Effect of the Government Shutdown on NASA Activities?

[Blackstar]

I am both a space geek and a policy wonk and I don't think any of those things.  None of those is even remotely close to a meaningful question.

I think they're meaningful, which is why I'm amused every time people try to have this conversation without making their opinions about them clear first.

It's like having a conversation about the best kind of car without first establishing who drives and who doesn't. Some people are just going to give really strange answers.

Care to actually answer the questions?

It's good that you're amused. You're not sitting at home unable to do your work because of a political squabble that has nothing to do with you, wondering if you're actually going to get paid, wondering if you're going to be able to make the mortgage payment, wondering how long this is going to last. You're not working on something that is important to the space program, important to NASA, important to the American industrial base, international politics, and the image of the United States abroad and wondering why you're not able to do your job.

But hey, you're amused. Good for you.

[Silmfeanor]

http://www.ibtimes.com/us-government-shutdown-science-curiosity-goes-sleep-flu-monitoring-goes-offline-1412850

“Curiosity will be put in a protective mode for the security of the rover,” NASA spokesman Allard Beutel says. “But no new data-gathering will take place.”

Also, the Hubble Space Telescope will still be running, keeping its eyes on distant galaxies, but no one will be around to analyze the data it collects until the government starts up again, Beutel says.

So, no roving. MAVEN work being stopped. Might miss launch window?

[mheney]

I get to go in today to GSFC to shut my systems down.  A lot of gov't websites (including NASA sites) will be redirected via 302 to point to a single gov't page that is essentially a "closed" sign.  Oc course, since they're cutting off all traffic at the firewall, you wouldn't be able to GET to these sites to get the 302 redirect, but them's the rules.

Then I come back home and do laundry - probably by noon.  We get no more than a half day to close shop unless given an exemption (with justification) to do more.  It's mostly go in, shut things down, water the plants, and get your stuff - see ya whenever.

[Targeteer]

The ISS streaming feed at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/isslivestream.asx is still working as of now. I know they said direct support to the ISS crew would continue but it will be interesting to see how long this stays up and running since it really isn't direct support/

[JohnFornaro]

Of course, no-one ever answers those questions because it would entail actually talking about the issue.

What?  I thought you liked the beachball mission!  Every time I talk about the prioritization of NASA's work, particularly this robotic extravaganza of noi pragmatic utility,, you never engage.

[JohnFornaro]

As a non American, it's none of my business. But this seems absolutely strange.

Do people get the money they are losing today back? Simply being told you won't get paid today is crazy!

Every time this has happened in the past, federal workers get paid in full for their time off.

We have the best government that money can buy.  What the problem is?

[robertross]

This will likely add to the costs of the JWST (or a good way to say it has).

This whole scenario is frustrating, but even more so for the workers & business that will seriously feel its effects, and I feel for them (workers most of all, after all the turmoil of the last few years).

[Lee Jay]

I think the US ISS crew should grab some chocolate, go to the cupola, and have a nice relaxing day of sightseeing.  And when the government starts up, I want some pictures downloaded!

[psloss]

I get to go in today to GSFC to shut my systems down.  A lot of gov't websites (including NASA sites) will be redirected via 302 to point to a single gov't page that is essentially a "closed" sign.  Oc course, since they're cutting off all traffic at the firewall, you wouldn't be able to GET to these sites to get the 302 redirect, but them's the rules.

Starting to see that...main site redirects to http://notice.usa.gov/

But still getting through to some secondary sites.  (At least for the moment.)

[woods170]

http://www.nasa.gov/

Is still up.

Hmm....it wasn't about 7 hours ago. 

It's down allright.

[Chris Bergin]

Lots of tweeting from the NASA accounts saying they are not going to tweet any more for the meantime.

[Chris Bergin]

NASA.gov:

[woods170]

Lots of tweeting from the NASA accounts saying they are not going to tweet any more for the meantime.

Now there's a contradiction in terms.

[Chris Bergin]

Lots of tweeting from the NASA accounts saying they are not going to tweet any more for the meantime.

Now there's a contradiction in terms.

I mean each account is sending one tweet out as notification and that's it.

[Chris Bergin]

KSC contractors saying they are locked out. So KSC has effectively shut down (not sure what critical support activities they would have? Security and such, I assume).

So you can probably guess the likes of Wallops will be impacted. Wonder what that means for Orbital?

[mheney]

I'm wondering if SpaceX is able to continue processing on the SES-8 / F9 1.1 hardware, or will be able to launch during a shutdown.  I suspect the answer is "no" ...

[Scotty]

Just got home from KSC.
We were "permitted" on base this morning to shut down computers and other systems.
What Chris reports is correct.
When this happened 17 years ago, the centers/bases stayed open and contractors continued to work for the three weeks of the shutdown.
This time the NASA centers/bases are shutting down, the contractors have no access to the base, so in effect they are locked out.
Contract employees have the option if taking annual leave or time off with out pay.
Civil Service employees are off work, and have no option to take leave.
All activity at KSC stops at Noon EDT today, for the duration of the shutdown.
Only base "Protective Services" (Security & Fire), along with minimal trades people will be on duty, and only with minimum crews at that.

[mheney]

Sounds just like what's happening at GSFC.

[TexasRED]

Ditto for JSC.  We could come get our stuff and then had to leave. Though contractors that have a home base off-site can work there if have funding still,  no need for a civil servant, all the stuff they need to work etc.

This is silly. Whats humoring me is the news crews at JSC on what's likely to be the most un-eventful day in a while.

[Blackstar]

Had to go to our other building to get my flu shot this morning before heading to work (helping NASA and USAF develop a plan for technology investments for 3D printing in space). Our other building is right on the Mall, so I walked across the street and took this shot.