Author Topic: Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Hearing on  (Read 35245 times)

Offline Aeroman

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« Last Edit: 03/28/2012 06:37 pm by Chris Bergin »

Offline Chris Bergin

Thanks for the heads up!

Webcast link:
http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/streamc.htm

General Bolden on again.
« Last Edit: 03/28/2012 06:44 pm by Chris Bergin »
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Offline Chris Bergin

Trying to compare STS-1 with the TPS tiles - as he worked on them - with the delays to commercial companies.

Lawmakers again wanting to fund less companies for CCDev :(
« Last Edit: 03/28/2012 06:43 pm by Chris Bergin »
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Offline Chris Bergin

Shuttle was $2b a year if I used it or not. Under commercial we purchase a service.

SLS and Orion underwent rigorous competition. We didn't just take it.

Lawmaker questioning how Bolden will ensure 10 healthy centers. Bolden doesn't like the term. He prefers a very healthy NASA with 10 centers.
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Offline Chris Bergin

Senator Brown notes ESA want to use Plum Brook. Bolden not aware, will check into it.
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Offline Namechange User

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Shuttle was $2b a year if I used it or not. Under commercial we purchase a service.


That is huge spin. 
Enjoying viewing the forum a little better now by filtering certain users.

Offline Chris Bergin

Senator Hutchison on! Sounds frustrated already. Notes the "cutting" of SLS/Orion for Commercial crew.

"Why do you want to cut the future, SLS/Orion, for commercial crew."

Bolden: Notes the achievements already listed. Some are ahead of where they expected to be. Notes 2014 for EFT-1. Wasn't even in the program before. 2017 - I think - for SLS-1. No later than 2021 for a crewed mission (SLS-2). Additional funds would help the 2021 date. Won't impact 2017.

Commercial Crew and Cargo are not one of the priorities, but they are vital to live up to my promise to you on ISS. Without it the gap would continue to increase/rely on the Russians.
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Offline Chris Bergin

Senator Hutchison asking about the money spent on studies, after studies, after studies - to the point it was a year late on the report which worked on the figures (Booz Allen?). Yet the next year we have you cutting the budget, stepping back from the study you ordered.

Intimates it's his excuse not to do SLS/Orion.

Good question actually.

Bolden: It is my hope before you leave congress we'll show it will cost less than the estimates. We have to live within the budget you gave us.....

Hutchison stops him. Says he's trying to save money on SLS but yet wants to additional subsidize commercial companies.

Bolden: We are making progress on SLS/Orion (lists the things we know here ;))

Hutchison: Will that save the money cut?

Bolden: No....

Hutchison: That's what we are talking about though.

Bolden: Notes FY12 was more than they needed by the Booz Allen estimates. No change of dates on SLS/Orion, we've improved them (?).
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Offline Chris Bergin

Senator Mikulski saying there's a lot of skeptisism about his numbers (or what he's saying). Notes Augustine.

Appreciates JWST work. But don't think this is Hubble. If you screw up I can't pull a rabbit out of the hat! (EPIC line! :D)

Notes support for commercial crew and cargo, but concerned it's behind schedule. Not happy about 2017 launch date and ISS to 2020. "Isn't this a hell of a lot of money for a three year effort?"

Bolden: Notes evaluations into extending ISS - to at least 2028. I don't limit to 2020. Notes the need for a US capability asap to make it a true National Lab as Sen Hutchison says, and fly it as long as I can.

Mikulski: Notes the need to use the ISS. We need rockets in the air. When do you think SpaceX will launch cargo.

Bolden: I think they can do April 30. (or the first week in May). Orbital - depending on MARS at Wallops - can't give you hard numbers. Notes the problem is the pad.

Mikulski: I'm very frustrated. Much promised on Wallops. I'm puzzled that for the last eight weeks there's a problem with the launch pad but I don't hear solutions. We need to hear a solution.

Bolden: Will do. Notes he's spoke to Gerst.

Mikulski: But we need to get it going. There's growing frustration. We need to know if this endeavor is a go. The clock is ticking.
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Offline Chris Bergin

Mikulski on telescopes. Notes this area has shown the true American endevours. But what can we afford? Where are we heading with small, medium, large science missions?

Bolden: We're going to continue those missions. NASA has not given up on flagship missions, but we don't have one in place, but JWST and MSL are flagships. SLS/Orion is a flagship mission (first time he's said that!)

Mikulski: But we're funding Santa María's and not Niña's, Pinta's.

Bolden: Lists the likes of Juno and GRAIL - on cost and on schedule. Maven is in work - on cost and on schedule. JWST is a flagship, started out in bad shape, but since replanning, it's on cost and on schedule.

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Offline Chris Bergin

Closing remarks from Mikulski notes allied partners such as Canada and Japan.

"We all need to work together to keep those Santa María's funded, but also the Niña's, Pinta's."

Notes something about additional meetings can be called, and the "mark up" of the bill will be in mid to late April.
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Offline Chris Bergin

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Offline yg1968

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I just finished watching the hearing. One of the highlights of the hearing was the exchange between Hutchison and Bolden on commercial crew. Hutchison suggested to NASA to limit itself to two commercial crew providers (instead of four). She said that the $406 million and another $500 million for FY 2013 should allow them to fund two commercial crew companies. Bolden replied to her (and to Senator Shelby who later asked a similar question) that CCDev had a different objective than CCiCap. CCiCap is an integrated solution whereas CCDev was more funds in order to advance certain capabilities. He didn't really answer the question as to how many providers they would choose. Personally, I was glad that he did not answer that question as I don't think that Congress should be making these type of decisions.
« Last Edit: 03/29/2012 12:55 am by yg1968 »

Online robertross

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Senator Brown notes ESA want to use Plum Brook. Bolden not aware, will check into it.

Some history on Plum Brook that I found (which relates to ESA):

http://facilities.grc.nasa.gov/documents/TOPS/TopPB.pdf

Online robertross

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I love this exchange:

Mikulski: "It cost us $50B to build the Space Station..."
Bolden interjects: "It cost us $100B..."

Offline yg1968

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Another highlight of the Senate appropriation hearing that I forgot to mention. At one point during the hearing, Mikulski shouted "I want to be pleased now!".

But before you get the wrong idea, the reason that she said that is that she was responding to Bolden who said that both of them were pleased to be at the recent inauguration celebration at Wallops but she interjected with anger that she wanted to be pleased now and that she wanted the work on the pad to be completed at Wallops ASAP so that Orbital could launch cargo to the ISS. Context is everything...
« Last Edit: 03/29/2012 06:36 pm by yg1968 »

Offline yg1968

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Another highlight of the Senate appropriation hearing that I forgot to mention. At one point during the hearing, Mikulski shouted "I want to be pleased now!".

But before you get the wrong idea, the reason that she said that is that she was responding to Bolden who said that both of them were pleased to be at the recent inauguration celebration at Wallops but she interjected with anger that she wanted to be pleased now and that she wanted the work on the pad to be completed at Wallops ASAP so that Orbital could launch cargo to the ISS. Context is everything...   
Reminds me of something Jeff Greason said about Congress a couple years ago.

I am surprised Bolden was able to keep a straight face when she said that.

Offline Mark S

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I just finished watching the archived web cast. It seems like once again we have the Administration going off on a tangent regarding SLS/MPCV funding, and once again Congress will be more than willing to put them back on course, the course they all agreed to two years ago.

What will it take to get the Administration to quit tweaking Congress's nose when it comes to NASA's priorities? That seems to be the important question at the moment, not just the shifting of funds about willy-nilly.

Also, Administrator Bolden seemed quite pleased to be facing Sen. Hutchison for the last time. Will he be so pleased once she is gone, and the pro-NASA forces in Congress lose a senior and influential member? Remember that she is on both the authorizing and the appropriating subcommittees for NASA. Who will step up to take her place? Sure, any replacement Senator from Texas will also be pro-NASA, but as a Washington newbie, they will not have nearly the same clout and influence as KBH. And they will be unlikely to be given the same committee seats. Those come with seniority, not just interest.

Mark S.

Offline yg1968

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I suppose that Senator Hutchison will be replaced by Senator Shelby who will become either Chairman or Ranking member on the CJS Appropriation side. Not good.
« Last Edit: 03/30/2012 02:01 pm by yg1968 »

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