Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation Hearing Set For Dec. 1

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The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation has announced that its hearing Transition and Implementation: The NASA Authorization Act of 2010, originally scheduled for November 18th, will be held on Wednesday, December 1st at 10:30 AM EST.

Given the recent meeting that the Utah Congressional delegation felt necessary to hold with NASA’s Administrator and Deputy Administrator over concerns that NASA is slow-boating initiating the new Heavy-Lift Vehicle effort, this hearing should be interesting. Of even more interest will be questioning of any NASA witnesses by Florida Senator Bill Nelson, given that he faces a tough re-election fight in 2012 and the Senator’s recent comments that Obama’s staff are the reason for so many Florida Democrats’ loosing their election and re-election bids.

From the number of studies, and short time-frame for concluding them, that are required of NASA in the 2010 NASA Authorization Act, it is clear that Congress clearly has some concerns about NASA’s leadership’s willingness to follow Congressional mandates. The December 1 hearing will either catalyze or dilute those concerns.

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