The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently announced the launch date for a new joint-venture satellite.

Witnesses: 
The Honorable Charles Bolden
Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Committee Members Present:
Frank Wolf (R-VA), Chairman
Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Ranking Member
John Culberson (R-TX)
Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Jo Bonner (R-AL)
José Serrano (D-NY)

NASA is preparing to launch its next spacecraft. The Mars Atmosphere and Volatiles Evolution mission (MAVEN) is set to launch on November 18 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. MAVEN will examine Mars’ upper atmosphere, which could potentially provide data on the history of climate change on the Red Planet. 

The House Subcommittee on Space held a hearing on May 21, 2013 on next steps in human space exploration. The primary goal of the hearing was to evaluate whether a human mission to the moon or to a near-earth asteroid would better prepare NASA to send humans to Mars and beyond.

On July 18, 2013, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a markup of the NASA Authorization Act of 2013 (H.R. 2687). The bill, which reauthorizes programs at NASA for two years with a top line budget of $16.9 billion, was approved by a vote of 22 to 17 along party lines.

The bill authorizes a total of $4.6 billion for science, including $1.5 billion for planetary science and $1.2 billion for earth science. This represents a reduction of the earth science budget by about one-third, to 2008 levels. 

NASA officials released a synopsis of their Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities (CCSC), a program that provides private sector companies with the opportunity to utilize NASA’s resources and expertise to produce cost-effective, commercial products and services for low Earth orbit and beyond.

NASA is seeking comments on the synopsis and proposals from private companies interested in pursuing such partnerships. Interested parties should submit a letter of intent by August 7, 2013.

Witnesses:
Laurance Doyle
Principal Investigator, Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute
John Grunsfeld
Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA 
James Ulvestad
Director, Division of Astronomical Sciences, National Science Foundation

Committee Members Present
Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Space Subcommittee Chairman
Donna Edwards (D-MD), Space Subcommittee Ranking Member

Witnesses:
Laurance Doyle
Principal Investigator, Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute
John Grunsfeld
Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA 
James Ulvestad
Director, Division of Astronomical Sciences, National Science Foundation

Committee Members Present
Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Space Subcommittee Chairman
Donna Edwards (D-MD), Space Subcommittee Ranking Member