Hackerspace News

Events

Space Forum July 23: Artemis II and Our Path Forward

🇺🇸 · Huntsville Alabama L5 Society (HAL5) - Project HALO · National Space Society

The National Space Society invites you to the next Space Forum Thursday, July 23, 2026, 8:00 pm to 9:15 pm EST Artemis II and Our Path Forward Register for this Space Forum With special guest Kirk Shireman Vice President for Human Space Exploration Orion Program Manager Lockheed Martin The Artemis II mission marked a turning point in America’s human spaceflight program. For the first time in almost 60 years, astronauts traveled beyond low Earth orbit, completing a successful journey around the Moon and demonstrating the capabilities of the Orion spacecraft that will carry future crews deeper into space. Join the National Space Society for a special Space Forum with Kirk Shireman, Lockheed Martin’s Vice President for Human Space Exploration and Orion Program Manager. As the leader of the Orion program, Shireman guided the spacecraft through development, testing, and the successful Artemis II mission. During this forum, Shireman will discuss Orion’s performance during the mission, lessons learned, and how that knowledge is shaping preparations for future Artemis missions. He will offer an insider’s perspective on the engineering challenges of designing and operating a spacecraft built for deep-space exploration, the evolution of Orion since Artemis I, and the role the spacecraft will play as NASA establishes a sustained human presence at the Moon. This forum offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from one of the leaders helping shape our return to deep space. Reserve your seat today and join us for what promises to be an engaging discussion about Artemis II, Orion, and the path forward to the Moon and beyond. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Kirk Shireman is the Vice President for Human Space Exploration at Lockheed Martin and the Orion Program Manager, leading the team responsible for designing, building, and delivering NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the Artemis missions. Under his leadership, Orion successfully completed the Artemis II mission in April 2026, a major milestone in NASA’s return to the Moon and preparation for future human missions to Mars. Before assuming his current role, Shireman served as Lockheed Martin’s Vice President for Lunar Exploration Campaigns, overseeing development of advanced technologies supporting future human exploration, including lunar transportation systems, space habitats, lunar mobility, and nuclear propulsion. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin in 2020, Shireman spent nearly four decades at NASA, where he held several senior leadership positions. As International Space Station Program Manager, he directed the operation of the 15-nation ISS partnership, overseeing development, integration, mission operations, international coordination, and crew safety for one of the world’s most complex engineering programs. He also served as Deputy Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, helping oversee nearly 14,000 civil service and contractor employees and a broad portfolio of human spaceflight activities. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy ISS Program Manager and chaired the ISS Mission Management Team. Shireman’s contributions to human spaceflight have been recognized with numerous honors, including the National Space Club Astronautics Engineer Award, NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal, two Presidential Rank Awards, and the Silver Snoopy Award. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Space Commission. Register today to reserve your seat and ask your questions. Use the link below. Register for this Space Forum Register no later than July 23 at 7 pm EST Past NSS Space Forums and Town Halls may be viewed here . The post Space Forum July 23: Artemis II and Our Path Forward first appeared on NSS .

EventFeatured Event

News

NSS Urges Greater Commercial Flexibility and Independence in NASA’s CLD Draft RFP

🇺🇸 · Huntsville Alabama L5 Society (HAL5) - Project HALO · National Space Society

The National Space Society (NSS) today announced that it is delivering a letter to Congress and the Administration addressing concerns and recommendations regarding NASA’s draft Request for Proposal for the Commercial LEO Destination (CLD) Program. The letter, co-authored with the Space Frontier Foundation (SFF), calls for changes to ensure the program fulfills its promise of a sustainable, competitive, and commercially driven low Earth orbit economy. As NASA transitions from the International Space Station era toward commercially owned and operated destinations in low Earth orbit, the NSS believes the agency has taken important steps toward fostering a sustainable marketplace. The organizations see an opportunity to help the current draft more fully deliver the outcome that the Administration, Congress, NASA, and industry all seek, and the NSS offers these recommendations in support of the customer-oriented approach NASA has laid out for CLD, one built on innovation, competition, cost savings, and commercial independence. “The CLD program’s long-term success depends on a genuine marketplace, one with multiple stations, diverse architectures, and room for commercial innovation to flourish,” said Grant Henriksen, Chair of the NSS Policy Committee. “Our recommendations are intended to help ensure NASA acts as an anchor customer and collaborative partner, rather than a regulator or controller, while preserving the flexibility essential to a dynamic commercial marketplace.” Key Recommendations Clarify Requirements and Standards Baseline. The NSS and SFF urge NASA to align CLD requirements with proven commercial practices by avoiding overly prescriptive safety and compliance frameworks where commercial standards can achieve the same objectives. The letter highlights lessons learned from the Commercial Crew Program and recommends establishing a requirements baseline focused on genuine crew and vehicle safety while preserving opportunities for innovation. Define Appropriate Government Insight. The draft RFP grants NASA broad oversight and approval authority. The letter recommends narrowing this authority so that it remains focused on crew safety and the protection of government assets, and refining the provisions on government insight, oversight, and data access so the operational model reflects a true commercial services relationship, distinct from the government-operated approach NASA has used for the ISS. Clarify Regulatory Roles. The letter notes that portions of the draft RFP, if unrevised, could position NASA in a quasi-regulatory role beyond what Congress envisioned. Embedding compliance frameworks and oversight mechanisms more suited to a regulator than a customer could add duplication and compliance burden for commercial providers. The NSS believes NASA’s role is best fulfilled as an anchor customer and strategic partner working alongside the agencies that already hold statutory regulatory authority. Support a Diverse Commercial Marketplace. The NSS and SFF encourage balanced access for NASA payloads and facilities so that commercial and international customers are not unintentionally disadvantaged. A durable commercial marketplace depends upon providers serving multiple customers with confidence that government priorities remain appropriately bounded. The letter encourages NASA to define its operational footprint and priority claims more narrowly. Encourage Sustainable Commercial Pricing. The proposed pricing structure should encourage competition and commercial investment rather than defaulting to the lowest available price. The letter recommends replacing the rigid most-favored-customer provision with pricing that reflects the differing costs and risks associated with serving NASA and other customers. Such an approach would better support the diverse customer base that commercially owned space stations will require. A Shared Vision for America’s Orbital Future The NSS and SFF reaffirm their commitment to a future in which commercial space stations become the foundation of continued U.S. leadership in low Earth orbit. Both organizations believe NASA’s role should increasingly evolve toward that of an anchor customer within a vibrant commercial marketplace rather than the dominant operator of that marketplace. The organizations encourage NASA to continue working closely with industry and other stakeholders as it refines the CLD RFP before final release. Constructive dialogue during the procurement process will help ensure the program achieves its strategic objectives while encouraging long-term commercial success. At a time of increasing global competition, thoughtfully calibrated contracting and oversight practices can help attract the private investment and innovation needed to sustain America’s long-term leadership in low Earth orbit. The NSS and SFF believe getting that balance right will accelerate the development of commercially sustainable capabilities that serve both national interests and the emerging space economy. “The CLD program is a critical step toward building a thriving commercial economy in low Earth orbit,” said Karlton Johnson, NSS CEO. “By maintaining competition, encouraging innovation, and avoiding unnecessary regulatory burdens, NASA can help create a sustainable marketplace that serves government, commercial, scientific, and public interests alike.” The National Space Society and the Space Frontier Foundation appreciate the opportunity to provide these recommendations and look forward to continued collaboration with NASA, the Administration, Congress, industry, and other stakeholders to ensure the Commercial LEO Destination Program fulfills its promise of establishing a strong, competitive, and enduring American presence in low Earth orbit. The post NSS Urges Greater Commercial Flexibility and Independence in NASA’s CLD Draft RFP first appeared on NSS .

NSS Press ReleasesSpace Policy