Keith Cowing of NASA Watch reported a National Space Council event in Washington, D.C., on December 20, 2023. The party was held in a large space with flags, lighting, and Kinko’s posters. Despite the beautiful setting, the author noticed that the event had little news.
International Crew for Lunar Mission: Concerns Raised Over NASA’s Transparency and Project Budgets
Vice President Harris‘ main announcement was an international crew member for a lunar surface mission. This news wasn’t surprising because it was expected. The lack of crew member nation of origin or identity was notable. The author lamented NASA’s unwillingness to announce human lunar landing dates or mission participants.
The Vice President’s team’s apparent focus on creating a compelling promotional video while ignoring NASA OIG and GAO’s concerns about the agency’s capacity to complete projects on time and under budget. Artemis and Gateway, Mars Sample Return, ISS service life extension and disposal, and commercial space station follow-ons may surpass budgetary constraints.
Although these concerns were raised, It remained skeptical of public activities, addressing them through theatrical spectacles three times a year. The high prices of these events, mostly boost the egos of D.C. space community members and give them an air of importance. It claims that these public gatherings are public relations exercises while the real work goes behind the scenes.
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Criticism Mounts Over National Space Council Event
The National Space Council event was physically beautiful but was criticized for its lack of news and for potentially overshadowing NASA’s budgetary and project execution issues.
This public gatherings pricey spectacles for the D.C. space community, questioning their genuineness.
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