{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/maryland-congressional-delegation-members-press-nasa-for-answers-on-osam-1-mission", "Maryland Congressional Delegation Members Press NASA for Answers on OSAM-1 Mission", "2024-09-19", "2024", "2024-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "MD", "Chris Van Hollen", "V000128", "www.vanhollen.senate.gov", "vanhollen", "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "This week, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, David Trone, and Glenn Ivey (all D-Md.) wrote to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Bill Nelson, pressing the agency for answers on its decision to cancel the On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) robotic satellite maintenance mission, even after the lawmakers provided $227 million through fiscal year 2024 appropriations legislation to ensure its launch in 2026. The lawmakers also have been working to secure continued funding in the next fiscal year. The OSAM-1 mission, developed at the NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, was expected to offer operators new ways to maintain their satellite fleets more efficiently and help mitigate space debris. In their letter, the Maryland Congressional Delegation members ask Administrator Nelson for a detailed accounting of the review process that led to the cancellation as well as the plan to utilize the nearly complete OSAM-1 satellite.\n\n\u201cAs members of the Maryland Delegation, we write to request information regarding NASA\u2019s decision to cancel the On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) mission on September 4, 2024. OSAM-1 is a space technology mission developed to demonstrate NASA\u2019s capabilities to extend the lifespans of government-owned satellites and other satellites that were not originally built or intended to be serviced in space,\u201d the lawmakers began. \u201cThis demonstration intends to show the ability to repair and restore existing satellites, prolong satellite mission life, and pave the way for more sustainable and cost-effective space missions in the future. [\u2026] There is currently no existing operation that demonstrates the unique capabilities of this technology within U.S. public or commercial missions.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn February 29, 2024, NASA ordered an orderly shutdown of the OSAM-1 mission, citing technical, cost, and scheduling challenges as well as the overall funding environment. Recognizing the value of the mission, Congress directed NASA to continue the OSAM-1 mission in the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024,\u201d they continued, citing their work to preserve the mission and keep it on track for launch in 2026.\n\n\u201cIt is our understanding that in April 2024 NASA received an updated plan from the mission team, which included a rescope of the mission to meet the launch and budget requirements, as directed by Congress, and reduced testing requirements to adopt a Class-D designation in line with the standard posture of a technology demonstration project. It is also our understanding that the OSAM-1 mission team has proceeded with executing on this updated plan,\u201d pointing to further progress in resolving these issues.\n\nThe Delegation members conclude their letter noting, however, \u201cOn September 4, 2024, members of the Maryland delegation were notified of NASA\u2019s intent to proceed with canceling the OSAM-1 mission.\u201d Following this they underscore, \u201cwe have concerns regarding the Agency\u2019s decision-making process,\u201d and go on to ask for answers to a series of questions surrounding the decision, to be received no later than Monday, September 23.\n\nFull text of the letter is below and here.\n\nDear Administrator Nelson:\n\nAs members of the Maryland Delegation, we write to request information regarding NASA\u2019s decision to cancel the On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) mission on September 4, 2024.\n\nOSAM-1 is a space technology mission developed to demonstrate NASA\u2019s capabilities to extend the lifespans of government-owned satellites and other satellites that were not originally built or intended to be serviced in space. Capabilities that OSAM-1 seeks to demonstrate include rendezvous, autonomous capture, servicing and refueling in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with spacecraft not built for these purposes, as well as relocation of spacecraft and on-orbit assembly and manufacturing. This technology will grant satellite operators new ways to manage their fleets more efficiently and will help mitigate growing concerns about space debris. This demonstration intends to show the ability to repair and restore existing satellites, prolong satellite mission life, and pave the way for more sustainable and cost-effective space missions in the future. We are currently witnessing a commercial boom in space launches, and it is critical that NASA commits to the priority of controlling the growth of orbital debris, especially during a time when private actors may not feel incentivized to do so. Furthermore, defense stakeholders have expressed growing interest in space servicing, mobility, and logistics competencies to conduct dynamic space operations in support of national security interests. There is currently no existing operation that demonstrates the unique capabilities of this technology within U.S. public or commercial missions.\n\nOn February 29, 2024, NASA ordered an orderly shutdown of the OSAM-1 mission, citing technical, cost, and scheduling challenges as well as the overall funding environment. Recognizing the value of the mission, Congress directed NASA to continue the OSAM-1 mission in the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42):\n\nOn-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing-] (OSAM-1).-ln lieu of the Senate report language, the agreement provides $227,000,000 for OSAM-1 to adjust the mission to ensure a 2026 launch within the cost profile assumed in the fiscal year 2024 budget request. Consistent with recommendations by the OSAM-1 Standing Review Board, NASA is directed to reduce testing requirements and make the necessary technical decisions, including potential de-scoping of some non-essential capabilities, to meet these launch and budget requirements. If this is not possible, NASA should initiate another Continuation Review in September 2024. Further, NASA is directed to work with the Department of Defense on a plan for a potential use, as practicable, of OSAM-1 for space mobility capability, and to provide the Committees with the plan not later than 180 days after enactment of this act.\n\nIt is our understanding that in April 2024 NASA received an updated plan from the mission team, which included a rescope of the mission to meet the launch and budget requirements, as directed by Congress, and reduced testing requirements to adopt a Class-D designation in line with the standard posture of a technology demonstration project. It is also our understanding that the OSAM-1 mission team has proceeded with executing on this updated plan.\n\nOn September 4, 2024, members of the Maryland delegation were notified of NASA\u2019s intent to proceed with canceling the OSAM-1 mission. NASA officials cited feasibility of the 2026 launch plan, risk tolerance, lack of interest from potential partners per verbal communication, return on investment, and interest in expanding other Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) priorities. The Delegation wishes to note that return on investment and other STMD priorities are extraneous factors that Congress did not include in its direction. Furthermore, we have concerns regarding the Agency\u2019s decision-making process.\n\nIn order to assesses the Agency\u2019s cancelation decision, we request the following information by September 23, 2024.\n\nA copy of the 2026 launch plan.\n\nA copy of the close-out plan.\n\nThe execution status of the mission as of the September 4th cancelation announcement.\n\nThe number of NASA civil servants and number of contractors associated with OSAM-1 as of the September 4th cancelation announcement.\n\nThe remaining cost-to-go if the mission were to proceed with the 2026 launch plan.\n\nThe estimated close-out and shutdown costs if the mission were canceled.\n\nAn explanation of the risk criteria in assessing the 2026 plan and a comparison to the standard risk criteria for a technology demonstration.\n\nAn explanation of where the project team and NASA disagreed in terms of executability and credibility of the 2026 launch plan.\n\nA description of the review process conducted of the 2026 launch plan after the February 2024 Standing Review Board report and minutes from internal reviews and external independent reviews including, but not limited to, the May 2024 Space Technology Mission Directorate Program Management Council Review. If there was no external independent review conducted, please explain why that was the case.\n\nThe timeline of the Continuation Review process, including dates of relevant meetings. If the Continuation Review process was initiated before September, in contradiction of Congressional direction, please provide an explanation as to why the Agency expedited the timeline.\n\nA description of the Agency\u2019s efforts to work with the Department of Defense on potential use or partnership for OSAM-1 spaceflight hardware, test facilities, and personnel; not to include the existing Inter-Agency Agreement with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for work on a partnership with the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) project.\n\nAn explanation of the Agency\u2019s decision to delay issuing a Request for Interest to potential partners until after the September 4th cancelation announcement.\n\nA description of the Agency\u2019s plan to retain as much of the OSAM-1 workforce as possible should the cancelation proceed.\n\nA description of the Agency\u2019s commitment to the success of current and future missions at NASA Goddard.\n\nWe thank you for your diligence and timely response to our request.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/maryland-congressional-delegation-members-press-nasa-for-answers-on-osam-1-mission"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.4393980856984854, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}