Keith's note: NASA Watch is (more or less) on hiatus until 2 Jan 2013. Happy holidays.

If you are reading this over the holidays, then shame on you - unless you are a NASA contractor employee. If so, you have reason to be checking on the news. With the collapse of the budget deal with Congress, your government has failed you - and it looks like the fiscal cliff is something to really worry about. As we all know, when budget issues like this arise, NASA contractor employees are the first to feel it. This is completely above Charlie Bolden's pay grade and he has little (if any) flexibility as to how he deals with this.

NASA LaRC Internal Email: 2,498 laptops later: The Miracle Has Occurred

"As you all know, today is the Agency deadline for all laptops to be fully encrypted. I am happy to report that as of 10:30 this morning Langley reached our goal by completing the DAR encryption of 2,498 government and ACES systems."

DAR Implementation Email from LaRC Center Director Lesa Roe, earlier post

"The Administrator has told all of his direct reports that he expects 100 percent completion by the 21st or it will be reflected in our performance. For clarity, I will do the same with each of you. I think you all know this but I will state it clearly ... this isn't an option ... it is mandatory for employment"

Keith's note: Of course, Lesa Roe had to explicitly warn her employees of possible disciplinary action from her office if this deadline was not met. She seems to have forgotten all about that. She, in turn, felt that Charlie Bolden had issued a similar warning to senior agency management. Something is seriously broken when you have to say things like this to your employees. Happy Holidays y'all.

NASA Chief Scientist Abdalati Returning to University of Colorado

"Gale Allen, associate chief scientist for Life and Microgravity Sciences, will serve as acting NASA chief scientist until a successor is named. Allen joined the Office of the Chief Scientist in 2011 from the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) at Headquarters, where she was director of Strategic Integration and Management. Before joining ESMD, Allen was deputy for Bioastronautics in the Office of Biological and Physical Research."

NASA Internal Memo: Breach of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Update

"NASA has reallocated resources and has been working overtime to achieve the goal of 100 percent laptop encryption as quickly as possible and has made tremendous progress. In the past few weeks, more than 11,000 laptops have been encrypted, and, as of December 17th, NASA had encrypted 32,500 laptops, or about 85 percent of the laptops requiring encryption."

Keith's note: Today is 21 Dec i.e. the deadline set for complete laptop encruption. They have had more than a month to do this - and they expect to complete encryption of 15% of NASA's laptops in just one day - just before the Christmas/New Year holidays when everyone is disappearing on annual leave?

- OIG Doubts NASA Can Meet Laptop DAR Deadline, earlier post
- NASA's One Size Fits All DAR Solution Stumbles, earlier post
- NASA's Stolen Laptop and Data Problem Just Got Worse, earlier post
- earlier posts

CuriousMars: Curiosity Begins Rock Triage to Avoid Dangers of "Martian Honey", SpaceRef

From Craig Covault and A.J.S. Rayl "The first use the rover Curiosity's drill to obtain subsurface samples from inside a rock on Mars will be delayed until mid to late January to reduce risk to the rover during its first drilling operations."

"The delay is needed to complete extensive target rock "triage" to ensure that the heat from drilling friction will not cause the pounded rock sample to turn into a kind of gooey "Martian honey" that would foul rover components, perhaps fatally."

NASA employee at KSC arrested on forgery charges, Click Orlando

"A NASA employee, who works at Kennedy Space Center, was arrested on forgery charges on Thursday 38-year-old Candrea Thomas, an employee in the Public Affairs department at the Kennedy Space Center, has been booked into the Brevard County jail, according to Brevard County Sheriff's Office. Deputies said Thomas faces 5 felony charges for allegedly forging documents."

Editorial: U.S. Planetary Program Poised to Lose a Generation of Scientists, Planetary Exploration Newsletter

"National Research Council reports have long recognized these programs as fundamental to US solar system exploration efforts. The recent NRC planetary decadal survey gave them high priority, independent of the fiscal situation (the worse the fiscal climate, the more important these programs are to sustaining national capabilities in this area). Unfortunately, policy decisions by NASA leadership have resulted in selection rates for competitive proposals plummeting to historic lows with negative impact."

@NASAVoyager2 END MAYACAL BTUN 12.19.19.17.19 SHUTDOWN:UNIV(12) BEGIN BTUN 13.0.0.0.0 BOOT:UNIV(13)

Bolden: Don't Have to Travel Far to Asteroid to Meet President's Goal, Space PolicyOnline

"Bolden said that when the President announced that an asteroid would be the next destination for NASA's human spaceflight program, he did not say NASA had to fly all the way to an asteroid. What matters is the "ability to put humans with an asteroid," Bolden said. An NRC report released earlier this month concluded that sending people to an asteroid has not won wide support in NASA or the nation. Bolden did not criticize that report directly, but said that NRC committee had only a short time to complete its study and it was done at a time of "relative silence" from NASA because of the election and did not have the benefit of the information he was presenting this morning. The only new material he presented this morning was this information about the asteroid mission and the news that NASA will soon stand up a Space Technology Mission Directorate."

Keith's note: Bolden also said "on our way to an asteroid or Mars we may find a way to get people to the Moon or a LaGrange point .... some reporter in the back of the room is going to write saying that we are going to a LaGrange Point. I did not say that"

NASA Really Doesn't Want to Do That Whole Asteroid Thing, earlier post

NASA Solicitation: Science Definition Team for the 2020 Mars Rover

"The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invites scientists, technologists, and other qualified and interested individuals at U.S. institutions and elsewhere to apply for membership on the Science Definition Team (SDT) for the 2020 Mars science rover mission (hereafter Mars-2020). Mars-2020 is a strategic mission sponsored by NASA's Planetary Science Division, through the Mars Exploration Program, all of which are part of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD)."

Implications of Ongoing Fiscal Cliff Negotiations for NASA

"As you are all likely aware, the Administration and Congress are continuing to work to resolve a series of economic or fiscal events, collectively referred to as the "fiscal cliff," that are scheduled to occur around the end of the year. One of the key issues involves potential across-the-board reductions in Federal spending-- also known as "sequestration"-- that were put in place by the Budget Control Act of 2011. Under current law, these reductions are scheduled to take effect on January 2, 2013. Many of you have raised questions regarding the impact of a potential sequestration for NASA, and I would like to take a moment to clarify a few things."

U.S. defense bill lifts barrier on satellite exports, Reuters

"Tucked into the annual U.S. defense budget bill making its way through Congress this week is a long-fought and potentially lucrative reprieve for U.S. satellite manufactures and suppliers to export their products, officials said on Wednesday. Since 1999, spacecraft and their components have been grouped with ammunitions, fighter jets and other defense technologies and subject to the nation's most stringent export controls. The restriction followed a 1996 Chinese rocket launch accident that claimed a U.S.-manufactured satellite. In the course of the investigation, the company was accused of inadvertently transferring restricted technology to China. Before 1999, the State Department had the option of processing satellite and spacecraft component export requests under more lenient commerce control guidelines. "We are going to give the president back that power," space attorney Michael Gold, who headed a Federal Aviation Administration export control advisory group, told Reuters."

Soyuz Rocket Launches Expedition 34 to the International Space Station (With video), SpaceRef

"At 7:12 a.m. ET this morning the Soyuz TMA-07M rocket with the Expedition 34 crew of Chris Hadfield (Canada), Tom Marshburn (USA) and Roman Romanenko (Russia) launched to the International Space Station on Expedition 34 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan."

National Academy of Sciences Committee on Human Spaceflight Meeting

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Yet Another Slow Motion Advisory Committee on Human Space Flight

"The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 was signed into law on 11 October 2010. It has taken more than 2 years for everyone to get around to starting this study. The start date listed for this committee is November 2012 and its report is due for delivery in May 2014. That's 1 year, 7 months. This NRC is responding to authorizing legislation passed in 2010 by the 111th Congress, with a committee now being requested by the 112th Congress, and its report will be presented to yet another Congress (113th) during the second year of a new presidential administration in mid-2014 - one where policies are in place that will differ from those in place when the task was assigned, with budgets that differ from initial conditions under which the study was undertaken.

Net result: the committee's advice will be out of synch with reality and somewhat overtaken by events having taken a total of 3 years, 7 months to complete. Oh yes: the cost of this study? $3.6 million."

S.3661 - Space Exploration Sustainability Act

"SEC. 4. REPORT ON CIS-LUNAR SPACE.

Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall submit to Congress a strategy to achieve the long-term goal of sustainably expanding a human presence beyond low-Earth orbit under section 202(a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 18312(a)) through robust utilization of cis-lunar space."

IFPTE Letters Opposing S. 3661, the Space Exploration Sustainability Act

"S. 3661 in its current form is a flawed and unbalanced effort to improperly prioritize a few outsourced and offshored activities, while neglecting NASA's internal core capabilities and other critical needs. It is focused on catering to the demands of the Russian government and on preserving Russian aerospace jobs all the way through the end of this decade, while doing absolutely nothing to protect NASA's federal workforce."

Keith's note: IFPTE is obviously interested in protecting government jobs - simply for the sake of protecting government jobs. They are a union, so that is to be expected. Otherwise, the IFPTE seems to be uninterested in what this legislation is trying to do in terms of American space policy. Indeed, where the IFPTE folks get some of this arm waving and scary hyperbole is just baffling.

This Year at NASA 2012 (Video), NASA

"A look back at the year that was at NASA in 2012. Highlights include the successful landing of the Mars Curiosity rover, the flight of the SpaceX Dragon to the International Space Station and much more."

NASA's GRAIL Lunar Impact Site Named for Astronaut Sally Ride, NASA

"NASA has named the site where twin agency spacecraft impacted the moon Monday in honor of the late astronaut, Sally K. Ride, who was America's first woman in space and a member of the probes' mission team. Last Friday, Ebb and Flow, the two spacecraft comprising NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, were commanded to descend into a lower orbit that would result in an impact Monday on a mountain near the moon's north pole."

NASA's Efforts to Encrypt its Laptop Computers, NASA OIG

"NASA Unlikely to Meet December 21 Encryption Deadline: As a result of the October 31 laptop theft, NASA accelerated the deadline by which all ACES- managed laptop computers were to be equipped with a DAR solution from March 2013 to December 21 , 2012. The Agency estimates that this expedited encryption effort will cost at least $259,000, not including the time civil servants have devoted the project. The Agency also established the same deadline for encrypting non-ACES machines. In our judgment, it is extremely unlikely that the Agency will meet its December goal primarily because the Agency does not have a full account ofthe number of ACES and non-ACES laptops in its possession. Without knowing the full universe of laptops that require encryption, the Agency cannot be sure that all of its laptops are protected with whole-disk encryption software."

Keith's note: According to NASA PAO: "NASA takes information technology security very seriously and thanks the Inspector General for its recommendations for further strengthening NASA's systems. Most recently, NASA has accelerated its commitment to encrypting all agency laptops, encrypting more than 11,000 agency laptops in just the last few weeks. NASA has also implemented new policies and processes that will prevent future losses of personally identifiable information, such as directing that no NASA-issued laptops containing sensitive information can be removed from a NASA facility unless whole disk encryption software is enabled or the sensitive files are individually encrypted."

DAR Implementation Email from LaRC Center Director Lesa Roe, earlier post

"The Administrator has told all of his direct reports that he expects 100 percent completion by the 21st or it will be reflected in our performance. For clarity, I will do the same with each of you. I think you all know this but I will state it clearly ... this isn't an option ... it is mandatory for employment"

- NASA's One Size Fits All DAR Solution Stumbles, earlier post
- NASA's Stolen Laptop and Data Problem Just Got Worse, earlier post
- earlier posts

Smallsats on the Rise, Space Quarterly Magazine

"In the last decade, and especially in just the last few years, the pendulum has started to swing back to smaller satellites, at least for some applications. Advances in electronics and the miniaturization of other spacecraft components now make it possible for smaller satellites--weighing from a few hundred kilograms down to as little as a few kilograms--to perform missions that previously required much heavier spacecraft. While there are many applications that will still require large spacecraft, smallsats are carving out a growing share of the market among users in universities, governments, and industry."

Marc's note: The following article is a free sample from the current issue of Space Quarterly Magazine. It is our hope that if you enjoy this article you will consider subscribing to the magazine.

China's Chang'e-2 Does Close Flyby of Asteroid Toutatis (with image), CNSA

New milestone for China: Probe snaps close-ups of asteroid Toutatis, MSNBC

"China's official news agency is reporting that the country's Chang'e 2 deep-space probe made an amazing flyby of the asteroid Toutatis this week, snapping a series of pictures as it passed just 2 miles away. The achievement signals China's entry into yet another exclusive space club. Only four of the world's space efforts have managed close encounters with asteroids: NASA (with NEAR Shoemaker and Dawn, for example), the European Space Agency (with Rosetta), Japan (with Hayabusa) -- and now China with Toutatis."

Thursday, December 13, 2012

JSC TODAY HEADLINES

1. Joint Leadership Team Web Poll
2. Gangnam Style Parody 'NASA Johnson Style' to be Screened in Teague ...

Annual Embarrassing NASA Holiday Videos Appear, earlier post

"The Administrator has told all of his direct reports that he expects 100 percent completion by the 21st or it will be reflected in our performance. For clarity, I will do the same with each of you. I think you all know this but I will state it clearly ... this isn't an option ... it is mandatory for employment" ...

... "Let me be clear, there are NO exceptions to the Agency-wide directive and it applies to every employee and every laptop. I am directing supervisors to ensure that employees take whatever steps are required, including adjusting employee leave schedules if necessary, the ensure that every laptops is DAR encrypted, waived, or excessed by next Friday, December 21st. Employees who do not comply are in violation of clear Agency direction aan coud face disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service."

Larger image

Study Warns of Sequestration Impacts to NASA, NOAA Programs, AIA

"As negotiations to avert the fiscal cliff heat up, little attention has been paid to the impact that mandatory budget cuts would have on the nation's civil space program and our ability to accurately forecast dangerous storms."

Study: Thousands would lose jobs from NASA, NOAA budget cuts, Government Executive

"The Aerospace Industries Association, a trade group for government contractors, found in its study that the automatic cuts set to take effect on Jan. 2, 2013, unless there is a deficit reduction deal would cost 20,500 NASA contractors their jobs in 2013 ... AIA based its estimates on the Office of Management and Budget's guidelines that sequestration would slash both agencies' budgets by 8.2 percent."

1,300 aerospace jobs said at risk in Huntsville if nation goes over fiscal cliff, Huntsville Times

"More than 1,300 aerospace jobs will be at risk in Huntsville in 2013 if the national budget goes over the so-called "fiscal cliff," according to an aerospace industry study released Thursday."

Will NASA fall off the fiscal cliff? Budget cuts to cost Houston more than 5,000 NASA jobs, study says, Houston Business Journal

"A report from the Aerospace Industries Association found that if the 8.2 percent cut to NASA's budget goes through, 5,610 jobs would be lost at Houston's Johnson Space Center next year. This would have a direct impact of more than $320 million."

Obama's Asia team caught off guard, partying when rocket launched, Foreign Policy

"The Obama administration's Asia team was caught so off guard by North Korea's Dec. 11 rocket launch, several of them actually had to put down their drinks and suddenly leave a holiday party being held in honor of the Japanese emperor's birthday."

Vietnam, US boost space technology cooperation, Vietnamnet.com

"At an exchange with senior high school students in Hanoi on December 11, Charles Bolden, Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the US, attributed his success to hard work, study and not being afraid of failure."

Keith's note: Bolden is also slated to visit Japan. Nothing has been posted by NASA about this trip. Now that North Korea's satellite has been launched, Bolden's activities in Japan have fallen completely off the radar.

CASIS Board of Directors Press Availability

"In November, seven individuals were inducted into The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) Board of Directors. Following the group's first in-person meeting at The Florida House in Washington, D.C., Board members will make themselves available to the press corps for a limited period of time to introduce themselves and answer media inquiries."

Keith's note: You can catch tweets as to what was said on @NASAWatch. The audio was intermittent (could not hear media questions) and the webcast abrubtly died. In summary this was the very first meeting of the CASIS "core board". The CASIS board seems to know very little about the ISS or how it is utilized (by NASA or other partners) and they are using this meeting to learn about the NASA Authorization Act and the NASA MOA with CASIS. They said that they also need to find an executive director for CASIS and add members to their board.