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SpacePolicyOnline
@spacepolicyonline.bsky.social
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SpacePolicyOnline.com is your first stop for news, information and analysis about civil, commercial, and national security space programs. Marcia Smith is the editor.
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 19h
Easy pick of the week this time -- SpaceX's IFT-11 launch tmrw (Monday). That's also a federal holiday. Otherwise it's pretty quiet while waiting for a solution to the government shutdown.
What’s Happening in Space Policy October 12-18, 2025 spacepolicyonline.com/news/whats-h...
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 2d
American Astronautical Society (AAS) says the Von Braun Exploration Symposium *will* be held as planned Oct 27-29 regardless of govt shutdown situation. It's at the Univ of Alabama in Huntsville. Govt speakers will only be there if the shutdown is over, tho.
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 2d
Note that with the House continuing to stay out of session, no legislative business is being conducted -- like passing appropriations bills. This fight over a Continuing Resolution (CR) is because Congress hasn't cleared any of the FY2026 appropriations bills yet.
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 2d
The Senate is out until Tuesday (Monday is a holiday). House Speaker Johnson said today he will keep the House out of session until the shutdown is over (i.e. until Senate Democrats agree to his version of the CR).
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 2d
OMB Director Russell Vought says the government layoffs -- Reductions in Force (RIFs) -- that the White House has been threatening if Congress doesn't vote to reopen the government have begun.
x.com/russvought/s...
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 3d
Senate just passed the FY2026 defense policy bill--the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). House passed its version last month. Now on to conference. The NDAA has been enacted every year since the first in 1961, a rarity.
Stmts from SASC's Chair and Ranking Member:
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 3d
A little bit of good news from the Senate: they're making progress on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Could pass today. (House passed its version last month.)
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 3d
Senate has defeated the Republican and Democratic CRs for the 7th time. Shutdown continues.
Votes still the same. Of those voting, all Rs are against the D bill and all Ds in favor. For the R bill, one R (Paul) is against, 3 Ds in favor ("Ds" incl Independents).
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 4d
The Senate just again defeated the Republican CR, having previously defeated the Democratic alternative. Shutdown continues at least another day.
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Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social · 4d
Updated stats based on Blue Origin release: NS-36 took off at 1340:36 UTC and landed at 1350:48 UTC for a flight time of 10m12s, and reached an apogee of 106.81 km above mean sea level
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Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social · 5d
New Shepard NS-36 safe landing after a 10m 14s flight
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Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social · 5d
LAUNCH at about 1341 UTC Oct 8 of Blue Origin's New Shepard NS-36 from West Texas on a suborbital flight with six passengers.
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 4d
The Senate may not have voted on the CR yesterday, but they did approve en bloc more than 100 presidential nominations including that of Neil Jacobs to be NOAA Administrator. He was Acting NOAA Admin in 1st Trump Admin during the "Sharpiegate" incident.
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 5d
New Shepard-36 launch window this morning (Wednesday) now opens at 9:40 am ET. Webcast begins on Blue Origin's website 30 minutes before liftoff.
x.com/blueorigin/s...
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 5d
Scientists Make the Case for NASA Science spacepolicyonline.com/news/scienti...
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 5d
The Senate didn’t vote on the CR today, but will try again tomorrow (for the sixth time).
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 7d
Govt shutdown notwithstanding, we have a pick of the week: The Planetary Society et al press conference tmrw (Monday) from the Capitol re saving NASA science (livestreamed).
What’s Happening in Space Policy October 5-11, 2025 spacepolicyonline.com/news/whats-h...
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 9d
USSF Space Systems Command issued a press release ystrdy (Oct 3) announcing they awarded Phase 3 Lane 2 contracts on Oct 1. Five to SpaceX valued at $714 M. Two to ULA valued at $428 M. None to Blue Origin whose "next opportunity for a mission is FY27."
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 9d
Shutdown Continues With No Immediate End in Sight spacepolicyonline.com/news/shutdow...
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 9d
Remember - both chambers must agree to identical text. If the Senate makes changes, the House must agree, which they can't do if they're not in session. Johnson''s action also delays swearing in new Democratic mbr Adelita Grijalva (AZ), who was elected on Sept 23 to replace her father, who died.
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 9d
Today the Senate again failed to pass a CR. They decided against staying in over the weekend; will try again Monday. Meanwhile, House Spkr Johnson just decided to keep the H out of session all next week so either the Senate passes *his* CR (no changes) or shutdown continues. x.com/HouseDailyPr...
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 11d
Women in Aerospace (WIA) is postponing its Awards Dinnner from October 9 to December 11 because of the govt shutdown. Same place: Ritz-Carlton in Arlington, VA.
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 11d
"Ds/Is" means Democrats or Independents. The Senate Democratic caucus has 45 Ds and 2 Is (Angus King, Maine, and Bernie Sanders, VT). Two Ds (Cortez Masto of NV and Fetterman of PA) and King voted for the House CR ystrdy and today. Rand Paul (R-KY) is against both CRs.
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 11d
Senate voted again today (Wed.) to fund the govt, but motions to proceed on R and D bills failed. Senate will be out tomorrow for Yom Kippur, but plans to be back Friday to try again. Maj Ldr Thune hopes to get 5 more Ds/Is to vote in favor of the House CR (3 have already).
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SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 12d
Senate Rejects Efforts to Keep Government Open After Midnight spacepolicyonline.com/news/senate-...
Senate Rejects Efforts to Keep Government Open After Midnight
Posted: September 30, 2025 10:01 pm ET | Last Updated: September 30, 2025 10:19 pm ET | The Senate failed to pass legislation to keep the government operating after midnight tonight, September 30, 202...
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