Blog Archive

MAVEN with solar panels open in the clean room for the last time

NASA's MAVEN Mission Spared from Shutdown
Launch preparations will resume

Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/10/03 04:40 CDT | 3 comments

Launch preparations will resume for NASA's MAVEN spacecraft, due to launch to Mars on November 18th. Work had previously been suspended, potentially causing the spacecraft to miss its once-every-26-month launch opportunity.

The Energy Department is Full of Hugely Wasteful Spending, But Can't Afford to Make Plutonium for NASA
Congressional Energy Committees Should Focus More On Waste, Less on Making NASA Pay

Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/09/13 11:49 CDT | 2 comments

A recent report shows that major programs within the Department of Energy are billions of dollars over budget due to lax oversight, yet the congressional committees responsible for the Department

NASA Backs Off From Additional Planetary Cuts in 2013
Operating plan provides $1.271 billion

Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/09/01 03:44 CDT | 5 comments

The final operating plan for the space agency provided $75 million more to planetary exploration than initially proposed.

Civil Servant Responsible for Government STEM Restructuring Identified

Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/07/30 02:05 CDT | 2 comments

The government employee responsible for the proposed restructuring of all STEM programs in 2014 has been identified by the journal Science. The initiative faces resistance from both Congress and the scientific community, who feel that they were not consulted during the decision making process.

We Need Space-Based Detection of Threats, but NASA Shouldn't Pay for It
Reports from the AGU's Science Policy Conference

Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/06/27 01:03 CDT | 5 comments

Early detection is a crucial step in preventing or mitigating threats from space, but it's not NASA's job.

If we started today, how long would it take to get to Mars? With this budget, never.
Analysis of the House Science Committee Hearing on the 2013 NASA Authorization Bill

Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/06/19 04:38 CDT | 6 comments

The House of Representatives held a hearing today to discuss their proposed NASA authorization bill, which would fund Planetary Science, cut Earth Science, forbid asteroid retrieval, and command NASA to pursue a path to Mars via the Moon.

Confirmed: NASA Defies the Will of Congress by Raiding Planetary Science Funding [updated]

Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/06/10 03:40 CDT | 13 comments

Despite congressional rejection of massive cuts to Planetary Science this year, NASA has found a way to implement the cuts internally and use the money for other purposes.

TPS One-pager on 2014 Budget for Planetary Science

Download This One-Page Summary on the Threat to Planetary Science

Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/06/05 07:11 CDT | 5 comments

When we visit Congress, this is what we leave them with. This one page summarizes the entire threat to continued planetary exploration at NASA in the proposed 2014 budget.

The Murray-Darling river system, Australia

Australia comes of age in the satellite world

Posted by Michele Bannister on 2013/04/15 04:56 CDT | 1 comments

On April 9, the current Australian government announced the first formal Australian space policy. Astronomy graduate student Michele Bannister explains what this means for the country.

What's Going On with NASA Education and Public Outreach?
Sequestration claims its next victim at NASA.

Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/03/28 12:18 CDT | 3 comments

Sequestration claims its next victim at NASA, as all Education and Public Outreach activities are suspended until further review.

[Updated] Senate Bill Restores $223 million to NASA's Planetary Science Division
A step in the positive direction, but far from certain

Posted by Casey Dreier on 2013/03/27 05:15 CDT | 4 comments

The President signed the Senate's bill to fund the government for the remainder of 2013, and it includes some positive news for NASA's Planetary Science division, which is facing a 21% cut.