirect mission?

Let's hope the new vision won't be the old Apollo on steroids though...
« Last Edit: 10/05/2017 04:21 pm by Svetoslav »

Offline Chris Bergin

Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #73 on: 10/05/2017 04:42 pm »
Well it was very wide-ranging. Certainly worth watching a repeat when the video is up.
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Online zubenelgenubi

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #74 on: 10/05/2017 04:49 pm »
Closed the event with The Washington Post March!
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Offline Chris Bergin

Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #75 on: 10/05/2017 05:19 pm »
NASA:

The following is a statement from acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot about the results from the first meeting of the National Space Council on Thursday:

“It was my pleasure today to attend the first meeting of the new National Space Council. The council includes government leaders from civil and military space, and the group also heard from space industry leaders. The council has historic roots in the earliest days of the Space Age, and it has been established by the president to streamline and coordinate national space policy.

“The council is chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, who continues to demonstrate extraordinary interest in our work. In fact, he recently visited the Marshall Space Flight Center, Johnson Space Center and the Kennedy Space Center. He addressed the workforce at our centers with great passion and introduced our new astronaut candidates class. At today’s meeting he made it clear that space is a national priority.

“The vice president also announced a call for renewed U.S. leadership in space – with a recommendation to the president that NASA help lead and shape the way forward. Specifically, NASA has been directed to develop a plan for an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system, returning humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations.

“The recommendation to the president would modify the existing National Space Policy to provide focus and direction to some of NASA’s current activities and plans, and remove a previous guideline that NASA should undertake a human mission to an asteroid as the next human spaceflight milestone beyond low-Earth orbit. The National Space Council acknowledged the strategic importance of cis-lunar space -- the region around the Moon -- which will serve as a proving ground for missions to Mars and beyond and advance our stepping stone approach to going farther into the solar system. Based on a number of conversations I’ve had with the council, we have highlighted a number of initiatives underway in this important area, including a study of an orbital gateway or outpost that could support a sustained cadence of robotic and human missions, as well as ensuing human missions to the lunar and Mars surfaces, and other destinations.

“The direction builds on the hard work we have already been doing on the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, our efforts to enable our commercial partners and work with our international partners in low-Earth orbit at the International Space Station, and what we have been learning from our current robotic presence at the Moon and Mars. It adds further definition to the exploration plan we have been implementing, and strengthens and provides a context for studies and planning efforts underway across our human spaceflight, science and technology directorates. Among new areas, we will work with industry and the international community on robotic lunar landers that explore the nature of the Moon and its resources, such as water.

“We have already been planning human missions to cis-lunar space beginning with Exploration Mission-2, and with the upcoming budget process, we will look to solidify this work with our new goals in place.

“Working in close coordination across government through the new National Space Council, and with our commercial and international partners, we are going to chart a new future in space with opportunities for all.”

-end-
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Offline sanman

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #76 on: 10/05/2017 05:44 pm »


« Last Edit: 10/05/2017 07:36 pm by sanman »

Offline UltraViolet9

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #77 on: 10/05/2017 06:46 pm »

There seems to be a disconnect between VP Pence's WSJ op-ed and Lightfoot's press release.  The White House appears focused on American astronauts on the Moon while NASA is pushing everything else (ISS, SLS/Orion, DSG, robotic landers) without clearly committing to US boots on regolith.

I'm not saying whether that's good or bad.  Such discussion is for the Space Policy board.  But if confirmed, it looks like Bridenstine will have to put considerable effort into turning the ship that is NASA human space flight in the direction that the White House wants to go.

Offline Star One

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #78 on: 10/05/2017 07:41 pm »
All I can say to this is good, shame it’s about a decade late.

It’s official: Trump administration turns NASA back toward the Moon

Quote
"We will refocus America's space program toward human exploration and discovery," Pence wrote. "That means launching American astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time since 1972. It means establishing a renewed American presence on the Moon, a vital strategic goal. And from the foundation of the Moon, America will be the first nation to bring mankind to Mars."

There are several notable phrases in there. The first, "on the Moon," is fairly obvious. In recent years NASA has talked about sending humans to a space station near the Moon but not landing astronauts there. Second, Pence identifies America as the "first nation" to send humans to Mars. This raises questions about the extent to which such a venture, which almost certainly must ultimately have international support to succeed across multiple administrations, will be cast as an international venture.

Finally, Pence refers to bringing "mankind" to Mars, rather than the more inclusive "humankind." This is curious, because when Pence visited Houston to introduce the 2017 astronaut class, five of the 12 candidates were women, as was half of the 2013 class.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/10/its-official-trump-administration-turns-nasa-back-toward-the-moon/?amp=1

Online Svetoslav

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Re: National Space Council Reestablished
« Reply #79 on: 10/05/2017 08:01 pm »
All I can say to this is good, shame it’s about a decade late.

While I agree with you generally (the Moon is the only realistic goal, and Mars is a dream for the more distant future), it's way more important to stick to one destination, commit to it for a period longer than a presidential term (that's it, 4-5 years), allocate funds and what's most important, start to work on dedicated hardware.

After three administrations switched (Bush-Obama-Trump) it was clear that we should go beyond LEO, but it was never decided where to. To go to the Moon in the Constellation way looked boring (we repeat Apollo again), going to asteroid seemed uninspiring, and Mars (the ultimate goal) - still distant in the future, in 2030 at the earliest.

The result of all this is that we have production of SLS hardware, as well as the Orion spaceship. This allow us to go beyond LEO, but there aren't a lot of choices. Perhaps we'll live to see a mission to the orbit of the Moon. Maybe touristic circumlunar voyages.

But the entry descend and landing hardware was never developed - either for the Moon or Mars. So if we commit to a lunar landing, it will take some years to develop the lander.

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