NASA Safety Panel Estimates Significant Delays for Starship HLS spacepolicyonline.com/news/nasa-sa...

This busy week begins in about two hours (2:30 pm ET) with the first of two NASA/NOAA news conf abt the upcoming launch of 3 space wx probes on Tues. Tmrw-a new astronaut class is announced. And more! What’s Happening in Space Policy September 21-27, 2025 spacepolicyonline.com/news/whats-h...

Shutdown Showdown September 2025: The State of Play 10 Days Out spacepolicyonline.com/news/shutdow...

VIPER Might Have A New Ride to the Moon on Blue Origin spacepolicyonline.com/news/viper-m...

NASA has selected Blue Origin to deliver VIPER to the lunar surface in late 2027 as a second CLPS mission. www.nasa.gov/news-release...

Shutdown showdown status: the House passed the Republican CR. The Senate rejected the House CR and the Dem alternative. Senate will be back Sept 29. Speaker Johnson sent the House home till Oct 1 to force S to adopt their CR or there’ll be a shutdown. 1/2

The House passed the Republican CR (thru Nov 21) 217-212 this morning by an almost party-line vote (2 Rs opposed, 1 D in favor). The Senate is expected to take it up today as well as the Democratic alternative. 60 votes are needed in the Senate rather than a simple majority.

The Aerospace Corporation announces that Tanya Pemberton will be its next president and CEO, succeeding Steve Isakowitz. She's currently his deputy. Isakowitz said in March he would retire this year. His last day is Oct 17. aerospace.org/press-releas...

NASA's press release confirming NG-23 will arrive at ISS tomorrow (Thurs) morning. Problem ystrdy was: "an early warning system initiated a shutdown command and ended the main engine burn because of a conservative safeguard in the software settings." www.nasa.gov/blogs/spaces...

[reposting] NASA's list of events shows the Cygnus NG-23 cargo spacecraft arriving at the ISS tomorrow (Thursday) morning, but I haven't seen a press release or other announcement confirming that or saying how they solved the propulsion problem.

A little bit ago the House passed the Rule providing for consideration of the Republican-written CR that lasts thru Nov 21. A House vote on the bill itself is expected Friday. House & Senate Democrats just introduced their version, thru Oct 31: democrats-appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

A coalition of groups led by the Planetary Society has sent a letter to Congress urging that an "anomaly" be included in the CR to keep NASA missions operating that are proposed for termination in the President's Budget Request (PBR). www.planetary.org/press-releas...

Cygnus Cargo Ship Enroute to ISS Experiences Propulsion Anomalies spacepolicyonline.com/news/cygnus-...

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus NS-23 has encountered a propulsion problem. Arrival at ISS will be delayed while NASA and NG decide what to do. New arrival date TBD. www.nasa.gov/blogs/spaces...

The top Dems on H and S Approps cmtes (DeLauro and Murray) say just-introduced CR, developed by Republicans w/o Democratic input, is a "Step Toward a Shutdown." democrats-appropriations.house.gov/news/press-r... H and S Dem leaders (Jeffries, Schumer) say Dems will oppose it. x.com/AndrewDeside...

Reps. Judy Chu (D-CA) and Don Bacon (R-NE) issued a press release today saying they and others had sent a letter to H App yesterday urging them to include language in the CR protecting NASA at its FY2025 level. chu.house.gov/media-center...

House Appropriations has filed a CR that would keep the government open through November 21. appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

Sean Duffy re NASA in Fox News: "the budget ensures taxpayers' money drives real exploration rather than endless delays and waste." "Bloated bureaucracy, inefficiencies in contract procurement and a culture of overcaution have consistently grounded NASA missions." x.com/SecDuffyNASA...

The week starts in just a couple of hours at 6:11 pm ET (Sunday) with the launch of Northrop Grumman's NG-23 Cygnus. Very busy from there on out. What’s Happening in Space Policy September 14-20, 2025 spacepolicyonline.com/news/whats-h...

#NASA #Cygnus #NG23 Via Northrop Grumman: A chart with the launch profile for the 6:11 PM EDT launch attempt on 14 September, 2025

#NASA #Cygnus #NG23 Here's an infographic of the NG23 Cargo mission to the ISS, set for a 6:11 PM EDT Launch attempt on Sunday, September 14th, 2025.

This is the letter sent by NASA GSFC Associate Center Director to the local Union President regarding cessation of union activities at GSFC. NASA Wallops employees got an identical letter. The wording matches a letter that was sent by the JSC Center Director. More: nasawatch.com/personnel-ne...

Contractor employees at NASA Goddard have started to receive layoff notices this week.

House Appropriators Approve FY2026 Budget for NASA spacepolicyonline.com/news/house-a...

LIFTOFF! of Progress MS-32 cargo ship to the ISS from Baikonur. (NASA calls it Progress 93.)

House Passes FY2026 NDAA spacepolicyonline.com/news/house-p...

House Approps passed the CJS bill (NASA, NOAA) tonight. No major changes for NASA, but the manager's amendment expresses support for a number of programs. x.com/AppropsAmend...

The House passed the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act today 231-196. The amendment that would have overturned the requirement to move "a space vehicle" -- presumbly Space Shuttle Discovery -- to Texas was not among those allowed to be considered on the floor.

Mars Samples Must Be Returned To Earth to Prove If Life Existed There spacepolicyonline.com/news/mars-sa...

NASA confirms that Ryan Whitley has left the agency as of today. He is credited (or criticized, depending on one's viewpoint) with the very recent reformulation of the Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program.

China proposes flyby mission to asteroid Apophis during 2029 Earth encounter Chinese scientists are proposing using a pathfinder spacecraft to make a flyby of asteroid Apophis when it makes a close approach to Earth in 2029.

So it begins- two days of talking space security and stability at the Conference on Disarmament here in Geneva @swfoundation.bsky.social @unidir.org #OS25

Office of Space Commerce loses 40% of budget in rescission The Commerce Department has moved to rescind 40% of the current-year funding for the Office of Space Commerce.

NASA IG rpt on Dragonfly notes $1B cost increase was due to NASA mgmt decisions that req APL to replan the mission 4 times. (NASA SMD ldrshp has often said the cost overrun probs didn't originate at APL). But IG says NASA's concerned about accuracy of APL's EVM system. x.com/NASAOIG/stat...

NASA invites you to send your name around the Moon on Artemis II. www.nasa.gov/news-release...

This will be an exciting announcement. But Perseverance is facing a 23% budget cut to operations in FY 2026 that will directly impact the ability to make more discoveries like this going forward. www.nasa.gov/news-release...

For those who wish to listen to the 10 September #NASA Mars 2020 Rover Perseverance announcement, here's the #YouTube Link www.youtube.com/watch?v=-StZ...

NASA will hold a media telecon on Wed., Sept 10, 11:00 am ET, to discuss a rock sampled by Mars Perseverance last yr called "Sapphire Canyon." Must be a big deal bc Acting NASA Admin Sean Duffy will participate along with Science AA Nicky Fox. www.nasa.gov/news-release...

Pick of the wk has to be the H Approps markup of the CJS bill on Wed., but several really good conferences are on tap too, incl the AAS Glenn Space Tech Symp in Cleveland/virtual. What’s Happening in Space Policy September 7-13, 2025 spacepolicyonline.com/news/whats-h...

ICYMI, intrstng op-ed in Space News on Tues (before Jim Bridenstine's testimony on same topic that angered Sean Duffy) on why US very likely won't beat China back to the Moon on the present course. By Loverro, Cooke and Dumbacher. spacenews.com/we-led-nasas... Snip:

FYI, next week the House will take up "The SPACE Act of 2025" (HR 3424), but it's not about the space program. It's the "Shared Property Agency Collaboration and Engagement Act of 2025" requiring GSA to collaborate with federal tenants with respect to shared-space arrangements.

SecDef Hegseth is out with a list of presidential nominations for various military promotions, including four for the U.S. Space Force. www.defense.gov/News/Release...

There will be another “Save NASA” protest at #NASA Headquarters on Monday Sept. 15th. This is the third “Save NASA” protest in Washington, DC. nasawatch.com/activism/ano...

House Approps will markup the CJS bill that funds NASA and NOAA next Wednesday, Sept 10, at 10:00 am ET.

Duffy: “I’ll Be Damned” If U.S. Doesn’t Beat China Back to the Moon spacepolicyonline.com/news/duffy-i...

NASA's media telecon on IMAP and Carruthers should start momentariliy on NASA Live: www.youtube.com/watch?v=o45m...

New GAO Report on priority open recommendations for NASA. GAO identified 5 priority recommendations in June 2024; NASA implemented two. No new ones since then, so this rpt is about the remaining three from last year. www.gao.gov/products/gao...

Senators Insist Artemis Must Get America Back to the Moon Before China spacepolicyonline.com/news/senator...

If you missed the Senate Commerce Cmte hearing on the space race with China, Gene's got you covered! Did another great job of live-tweeting it. Thanks, Gene.

If our elected leaders truly believe we're in a new space race with China, then we cannot afford to abandon space science. Read the NEW OP-ED by me and Maxwell Zhu today in Payload Space: payloadspace.com/op-ed-space-...