News Archive / Tagged: Barack Obama

• OPINION: How NASA became a ping-pong ball

  Jason RhianDecember 17th, 2017

  For 30 years, NASA's human space flight program was in a secure, albeit uninspiring, trajectory – low-Earth orbit. The loss of the Shuttle Columbia and her seven-member crew on Feb. 1, 2003, changed all that. The Shuttle era was set to end and the agency would discover there's something even more dangerous than re-entering Earth's atmosphere with damaged heat tiles – politicians.

• Bill introduced to redirect NASA to Moon, establish sustained presence

  Derek RichardsonFebruary 7th, 2017

  A bill that would direct NASA to return to the Moon and establish a sustained presence was referred to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on Feb. 3, 2017.

• OPINION: What’s the worst thing that could happen to NASA under Trump’s presidency?

  Jason RhianNovember 13th, 2016

  A Trump presidency, often joked about and derided, is now a reality. With Donald Trump often described as the “ultimate outsider”, what should, or rather, what shouldn’t the president-elect do regarding space policy.

• President Obama reaffirms NASA’s Mars-centric exploration plan

  Curt GodwinOctober 12th, 2016

  In an opinion piece written for CNN on Oct. 11, 2016, President Barack Obama reiterated his support for NASA's Journey to Mars. Under current plans, the U.S. space agency hopes to send astronauts to the Red Planet in the next 15–20 years.

• White House proposes $19 billion for NASA’s fiscal year 2017

  Tomasz NowakowskiFebruary 12th, 2016

  The White House has submitted a $19 billion FY 2017 budget request for NASA to Congress – $260 million less than the agency received last year. The proposed budget has major cuts to NASA’s SLS and Orion projects that are being developed to send crews to Mars while promising increases for the agency's Commercial Crew Program.

• Political tensions embolden move towards new U.S. rocket engine development

  James TuttenJune 6th, 2014

  U.S. government officials are continuing to voice their disapproval with Russia’s actions in the Crimea and the eastern border of Ukraine with a new legislative proposal to end the United State’s reliance on Russian-made RD-180 rocket engines. If approved by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama, this provision added to the 2015 National Defense […]

• Opinion: The War of the Worlds – To the Moon or Mars?

  Collin SkocikJune 2nd, 2014

  The space community is deeply divided. One group believes we need to focus our manned space efforts on returning to the Moon. Another believes we should bypass the Moon and go straight to Mars. The two groups see one another as enemies, but there is no reason for this to be so. The pro-space community […]

• Opinion: Why a Mars flyby mission?

  Collin SkocikMay 25th, 2014

  Lately there have been several proposals to launch manned missions to circle past the planet Mars and return to Earth. Inspiration Mars, is a nonprofit venture that is working to launch a manned Mars flyby in 2018, when Earth and Mars are at opposition. The House Appropriations Committee just authorized NASA to study the feasibility of launching […]

• House Appropriations Committee raises NASA budget

  Collin SkocikMay 10th, 2014

  On Thursday, May 8th, 2014, the House Appropriations Committee voted to give NASA $19.9 billion for FY 2015. This was about $439 million more than the White House had asked for. The Committee criticized President Obama for consistently asking for less money than what was needed to meet the space agency’s goals. A refrain which has been […]

• NASA begins distancing itself from Russia

  Jason RhianApril 3rd, 2014

  NASA has issued a statement where the U.S. space agency has begun work in distancing itself from its long relationship with the Russian Federal Space Agency – Roscosmos. This is merely the first step in what began with Russia’s recent military actions in the Ukraine.

• NASA Dryden Center renaming ceremony set for May 13

  Jason RhianApril 2nd, 2014

  In a little over a month, a turning point will occur at one of NASA’s most iconic facilities. On Tuesday May 13, 2014 a special ceremony will be held to change the name of Dryden Flight Research Center – to Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) in honor of Neil Alden Armstrong, the first man to […]

• Choices: NASA FY 2015 budget – ISS, Russia, SLS, Commercial Crew, SOFIA

  Jason RhianMarch 5th, 2014

  A teleconference was held on March 4, 2014, with representatives from NASA who went over the various aspects of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Proposal. During which the turmoil in the Crimea, the asteroid retrieval mission, Dennis Tito’s request for an SLS and Orion for his Inspiration Mars effort, and the end of SOFIA were all […]

• Opinion: Despite Boozer’s claims NewSpace needs NASA

  Jason RhianMarch 2nd, 2014

  It’s been stated firms which benefit from NASA, would be wise to tamp down the “defund NASA” rhetoric which comes out of the NewSpace movement’s base. It appears some among them are starting to realize that, given the fact their “chosen” launch vehicles and spacecraft are funded primarily by NASA – it might be a good idea to not […]

• NASA announces Commercial Lunar lander inititative

  Jason RhianJanuary 19th, 2014

  In an effort to further NASA’s increasing involvement with commercial companies, the space agency has announced that it is researching opportunities to have commercial companies develop spacecraft capable of landing on the Moon.

• Opinion: Dream Chaser malfunction reveals failings of NewSpace supporters, New Media

  Jason RhianNovember 3rd, 2013

  Last week on Saturday, October 26,  the Engineering Test Article (ETA) of Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser spacecraft conducted its first free flight test. Most of the mission was a complete success. However, the final leg of the mission encountered problems, and in so doing openly displayed how the company, its supporters and NASA handled […]