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Space Policy

All articles tagged with #space policy

space4 days ago•32 min saved

NASA Unveils Sweeping Reboot to Accelerate Artemis and Moon Base Plans

A lengthy memo from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman outlines a broad reorganization to make NASA more mission-centric, consolidate centers, create new directorates (including a combined Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate and a unified Space Technology/Nuclear Power directorate), and accelerate Artemis missions with a Moon Base program. The plan also centralizes authority for lunar and nuclear initiatives, establishes a Lower Earth Orbit program, pushes a faster transition toward commercial partnerships and private space stations, and includes a series of directives on governance, funding, communications, workforce conversion from contractors to civil service, HQ relocation planning, and oversight to deliver more science and missions on a tighter timeline.

via NASA Watch|

#artemis #moon-base #nasa

space7 days ago•11 min saved

NASA chief looks to mass-produced satellites to speed space science

NASA’s science chief Nicky Fox calls for off-the-shelf, mass-produced satellite buses and “block buys” to accelerate planetary and Solar System missions, arguing cheaper, more numerous missions could boost science while freeing funding by rebalancing the portfolio and leveraging Commercial Lunar Payload Services and other private–public partnerships.

via Ars Technica|

#clps #mass-produced #nasa

space22 days ago•4 min saved

Moon Litter: The Space Race Leaves Debris on the Lunar Surface

With the U.S. and China racing to return to the Moon, rockets are leaving debris on the lunar surface, including a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage expected to strike near Einstein crater in August 2026. The piece notes past lunar hardware from Apollo missions, cites the Outer Space Treaty’s ban on harmful contamination (with limited enforcement), and warns that as permanent lunar bases approach, directing stages into solar orbit could prevent turning the Moon into a space junkyard.

via Jalopnik|

#moon #space #space-debris

space-policy24 days ago•16 min saved

NASA Raises CLPS Ceiling to Accelerate Moon Base Lander Cadence

NASA plans to raise the maximum value of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services contract from $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion to support a projected surge in robotic lunar landings for Moon Base, with 13 eligible contractors and a goal of ramping up to a monthly landing cadence; the agency expects to award more missions and/or higher-value missions through 2028 and beyond as companies scale production and move toward standardized, build-to-print landers.

via SpaceNews|

#clps #intuitive-machines #lunar-lander

science27 days ago•6 min saved

Cislunar Highways May Redraw the Global Economy

A new analysis warns that the Earth–Moon space between them, called cislunar space, could become a strategic chokepoint as NASA’s Artemis program and private lunar ventures boost traffic. Control over key transit points and corridors could influence navigation, communications, and the flow of lunar resources, risking disruptions or enabling expansive future space infrastructure and Earth-based supply chains, making these routes a critical geopolitical and economic concern.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#artemis-program #cislunar-space #lunar-economy

civil1 month ago•14 min saved

NASA allocates science payload on Mars MTN relay mission

NASA is reserving space for a small science payload on the Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN) relay spacecraft—up to 20 kilograms in a 55 by 55 by 45 cm volume, up to 60 watts, and capable of 200–1,000 megabits of data per day. The payload will be provided by NASA and could be cubesats. This follows NASA's plan to include science on MTN; a draft RFP was released April 2 with an updated industry-day briefing noting the payload requirement. The final RFP is due May 1, with proposals about a month later. MTN aims for a late-2028 launch and full Mars operation by 2030, funded by a $700 million bill; several companies, including Blue Origin and Rocket Lab, are pursuing the contract, though instruments and selection details remain undecided.

via SpaceNews|

#civil #cubesat #mars

opinion1 month ago•19 min saved

Artemis 2 prompts a rethink: define the purpose of the U.S. space program before chasing profits

Nick Reese argues Artemis 2 criticism misses the core point: government space programs go first to prove concepts, de-risk infrastructure, and seed a future commercial space economy in cislunar, not just to turn a profit. SpaceX dominates LEO but has yet to prove lunar delivery, and the United States must define the ‘why’ of space exploration beyond beating China—balancing prestige, science, and a sustainable presence—while budget decisions reflect that trajectory.

via SpaceNews|

#artemis #artemis-2 #nasa

policy-and-politics1 month ago•15 min saved

Senators push for bigger NASA Mars funding to safeguard U.S. leadership

A group of four senators urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to allocate at least $400 million in FY2027 for NASA’s Mars Future Missions, arguing current funding levels (about $110 million in FY2026 and the same proposed for FY2027) are insufficient to advance critical Mars-tech like precision landing, sample retrieval, and surface launches. They warn that underfunding could erode U.S. leadership in Mars exploration and allow China to close the gap. The article also notes NASA’s budget plan favors cheaper, science-driven missions over MSR-linked work, and industry officials say a practical Mars Sample Return approach could be achievable for under $3 billion."

via SpaceNews|

#budget #mars #mars-sample-return

politics1 month ago•5 min saved

GOP lawmaker vows to shield NASA science from budget cuts

Sen. Jerry Moran, who chairs the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees NASA, signaled opposition to the White House’s 2027 budget framework that would cut NASA by about 23% and gut science missions, saying he plans to keep NASA funding near 2026 levels and push back on cuts to science while supporting moon exploration; a NASA hearing is planned but date hasn’t been set.

via Politico|

#budget #jerry-moran #nasa

space1 month ago•6 min saved

Artemis II Returns: Moon Mission Succeeds Amid Budget Storm

Artemis II splashed down safely after a record lunar flyby, marking NASA's first crewed Moon return since 1972 and advancing plans for a permanent lunar presence, while critics warn that proposed budget cuts and policy shifts threaten the program’s next milestones.

via The Guardian|

#artemis-ii #budget-cuts #moon

technology1 month ago•11 min saved

NASA's Private Space Station Plan Triggers Industry Alarm

NASA’s Ignition event reveals a pivot: instead of funding multiple independent private space stations, the agency proposes a new core module to dock with the International Space Station and requires private providers to operate through NASA. Officials say the market for commercial, free-flying LEO stations isn’t proven and budget constraints limit support to a single provider, while industry leaders fear the plan undermines years of CLD work and could reduce competition, with concerns of potential favoritism toward Axiom. The proposal would let companies learn on a shared core module before scaling up and could push Congress to weigh in as NASA contemplates extending ISS life to 2032.

via Ars Technica|

#commercial-spaceflight #international-space-station #nasa

space1 month ago•3 min saved

NASA Reconfigures Advisory Panel, Removes Several Members

NASA is removing several current members from its NASA Advisory Committee as part of an internal governance reshuffle, according to a note from NASA Administrator circulated to NAC members.

via NASA Watch|

#administration #governance #nasa

science2 months ago•7 min saved

Artemis II: policy, cost, and risk shape NASA’s lunar flyby plan

Artemis II plans a 10-day crewed loop around the Moon in April 2026 aboard SLS/Orion; space policy expert Scott Pace outlines the decades-long path to this mission, highlights key risk checks (boosters, translunar injection, life support, heat shield), discusses cost and flight-rate challenges, and explains Artemis as an international, commercial effort aimed at establishing a sustainable lunar presence that could eventually be led by the private sector if economics support it.

via The Conversation|

#artemis-ii #lunar-mission #orion-capsule

science-and-technology2 months ago•6 min saved

NASA recalibrates Artemis, eyeing a sustainable Moon base by 2028

NASA, under new leadership from Jared Isaacman, is rethinking Artemis with a tighter, more realistic timetable and a focus on establishing a long‑term lunar base by 2028. While the program remains costly and complex, the plan prioritizes pragmatism, commercial partnerships, and sustained presence on the Moon, as China pursues a potentially simpler path and could beat the U.S. to a crewed lunar landing.

via The Economist|

#artemis #china #moon

space2 months ago•4 min saved

NASA to Outline 2028 Moon Return in March Public Briefing Tied to Policy Priorities

NASA will host a March 24 public briefing at HQ to detail how it is implementing President Trump’s National Space Policy and accelerating preparations for a return to the Moon by 2028, with panels on lunar landing priorities, a first lunar base, nuclear propulsion, and related objectives amid ongoing science and workforce uncertainties.

via NASA Watch|

#artemis #jared-isaacman #moon