- "Given the outcome of the congressional election and learning more specifically who is (and isn’t) involved as space advisers, I anticipate a larger appetite for a change agenda and a better than expected potential to get at least some of their agenda accomplished," Lori Garver, former No.2 at NASA writes.
- Expected areas of change: i) NASA’s bureaucracy/infrastructure is much too large and expensive. ii) NASA shouldn’t be spending so much money on Earth sciences. iii) The Moon is a better and more important destination than Mars. iv) Entrepreneurial space should play a larger role in all aspects of space. v) Space activities cut across international, civil, military and commercial arenas and should be run out of the White House, by a National Space Council, reporting to Vice President Pence.
- She also takes a few parting shots at the departing administration: "NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden’s perceived lack of enthusiastic support of the White House agenda gave an opening to the opposition. Without a willingness to take on these special interests, the administration made a Faustian bargain to secure congressional support for Earth sciences, technology and commercial crew, in exchange for support of developing a large expendable rocket (the Space Launch System or SLS) and deep space capsule (Orion) for human spaceflight. While these parochial interests still exist, a Trump White House has the opportunity to more effectively defend its own agenda."
- Stocks potentially impacted: AVAV, B, BA, GLOB, HON, I, JEC, LMT, OTCPK:MDDWF, MOG.A, OA, SAIC, SPACE, T
Original article