Pick of the week is the House Appropriations full cmte markup of the CJS (NASA/NOAA) bill on Wed., but lots more happening as usual (maybe Starship IFT-12???). What’s Happening in Space Policy May 9-16, 2026 spacepolicyonline.com/news/whats-h...

House SS&T top Dem Zoe Lofgren calls on NASA to reverse decision to make Brian Hughes "de facto" head of KSC. “We are not going to beat China to the Moon by putting a political operative in charge of launching our astronauts into space." democrats-science.house.gov/news/press-r...

Brian Hughes Returns to NASA in Charge of Kennedy and Wallops Launch Operations spacepolicyonline.com/news/brian-h...

Candy Hansen-Koharcheck was one of my favorite people to interview. She died last month, after nearly 50 years in planetary science. I wrote about her enthusiasm for capturing cosmic wonder and sharing it with everyone on Earth, for @sciencenews.bsky.social: www.sciencenews.org/article/spac...

Another new Artemis Accords signatory: Paraguay. www.state.gov/releases/off... 3 in one week! NASA's been a bit slower than State to issue press releases about them, but here are the two from Monday: Malta and Ireland. www.nasa.gov/missions/art... www.nasa.gov/missions/art...

Jim Bridenstine is stepping aside as Managing Partner of The Artemis Group. He remains majority owner and will be Partner Emeritus. Gabe Sherman is the new Managing Partner. www.theartemisgroup.space/post/gabe-sh...

Malta just beat Ireland to the table today to become the 65th signatory to the Artemis Accords. Ireland became 66th at NASA HQ 3:00 pm ET. www.state.gov/releases/off...

Our pick of the wk is Tuesday's 65th anniversary of Alan Shepard becoming the first American in space! Also at the top of the list: Ireland becomes the final ESA member to join the Artemis Accords. Welcome! What’s Happening in Space Policy May 3-9, 2026 spacepolicyonline.com/news/whats-h...

Ribbon Cutting at Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal Welcomes U.S. Space Command spacepolicyonline.com/news/ribbon-...

Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro, who served as Acting NASA Administrator at the start of the second Trump Administration, is retiring. www.nasa.gov/news-release... Kelvin Manning, currently her deputy, will be acting Center Director.

🎓 Applications open: Simpson Scholarship (IAC 2026) Supports young professionals (under 35) with accepted abstracts attending the IAC in Antalya, Türkiye (Oct 5–9, 2026). Up to $1,500 in funding. Deadline: June 16, 8 AM EDT 👉 bit.ly/3QN9RfB

So much this...👇

Russia successfully test launches new Soyuz-5 rocket from Kazakhstan, space agency says (Via @reuters.com) www.reuters.com/science/russ...

Lt. Gen. Doug Schiess has been nominated to be the next U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations, succeeding Gen. Chance Saltzman. www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article...

House Appropriations Subcommittee Clears NASA Bill on Party-Line Vote spacepolicyonline.com/news/house-a...

Ireland will be the next Artemis Accords signatory -- on Monday, May 4, at 3:00 pm ET at NASA HQ. That'll make 65: www.nasa.gov/news-release...

ICYMI (like I did), earlier this month the FAA issued the final recommendation report from the Commercial Human Space Flight Occupant Safety Rulemaking Committee. www.faa.gov/sites/faa.go...

House CJS Sbcmt just approved the CJS bill 8-6. All Republicans who were present voted yes, all Democrats voted no. Democrats raised many objections incl cuts to science at NSF and NASA. Full cmte markup is on May 13 when the House gets back from recess.

Morocco is the 64th Artemis Accords signatory. www.state.gov/releases/off...

Artemis II Astronauts Visit the White House spacepolicyonline.com/news/artemis...

Here's the White House press conference if you missed it. x.com/WhiteHouse/s...

WH press conf with the astronauts quickly turned to other topics, but one tidbit is that Isaacman said DC will continue to be home to NASA HQ. Have "10 amazing centers" around country & being here gives opp to interact w/all stakeholders "to make right decisions for the nation."

The White House website says "we will begin shortly" with President Trump participating in a greeting with Artemis II astronauts. www.whitehouse.gov/live/

Coming up quickly (all times Eastern): 1:45 pm, NASA news conf w/astronaut Anil Menon (YouTube); 1:50 pm, 4 CLPS companies talks abt their upcoming missions at LSIC (webcast); 2:00 pm, Artemis 2 astronauts at White House (*possibly* on WH livestream).

House Appropriators Poised to Reject Proposed NASA Budget Cuts spacepolicyonline.com/news/house-a...

House Appropriations has released its FY2027 Commerce-Justice-Science bill, including NASA and NOAA, in advance of tomorrow's subcommittee markup. Text: appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su... Summary: appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

Key Senators Agree NASA FY2027 Budget Request Inadequate spacepolicyonline.com/news/key-sen...

Matt Anderson's nomination to be NASA Deputy Administrator is one of the 49 included in the en bloc set of nominations in S. Res. 690. www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c... x.com/SenatePPG/st...

At Senate Approps CJS hrg, Isaacman just said Roman Space Telescope may perhaps launch in August instead of September.

GAO has issued a two-page "spotlight" on Data Centers in Space: www.gao.gov/assets/gao-2...

Top House NASA Appropriator Calls Budget Request “Disappointing” spacepolicyonline.com/news/top-hou...

Upshot of H Approps CJS hrg: bipartisan enthusiasm for NASA, especially Artemis (several reminisced abt Sputnik and Apollo 11) and for Isaacman; most think budget request too low ("disappointing" per chm Rogers (R-KY); lots of support for STEM. Isaacman defended the request--can do more with less.

Isaacman told House CJS that the spending plan for FY2026 should be submitted to Congress next week (it's late). Spend plans are nerdy, but really useful for seeing how the $ actually will be spent. FY2025's was just posted last month (REALLY late). 1/2 nasa.gov/wp-content/u...

U.S. Space Command will livestream Wednesday's ceremony at Redstone Arsenal to mark its taking ownership of first operational facility there .x.com/US_SpaceCom/... It's moving from Colorado Springs to Huntsville per President Trump's direction last yr (spacepolicyonline.com/news/trump-m...)

The House and Senate CJS approps hearings on NASA's FY2027 budget (Monday and Tuesday respectively) are probably our picks of the week, but there's so much to choose from! What’s Happening in Space Policy April 26-May 2, 2026 spacepolicyonline.com/news/whats-h...

LIFTOFF of Progress MS-34/P95 from Baikonur!

JAXA will conduct a test flight of the H3 rocket NET June 10 following the Dec 2025 failure that doomed the QZS-5 navigation satellite. It'll carry 6 secondary payloads and a Vehicle Evaluation Payload. Prelude to 2 impt missions this yr: HTV-X2 to ISS and MMX to Mars. global.jaxa.jp/press/2026/0...

Interesting info about the HALO and I-Hab modules following Isaacman’s comments at Wednesday’s hrg about corrosion in two Gateway modules that were delivered. x.com/AndrewParson...

Senate Appropriations CJS sbcmte will hold a hearing on NASA's FY2027 budget request next Tues, Apr 28, at 10:00 am ET. So (1) House CJS hrg Monday, 3:30 pm ET (2) Senate CJS hrg Tues 10:00 am ET, and (3) House CJS markup Thurs 8:00 am ET.

NASA announces Crew-13: NASA's Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canada's Josh Kutryk, Russia's Sergey Teteryatnikov. Launching in Sept instead of Nov as NASA resumes ~6-month cadence (instead of ~8). 2nd flt for Watkins, 1st for the others. www.nasa.gov/news-release...

Latvia and Jordan Join Artemis Accords spacepolicyonline.com/news/latvia-...

President Trump has nominated Roger Mason to be the new Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), succeeding Chris Scolese. Chris took the job in 2019 after decades at NASA incl head of Goddard (2012-2019). www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

House Science Committee Opposes Cuts in NASA’s FY2027 Budget Request spacepolicyonline.com/news/house-s...

Roman Space Telescope Launching in September spacepolicyonline.com/news/roman-s...

Jordan will sign the Artemis Accords on Thursday at NASA HQ. www.nasa.gov/news-release...

NASA Admin Isaacman says Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will launch in "early September," 8 months ahead of schedule and under budget.

NASA's YouTube livestream for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope event shows it will begin at 4:15 pm ET instead of 4:00 pm ET. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX4f...

House SS&T will hold a hearing on NOAA's FY2027 budget request on Tuesday, Apr 28, at 9:00 am ET with NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs.

NASA IG Raises More Questions About Readiness for Human Lunar Landings spacepolicyonline.com/news/nasa-ig...

NASA and State Dept statements on Latvia joining the Artemis Accords today: www.nasa.gov/news-release... www.state.gov/releases/off...