Mantis Society Study Center: SpaceNews This Week | Air Force ‘hopeful’ Congress will support new strategy to phase out Russian rocket engines

Friday, November 3, 2017

SpaceNews This Week | Air Force ‘hopeful’ Congress will support new strategy to phase out Russian rocket engines

November 3, 2017

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Air Force 'hopeful' Congress will support new strategy to phase out Russian rocket engines

Sandra Erwin, WASHINGTON —As the House and Senate move to wrap up negotiations on the 2018 defense policy bill, the Air Force's "launch systems enterprise" anxiously is waiting to see the final language in the National Defense Authorization Act. One of the concerns: Will Congress limit the options available to the Air Force to phase out Russian engines from U.S. military space launch vehicles?

The political battle over the next-generation evolved expendable launch vehicle started about three years ago when Congress set a deadline for the Air Force to stop funding the Russian RD-180 heavy rocket engine. The Air Force last month issued a request for vendor proposals and expects to have at least three options to choose from. With the completion of the NDAA just days away, Air Force officials worry that the House language, if adopted, would restrict the path forward to end U.S. dependence on Russian engines.

Air Force: GPS 3 competition coming soon

Sandra Erwin, WASHINGTON — U.S. Air Force officials predict more than one company will step up to challenge Lockheed Martin for the production of up to 22 GPS 3 satellites.

"Our goal is to issue a request for proposals in the very near future," said Air Force Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles, California.

"The market research we've done over the past couple of years clearly indicates there is strong and viable competition in the market," Thompson told reporters Thursday at the Pentagon. "I think there are many vendors interested in that competition." He suggested Boeing and Northrop Grumman are likely bidders.

Bridenstine faces partisan criticism at NASA administrator nomination hearing

Jeff Foust, WASHINGTON — Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee sharply criticized the nomination of Jim Bridenstine as NASA administrator in a confirmation hearing Nov. 1, arguing he was not qualified for the job.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), ranking member of the committee, said in an extended opening statement at the hearing that Bridenstine lacked the technical background needed for someone to effectively run NASA, and that his political record suggested he was too divisive to lead the agency.

"While your time as a pilot and your service to our country in the military is certainly commendable, it doesn't make you qualified to make the complex and nuanced engineering, safety and budgetary decisions for which the head of NASA must be accountable," Nelson said.

Orbcomm says remaining OG2 satellites are stable

Caleb Henry, WASHINGTON — A communications glitch affecting three of Orbcomm's second-generation satellites does not appear to afflict the other dozen spacecraft in the recently deployed constellation.

Rochelle Park, N.J.-based Orbcomm incurred a $31 million impairment charge on the three OG2 satellites, though recovery teams are still searching for a means to recover them, Orbcomm CEO Marc Eisenberg said Nov. 2.

Telesat undecided on Intelsat, Intel C-band proposal

Caleb Henry, WASHINGTON — Canadian satellite operator Telesat says it is still reviewing Intelsat and Intel's controversial proposal for letting terrestrial 5G networks use C-band satellite spectrum in the United States, and has yet to make a decision for or against.

Telesat is one of a handful of satellite operators with meaningful C-band capacity over the U.S., having less than Intelsat and SES, but more than Eutelsat.

Intelsat and Intel submitted a proposal to the Federal Communications Commission last month that would have satellite operators voluntarily move their customers either to a different swath of C-band or out of the band entirely in exchange for financial compensation from telcos for the cost of relocation and forfeited business opportunities. Metropolitan regions would be most affected by this plan, according to Intelsat, while rural areas with less demand for 5G would be spared.

Senators still unconvinced Trump's Ex-Im pick has the bank's best interest in mind

Caleb Henry, WASHINGTON — U.S. senators vetting President Trump's leadership nominations for the Export Import Bank of the United States voiced serious concerns about Scott Garrett, who as a congressman voted against the export-credit agency.

"Confirming Mr. Garrett as president of Ex-Im would be like putting an arsonist in charge of the fire department," Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said in his opening statement during the Nov. 1 confirmation hearing.

House Science Committee chairman to retire

Jeff Foust, WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Science Committee, announced Nov. 2 that he will not run for reelection in 2018.

In a brief statement, Smith, first elected to the House in 1986, cited "several reasons" without elaboration for his decision not to run for a 17th term in 2018, without elaborating.

NASA looking for private organizations to take over Spitzer mission

Jeff Foust, WASHINGTON — NASA is considering handing over operations of one of its flagship "Great Observatories" to a private organization that would also be responsible for funding the spacecraft.

In a request for information (RFI) issued Oct. 12, NASA said it was looking for U.S.-based institutions interesting in taking over operations of the Spitzer Space Telescope after NASA funding for the infrared observatory ends in 2019. Responses are due by Nov. 17.