Surprise Augustine Committee hearing set

Robert Block

The Write Stuff
Orlando Sentinel

The Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee will hold a public teleconference on Thursday, Oct. 8, from approximately 1 to 2 p.m. EDT.

The only topic for discussion will be finalization of scoring of options the committee presented in their summary report on Sept. 8. This meeting will be held by teleconference only. The teleconference will be open to the public. The service limit is approximately 300 dial-in callers. Public participants will be in a listen-only mode.

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Space Coast sees first big round of KSC layoffs

Cape Canaveral — The first round of what are expected to be thousands of layoffs of space-program workers starts today, Friday, with 258 shuttle contractors losing their jobs in anticipation of the space shuttle's retirement next year.

In addition, nine employees of rocket-maker United Launch Alliance also received pink slips Thursday, along with about 70 security workers at Cape Canaveral Air Force station.

The 337 layoffs are the first of what local officials estimate will be 7,000 space-program job losses by the end of 2010.

The 258 shuttle workers were employed by United Space Alliance, which services the shuttle for NASA, and most volunteered to leave. About 20 more will be leaving next week.

Read the post, HERE.

Augustine Committee report two weeks away

According to a report by Shelby Spires at the Huntsville Times, the long-awaited final report by a presidential space panel about the future of NASA and human space flight is unlikely to be sent to President Barack Obama until the middle of October.

Read the post HERE.