Bay Area Houston

Interesting report from the NASA Office of the Inspector General.

The NASA OIG release a report on 4/20 titled “NASA’s Acquisition of Next-Generation Spacesuit Services“. It is a detailed, and at times quite boring, report but the main point of the report is that based on past experience of developing and testing the space suits the Moon landing will be delayed into 2031. Here is their summary:

NASA faces challenges in ensuring next-generation spacesuits are available to meet the Agency’s current schedules for the Artemis lunar landing mission in 2028 and prior to the ISS’s decommissioning in 2030. NASA’s original schedules to demonstrate the lunar and microgravity spacesuits in 2025 and 2026, respectively, were overly optimistic and ultimately proved unachievable, as evidenced by delays of at least a year and a half for both spacesuits. Based on our analysis, if Axiom experiences design and testing delays in line with the historical average for recent space flight programs, the Artemis and ISS demonstrations may not occur until 2031.

Of course The new NASA chief had a response which is basically we are still landing in 2028 while Trump is in office and he can take credit for it. That’s not exactly what he said but you get the idea. Ever since Trump was reelected he has targeted NASA for massive cuts. First it was to cut the Artemis program and give it to Elon Musk. That fell apart when Trump and Elon started a fight over the failure of DOGE. Now he is calling for a 24% cut to NASA to focus on landing on the Moon while he is still in office.

I have full faith in those who are working on the new suits. I have no faith in who is running the agency or those who refuse to tell their leader in space when it is safe to go to the moon. More later. From the new NASA Chief:

We are reviewing where NASA can do better, how we can provide relief where appropriate to burdensome requirements, where we can expand capabilities over time (Apollo 11’s EVA profile was very different than Apollo 17), and where we can help industry by inserting NASA SMEs and driving the intended outcomes. I am confident that when NASA is ready to land on the Moon in 2028, our astronauts will be wearing Axiom suits.

The trump administration and Congress strung NASA employees out for a year.

This ought to be illegal and who knows, it might be. Trump and his administration has proposed a cut of 23% to NASA’s budget. One of the victims is Johnson Space Center’s major program, Gateway. Gateway is/was to be a space station in the Moon’s orbit. The idea was to use Gateway as an orbiting base for vehicles and crew to land on the Moon. That is all gone. Gateway has been put on “pause”.

Prior to the big beautiful bill Gateway was on the chopping block along with the Artemis vehicle and the Space Launch System. The SLS and Artemis had already flown. Both were built and tested and both were going to be cut. Our elected officials here in Houston said nothing. Senator Cornyn and Cruz were too busy trying to move a Space Shuttle from the Smithsonian to JSC which would create tens of tens of jobs all while we would lose thousands of good paying jobs that support these programs. The beautiful bill saved the programs…..for a year. Now Gateway is on “pause” which means it is dead. It’s going to be cut giving those who work the programs time to find work elsewhere.

Seven years of research, design, and implementation down the drain. Billions lost. Thousands of jobs lost. This is just stupidity at its finest and our elected officials are quiet as a scared mouse. They have said nothing. They will do nothing.

NASA/JSC’s Congressman Brian Babin is up for reelection in November.

It’s actually pretty simple.

Shuttle Discovery belongs to the Smithsonian. They received full legal title and ownership from NASA in 2012. Congress appropriated $85 million in the Big Bumbling Bill to move it or at least start thinking about moving it. Unfortunately it’s not theirs to move. Besides the fact that moving this vehicle would require significant logistics and an incredible amount of money, Johnson Space Center doesn’t have a facility to store it and we already have a Shuttle that is much better. From a previous post titled You Might Not Want the Shuttle to be Sent to Houston:

The Woody is a replica of the Shuttle and was housed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was moved here after Kennedy’s winning bid to secure a Shuttle. Woody sits on top of a 747 at Space Center Houston and is actually a very interesting exhibit. You can walk through the bay, look into the cockpit, and actually touch it unlike the other ones.

Unlike the Woody, all of the shuttles are for display only. You can’t walk in it. You touch it. You can’t walk in the bay. What we have is actually better. Kids who come to see the Shuttle don’t know it’s not a real shuttle and they don’t care. This idea of moving the Shuttle to Houston is nothing more than a $85 Million political ad by Senator Cornyn trying to save his seat from being taken by Ken Paxton.

It’s not coming to Houston. It’s a sick, costly gimmick by Cornyn. Instead of funding TSA they are wasting money on a stupid, unnecessary project.

Some might think it’s all fun and games. It’s not.

NASA employees are in their second week of being furloughed. What happens when NASA employees are furloughed? Not much, literally. Basically employees are forbidden by law to work during a furlough. That means they cannot go to the office. They can’t work from home. They can’t conduct or participate in telecoms.

Do they get paid for not going to work? Depends. If the furlough continues past the pay period employees will not receive their paychecks because, well the government is closed, including the office that issues checks. The question this time is whether they will receive back pay for the time they were furloughed. In the past, or at least the last 4 furloughs, back pay was authorized.

This time might be different. The million of federal employees furloughed might have to suck it up and take a very costly hit all while members of Congress will get full payment. The argument will be easy. “If you didn’t work, you shouldn’t get paid.”, or “If I didn’t work I wouldn’t get paid.”. Even though federal employees were forbidden by law to work they might not get paid leaving them with unpaid mortgages, etc.

Some employees at NASA will be designated as essential such as those who manage the Space Station at Mission Control. Contractors are not affected by the furlough. While the furlough continues some employees may find out they are fired.

But that won’t happen until they get back because, well the government is closed, including HR.

To be perfectly honest, there wasn’t much to heckle him about….until….

At the end of Congressman Brian Babin’s softball interview at Rice University Babin had to make the mistake of lying to the small crowd and he was called out for it. It was ugly. Babin was defending the NAZI saluting Elon Musk and DOGE claiming they had found millions of people over the age of 115 collecting Social Security checks. (It’s not true.)

A number of groans came from the audience with someone in the front row (me) yelling “That is not true Congressman!” A number of people chimed in calling him out on his stupid comment. A disabled individual went off on a tangent about going to Mars causing a problem for security. I continued with comments towards Babin such as “Your boss is a liar, you don’t have to be one too.” Others in the small audience were vocal and not happy that he resorted to what Republicans are good at, lying. The moderator then ended the event.

As Babin was leaving the podium I asked if he would come to his district and meet with his constituents. His response was “I’m not going to do that”. Babin has been in office for over 10 years and has never met with his constituents besides with the business community.

Fucking coward.

The event is not in the district but it is close.

Congressman Brian Babin will finally make a public appearance on August 27 at Rice University to discuss the massive cuts to NASA, science, and research. Ever since being elected to Congress, ten years ago, Babin has never addressed his constituents in person. Instead he has “teleconferences” where he defends everything trump is doing and then takes pre-screened questions from his supporters. Questions like “Trump is like Jesus.” which isn’t even a question but whatever. Like his telecoms he will probably not take questions.

So, if you would like to attend, it is free. August 27 3:00 PM. Rice University. Be there. It will be wild. Personally I hope they boo the living shit out of rotten ass. Click here for tickets.

Another Xplosion.

SpaceXplosion has a serious systemic problem. How many more explosions is the FAA going to tolerate before they determine the root cause of these mishaps. How many more explosions will the local residents tolerate? Who has to die before someone makes SpaceX stand down until they determine WTF is going on?

The video to the left is disturbing. Not only was the vehicle destroyed but the pad was destroyed and I would bet homes in the area might have damage. There is probably environmental damage as well. But watch that video and count between the time you see the explosion and the time you hear it. The people who took the video was just over a mile away. I was able to get a pass on “The Causeway” to see a Shuttle Launch many years ago. That location was about 8 miles away. My parents were VIPs at the visitor center which was just over 3 miles away. You can actually hear the person who took the video comment about the heat from the Xplosion. They were that close.

After this many accidents SpaceX needs to stand down and determine the root cause of the multiple failures. Calling the explosions cute names like a RUD “Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly” isn’t funny anymore. These accidents have become a RUFUS “Rapid Unscheduled Fuck Ups”.

You can watch the official SpaceX video below. If you watch from a couple of minutes before the explosion you will hear them talking about a June 29 launch and what I consider as an unprofessional attitude to a very serious endeavor. They then reference to the event as a RUD but then simply refer to it as what it really happened. It blew up.

Again.

Every elected official in the NASA/JSC area including Senator Cornyn and Cruz, Congressman Babin and Weber, State Senator Mayes Middleton and Representative Dennis Paul, are supporting these massive cuts to NASA/JSC.

The Hill has a great article titled “Trump’s NASA Cuts: The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.” If you are supporting NASA in any way, shape or form, you might want to take time to see how your particular project is going to be affected. The major cuts will devastate the JSC community. Here is a quick list of cuts affecting the area:

• Gateway Program. CANCELLED. Gateway is a space station around the Moon. Components have already been delivered.
• Orion. CANCELLED. Orion is the capsule that will take astronauts to the Moon and Mars. It has been completed with the 3rd flight scheduled this year.
• Space Launch System. CANCELLED. SLS is the heavy lift vehicle that will take Orion to the Moon and Mars. It has been completed and has flown.

The Republican budget will cut 24% of NASA’s budget but claims to be adding $7 Billion for Moon and Mars exploration which doesn’t make sense since they are cutting the very vehicles designed and built to travel to the Moon and Mars. As some wise ass said to the Houston Chronicle “They are feeding us goat turds and telling us they are tater tots.”

According to the article the $7 Billion will go to the NAZI Sympathizer and SpaceX, and Blue Origin. SpaceX has had multiple failures, or “Rapid Unscheduled Fuck Ups” (RUFUS) and Blue Origin’s claim to fame is sending Katy Perry into space. NASA and their contractors have been working on Orion and SLS since George W Bush was in office, almost 20 years ago and they are now flying.

There are many more cuts that will affect all NASA centers identified in the article, including cuts to the STEM program which is considered “woke”. Take a moment to read it. With Musk’s recent criticizing of the bill his share of the $7 Billion is probably in jeopardy.

The cuts coming to NASA are the beginning of the end of the Agency.

Jared Isaacman was to be the next Administrator of NASA. Isaacman is another billionaire buddy of Trump and Elon Musk. He bought a couple of rides on Musk’s vehicles and conducted the first private spacewalk. (Video here) His confirmation was all but guaranteed but he was asked about his relationship with Musk and the concern about privatizing NASA with tax dollars going to Musk and SpaceX. That didn’t go well.

Isaacman spoke out against the proposed cuts to NASA and sealed his fate as the Administrator. Trump pulled his nomination just prior to a Senate vote to confirm. Isaacman made the mistake of taking his lips off of Trump’s ass and speaking out. Isaacman is out and a yes man will be nominated. According to NPR:

“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.”

The cuts are coming and Elon Musk will suck the life out of the remainder of the Agency. Here at JSC the Gateway Program will end. The Orion vehicle will end even though it has already been designed, tested, and flown. The heavy lift vehicle, SLS, will end even though it has already been designed, tested, and flown. These cuts will leave NASA/JSC with only the International Space Station up until 2030. Musk will then take over the Agency, it’s workforce, and the facilities.

Trump thinks he and Musk will be responsible for landing a human on Mars before the end of his reign. In reality landing on Mars will not happen for many decades, long after he is entombed in a monument on the grounds of the Vietnam Memorial.

Count on it.

Crickets.

If you call your local Congressman, Brian Babin, and ask “Has the Congressman made a statement on the massive cuts to NASA?” you will get the response “I haven’t talked with the Congressman on the issue but will pass your comments on to him”. That’s the canned answer to every question on every subject on every day. I’ve called daily asking for a response and they still haven’t talked with the Congressman. Go ahead and try it. I’ll wait. Phone: (202) 225-1555

The proposed cuts to NASA and the shift of money to Elon Musk and SpaceX has the administration considering renaming NASA to the National Administration for Zodiology Investments. (NAZI). But seriously, I am almost being serious. Trump is proposing to gut the Space Agency with a massive 24% cut including cancelling major programs at JSC. Gateway, the space station around the Moon, has had its first module delivered to NASA. It’s being cancelled. The vehicles that will send astronauts to the Moon and Mars are being cancelled. Both the Orion vehicle and the heavy lift rocket (SLS) have already been built and flown. They are both gone along with the jobs.

These programs are serious cuts to the local economy and yet Senator Cornyn, Cruz, Congressmen Weber and Babin (all republicans by the way) have been unable to take their lips off Trumps ass to make a statement. All of them are happy to have proposed moving a Shuttle from Washington DC to Space Center Houston. That might give the engineers losing their jobs an opportunity to become tour guides.

At least Elon Musk is happy. The cuts to NASA are going straight to SpaceX, the guys who like to blow up vehicles.