What’s Happening in Space Policy May 17-23, 2026
Here is SpacepolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of May 17-23, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session for all or part of the week.
NASA Shares Early Planning for Artemis III
NASA is beginning to share plans for the next Artemis mission, Artemis III, scheduled to launch next year. Artemis III was going to be the first human landing on the Moon since the Apollo era, but NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman reformulated the Artemis program on February 27, inserting an earth-orbiting flight into the sequence. It will test integrated operations between Orion and the landers needed to get the crew down to and back from the lunar surface. The launch date for this reimagined Artemis III mission hasn’t been announced, but some basic elements are now public.
House Appropriators Reject Deep Cuts to NASA in FY2027
The House Appropriations Committee approved the FY2027 Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) bill today, rejecting deep cuts proposed by the Trump Administration. Instead of the $18.8 billion requested, the committee approved $24.4 billion, the same as what the agency received for FY2026. Still, it favors human spaceflight by cutting other NASA activities like science, which would get $1.3 billion less than current spending.
CBO Estimates Golden Dome at $1.2 Trillion, Space-Based Interceptors Biggest Cost
The Congressional Budget Office issued an updated estimate today of the cost of President Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system. Lacking detailed data from the Administration, CBO based its analysis on the capabilities called for in Trump’s January 2025 Executive Order and concluded the total cost over 20 years is $1.2 trillion, about twice its estimate last year, with the bulk of it for Space-Based Interceptors.
What’s Happening in Space Policy May 9-16, 2026
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of May 9-16, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.
Brian Hughes Returns to NASA in Charge of Kennedy and Wallops Launch Operations
Brian Hughes, who headed the Florida arm of President Trump’s 2024 campaign and served as NASA Chief of Staff for several months last year, is returning to the agency to oversee NASA’s launch operations at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The top Democrat on the House committee that oversees NASA called on the agency to reverse the decision in part because Hughes does not have the expertise to ensure America can beat China back to the Moon.
What’s Happening in Space Policy May 3-9, 2026
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of May 3-9, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess this week except for pro forma sessions.
Ribbon Cutting at Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal Welcomes U.S. Space Command
Gen. Stephen Whiting, Commander of U.S. Space Command, participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday to mark the official beginning of USSPACECOM’s move to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. The occasion comes after a five-year battle between Alabama and Colorado to be USSPACECOM’s permanent home.
Lt. Gen. Doug Schiess Nominated to Succeed Space Force CSO Saltzman
President Trump is nominating Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess to be the next U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations as Gen. B. Chance Saltzman’s four-year term comes to an end. Established in 2019 during President Trump’s first term, the Space Force is the youngest military service and Schiess will be only the third person to serve in that position if confirmed by the Senate.
House Appropriations Subcommittee Clears NASA Bill on Party-Line Vote
The House Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee approved the FY2027 bill that funds NASA today on a party-line vote, with all Democrats in opposition. Most of their objections were over parts of the bill unrelated to NASA, but concerns were voiced in particular about cuts to NASA science programs.