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This is not a NASA Website. You might learn something. It's YOUR space agency. Get involved. Take it back. Make it work - for YOU.
nasawatch@spaceref.com | Voice +1.703.787.6567 | RSS Feed | Twitter | Advertising | Important Disclaimer
"NASA will ring the Nasdaq Opening Bell remotely from the International Space Station to commemorate the first Commercial Crew launch. Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator, Demo - 2 Launch Crew, Robert Behken, Douglas Hurley, and ISS Commander Chris Cassidy, will ring the Opening Bell in a virtual bell ringing ceremony from the International Space Station. Tuesday, June 2, 2020 - 9:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET"
Keith's note: Its not clear what bell will actually be rung - the ISS has a ship's bell which was rung to welcome the Dragon crew yesterday. A live event "Tue., June 2, 9:20 a.m. EDT: SpaceX employee event and Class of 2020 Mosaic presentation with ISS crew" is shown on the NASA TV schedule with the ISS crew starting at 9:15 am. Watch live
"Arnold Deane Aldrich, 83, of Vienna, VA, passed away on May 28, 2020 after a brief battle with cancer. He was born in Arlington, Massachusetts on July 7, 1936. Arnold enjoyed a 35-year career at NASA spanning all manned-mission programs including Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle. He served as Skylab deputy program manager; Apollo Spacecraft Program Office Deputy Manager during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project; and Orbiter Project Manager during development of Space Shuttles Discovery and Atlantis. Following the Challenger accident, Arnold was appointed director of the Space Shuttle Program where he led recovery and return-to-flight efforts. He then served as NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Technology and, later for Space Systems Development. Arnold also led initiatives with Russia leading to the incorporation of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft as the on-orbit emergency rescue vehicle for the International Space Station. Arnold joined Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in 1994 as Vice President. He retired in 2007."
Categories: Personnel News Keith's note: At today's media telecom with Jim Bridenstine I asked if he could clarify NASA's media reach during the Demo-2 launch since he says that it topped everyone's viewing habits. I got one number "10.3 million concurrent viewers across all NASA platforms". I asked about these "heat charts" that NASA showed which seem to only show limited interest in the states where Dragon was built and flown and asked for additional viewership statistics. I don't expect to see any. I also asked how NASA can be seen as being relevant when we see split screens on TV with NASA on one side and riots on the other. How is NASA going to convince these angry and worried people who are out in the streets wearing gas masks - and not watching 2 guys take off in a rocket ship - that this is more important than problems "back here on Earth" (as this question is often couched). His response below:
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Keith's note: Over the past several days media giants such as CNBC and National Geographic have been filing copyright takedown requests on YouTube - which have been granted - against people using their own material that they generated from the launch of DEMO-2 as well as NASA public domain material. National Geographic took this a step further by having NASA's own video taken down, asserting that National Geographic had the copyright on NASA's own footage. This has been going on for days. It is baffling that NASA PAO ever allowed this to happen - much less to continue as long as it has. At a time when global chaos has people focused on other things NASA needs every single amplifier of the value of space exploration that they can get.
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Remarks by President Trump at Kennedy Space Center
Keith's note: Today at a media briefing Jim Bridenstine said that there was representation "from both sides of the aisle" at the Demo-2 launch. Yet this is what the President chose to say about Congressional members present at they events:
"Also with us are many members of my Cabinet, including our great new DNI, John Ratcliffe. Thank you,John. Thank you.(Applause.) We have a great friend of mine, a special man, ran a great, great campaign: Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. (Applause.) Thank you, Ron. Thank you, Ron. Your Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Leader Kevin McCarthy. Kevin, thank you very much. (Applause.) Great job you do, Kevin. And Representatives Matt Gaetz, John Rutherford, Michael Waltz, Bill Posey, Gus Bilirakis, Daniel Webster, Brian Mast, Elise Stefanik, Bill Flores, Brian Babin, Rodney Davis, Roger Marshall, and Steven Palazzo. Thank you very much, fellas. Thank you. (Applause.) What a great group of people. They're warriors. They're really warriors. They helped so much get this done, and so many other things."
All of the people mentioned are Republicans. No Democrats were mentioned. Apparently they did not make any contribution to the day's events - otherwise they'd have been mentioned, right? Today at a crew conversation from JSC Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and House Science, Space, and Technology ranking member Brian Babin (R-TX) were there. That committee's chair, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) was nowhere to be seen. "Both sides of the aisle?" Just sayin'.
Categories: Commercialization, Congress
Remarks by President Trump at Kennedy Space Center
"Today, the groundbreaking partnership between NASA and SpaceX has given our nation the gift of an unmatched power: a state-of-the art spaceship to put our astronauts into orbit at a fraction of the cost of the Space Shuttle. And it's much better. From now on, the United States will leverage the fast-growing capabilities of our commercial sector and the finest pieces of real estate on Earth -- which you need very badly -- to send U.S. astronauts into space. Under NASA's Commercial Crew program, we will use rockets and spacecraft designed, built, owned, and launched by private American companies, at a fixed price for the American taxpayer. Today's launch makes clear the commercial space industry is the future. The modern world was built by risk-takers and renegades, fierce competitors, skilled craftsmen, captains of industry who pursued opportunities no one else saw and envisioned what no one else could ever think of seeing. The United States will harness the unrivaled creativity and speed of our private sector to stride ever further into the unknown." [larger image]
Remarks by Vice President Pence at Kennedy Space Center Cape Canaveral, FL
"And in that spirit, today we begin a new era of human space exploration. And the credit goes to dedicated men and women all across this country, to the ingenuity and the hard work of the entire NASA team. America is proud of the men and women of NASA. (Applause.) But for the first time in our history, our astronauts have taken to the skies on a commercial rocket built by America's private sector. So join me in a vigorous round of applause for Elon Musk and the dedicated men and women of SpaceX. Job well done. (Applause.) That's great. Well deserved. (Applause.) Thanks, Elon." [larger image]
Categories: TrumpSpace
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Russian space agency calls Trump's reaction to SpaceX launch "hysteria", Reuters
"The U.S. success will potentially deprive Roscosmos, which has suffered corruption scandals and a number of malfunctions, of the lucrative fees it charged to take U.S. astronauts to the ISS. "The hysteria raised after the successful launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft is hard to understand," Vladimir Ustimenko, spokesman for Roscosmos, wrote on Twitter after citing Trump's statement. "What has happened should have happened long ago. Now it's not only the Russians flying to the ISS, but also the Americans. Well that's wonderful!" Moscow has said previously that it is also deeply worried about what it fears are U.S. plans to deploy weapons in space. Moscow would not be sitting idly by, Ustimenko said."
Remarks by President Trump at Kennedy Space Center
"We have created the envy of the world and will soon be landing on Mars, and will soon have the greatest weapons ever imagined in history. I've already seen designs. And even I can't believe it. The United States has regained our place of prestige as the world leader. As has often been stated, you can't be number one on Earth if you are number two in space. (Applause.) And we are not going to be number two anywhere. (Applause.) Nowhere is this more true than with our military, which we have completely rebuilt. Under my administration, we have invested two and a half trillion dollars in new planes, ships, submarines, tanks, missiles, rockets -- anything you can think of. And last year, I signed the law creating the sixth branch of that already very famous United States Armed Forces: the Space Force. (Applause.)"
Categories: Russia
Viewing A Dragon Launch From Orbit
"Ivan Vagner @ivan_mks63 2 minutes before the #CrewDragon launch the @Space_Station passed Cape Canaveral. Captured some pictures of LC39A from where the Falcon 9 launched. Congratulations to everyone and looking forward to seeing @Astro_Doug, @AstroBehnken"
SpaceX Launches Astronauts on Historic Mission
"For the first time in history, NASA astronauts have launched from American soil in a commercially built and operated American crew spacecraft on its way to the International Space Station. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley lifted off at 3:22 p.m. EDT Saturday on the company's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida."
SpaceX's mission: A new chapter in space exploration -- and in humanity's age-old quest, OpEd, Sean O'Keefe, The Hill
"The Obama administration modified the strategy, slowing NASA's spacecraft development but accelerating the commercialization plan to develop new systems to competitively sustain the space station. This was the objective SpaceX has successfully pursued for the past few years, sending cargo and supplies to the space station -- the biggest, most advanced laboratory in space the world has ever conceived."
Trump Takes Credit For Space Launch That Got Its Start A Decade Ago, NPR
"Actually, it was two past presidents who put NASA on the path to this SpaceX launch, though it would be hard to know that from listening to the post-launch speeches."
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- Commercial Crew Did Not Start With Trump. Just Sayin', earlier post
Categories: Commercialization
Statement by Vice President Joe Biden on Today's Successful SpaceX Launch at Cape Canaveral, Joe Biden
"I congratulate NASA, SpaceX, and all the hardworking women and men who made today a victory for American innovation and persistence. This mission represents the culmination of work begun years ago, and which President Obama and I fought hard to ensure would become a reality. We planted the seeds of today's success during the 2009 Recovery Act, which according to NASA, has saved taxpayers up to $30 billion and invigorated an aerospace industry in Florida that accounts for more than 130,000 jobs in the state. As President, I look forward to advancing America's commitment to pursuing space exploration and unlocking scientific discoveries that will inspire a new generation of dreamers to gaze up at the sky and imagine all that our future may hold."
YEAH BABY - WE'RE BACK IN ORBIT - ON OUR OWN RIDE. #LaunchAmerica pic.twitter.com/Nduz9iTEak
— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) May 30, 2020
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Kyle Yunaska Named Deputy Chief of Staff At NASA Headquarters
"NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has named Kyle Yunaska as the agency's Deputy Chief of Staff. ... Yunaska also served as the Principal Deputy Director and Chief of Staff for DOE's Office of Policy and held several advisory roles throughout the Department. Prior to his work at DOE, Yunaska held a range of positions at various academic, nonprofit, and private sector organizations."
Eric Trump's brother-in-law gets promoted. E&E News (2017)
"Eric Trump's brother-in-law is now chief of staff in a Department of Energy policy shop that was once tasked with carrying out President Obama's climate change agenda, according to DOE's online registry. Kyle Yunaska at DOE's Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis (EPSA) may manage the front office operations and strategy and advise EPSA's principal deputy director, Carol Battershell, and Executive Director Sean Cunningham, according to a description of the position on DOE's website."
Meet The Hottest Bachelors Of Washington D.C., Inside Edition
"Kyle Yunaska is an accounting manager for a non-profit. The 29-year-old is ready to settle down."
Kyle Robert Yunaska, ProPublica
- Wired: Space Force. Tired: NASA, earlier post
- Space Force Has The Air Force Academy. Why Doesn't NASA Have A Space Academy?, earlier post
- Space Force Really Wants To Be Star Fleet, earlier post
- Space Force Is Using NASA Spacecraft As A Recruiting Tool, earlier post
- The New Space Force Uniforms Need Some Space Colors, earlier post
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First SpaceX Crew Dragon Arrives At The ISS
NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday aboard the first commercially built and operated American spacecraft to carry humans to orbit, opening a new era in human spaceflight.
