NASA Administrator Nominee To Be Replaced

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Image by succo from Pixabay.

The White House has changed its mind on Jared Isaacman, the nominee for NASA administrator who was ready to be confirmed by the US Senate. A friend of Elon Musk, Mr. Isaacman made the mistake of giving donations to a few Democratic candidates in the past. This is forbidden unless you are Donald Trump, who has made many donations to Democratic candidates over the years, including Hillary Clinton.

NBC News noted that President Trump stated:

After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA…I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.

It is not clear how political donations has anything to do with putting America first, but this is all we know to date.

Mr. Isaacman has been unceremoniously tossed aside just as Elon Musk is stepping down from his DOGE role after badmouthing the recent Republican House budget bill. Is there a connection?

All we know is that Mr. Musk is losing a friend and customer in the NASA role with Isaacman’s departure. This does not come at a good time as SpaceX struggles with its Starship rocket.

It appears Mr. Musks plans are undergoing a rapid unscheduled disassembly.

Update: Jared Isaacman tweeted about the recent news, stating, in part:

I am incredibly grateful to President Trump @POTUS, the Senate and all those who supported me throughout this journey. The past six months have been enlightening and, honestly, a bit thrilling. I have gained a much deeper appreciation for the complexities of government and the weight our political leaders carry.

Space Quote: US Astronomy Students Are Looking Overseas

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Image by Kamil from Pixabay.

“Historically we’ve been a department that has really tried to make a culture where people minoritized in the field feel like they have a home…The current administration is really driving against that, which has really caused a lot of damage to how people are feeling about their place in astronomy, and whether they feel they have a place here in our country.”

-Statement by University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) Astronomy & Astrophysics department chair Jonathan Fortney in a Lookout Santa Cruz article. He was discussing recent federal cuts at UCSC as well as NASA. He said his students are looking overseas now for educational and career opportunities given the continuing cuts in US astronomy programs.

The Ninth Starship Test Launch Had a Few Problems

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Side-by-side illustrations of the SpaceX Starship lunar lander and the Blue Origin Blue Moon lunar lander. (SpaceX/Blue Origin)

Elon Musk may be in a rush to get to Mars, if only to escape all of the chaos he is causing here on Earth, but he is going nowhere fast with his Starship. Today’s ninth test launch of the rocket ended with the explosion of its first-stage booster as well as the rocket itself during re-entry. While this is better than the last two launches, it still demonstrates that the rocket has a ways to go before it can be used for Moon missions, leaving aside any talk about Mars.

SpaceX loves to play with language (particularly when regulators are around), so it called this a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” once again. That said, the humor is getting thin.

Mr. Musk said he is back to his jobs at Tesla and SpaceX, so let’s hope he can get a handle on this rocket. I don’t really care about the cars – Tesla has already been superseded by other car companies – but SpaceX is important to the US space industry.

It is also time for Mr. Musk to stop over-promising on everything (though I am glad he was dead wrong about DOGE savings). The focus needs to be the Moon. Forget Mars for now.

By the way, DOGE has also done damage to future Mars missions by cutting funding and staffing at the Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Center would be critical to finding a safe landing site on Mars for one of Musk’s rockets.

You don’t poke out your eyes and then hope to make progress, but that is what is happening these days.

Note: It seems the term “rapid unscheduled disassembly” precedes Mr. Musk, as this link explains.

NASA Advisory Groups Share Concerns About Budget Cuts

Posted on by onespaceman2000

NASA Watch published a letter from representatives of the agency’s advisory groups, including:

The letter highlights the importance of science initiatives at NASA at a time when drastic budget cuts are being considered, and quotes Carl Sagan:

Cutting off fundamental, curiosity-driven science is like eating the seed corn. We may have a little more to eat next winter but what will we plant so we and our children will have enough to get through the winters to come?

It’s a much needed yet bold approach at this time when the White House is eliminating all opposition to its wild cuts and erratic attack on diversity. The White House is actively shutting down advisory committees through the federal government, including NASA.

We can only hope the public listens to the wiser voices from these advisory committees. Someday all of this will need to be rebuilt, including our space program, but for now we need to save as much as we can from random cuts from parties that do not seem to understand the important role of science in our economy and our future.

Follow DIU Rather Than DOGE at NASA

Posted on by onespaceman2000

Years ago the Department of Defense (DOD) established the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to use the full force of private sector innovation to address DOD needs. This has been a successful initiative that has lowered costs while improving DOD efficiency. Whether it is working to create better batteries or micro-reactors for the military, it represents the best efforts to do more with less.

Compare that to the now ill-fated Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that only demonstrates that the government will need to do less because it destroys rather than creates. NASA deserves better, and it is possible Elon Musk and friends could have done much better if they first learned about government programs and then redesigned them to be more efficient. That ship has sailed and DOGE only means Destroying Our Government’s Effectiveness.

It is not too late to bring a DIU equivalent into NASA to work around the giant space companies and look for simpler solutions to big problems. It will need a new name to erase the stain of DOGE, but it is something the taxpayers deserve – the most efficient and effective space program.

Note: You can find the FY 2023 DIU annual report here with many of its accomplishments listed.