Blue Origin, Sierra Space, Redwire, Boeing, Genesis and Arizona State Univ are announcing at the #IAC2021 right now plans for "Orbital Reef" a business park in space.
Blue Origin's Brent Sherwood says baseline station will be ready in mid-2020s, before ISS ends. Of what's in the video, the baseline capability is solar arrays etc, LIFE habitation module, science module, core module w/large windows, and a single person spacecraft (for EVAs)
Q-do you need NASA to be an anchor tenant?
Sierra Space's Kavandi: NASA has already indicated they will be an anchor tenant.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Crew-3 post Flight Readiness Review (FRR) coming up momentarily. Watch on NASA TV.
Kathy Lueders, Steve Stich, Joel Montalbano, Holly Ridings from NASA; Bill Gerstenmaier, SpX; Frank de Winne, ESA; Junichi Sakai, JAXA.
Scratch that. NASA's Commercial Crew twitter account now says 7:15 pm and listen on NASA Live. "We'll be holding a media teleconference at 7:15pm ET to discuss the outcome: nasa.gov/live"
Chairwoman Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (EBJ as everyone calls her) wants an independent review of the Artemis program. It's critical "that we see a path to success" before increasing funding for it. Cmte wants NASA to succeed.
Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) agrees -- need realistic plans, budgets, schedules. Finding extra $10B for second HLS "no easy task." Don't want Senate auth to become an unfunded mandate.
NASA Admin Nelson (who decades ago served on this cmte and chaired its space sbcmt for 6 years): Ppl focus on 2024, but we're sending ppl back to the Moon in 2023. [But not to land that time]
Full cmte chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) says he's doesn't want air travel disrupted by billionaires who want to experience 15 minutes of weightlessness. [Because airlines have to avoid launch/reentry area. He's expressed these views before.]
DeFazio also says he's concerned some in industry want another extension to the "learning period" that expires in 2023. It prohibits FAA from promulgating addl passenger safety regulations for cmrcl spaceflight. [Right now companies must only get a customer's informed consent.]
Monteith (FAA/AST): will continue to assess our regulatory framework and work w/Congress and industry to strike appropriate balance and get right regulations with right scope at right time.
The presentation went by too fast to tweet, but as for when China might land ppl on the Moon, CNSA's Wu Yanhua said they don't have a date for that. Focus now for HSF is Tianhe space station. For moon, for next decade focus is robotic expl.
Intl Lunar Research Station (ILRS) is Russian/Chinese program, but follows China's usual 3-phase construct.
Phase 1, 2021-2025: Reconnaissance
Phase 2, 2026-2035: Construction
Phase 3, after 2036: Utilization.
The human missions are in Phase 3. All phases open to intl coop.
Van Hollen: Goddard and Wallops (which operates under Goddard's management) have several "shovel ready" projects. Need investment.
Nelson: your bridge is number one on the list. Jobs bill is opportunity for $ for infrastructure and R&D.
Van Hollen: STEM is one of your priorities, yes?
Nelson: yes. FY2022 request is "robust."
Sen Boozman (R-Arkansas): plan for office of STEM Engagement? Continue support for Arkansas Space Grant Consortium?
Nelson: this budget has $20M plus up for STEM, which you in Congress saved after previous attempts to zero it out.
Hearing is starting. Sbcmte Chair Sen Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) points out New Hampshire is also a space station. Alan Shepard and Christa McAuliffe were from NH; U of NH has highly regarded heliophysics program; etc.
Shaheen: this budget steps up commitment to Earth science, sustainable aviation, science. Artemis: NASA blaming Congress for need to choose only a contractor "really rings hollow."
Shaheen: a lot on your plate, Mr. Administrator, and we are ready to work with you.