{"id":17581,"date":"2021-03-19T20:58:28","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T12:58:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/next-nasa-chief-will-face-big-decisions-on-future-moonshots-and-blue-origins-role\/"},"modified":"2021-03-19T20:58:28","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T12:58:28","slug":"next-nasa-chief-will-face-big-decisions-on-future-moonshots-and-blue-origins-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/next-nasa-chief-will-face-big-decisions-on-future-moonshots-and-blue-origins-role\/","title":{"rendered":"Next NASA chief will face big decisions on future moonshots (and Blue Origin\u2019s role)"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_610373\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-610373\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-610373\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/210319-nelson-630x361.jpg\" alt=\"Bill Nelson and Chris Ferguson at Starliner mockup\" width=\"630\" height=\"361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/210319-nelson-630x361.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/210319-nelson-1260x722.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/210319-nelson-768x440.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/210319-nelson.jpg 1458w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-610373\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">In a 2014 photo taken during his time as a U.S. senator, Bill Nelson (center) checks out a mockup of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center in Florida with former astronaut Chris Ferguson as his guide. (NASA Photo \/ Kim Shiflett)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>President Joe Biden\u2019s choice to lead NASA \u2014 former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson \u2014 will be in the hot seat for a host of issues in human spaceflight that will require a tricky balance between \u201cOld Space\u201d and \u201cNew Space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nelson is a 78-year-old Florida Democrat who went on a space shuttle flight as a congressman in 1986, and served three terms in the Senate before his defeat in 2018. In today\u2019s statement announcing his nomination, the White House said that Nelson \u201cwas known as the go-to senator for our nation\u2019s space program,\u201d and that \u201cmost every piece of space and science law has had his imprint.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am honored to be nominated by Joe Biden and, if confirmed, to help lead NASA into an exciting future of possibilities,\u201d Nelson said in a statement. \u201cIts workforce radiates optimism, ingenuity and a can-do spirit. The NASA team continues to achieve the seemingly impossible as we venture into the cosmos.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nelson has traditionally sided with Old Space \u2014 that is, well-established aerospace companies such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing.<\/p>\n<p>Most famously (or infamously), he championed NASA\u2019s multibillion-dollar Space Launch System during his time in the Senate, to such an extent that the SLS came to be nicknamed the \u201cSenate Launch System.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The rocket engines on the first SLS core stage, which has Boeing as its prime contractor, were run through their first successful full-duration hot-fire test on Thursday. That\u2019s in preparation for an uncrewed round-the-moon test flight that\u2019s set for late this year or early next year \u2014 reflecting a schedule that\u2019s years behind the original plan and a cost that\u2019s billions of dollars above the original budget.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Former Senator Bill Nelson Is President Biden's Choice To Lead NASA\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TShUNBiYfqk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"800\" data-height=\"450\" style=\"display: block; margin: 0px; width: 800px; height: 450px;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Even before today\u2019s announcement of Biden\u2019s intentions, Nelson came in for criticism from those who favor turning away from SLS and doubling down on New Space companies such as SpaceX, which is following a faster development timeline at lower cost.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis legacy is the monster rocket, and in some ways it is poetic justice that it will be his cross to bear,\u201d Lori Garver, who disagreed with Nelson during her days as NASA\u2019s deputy administrator in the Obama administration, wrote in a tweet.<\/p>\n<p>But the Old vs. New Space dichotomy has broken down dramatically, just in the two years since Nelson left the Senate. SpaceX, the quintessential New Space company, has become NASA\u2019s leading operator for trips to and from the International Space Station. Meanwhile, Boeing has suffered more than a year\u2019s worth of setbacks in getting its own CST-100 Starliner crew spacecraft into service \u2014 and lost out in its bid to build a lunar lander for NASA.<\/p>\n<p>It could be argued that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin space venture has engineered the biggest breakdown of the Old vs. New paradigm: Blue Origin is generally considered a New Space company, but its lunar lander team includes three Old Space stalwarts: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper.<\/p>\n<p>In a tweet, Blue Origin congratulated Nelson on his selection. \u201cYour experience both on and off Earth will ensure that we\u2019ll have strong leadership and commitment when the U.S. returns to the moon \u2013 this time to stay,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n<p>Key decisions on NASA\u2019s Artemis moon program will have to be made under Nelson\u2019s watch. NASA\u2019s total budget for the current fiscal year is roughly $23.3 billion, but some observers say it might have to be boosted by another $5 billion to $7 billion annually to fund Artemis adequately. It would be up to Nelson to sell NASA\u2019s next budget request to his former colleagues in Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Within the next month or two, NASA is expected to select which team, or teams, will get the go-ahead to build the human landing system for missions to the lunar surface. Three teams are currently in the running: Blue Origin\u2019s \u201cNational Team,\u201d SpaceX and Dynetics.<\/p>\n<p>Congress has given NASA only about a quarter of the $3.3 billion it was seeking to support the lander development effort during the current fiscal year \u2013 and that might force the space agency to downsize its plans to have the first Artemis crew touch down in the moon\u2019s south polar region in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>If NASA\u2019s budget is constrained, the decisions that lie ahead for SLS and Artemis could well touch off an Old vs. New Space chess game, if not a flame war. For instance, if the National Team ends up being the sole choice for Artemis\u2019 landing system, SpaceX would almost certainly challenge the decision. But if the National Team is left out, that could set off protests from Congress that well-established companies were being passed over to go with less tried-and-true technologies.<\/p>\n<p>Similar scenarios could come into play when it comes to funding NASA\u2019s SLS rocket and Orion crew capsule vs. SpaceX\u2019s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster.<\/p>\n<p>If history is any guide, Nelson and congressional leaders would want to protect SLS. But SpaceX is moving full speed ahead with its plan for Starship moon trips. SpaceX even has a chance of sending people around the moon on a privately funded flight before SLS and Orion do so for NASA. Leaving SpaceX out would spark pointed questions about NASA\u2019s priorities.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Astronaut says US needs continuity in space policy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RSVKyquVn_g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"800\" data-height=\"450\" style=\"display: block; margin: 0px; width: 800px; height: 450px;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In any case, it\u2019s almost certain that Nelson will be the Florida man making the decisions at NASA, unless he sabotages himself during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Today, Nelson won praise from former NASA chief Jim Bridenstine, acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk and the senators who will vote on confirmation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBill Nelson has long been one of NASA\u2019s strongest and most passionate advocates,\u201d Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who chairs the Commerce Committee, said in a statement. \u201cI am confident that he has the expertise and the political acumen to maintain and build upon the nation\u2019s leadership in space in both the public and commercial sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That sentiment was seconded by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. \u201cI cannot think of anyone better to lead NASA than Bill Nelson,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cHis nomination gives me confidence that the Biden administration finally understands the importance of the Artemis program, and the necessity of winning the 21st-century space race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When then-President Donald Trump picked Jim Bridenstine to become NASA\u2019s administrator in 2017, Rubio questioned the choice because Bridenstine was an Oklahoma congressman with \u201cpolitical baggage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nelson also voiced misgivings at the time, and voted against Bridenstine. \u201cThe head of NASA ought to be a space professional, not a politician,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>If nothing else, the latest twist in Nelson\u2019s long career should demonstrate even to his critics that people, and space perspectives, can change dramatically over time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a 2014 photo taken during his time as a U.S. senator, Bill Nelson (center) checks out a mockup of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center in Florida with former astronaut Chris Ferguson as his guide. (NASA Photo \/ Kim Shiflett) President Joe Biden\u2019s choice to lead NASA \u2014 former U.S. Sen. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[304,1710,509,4761,190,1801],"class_list":["post-17581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-artemis","tag-bill-nelson","tag-blue-origin","tag-joe-biden","tag-nasa","tag-white-house"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17581"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17581\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}