07/13/2025
We Report Space Rewind
07/06/2025 ~ 07/12/2025
Washington D.C. ~
President Trump on Wednesday announced the current Secretary of
Transportation, Sean Duffy to the position of Acting Administrator of NASA. As Transportation Secretary, he has led the Potomac midair collision & Newark radar outages.
In a first time for everything, Duffy becomes the first Cabinet member to assume leadership at NASA.
Although largely inexperienced within the space industry, Duffy has a history of being a politician with support from the President
His credentials list as District Attorney for Wisconsin U.S. Representative (2011-2019) as well as a couple of appearances for TV.
This choice comes at a time when independent followers of the space industry are leaning towards seeing a privatization of space initiatives in the long run.
It is certain that with Duffy assuming controls at NASA, that every decision he makes will be under close review not only be NASA, but the space industry around the world.
This begs to ask…How long is Interim?
Kennedy Space Center, Fl ~
As last week’s rewind was being sent out, some of the particulars of
President Trump’s “Big Bill” signed a day earlier on the 4 th of July were announced.
Congress has reinstated $10 billion dollars to the Artemis Lunar Program, a critical component for the Space Launch System & Orion spacecraft.
This funding will breathe in promoting space development in the
commercial sector and fulfilling high tech jobs with multiple companies throughout the U.S and Brevard County, Fl where Kennedy Space Center is located.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fl ~
The United States Space Force, the newest military branch has seen 2 changes at the top level of personnel who oversee Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida & Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Colonel Brian Chatman took over the reins of command from Brigadier General Kristin Panzenhagen for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station the Eastern Test Range which fall under the auspices of Space Launch Delta 45.
On the west coast at Vandenberg Space Force Base, (Space Launch Delta 30), Colonel Mark Shoemaker has retired and control has been passed to Colonel James Horne III.
NASA ~
The initiative at reducing federal employees has over 2,000 “senior level” managers & technical staff deeply entrenched in the Return to the Moon & going to Mars projects clearing their desks and accepting early retirements or buyouts. The actual figure of employees working in human space flight, IT, mission support & science is expected come to over 2,900 people,
many of whom are considered the core technical experts of NASA.
The departures of these people may hinder long term goals of exploration even if Congress can possibly intervene and try to hire back some of the talent, which commercial companies will grab with competitive or high salaries and stability.
NASA ~
When it was launched on August 12, 2018 from the now demolished SLC # 37 atop a Delta IV Heavy, scientists and NASA officials had high hopes for the Parker Solar Probe. It has of yet to disappoint and continues to amaze the science world with new discoveries.
In newly released images from NASA, that were taken Christmas Eve, 2024 the probe was about 6.1 million KM above the surface of the sun zipping along at 692,000 km/h in temperatures registering at 980 degrees (Celsius/1800 F) the most detailed pictures of the suns Corona have been seen. A final set of low orbits about the sun are scheduled for 24 December, this year.
Article: Graham Smith Images: Michael Seeley & Courtesy of NASA
