NASA - Updates Only

https://twitter.com/x/status/1978978514083942474
View: https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1978978514083942474


NEW: Former NASA nominee Jared Isaacman is in talks to reclaim the nomination for NASA’s chief decision maker, according to Bloomberg.

Isaacman was removed from consideration earlier this year, but has resumed talks in recent weeks with President Trump and members of his cabinet.

Trump has personally met with Isaacman in person more than once in recent weeks to discuss his vision for leading the space agency, as reported by Bloomberg.

Great news.
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NASA Leadership Candidates Include Retired Air Force Officer:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-candidates-include-retired-air-force-officer
Retired US Air Force Lieutenant General Joseph Guastella is being considered for the top job at NASA, according to people familiar with the discussions, adding to the pool of candidates in contention for the administrator role. [...]

Guastella is a friend of General Dan “Razin” Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who’s a close ally of President Donald Trump, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the deliberations are private. [...]

The space agency’s temporary leader, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, met with Guastella previously and plans to do so again, the person said. The process is ongoing, and no final decisions have been made.
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It seems that Senator Collins wants the Senate to vote on the CJS Appropriations bill (which includes funding for NASA):

Senate GOP, Thune throw curveball into shutdown fight:
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5557706-senate-gop-thune-shutdown-spending-bill/
[...] the Senate is also set to consider a measure to allow lawmakers to conference with the House on a three-bill “minibus” that was greenlighted earlier in the year. Thune and Senate Republicans are also eyeing attaching a number of other spending bills to the Pentagon legislation.

Among those is the bill funding the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services, which would be done in a bid to win over Democrats. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) also told reporters that she is hoping to attach the bill funding the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, along with a separate one for the departments of Commerce and Justice and science agencies.
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Rather than start a separate thread I’ll put this here. The devil is in the detail,

L3Harris completed the PDR for the Imager in February. The FY26 PBR recommended a restructuring of the program reducing it to 4 satellites and changing the instruments.

L3Harris Completes Preliminary Design Review for Next-Generation Weather Satellite System [Feb 6]

L3Harris Technologies successfully completed Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the development of the next-generation, high-resolution imager for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite system.
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GeoXO will provide real-time imagery for monitoring weather, ocean, and environmental conditions for the Western Hemisphere. This information is critical for keeping communities safe in the face of emerging environmental issues.

“L3Harris’ next-generation geostationary imager for NOAA’s GeoXO architecture includes significant capability enhancements that build on our legacy of industry-leading mission solutions for our nation’s most critical weather monitoring and forecasting needs,” said Rob Mitrevski, vice president and general manager of Spectral Systems at L3Harris. “Our ongoing ability to generate more accurate and detailed real-time, actionable information is key to better protecting the safety and well-being of citizens, communities, and industries from the devastating effects of severe storms.”

These expanded Earth observations will be captured by L3Harris’ GeoXO Imager, which will measure visible and infrared wavelengths to enhance the accuracy and timeliness of forecasting. The addition of two new spectral bands and enhanced spatial resolution will increase the precision of today’s space-based severe storm monitoring as well as short-term weather predictions and wildfire tracking.

The development of this mission-critical weather sensor technology is for a contract with NASA, in support of NOAA. The GeoXO mission, slated to begin operating in the early 2030s, is designed to improve upon the GOES-R Series of satellites in operation today. The GOES-R Series includes L3Harris’ Advanced Baseline Imager, as well as electric and chemical propulsion systems.
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NOAA FY26 Budget Estimates

Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) (https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/GeoXO): NOAA’s GeoXO satellite program will continue the GOES-R Series mission as a follow-on four-satellite program and serve as the next generation of space-based severe weather monitoring observatories, providing essential, sustained observations from geostationary earth orbit to meet NOAA weather mission requirements.

NOAA is currently in the process of restructuring this program with a reduced scope compared to the program baseline set by the prior administration. The GeoXO satellites will host an imager and new hyperspectral sounder for short-range (0-3 days) forecasting, severe weather warnings, and hazardous conditions. If achievable within new program cost guidelines, the program will also include a lightning mapper, to continue the observations from the GOES-R Series. The ocean color and atmospheric composition instruments will be eliminated from the program, along with the third satellite position that was to fly over the central U.S.

The configuration of the four-satellite constellation will include two series of two satellites in the GOES East and West positions. NOAA has contracts in place for all the required components. These contracts will also be changed from cost-plus contracts to firm-fixed-price contracts and with appropriate acquisition authorities, the contracts may be novated from NASA to NOAA as the acquisition agent, as the Administration addresses unnecessary layers of bureaucratic oversight. Under this reconstituted approach, NOAA would also work to award a contract for a commercial mission to handle all satellite, launch, commissioning, and operations.

NOAA has identified authorities in NASA’s authorization but not in NOAA’s current authorizations that could help clarify and
support the acquisition strategy that the agency intends to utilize. NOAA’s goal is to modernize acquisition, hiring, and program management authorities to better enable it to independently lead its weather satellite and commercial space programs and to become the acquisition agent for these programs instead of NASA. Namely, the explicit authorities NOAA is seeking will enable NOAA to incrementally fund non-severable contracts, and provide authority to manage multi-year contract periods of performance. Additional authorities that NOAA is evaluating are hiring and compensation flexibilities to better compete with the private sector for talent, exempting satellite systems and commercial data buys from “information technology” designations and thus exempting them from IT-specific oversight requirements, and authority to utilize the services of other Federal agencies on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis. These additional authorities align with those of NASA and/or DoD and will better enable agile, efficient, cost-effective, and accountable execution of critical environmental satellite missions to execute contracts that may be firm fixed price and leverage commercial best practices. As NOAA assumes the primary responsibility for the acquisition agent of weather satellite development, launch services, ground services and operations along with commercial space data procurement, it must be empowered to act with the speed, flexibility, and authority of other space agencies.

NOAA has a single flight spare GOES-R Series ABI instrument, available to fly on the first GeoXO platform in 2032, to maintain critical observation continuity between the GOES-R Series and GeoXO. Imagers on the second, third, and fourth GeoXO satellites will provide more detailed observation and precise forecasting capabilities than the GOES-R Series ABI, including higher spatial resolution imagery and additional spectral channels for water vapor detection. GeoXO satellites will also introduce new hyperspectral infrared sounders capable of measuring the vertical distribution of atmospheric temperature and water vapor. These sounders will increase atmospheric condition data in real time for weather modeling, nowcasting, and localized forecasts. Harnessing the combined capabilities of the imager and sounder instruments, the GeoXO program will significantly improve weather forecasting and severe weather and storm warnings.
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Geostationary Extended Observations (+$100,000, +16 FTE/ +16 Positions) – NOAA requests an increase to restructure the GeoXO program into a focused, core weather mission. The resulting mission will meet essential observation needs to support weather forecasting, nowcasting, and severe storm warnings at a significantly reduced cost. FY 2026 funding will support the assembly and testing of the GOES-R Series flight spare Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), to be ready for launch on the first GeoXO satellite. NOAA will also initiate the build of a lightning mapper instrument using parts previously procured within the GOES-R Series. FY 2026 funding will continue the development of the next generation imager with enhanced capabilities beyond those of the ABI; the development of the new hyperspectral infrared sounder instrument; the flight hardware production and testing of spacecraft and instrument engineering unit hardware; and the termination costs related to the ocean color, atmospheric composition, and advanced lightning mapper contracts as necessary. The requested resource levels are required for the GeoXO program to remain on schedule toward a first launch in 2032, providing continuity of observations from the GOES-R Series.

Restructuring the GeoXO program into a more streamlined, innovative, and cost-effective operation will require changes to the NOAA business model. To achieve its aims, NOAA will adopt commercial best practices. In FY 2026, NOAA will work with NASA to convert the imager, sounder, and spacecraft contracts from cost-plus to firm-fixed price. NOAA will also assume the role of acquisition agent and the novation of contracts to NOAA to create a more agile and cost-effective program.
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publiusr said:
Good--the science agencies enjoy broad support-and should not be dragged down by everything else. I was hoping for just this to happen.
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Yeah, it's good. Now if I understand correctly it's the head of the OMB who's driving all of these anti-science cuts in NASA?
 
All ultimately the result of an individual best known for the phrase "You're fired!"

Those two words have ruined more lives than any other.

When I first watched JAWS, I thought the mayor was the villain (he was a mafia stooge in the book). On reflection, that may not have been the case.

How many deaths were indirectly the result of a steel mill closing and being shuttered--no matter how unsafe? Domestic abuse, substance abuse--they claim more lives than shark attacks--even if "Bruce" was a real "rogue" shark...thus a valid reluctance to close the beaches.

My point is that jobs matter...and the flippant attitude NewSpace advocates have towards job-losses disgusts me to the core.
 
Once the Trump Regime is out of power I hope there are serious consequences for the fools responsible for these boneheaded NASA workforce cuts (They'll need to pay a shitload of money to rehire those improperly dismissed/laid-off staff).
 
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publiusr said:
My point is that jobs matter...and the flippant attitude NewSpace advocates have towards job-losses disgusts me to the core.
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No, they don't. And that is an unsubstantiated comparison.
publiusr said:
How many deaths were indirectly the result of a steel mill closing and being shuttered--no matter how unsafe?
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That is just wrong and very socialistic.
Nothing justifies keeping open unproductive and unsafe facilities. A business exists to deliver a product at a profit, nothing more. Go to another country if you don't believe that.
And the government shouldn't replace companies.
 
Tackle the inefficiencies and waste inside of NASA, figure out how to make compelling arguments for the agency that still align with the American ethos of independence from the state, and also figure out paths to reduce the enormous deficit, and you’ll get a much better hearing than demanding ‘consequences.’
 
BlueAbyssal said:
Tackle the inefficiencies and waste inside of NASA, figure out how to make compelling arguments for the agency that still align with the American ethos of independence from the state, and also figure out paths to reduce the enormous deficit, and you’ll get a much better hearing than demanding ‘consequences.’
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Operating its own launch vehicle is one of those items.
 
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Byeman said:
No, they don't. And that is an unsubstantiated comparison.

That is just wrong and very socialistic.
Nothing justifies keeping open unproductive and unsafe facilities. A business exists to deliver a product at a profit, nothing more. Go to another country if you don't believe that.
And the government shouldn't replace companies.
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Mind if I ask *exactly* what fruit the Flavor Aid you're currently imbibing tastes like?
 
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martinbayer said:
Please provide a cogent, reasoned response exactly *why* the government *shouldn't* replace companies in certain cases. The Manhattan Project comes readily to mind.
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There was no equivalent "company" to replace in the first place. The lab that the Manhattan Project that the government established is now run by a LLC. Once the government has developed/created an economic "activity" such as space launch, comm satellites, internet, dams, nuclear weapons, etc it should turn over the manufacturing and operations to industry.
 
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Byeman said:
Jobs don't matter if they don't provide anything useful.
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The jobs being lost at NASA are not in departments that do things commercial companies can do. They are in the parts of NASA that do science, which is not something you want to leave to commercial companies. It's not Artemis, SLS and Orion that is being gutted.
 
Hobbes said:
The jobs being lost at NASA are not in departments that do things commercial companies can do. They are in the parts of NASA that do science, which is not something you want to leave to commercial companies. It's not Artemis, SLS and Orion that is being gutted.
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It was generic statement to a generic post (the poster was referring to an unsafe steel mill)
and not with NASA in mind
 
The Power Struggle Over Who Will Run NASA Is Turning Ugly:
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-nasa-administrator-conflict-b7df4877
Isaacman isn’t the only person who has been in the mix for the NASA job. Others include Joseph Guastella, a retired Air Force official, and Mike Garcia, a former Republican congressman, according to people familiar with the situation.
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Isaacman isn’t the only person who has been in the mix for the NASA job. Others include Joseph Guastella, a retired Air Force official, and Mike Garcia, a former Republican congressman, according to people familiar with the situation.
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Pete Meachum, Duffy’s chief of staff at the Transportation Department, reached industry contacts asking them to call the White House to raise concerns about Isaacman, some of the people said. Among the concerns raised: Isaacman hired lobbyists and social-media influencers to help him clinch the role, the people said. Meachum didn’t respond to a request for comment.

“I don’t have any paid lobbyists or advocates and I have never expressed confidence about a renomination at any point,” Isaacman said in a statement.

Isaacman and his team, huddled in a war room, fielded outreach from people close to the situation over the weekend. Adding to the urgency, allies of Isaacman had heard Trump could make a decision announcing a NASA leader nominee as early as Monday.

A White House official said “when a final decision has been made, it will be announced directly by President Trump.”
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“Sean said that NASA might benefit from being part of the Cabinet, maybe even within the Department of Transportation, but he’s never said he wants to keep the job himself,” a NASA spokeswoman said.
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More here:

Why did NASA’s chief just shake up the agency’s plans to land on the Moon?

Duffy has appeared to enjoy the limelight that comes with leading NASA. In the future, one source said, “Duffy wants to be president.” The NASA position has afforded him greater visibility, including television appearances, to expand his profile in a positive way. “He doesn’t want to give up the job,” the source added.
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Sounds like Duffy is not wanting to be replaced as the acting NASA Administrator...
 
Elon Musk

@elonmusk
Sean Dummy is trying to kill NASA!
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1980654826129354924
View: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1980654826129354924


This is rich coming from him as if anyone has been the single most relevant individual contributor leading to the Agency's gutting (or plans to, at any rate) under Trump II.

He even just boasted a few days ago SpaceX's is basically the WORLD's space program. Not so far from the views of who he's now crucifying coming from Duffy.
 
He said it because it’s true. NASA doesn’t launch very much or very often, thanks to decades of bipartisan mismanagement of the agency and treating it as a piggy bank for the handful of interested politicians. Blaming Musk for NASA’s failures is like blaming the US for the failure of the Maginot Line.
 
BlueAbyssal said:
He said it because it’s true. NASA doesn’t launch very much or very often, thanks to decades of bipartisan mismanagement of the agency and treating it as a piggy bank for the handful of interested politicians. Blaming Musk for NASA’s failures is like blaming the US for the failure of the Maginot Line.
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That would be wrong. NASA is not monolithic and more than human spaceflight.
Over 125 launches in the last 27 years
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Launch_Services_Program_launches
 
BlueAbyssal said:
Blaming Musk for NASA’s failures is like blaming the US for the failure of the Maginot Line.
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The Maginot line was at least real. Lunar Starship is where now?.

Kudos to Duffy for acknowledging reality.

It looks like even Keith Cowing has seen the light:
https://nasawatch.com/trumpspace/nasawatch-is-on-pause/NASAWatch will be on pause. FWIW the more you (we) space people argue with each other about stupid things, the less likely we’ll get to explore this universe. This is serious stuff.

An apology for his Marshall-bashing would be nice.

He is at least protecting his sources:
https://nasawatch.com/personnel-news/note-to-readers/
 
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NMaude said:
Something needs to be done about this dirtbag and he clearly needs to be drummed out of the US federal government ASAP! Hopefully once the Trump regime is out of power and replaced by Democrats there will be House and Senate investigations into his conduct as OMB head.​
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I'm not quite sure exactly which individual dirt bag mentioned by name in the discussion above you are referring to, but I wholeheartedly agree.
 
White House Aides Losing Patience With Transportation Secretary Duffy For Stoking Feud With Elon Musk:
https://freebeacon.com/trump-admini...retary-duffy-for-stoking-feud-with-elon-musk/
While no decision has been made on a permanent leader for NASA, the agency is unlikely to continue under Duffy's purview, according to a senior White House official.

A White House spokeswoman told the Free Beacon the decision is "solely up to President Trump" and "it will be announced by him directly when it's made."
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White House officials [...] are placing the blame at Duffy's feet, arguing that antagonizing the world's richest man puts the GOP at risk ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
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Priorities.
 

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