NASA Budget
NASA Plans: Asteroid or Bust
For those of us that passionately support the manned space program, there was a glimmer of hope in the news articles circulating yesterday that NASA was narrowing down targets to send human visitors to an asteroid. Sounds exciting and this 
would make for some great “Kodak moments” along with a rekindled interest in the program if it were to happen, but not so fast. A NASA asteroid mission is NASA trying to do something with the limited budget they’ve been given.
NASA Decision Afoot in Congress?
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral. Credit: SpaceX
Senate's New NASA Plan: Heavy Lift, Extra Shuttle Mission, Less Commericial and Tech Development
The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation today unanimously approved legislation that would add a shuttle mission and jump start work on a heavy-lift rocket next year. The NASA Reauthorization Act effectively cancels the Constellation program, but directs NASA to begin work immediately on a new heavy-lift vehicle to be ready by 2016, along with a crew vehicle. The new legislation takes money away, however, from two main focuses on Obama's proposed budget: commercial space development and funding for innovation and breakthrough technologies.
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Your Chance to Weigh in on NASA's Future Destinations
Special Edition of This Week in Space: NASA's New Budget
Miles O'Brien talks with several of the names in the news this week regarding the controversial NASA budget decisions: NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, Senator Bill Nelson, Bret Alexander, Buzz Aldrin and more.
The Faces of the "New Frontier" of NASA's Commercial Space Flight Plan
NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden introduced today five commercial space companies that NASA will use to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit as part of the Commercial Crew Development program. The firms were selected in an open competition for $50 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. During the event, Bolden countered the criticism of NASA's new plan proposed by President Obama. "I respectfully disagree if you think we are abandoning human spaceflight. I think we'll get there quicker. This is a fundamental re-baselining and a new ways of doing business to develop a program that is truly sustainable for the long term," Bolden said. "This is a roadmap to even more historic achievements… We are not abandoning human space flight by any stretch of the imagination. We are on a new course, but human space flight is in our DNA."
Which Fox Was Guarding This Henhouse?
Fox News the bastion of fair and balanced reporting published a piece on Thursday April 9th, 2009 that was a little out of character for them.
NASA Vision Keeps Going
When President Barack Obama indicated in his speech Tuesday night that everyone would have to make sacrifices and everyone’s favorite programs would have to take hits it 
sent shudders through the space community.
NASA Moves Ahead with MSL Launch-Prep
Our intent is to keep our eye on the ball and launch in ‘09,” said Doug McCuistion, director of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, after a meeting today with NASA Administrator Mike Griffin. Additional funds will be needed to meet this launch date. “We haven’t fully resolved where the money will come from,” said McCuistion, who declined to release specific cost estimates.
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