Plus: Vance's role in Isaacman's confirmation
| By Jeff Foust
In this today's edition: threats to an atmospheric science center also affect space science, Vice President JD Vance's role in getting Jared Isaacman confirmed, China launches a mapping satellite and more.
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| | | | | | Top Stories
A proposal by the White House to break up a leading atmospheric science center would also have implications for space science. The White House earlier this month directed the National Science Foundation to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Colorado, citing what one official called the "woke direction" of UCAR, the organization that manages NCAR for the NSF. Neither the White House nor the NSF have provided more details about those plans. While NCAR is best known for its weather and climate research, it also works on space science, including studies of the sun and space weather, and is involved in NASA missions in heliophysics. UCAR leadership said at a conference earlier this month the White House's announcement took them by surprise and they defended their research. Last week, more than 70 members of Congress from both parties signed a letter opposing any move to break up NCAR. [SpaceNews]
A French launch startup is looking into defense applications for its hybrid propulsion technologies. HyPrSpace raised 21 million euros ($24.7 million) in an oversubscribed Series A round last month, with plans to use the funding to complete a suborbital rocket, Baguette One, that is a precursor to its small orbital launch vehicle, OB-1. Those rockets use hybrid propulsion systems the company has developed with plastic fuel and liquid oxygen. The company says defense customers are showing interest in its hybrid motors for other, unspecified uses, replacing the liquid oxygen with storable oxidizers like nitrous oxide or hydrogen peroxide. HyPrSpace is planning to launch Baguette One in the first half of 2026 with the first OB-1 launch set for late 2027. [SpaceNews]
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman appeared open to alternatives to moving the space shuttle Discovery from a Smithsonian museum to Houston. A provision of the budget reconciliation bill enacted in July directs NASA to perform a "space vehicle transfer" widely interpreted to mean moving Discovery from the Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington to Space Center Houston. In an interview on CNBC Friday, Isaacman said NASA was ensuring that such a move could be done within budget and safely, factors raised by critics of the move. If not, he said, "we have spacecraft going around the moon with Artemis 2, 3, 4 and 5," suggesting the Orion spacecraft from one of those missions could go to Houston instead and still comply with the law. [SpaceNews]
Isaacman reportedly got a second chance to become NASA administrator thanks to efforts by Vice President JD Vance. According to a report, Vance worked to smooth the relationship between President Trump and Elon Musk after a falling out between the two in May that led the White House to withdraw Isaacman's original nomination. That included meeting with key members of the Senate Commerce Committee to ensure that, if Isaacman was renominated, he could be confirmed quickly. Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff, also worked to give Isaacman a second chance. The White House renominated Isaacman in early November and he was confirmed in mid-December. [Washington Post]
| | | | | | Other News
China launched a mapping satellite overnight. A Long March 4B lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 11:12 p.m. Eastern and successfully placed the Tianhui-7 spacecraft into orbit. The satellite will be used for mapping and land surveys, Chinese media reported. [Xinhua]
Chinese launch startups will have an easier path to going public. The Shanghai Stock Exchange said Friday that it will exempt Chinese reusable launch companies seeking to perform IPOs on the tech-focused STAR market from some of its requirements. The exchange said it will focus on technological milestones rather than profitability and minimum revenue requirements for such companies. Companies that are involved in major national space projects will also get priority from the exchange for going public. [Reuters]
India plans to complete a third launch pad at its major spaceport in the next four years. The director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre said the third pad will be used for supporting launches of larger vehicles and payloads. The spaceport currently has two pads used by the PSLV and LVM3 rockets. The Indian space agency ISRO is seeking contractors to build the third pad. [India TV]
NASA is preparing for two spacewalks at the International Space Station in January. The first spacewalk, scheduled for Jan. 8, will be by NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, who will prepare the station's power system for the installation of a new set of solar arrays. A second spacewalk on Jan. 15 involves other maintenance work, including replacing a camera and installing a new navigational aid. NASA said it will select the astronauts for the second spacewalk at a later date. [NASA]
| | | | | FROM SPACENEWS |  | | Use code FINAL25 at checkout before the end of the year to save 25% on any new annual subscription. From just $187.50 $250, you'll get a year's worth of our comprehensive coverage of the space industry and critical perspectives on the latest developments around the globe. And annual plans for academic, government and military readers start at just $93.75 $125. Subscribe by Dec. 31 to make sure you have access to the latest commercial, civil, defense and launch coverage every day in 2026 and beyond. | | | | | | Sick Aurora
| "The very first day I had arrived, Don Pettit — there was a beautiful aurora, and Don had me close my eyes and he brought me over to the cupola and he said, 'Open them.' It was the most beautiful aurora I had seen at that point in time — I had not seen that many in my life — but it was wholly unappreciated by me because I was very, very sick."
| | – NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, describing at a press conference earlier this month his experience seeing the aurora from the International Space Station while still suffering from post-launch space sickness.
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