USA Educates Lawmakers on Space Flight Issues
Each year, as legislators at the national and state levels begin their deliberations on a variety of issues relating to the human space flight program and the aerospace industry, United Space Alliance joins with NASA, other companies and concerned citizens to educate lawmakers about the benefits of space exploration.
“Our goal for USA’s advocacy efforts is to ensure that key decision makers have correct information and fully understand all of the potential impacts of their decisions,” said USA Chief Executive Officer, Dick Covey. “NASA and its programs make critical contributions to our national and state economies. Additionally, these programs provide our nation with a high-tech industrial base, help our nation maintain our place as a global leader, inspire our youth and advance the understanding of our planet and the environment.
“It is important that our leaders fully understand the impacts of the space program now and in the future, and as a member of NASA’s human space flight team, USA has a responsibility to help convey that information.”
A key part of that message this year was to encourage leaders to commit to completing the Shuttle manifest and ISS assembly independent of a specific end date in concert with a strategy to shorten the gap.
While USA’s advocacy efforts go on throughout the year, four key events cap USA’s formal activities: Space Week Texas, Florida Space Day, the Space Flight Suppliers Conference and Citizens for Space Exploration.
Space Week Texas
“Space Matters” was the central focus and theme for a week filled with public outreach activities to promote Texas’ role in the space program and to illustrate the benefits to the state’s economy and educational institutions.
Space Week Texas was kicked off at the state Capitol in Austin and included two days of member and staff briefings, introductions of NASA officials on the floor of the state House and Senate and gatherings for legislators to meet with industry representatives and students.
Nearly 80 travelers representing NASA, aerospace contractors, local business owners, the Bay Area Economic Partnership and students from the Texas Aerospace Scholars program formed 19 teams and met with more than 170 state officials.
Discussions with elected officials included the results of the recent “Texas Voter Perceptions on Space Exploration Survey” conducted in February 2009 in key cities across Texas. The survey, chartered by USA, found that Texans feel a great deal of pride for the space program and intend for Texas to maintain a leadership role.
The activities in Austin were complemented by a full week of interactive education events where more than 13,000 students, educators and members of the general public took part in exhibits, demonstrations and speaker panels.
USA hosted demonstrations featuring the Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) launch and entry suit by USA Crew Escape Equipment team manager Allen Williams, and a presentation about Food Lab processing was hosted by USA Food Lab Technician Nina Hodges. Former Texas Aerospace Scholar alumni and current NASA Cooperative student Cody Kelly helped out with the ACES suit demonstration at the LBJ Library.
“It is often said that NASA is in the exploration business, but in reality, NASA and JSC are also in the inspiration business, providing these programs to the next generation of engineers, scientists and explorers who will make the next great discoveries in our first small reaches into outer space,” Kelly said.
Florida Space Day
In Florida, USA joined 16 other companies, along with NASA and several state and local government agencies, to educate lawmakers in Tallahassee about the impact of the aerospace industry in the state.
The annual trip, known as Space Day, involved meetings with individual state representatives and senators, a meeting with Florida Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, testimony before a legislative committee and a reception on the top floor of the Capitol.
Florida Site Executive Mark Nappi, one of USA’s representatives at Space Day, described this year’s effort as successful.
“It’s important that our leaders in Tallahassee fully understand the challenges we face as we transition from the Space Shuttle Program to Constellation and that there are things the state can do to help,” he said.
In meetings with state officials, the Space Day participants discussed the importance of having an aerospace workforce transition program, new and improved infrastructure at the spaceport and education programs that focus on science, technology, engineering and math.
“We had good discussions with the Senate and House members and with the lieutenant governor,” Nappi said. “The current economic problems faced by Florida and every other state makes this an especially tough year for the legislature, but I think the state will be supportive in the effort to help retain and grow aerospace jobs in this increasingly competitive and challenging environment.”
Spaceflight Suppliers Conference
Also in March, United Space Alliance brought together more than 200 suppliers from 65 space flight companies to advocate for NASA’s human space flight programs.
“Without adequate funding for NASA’s Human Space Flight Program, we risk the loss of our leadership in space while other nations continue to invest in and develop their capabilities to the benefit of their economics and their international competitiveness,” Covey said. “At a time when sound investment is more crucial to our future than ever before, we are facing important decisions about funding our Nation’s space program. These decisions will have far reaching effects on jobs, our economy, global leadership and national security.”
Supplier representatives attended briefings from Congressional and Administration leaders and then provided more than 100 Congressional Offices presentations on the critical contributions of NASA’s human space flight programs to our Nation.
The first panel presentation was made by Doug Cooke, NASA Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Mission, and Dave Radzanowski, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Program Integration. The two discussed the importance of continuing the pace of the exploration program and the need for stability in the aerospace industry by minimizing the spaceflight gap.
Other NASA speakers included Geoff Yoder, Director, Constellation Systems Division; Mark Uhran, Assistant Associate Administrator, International Space Station; and Bill Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator for Space Operations. All of the NASA speakers expressed the important role of industry in advancing Constellation Systems and acknowledged the dedication and hard work of the entire human space flight team.
The view from Capitol Hill was provided by Reps. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV), Chairman of the NASA Appropriation Subcommittee and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Chairwoman of the NASA Authorization Subcommittee. Both speakers discussed the gap between the end of the Space Shuttle and the first flights of the Constellation Program and the need for immediate action to minimize any negative impact to the aerospace workforce. They also expressed their commitment to increasing NASA’s budget.
Reps. Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL), Bill Posey (R-FL), Pete Olson (R-TX) and Parker Griffith (D-AL) provided attendees with their views as first-term Members of the House. They conveyed excitement and optimism, but reminded all attendees of the challenges ahead. They also echoed important themes of U.S. technological leadership, national security, and retention of critical workforce skills.
Subsequently, Reps. Kosmas and Posey, representing the interests of Florida’s Space Coast, submitted written requests to the House Appropriations Committee seeking additional funds for NASA in FY 2010 to narrow the space gap and to take no action to preclude continued operation of the Shuttle beyond 2010. Rep. Kosmas is seeking an additional $2 billion in funding to be evenly split between the space exploration and Shuttle operations accounts to narrow the space gap from both ends and eliminate the hard date of 2010 to allow the completion of the current manifest even if it goes into 2011. Rep. Posey requested an additional $500 million for NASA in FY 2010 to insure that the Space Shuttle Program is sufficiently funded to enable flights beyond 2010. Rep. Posey followed up with the introduction of legislation that would extend the life of the Shuttle beyond 2010 and accelerate production of the next generation human space flight vehicle. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) is a cosponsor.
A panel of representatives from the biomedical field also convened at the meeting to discuss Space Station research. Dr. Jeanne Becker, Vice President and Institute Associate Director National Space Biomedical Research Institute, talked about the potential of the ISS for biomedical research and how it was already being used as a platform for new discoveries with cell and vaccination studies. More than 177 U.S. scientific investigations have been completed to date aboard the Space Station, Becker said.
STS-131 Shuttle crew members – Commander Alan Poindexter and Mission Specialist Richard Mastracchio, Clayton Anderson, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki – also addressed the participants and guests at a Capitol Hill reception capping off the week. The crew discussed the importance of human space flight and the progress being made aboard the International Space Station.
“The majority of the work we do in space is done by the companies represented in this room,” Anderson said. “We could not do what we do without you.”
After their remarks, the crew introduced a video produced by USA that highlights the International Space Station and its role in science, education and exploration.
Co-sponsors for the conference this year included The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, ATK and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
“The event was a great success and gave participants a unique opportunity to network, collaborate, ask questions and better understand the environment in which we’re all operating,” said Dan Brandenstein, USA Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Citizens for Space Exploration
The Citizens for Space Exploration (CSE) mission is a multistate, grassroots lobbying effort that promotes awareness of the benefits of human space exploration and support for NASA and the U.S. Space Exploration Policy.
Comprised of private citizens, small business owners, students, teachers, space and non-space business representatives and county and municipal officials, the CSE group travels to Washington, D.C., once a year to meet with elected officials and staff members to discuss the benefits of space exploration. This year’s trip – the 18th for the group – is planned for May 18 through 21.
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