The Nov. 2 Congressional mid-term elections brings changes in the House of Representatives for space policy and politics certain to impact the direction of the United States space agency in the wake of the adoption of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010. New committee and subcommittee leaders will come from the Republican ranks displacing the Democrats in January 2011.Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf is expected to assume the chairmanship of the powerful House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, and Science and Subcommittee, which oversees NASA spending. Meanwhile, Texas Congressman Ralph Hall is expected to assume the chairmanship of the House Science and Technology Committee, which oversees NASA policy and decides overall funding levels for congressional appropriation consideration, [Aviation Week].
The questions looming are how the commercial space sector may be 'throttled' up or down; and, how the chances of US-China space cooperation may be derailed. Both are major space policy issues that loom large in the year ahead.
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