Space Industry Layoffs Accelerate

United Space Alliance, which trains the astronauts, and services the Space Shuttle fleet and prepares it for launch, has begun notifying about 900 employees in Florida of lay-offs that will start Oct. 1. There will also be nearly 500 layoffs in Texas, and 14 in Huntsville, or over 1,400, just in the next few weeks. These are Shuttle-related layoffs, and were not unexpected, since the Shuttle is winding down, with only two or three more flights remaining. But the crime here, is that these people are not being redployed elsewhere in the space program.

In addition to what will be at least 8,000 jobs lost due to the Shuttle retirement, NASA has been allowed to go ahead with its immoral, if not illegal, shut-down of some Constellation contracts, and slow-down of others, despite Congressional direction to the contrary. The war-spending supplemental bill passed by Congress earlier this week included an amendment by Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), prohibiting NASA from this sabotage of Constellation, but without any mechanism for enforcement. And the report Congress was hoping would bolster their accusation of illegality was released last Friday, July 23rd, by the Government Accountability Office, which determined that nothing illegal is being done by NASA.

But the NASA authorization bill, which ends Obama's "new space" program, and was passed by Committee last week, may still come up for a vote before the full House before the impending recess. According to a House staffer, whose boss is on the Appropriations Committee, the House may not recess until Friday, or may even be in session this weekend. The vote would be taken, through a suspension of the rules, which limits time-consuming amendments, and would require a 2/3 votes for passage. Although the vote would not be unanimous, the staffer reported, few doubt it would not garner the 2/3 vote. Although a Senate vote is still outstanding, and a conference bill will be required, a House vote would give a resounding defeat to the Administration's attempt to steal America's future.