| | | | | |  | | By Jacqueline Feldscher | Presented by |  | | | | | | — Politics are a greater threat to Artemis than the SLS test gone wrong, one space analyst says. — Propulsion company Phase Four's satellite thrusters will launch to space this morning on a SpaceX mission. — 2020 was a record-setting year for space, but 2021 is shaping up to be at least just as busy, according to a new Space Foundation report. WELCOME TO POLITICO SPACE, our must-read briefing on the policies and personalities shaping the new space age in Washington and beyond. Email us at jklimas@politico.com or bbender@politico.com with tips, pitches and feedback, and find us on Twitter at @jacqklimas and @bryandbender. And don't forget to check out POLITICO's astropolitics page for articles, Q&As, opinion and more. | | | | A message from Northrop Grumman: We provide powerful, scalable networks and integrated capabilities that ensure warfighters and the systems they depend on can act as one joint force across every domain, service and mission. Learn more | | | | | | DIMMING MOON SHOT? There are new questions about whether the rocket designed to bring astronauts to the moon will be up to the task, compounding the uncertainty about NASA's top priority. A test of key components of the Space Launch System on Saturday was unexpectedly cut short when the engines hit an "intentionally conservative" performance limit, though NASA has yet to release more details about the problem. But political problems are likely to pose a greater threat to the Artemis moon mission than any potential technical problems. "What will have a bigger impact on the goals for the lunar timeline is … last year's budget that was finalized in December and the new Biden administration," said Casey Dreier, the chief advocate and senior space policy adviser at the Planetary Society. "That will have a far more consequential impact on the timing of when we'll see humans on or around the moon." President Joe Biden has not explicitly stated whether he supports the moon mission. He's widely expected to focus NASA more on climate change research but space experts have pointed out that scientific research and exploration don't have to be mutually exclusive. Still, his silence on the subject is making some think he won't be as gung ho about the moon as his predecessor. And virtually all agree the 2024 timeline set by Trump is impossible. Even if Biden is all in, Congress is skeptical. Lawmakers in both parties enthusiastically support the idea of returning to the moon, but not on the timeline dictated by Trump. The spending bills passed in December also drastically underfunded programs like the human landing system, which will be required to shuttle astronauts to the moon's surface. Instead of the $3.3 billion requested by the administration, lawmakers approved just $1 billion for the lander in fiscal 2021. #POLITICOSPACE EVENT ALERT: What does the Biden presidency mean for military space programs and policy? Join me and Bryan Bender on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 1 p.m. ET for a POLITICO Live conversation on space policy and national security in the Biden era. Register here. ACTING NASA BOSS: Stephen Jurczyk, who has been NASA's associate administrator for almost three years, will lead the space agency in an acting capacity while the Biden administration picks a permanent nominee. "The Biden-Harris administration's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, combating climate change, and creating economic opportunity for all Americans is real — and we all have a role to play in turning that commitment into action," Jurczyk wrote in a joint letter to NASA staff with Bhavya Lal, a senior White House appointee at the agency who served on Biden's space landing team. The leaders of the mission directorates that control programs such as human exploration or science are not political appointees, so they all remain in their jobs. Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine urged the Biden administration in his farewell message to continue building consensus around the Artemis program, striking a bipartisan tone and good-natured handover not seen in some other parts of the government. "This was a job of a lifetime. … The amazing people at NASA, you can't be replaced, you're the best and I'm just so grateful," he continued with his voice breaking. "When a new team comes in … they'll have all my support and I hope they'll have all your support." ALSO: Biden redecorated the Oval Office and added a rare memento: a moon rock "that is intended to remind Americans of the ambition and accomplishments of earlier generations," The Washington Post reported. | 
Satellite imagery from Maxar showing Wednesday's inaugural celebration on the National Mall. | | | | A NEW POSITION: A new technology will launch into orbit on SpaceX's rideshare mission expected to lift off this morning from Florida. Two small Earth-observation satellites will be equipped with radio-frequency thrusters from Phase Four designed to reposition small satellites in orbit. . The Maxwell propulsion engines will make sure the Earth-observation satellites stay in the right orbit over several years to gather the best imagery data from space, according to a press release. The launch of Phase Four's tech is the first in a series expected this year, CEO Beau Jarvis said in a statement. "We're seeing pent up demand for compact, high-performing satellite propulsion systems that have put us on track to deliver several Maxwell units to customers launching satellites in each quarter of 2021 and throughout 2022," Jarvis said. In addition to extending the life of a satellite or making sure it can stay in a precise orbit, having propulsion on satellites is one way to avoid creating more debris in space, since the thrusters would allow a satellite to move itself out of the way once its life ends. The company won the Climate Innovation Exchange's Sustainability in Space award in 2019 for this technology. | | | |   | | | | | | 2020 IN REVIEW: This past year was a record setting one in orbit, according to the Space Foundation's quarterly report released Thursday . Companies around the world deployed 1,010 communications satellites, up 477 percent from the 175 satellites put into orbit in 2019. The exponential growth is driven primarily by both SpaceX and OneWeb growing their broadband satellite constellations. The number of launch attempts was also up in 2020. There were 114 launch events around the world last year, which is close to the launch pace while the Space Shuttle was in service. That is compared to 103 in 2019. But 2021 will be a milestone year too, the report predicts. Nine countries are planning to launch missions to the lunar surface by the end of 2021, including Canada, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. | | | | JOIN WEDNESDAY - SPACE POLICY IN THE BIDEN ERA : U.S. national security and space are inextricably linked. As President Biden takes office, his administration must define its national security space policy. How much will the Biden administration invest in expanding space capabilities, pursuing cooperation with U.S. allies and partners, and deterring wage conflict in space? Join POLITICO on Wednesday for a virtual deep-dive conversation on space policy and national security in the Biden era. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | THE OTHER MOON MISSION: Up next on our bookshelf is "The Mission," a deep-dive into NASA's study of Jupiter's moon, Europa, by author David W. Brown that is set to publish on Tuesday. The book examines the unique personalities who have fought to make the mission a reality, including a Texas Tea Party lawmaker, a disciple of Carl Sagan and an ex-motocross racer. They were all driven by the search for life off Earth and a deep curiosity about what they would find in the large saltwater ocean on Europa. The story of Europa is still in progress. Four proposed missions to Europa have been derailed and failed to launch, but the latest effort, the Europa Clipper, is scheduled to launch in 2024 and reach Jupiter six years later. Brown published a longform New Yorker story in July looking at the outfit behind that mission, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. | | | Marchel Holle, manager of Washington operations at the Space Foundation, will lead U.S. government relations for Japanese company ispace as it expands its American footprint. Heather Wilson, former secretary of the Air Force, has joined Maxar's board of directors. LOL: Wednesday may have been Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' day to shine, but for many, a grumpy-looking Sen. Bernie Sanders stole the show, going viral for attending the inauguration in chunky mittens. The Vermont senator has been photoshopped many places, but this one is out of this world. QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Congratulations to Dee Russell, spokesperson for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, for being the first to correctly answer that the stand used in Saturday's Space Launch System rocket test was also used to test the Saturn V. This week's question: Which space mission had a float in former President Richard Nixon's first inauguration parade in 1969? The first person to email jklimas@politico.com gets bragging rights and a shoutout in the next newsletter! | | | | A message from Northrop Grumman: In modern missions, communication and coordination is always a challenge – and getting it right can mean the difference between mission success and failure. At Northrop Grumman, we've been taking on this challenge for decades and the result is a scalable, adaptable suite of joint all-domain command and control networks and capabilities. Our products ensure the entire joint force, from troops to weapons systems can act as one across every mission and military service. Because tomorrow's mission success depends on acting as one. Learn more about how we're enabling the joint force. | | | | | | — More industry officials are asking Biden to keep the National Space Council: Space News — Protecting Apollo lunar landing sites is now law: CNN — NASA's rover will land on Mars in less than a month: Space.com — The InSight lander that's already on the surface of the Red Planet will stop digging: Astronomy Magazine — The U.S. and China are racing to Mars: Bloomberg — China's private space industry is also preparing to challenge America's commercial sector: MIT Technology Review — Canon is making space imagery more accessible to the masses: Travel and Leisure | | | TODAY: NASA holds a press conference on two upcoming spacewalks outside the International Space Station. TUESDAY: Lockheed Martin hosts a call on its fourth quarter and full year earnings. TUESDAY: The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee considers the nomination of Gina Raimondo to be secretary of commerce. TUESDAY: The Mitchell Institute hosts a virtual discussion with Gen. James Dickinson, the head of U.S. Space Command. TUESDAY: The Space Foundation hosts an event on the new generation of space leaders. WEDNESDAY: NASA conducts a briefing on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, which is expected to land on the Red Planet on Feb. 18. WEDNESDAY: Boeing holds a call on its fourth quarter and full year earnings. THURSDAY: The 43rd Committee on Space Research Scientific Assembly begins in Australia. THURSDAY: Northrop Grumman holds a call on its fourth quarter and full year earnings. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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