News and commentary about the Great Frontiers

ISS007-E-10807 (21 July 2003) --- This view of Earth's horizon as the sunsets over the Pacific Ocean was taken by an Expedition 7 crewmember onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Anvil tops of thunderclouds are also visible. Credit: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center

Image Credit: ISS007-E-10807 (21 July 2003) – Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center

Space as Solace During a Government Shutdown

Published.

The recent space activities I’m writing and posting about provide solace during this government shutdown that has furloughed most NASA and related departments employees and contractors. This is a difficult time for them and their families. We at HiRISE regularly work with some of these scientists, engineers, programmers, managers, and other experts.

I haven’t been furloughed. Budgeting works differently for organizations like HiRISE and OSIRIS-REx at the University of Arizona funded annually by NASA, so our activities continue for the rest of the fiscal year. I believe there is the potential for negative impacts later, though, the longer this shutdown goes on.

A minor, silly impact not at all on the scale of being furloughed: there’s a USGS planetary nomenclature website that Audrie Fennema and I use every week to check the spelling of Martian locations and surface features in our upcoming observation descriptions; it’s down for the duration of the shutdown. 

Hope we spell everything correctly.

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