Right here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s record of house coverage occasions for the week of April 30 – Might 6, 2023, and any insights we are able to supply on them. The Senate is in session this week. The Home is in recess besides for professional forma periods.
In the course of the week
With the Chamber on hiatus, the tempo of exercise is rather less frenetic this week than it was final. However the Senate is in session and hearings proceed on the FY2024 finances request for house actions.
The Senate Armed Companies Committee has a double assembly on Tuesday. Within the morning, Air Drive Secretary Frank Kendall, Air Chief of Employees Gen. CQ Brown, and Area Drive Chief of Area Operations Gen. B. Likelihood Saltzman can be collectively once more for an additional joint look for focus on Air Drive Division FY2024 Air Drive Request. The US Air Drive and US Area Drive are each a part of the Division of the Air Drive.
They’ve already testified earlier than the Home and Senate Protection Appropriations Subcommittees and the Home Armed Companies Committee. Their constant message is that the finances cuts enacted by the Home final week within the Restrict, Save, Develop Act would have devastating penalties for the US navy. Laws will scale back federal spending to FY 2022 ranges and hold will increase at 1% yearly for the subsequent 10 years in alternate for elevating the debt restrict by March 2024 or till it will increase by extra $1.5 trillion, whichever comes first. Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer has already mentioned he is not going to introduce that invoice within the Senate, leaving the debt restrict debate within the arms of President Biden and President McCarthy. Along with issues a couple of US default on its debt, there’s widespread concern that there can be a stalemate on FY2024 appropriations.
In any case, it’s uncommon for Congress to get appropriations by the start of the fiscal 12 months (October 1), however the concern is that they won’t be executed in any respect and businesses should function with a CR by fiscal 12 months 2024. It isn’t simply the sum of money, however previous applications cannot end and new applications cannot begin with a CR.
The affect of a CR could be felt throughout all companies, however Saltzman factors out that it will be particularly damaging to the US Area Drive, which remains to be in its adolescence. The president is asking for a 15% hike for fiscal 2024 throughout a broad set of priorities, all of which might stay in limbo within the occasion of a CR. Saltzman et al will nearly definitely proceed to emphasize that *well timed* disbursements are important.
Within the afternoon, the SASC Strategic Forces Subcommittee will assessment the whole DOD house finances. Area Drive is the biggest part, however there are different elements of DOD with house actions as properly. The Area Drive’s finances request is $30 billion, however the DOD’s whole house request is $33 billion. John Plumb, deputy protection secretary for house coverage, will discuss in regards to the larger image. He can be joined by Air Drive Assistant Secretary for Area Acquisition and Integration Frank Calvelli and Area Drive Deputy Chief of Area Operations Gen. David D. Thompson.
The US-China Financial and Safety Overview Fee, which was created by Congress in 2000 and holds hearings on the hill as a congressional committee, will maintain one on Thursday. The subject is “Rule by Legislation: China’s More and more International Authorized Attain.” Brian Weeden of the Safe World Basis (SWF) will testify as a part of a panel on “The CCP’s Violation of Worldwide Legal guidelines and Norms.” Weeden is especially properly versed in issues referring to house particles and the 1000’s of items created by China’s 2007 anti-satellite take a look at and what China has been doing since then.
Weeden can even be attending one other DC occasion this week. On Wednesday night, he, Kari Bingen of the Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research (CSIS) and Aaron Bateman of the Area Coverage Institute at George Washington College will discuss house safety in an period of rising competitors. SWF and CSIS simply launched their annual opinions of International Counterspace Capabilities and Area Menace Evaluation, respectively.
Maybe one of the intriguing occasions takes place within the Maldives from Tuesday to Friday – the primary ever Area for Island Nations convention and the primary ever convention hosted by the Maldives Area Analysis Organisation. There’s a digital choice in case you pay the registration payment. The Maldives is within the Indian/Maldives time zone (UTC+5 which is EDT+9), so periods begin at midnight and finish round 9am EDT. But it surely has some attention-grabbing audio system together with Victoria Samson of the Safe World Basis, Pete Worden of Breakthrough Initiatives, and Remco Timmermans of SpaceWatch International.
Additionally in worldwide house information, the Czech Republic will develop into the twenty fourth nation to signal the Artemis Accords on Wednesday morning. NASA is internet hosting a signing ceremony that can be broadcast on NASA TV and different NASA media. Czech Overseas Minister Jan Lipavsk can be joined by NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson, Assistant Secretary of State for the Workplace of Oceans, Worldwide and Science Affairs Jennifer RJR Littlejohn and Czech Ambassador to the US Miloslav staek.
NASA’s Outer Planets Evaluation Group (OPAG) meets Tuesday by Wednesday on the Utilized Physics Lab (APL) in Laurel, MD and on-line. Amongst Wednesday’s displays is one from ESA’s Olivier Witasse with an replace on the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission launched two weeks in the past. ESA mentioned on Friday that the 16m-long Radar for Icy Moons Exploration (RIME) antenna had not absolutely deployed. They appeared optimistic about eliminating it. We hope Witasse has some excellent news to share.
#ESAJuice Deployment standing replace: Our 16m lengthy ice-penetrating RIME antenna isn’t but absolutely deployed as deliberate. Work is underway to repair a difficulty that at the moment prevents it from being launched from the mounting bracket.
Particulars https://t.co/AIr13dQzMw pic.twitter.com/ABC2Ok8DXj
ESA’s Juice mission (@ESA_JUICE) April 28, 2023
Different updates that day included JPL’s Bob Pappalardo on Europa Clipper, APL’s Zibi Turtle on Dragonfly, and SwRI’s Alan Stern on New Horizons. Stern is rejecting a proposal from NASA to maneuver expanded New Horizons operations from the Division of Planetary Sciences to the Division of Heliophysics. NASA says the spacecraft is unlikely to find rather more details about Kuiper belt objects however, just like the Voyager 1 and a couple of spacecraft, might glean essential knowledge in regards to the Solar’s affect on the far finish of the photo voltaic system. Sterns insists the planetary mission is not over but.
NASA plans threaten way forward for New Horizons – Universe At present https://t.co/Ow7Dz79KOF
Alan Stern (@AlanStern) April 15, 2023
On Friday, the Area Coverage Institute at George Washington College will host Motoko Mizuno, newly elected member of the Japan Food plan, for a dialogue on Japan Area Coverage in Transition. You have got labored at JAXA (and its predecessor NASDA) for greater than twenty years, together with as Chief Authorized & Compliance Officer. She can be a lecturer on the College of Tokyo on matters together with a authorized framework for a lunar base. The occasion can be webcast.
Tons extra to come back this week, after all, together with one other spacewalk to the Worldwide Area Station (final week’s scheduled Russian spacewalk has been delayed till this week) on Wednesday and the switch of Crew Dragon from a port of name to a different Saturday.
These and different occasions we all know of as of Sunday morning are proven under. Examine again throughout the week for others we study later and add to our calendar or adjustments to those.
Monday-Tuesday, Might 1-2
Tuesday 2nd Might
Tuesday-Wednesday 2-3 Might
Tuesday-Thursday, Might 2-4
Tuesday-Friday, Might 2-5
Wednesday 3 Might
- Czech Republic to Signal Artemis Accords, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC, 10:00 AM ET (NASA TV)
- Russian spacewalk to ISS (Prokopyev/Petelin), Earth orbit, 4:05 PM ET (NASA TV begins at 3:30 PM ET)
- Area Safety in an Period of Rising Competitors (SPI), George Washington College Elliott Faculty of Worldwide Affairs, 1957 E St., NW, Washington, DC, 6:30-8:00 PM ET
Wednesday-Thursday 3-4 Might
Thursday 4 Might
Friday 5 Might
Saturday 6 Might
This text has been up to date.
Final Up to date: April 30, 2023 at 6:06 PM ET
