NASA Announces Shuttle Retirement Homes

After 30 years of spaceflight, more than 130 missions, and numerous science and technology firsts, NASA's space shuttle fleet will retire and be on display at institutions across the country to inspire the next generation of explorers and engineers.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on Tuesday announced the facilities where four shuttle orbiters will be displayed permanently at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program. Shuttle Enterprise, the first orbiter built, will move from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York. The Udvar-Hazy Center will become the new home for shuttle Discovery, which retired after completing its 39th mission in March. Shuttle Endeavour, which is preparing for its final flight at the end of the month, will go to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Atlantis, which will fly the last planned shuttle mission in June, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More at NASA

Discovery Retires

Listen to Obama's last call to Discovery here.

NASA's Bolden Answers Angry Reporters' Questions

Unlike other reporters, space reporters don't even pretend that they're objective. Note the first reporter's anger at the Obama administration's new plan for NASA.
NASA's workforce is livid about the cancellation of the Constellation moon program. Charles Bolden, call him Charlie, says he'll take the heat for not better informing the workforce and Congress about the cancellation before rolling out the budget.
Bolden faces Congress in hearings scheduled for Feb. 24-25.

Obama's Budget Will Include Moon Mission Cuts

Obama will release the $3.8 trillion budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins in Oct., on Monday. He'll speak at 10:45 am eastern. The Army Corps of Engineers and NASA will see cuts for its moon missions, which will produce a lot of hollering.

President Barack Obama is essentially grounding efforts to return astronauts to the moon and instead is sending NASA in new directions with roughly $6 billion more, according to officials familiar with the plans.

A White House official confirmed Thursday that when next week's budget is proposed, NASA will get an additional $5.9 billion over five years, as first reported in Florida newspapers. Some of that money would extend the life of the International Space Station to 2020. It also would be used to entice companies to build private spacecraft to ferry astronauts to the space station after the space shuttle retires, said the official who was not authorized to speak by name.

The money in the president's budget is not enough to follow through with NASA's Constellation moon landing plan initiated by President George W. Bush. An aide to an elected official who was told of Obama's plans, but who asked that his name not be used because of the sensitivity of the discussions, said Obama is effectively ending the return-to-the-moon effort, something that has already cost $9.1 billion.

It all comes down to money. The six-year-old Bush plan, which a former NASA chief called "Apollo on steroids," sputtered when promised budget increases didn't materialize. And now money is a big consideration in NASA's latest shift in focus. Read more at Orlando Sentinel

Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie will have the Budget man himself, Peter Orszag, on The Daily Rundown Monday at 9 am eastern:

The budget for the 2011 fiscal year, which begins in October, will identify the winners and losers behind Mr. Obama’s proposal for a three-year freeze of a portion of the budget. Many programs at the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Energy Department are in line for increases, along with the Census Bureau.

Among the losers would be some public works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers, two historic preservation programs and NASA’s mission to return to the Moon, which would be ended as the administration seeks to reorient the space program to use private companies for launchings. Mr. Obama is recycling some proposals from last year, including one to end redundant payments for land restoration at abandoned coal mines; Western lawmakers blocked it in 2009. Mr. Obama will propose a total of $20 billion in such savings for the coming fiscal year. NYT

Obama used a scapel in what to freeze:

Exempted from the cuts, however, are national security, veterans programs, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security — the most expensive and fastest-growing areas of the budget.

By filling in the details behind the freeze, the administration hopes to show critics that it used a scalpel rather than an ax to keep spending for the targeted domestic agencies to $447 billion through 2013.

NASA's Bolden Speaks on Manned Space Missions

Yesterday, NASA administrator Charles Bolden met with Hillary Clinton. They discussed international cooperation on space programs. From the State department twitter:

Sec. Clinton and NASA Administrator Bolden exchanged ideas on how the State Depart. and NASA can use space to advance foreign policy goals.

Obama's plan for NASA is expected in February. Bolden also spoke at an astronomy conference in Washington:

Bolden said NASA is still working closely with the White House to determine the future of the space program.

"I don't know what the president's decision is going to be," Bolden said. "However, having been around him and talked to him and having watched him when he's interfaced with astronauts, kids and everybody else, I cannot see this president being the president who presided over the end of human space exploration."

President Obama is weighing several options presented by a panel of experts in October on the next step in NASA's troubled Constellation moon program. The White House chartered the Augustine committee after delays in the program pushed the first launch of the new Ares 1 rocket to at least 2015, and potentially until 2017.

The program's ultimate destination and architecture are both subject to change under Obama's pending decision.

"What I know, however, is that science is important to our president, important to NASA, and crucial to whatever way forward we are to follow," Bolden said. Spaceflight Now

Obama Meets With NASA's Charles Bolden Dec. 16

Update: So what happened at the meeting? No one really knows but Universe Today speculates that not much happened and no new direction for NASA yet. I imagine that's still in the works, given budget constraints. Also, Obama can't be perceived as messing around with NASA when people don't have jobs. He can't even focus on healthcare without being criticized for not paying attention to jobs, even though he's made the case over and over that healthcare has a lot to do with jobs. Apparently, Obama might lay out NASA's future in February.

Obama's schedule for Dec. 16 includes meeting with Charles Bolden at 3:07 eastern:

White House Astronomy Night Video

The "stars" in the house: science administrator John Holdren, Buzz Aldrin, NASA administrator Charles Bolden and his assistant Lori Garver, Sally Ride, Mae Jeminson, the first black female astronaut, and John Grunsfeld, the Hubble repairman. Obama looks at a "double double" star 160 light years away:

Astronaut Sally Ride answers questions:

Obama Meets With Apollo 11 Crew Video

Obama says he wants to make math and science cool again:

Obama Hosts Apollo 11 Crew at White House July 20

Full moon inspiration

Update July 19: Obama will meet with Apollo 11 crew and Charles Bolden, the newly confirmed head of NASA, at 2 pm eastern, following a statement on health care at about 1:05 pm. Expect some live streaming at cnn.com or msnbc.com.

President Barack Obama will host the Apollo 11 crew on Monday, the 40th anniversary of man's first landing on the moon.
A senior administration official confirmed the plans to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they had not yet been announced.

The event is one of only two that will feature the entire Apollo 11 crew. The other is a lecture at the Smithsonian Institution Sunday night.

Two of the crew members, Neil Armstrong who took the first step on the moon, and command module pilot Michael Collins, do not make many public appearances. The second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin, appears frequently in the media. Aldrin is 79; Armstrong and Collins are 78. AP

Recently confirmed head of NASA--and former astronaut--Charles Bolden should also be part of the festivities.
Like we have the Birthers, some people still believe we didn't land on the moon.
Here's an interesting tidbit: most Americans think the space program is worth the money. Walter Cronkite talks about the first moon landing:

Apollo program veterans talk about the program:

Obama Names Charles Bolden NASA Administrator

UPDATE JULY 16: Bolden and Garver confirmed.
Obama also named Lori Garver, as the deputy administrator nominee. Garver had been on Obama's space transition team, checking out the agency and it's waste. During a call to Atlantis on Wednesday (if you didn't hear that call, listen here), Obama told the crew he was going to be announcing an administrator soon.
Bolden has had a few backers, namely Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida:

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, the Florida Democrat who flew with Bolden on a 1986 shuttle mission, was one of the former astronaut's biggest backers.

Nelson described Bolden as the right pick to take on the hurdles facing NASA, particularly budget restrictions and the impending retirement of the shuttle.

"Charlie is the kind of dynamic leader I believe the president was looking for and I know he'll meet these challenges head on," he said.

U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, called the nomination "a positive sign for the future of our human spaceflight program."

"Gen. Bolden's background has given him the relevant management and technical experience to address the great challenges facing NASA today," said Kosmas, whose district includes Kennedy Space Center. "General Bolden is eminently qualified to accomplish this important mission." Florida Today

Watch Bolden's challenges here. Read more about Bolden and Garver here.
Bolden and Garver's bio:

Gen. Charles Bolden, Nominee for Administrator of NASA
Charles Bolden retired from the United States Marine Corps in 2003 as the Commanding General of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing after serving more than 34 years, and is currently CEO of JackandPanther LLC, a privately-held military and aerospace consulting firm. Gen. Bolden began his service in U.S. Marine Corps in 1968. He flew more than 100 sorties in Vietnam from 1972-73. In 1980, he was selected as an astronaut by NASA, flying two space shuttle missions as pilot and two missions as commander. Following the Challenger accident in 1986, Gen. Bolden was named the Chief of the Safety Division at the Johnson Space Center with responsibilities for overseeing the safety efforts in the return-to-flight efforts. He was appointed Assistant Deputy Administrator of NASA headquarters in 1992. He was Senior Vice President at TechTrans International, Inc. from 2003 until 2005. Gen. Bolden holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis and a M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.

Lori Garver, Nominee for Deputy Administrator of NASA
Lori Garver is the President of Capital Space, LLC, and has served as Senior Advisor for Space at the Avascent Group, a strategy and management consulting firm, based in Washington, D.C. She was the lead civil space policy advisor for Obama for America, and she helped lead the Agency Review Team for NASA during the Transition. She has intimate familiarity with the agency and knows well the challenges it faces. From 1998 to 2001, Ms. Garver served as NASA’s Associate Administrator of the Office of Policy and Plans. Reporting to the NASA Administrator, she oversaw the analysis, development, and integration of NASA policies and long-range plans, the NASA Strategic Management System, and the NASA Advisory Council. Ms. Garver also served as a primary spokesperson for NASA. Prior to this appointment, she served as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Office of Policy and Plans, and Special Assistant to the Administrator. Ms. Garver earned an M.S. in Science, Technology, and Public Policy from the George Washington University and a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Colorado College.

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Obama Meets With NASA Candidate Bolden

Charles Bolden has been in the running to be the next NASA administrator for a few months. Read his bio here. Obama's expected to announce his decision ASAP.

After a day's delay, President Obama met Tuesday with a leading candidate to head NASA, the White House said.

White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said Obama met with Charles Bolden, a former shuttle commander and retired Marine major general.

The meeting had been scheduled Monday but was postponed because the president's talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went long. MSNBC

Charles Bolden Could be Next NASA Administrator

Update 5-18: Because Obama's meeting with Netanyahu ran long (and this could only be a good thing) Obama will meet with Bolden May 19, according to Gibbs. 

Charles Bolden has long been rumored to be the next possible NASA administrator. The Obama administration didn't seem too pleased with current administrator, Mike Griffin. Read more about Bolden here. Then Scott Gration was said to be the next NASA administrator but Obama chose Gration to be the Sudan envoy. But now, it's looking like Bolden will get the job. He's meeting with Obama on Monday.

It looks like Bill Nelson may finally get his man.

For months, the Florida senator has been an ardent advocate of retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden, a four-time shuttle astronaut, to be the next NASA administrator. Bolden, who would be the first African American to lead the civilian space agency, is now an aerospace consultant and is popular in the space community.

Nelson has been a Bolden fan since Bolden piloted the shuttle with Nelson aboard in 1986. But to Nelson's great frustration, the job has remained vacant. Twice, the White House floated the names of other candidates for the NASA post -- first Scott Gration, then Steve Isakowitz -- only to back down when congressional leaders balked.

Now, however, Bolden is expected to meet with President Obama at the White House on Monday. The meeting, first reported by NBC, suggests that Bolden has passed the major vetting tests and now merely has to make Obama comfortable with the selection. Read more at WaPo