Space exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space.[1] While the exploration of space is currently carried out mainly by astronomers with telescopes, its physical exploration is conducted both by uncrewed robotic space probes and human spaceflight. Space exploration, like its classical form astronomy, is one of the main sources for space science.

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The Space Exploration category has related posts on government agencies and departments and  committees and their Chairs.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. Established in 1958, it succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) to give the U.S. space development effort a distinctly civilian orientation, emphasizing peaceful applications in space science.

It has since led most American space exploration, including Project Mercury, Project Gemini, the 1968–1972 Apollo Moon landing missions, the Skylab space station, and the Space Shuttle. It currently supports the International Space Station and oversees the development of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System for the crewed lunar Artemis program, the Commercial Crew spacecraft, and the planned Lunar Gateway space station.

From Wikipedia Entry

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health. With an annual budget of about $8.3 billion (fiscal year 2020), the

NSF funds approximately 25% of all federally supported basic research conducted by the United States’ colleges and universities. In some fields, such as mathematics, computer science, economics, and the social sciences, the NSF is the major source of federal backing.

Source: Wikipedia

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA) is a scientific and regulatory agency within the Washington, D.C.–based United States Department of Commerce, headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The agency is charged with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting the seas, conducting deep sea exploration, and managing fishing and protection of marine mammals and endangered species in the U.S. exclusive economic zone.

Mission:  
Has broad jurisdiction over all matters concerning interstate commerce, science and technology policy, and transportation, the Senate Commerce Committee is one of the largest of the Senate’s standing committees, with 26 members in the 117th Congress.

House counterparts: Energy and Commerce Committee; Science, Space, and Technology Committee; and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Democratic Members (Minority):
Maria Cantwell, Washington, Ranking Member
Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota
Brian Schatz, Hawaii
Ed Markey, Massachusetts
Gary Peters, Michigan
Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin
Tammy Duckworth, Illinois
Jacky Rosen, Nevada
Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico
John Hickenlooper, Colorado
John Fetterman, Pennsylvania
Andy Kim, New Jersey
Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware

Republican Members (Majority):
Ted Cruz, Texas, Chair
John Thune, South Dakota
Roger Wicker, Mississippi
Deb Fischer, Nebraska
Jerry Moran, Kansas
Dan Sullivan, Alaska
Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee
Todd Young, Indiana
Ted Budd, North Carolina
Eric Schmitt, Missouri
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia
Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming
John Curtis, Utah
Bernie Moreno, Ohio
Tim Sheehy, Montana

Featured Video: 
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Hearing Q&A 06/24/2021

Current: US Senator since 2001
Affiliation: Democrat 
Leadership: Chair, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
District:
Next Election: 

History:  Cantwell attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in public administration. A year after graduating, Cantwell worked on Jerry Springer’s unsuccessful 1982 Ohio gubernatorial campaign.

Maria Cantwell served in the Washington House of Representatives from 1987 to 1993, and in the United States House of Representatives from Washington’s 1st congressional district from 1993 to 1995. After losing her seat to Republican Rick White in the 1994 election. She then briefly worked in the private sector as vice president of marketing for RealNetworks.

Quotes:  The COVID-19 pandemic made it crystal clear that local reporters and newsrooms are essential to keeping the public informed and safe, but their importance spans well beyond health emergencies. At its core, local news is about holding the powerful accountable.

The strength of our democracy is based in truth and transparency, and local newsrooms are on the ground in our communities asking the critical questions, countering misinformation, and telling our stories. We have to protect these vital parts of our communities.

Featured Video: Sen. Maria Cantwell On The Washington State Coronavirus Response | All In | MSNBC

Current Position: US Senator since 2013
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 – 2008
Other Positions:  Ranking member, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights – Committee on the Judiciary

On March 23, 2015, Cruz announced he was running for president. Despite having only been a senator for two years, he emerged as a serious contender in the Republican primaries. The competition for the Republican presidential nomination between Cruz and front-runner Donald Trump was heated and characterized by a series of public personal attacks. Cruz initially declined to endorse him, but he became a staunch supporter of Trump during his presidency.

Law Clerk, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Supreme Court of the United States, 1996-1997 and Judge J. Michael Luttig, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1995-1996

Featured Quote: 
The CDC has destroyed their credibility. A year and a half ago, the CDC was one of the most respected scientific organizations in the world. Now, their credibility is in tatters because they behave more like an arm of the DNC than a serious scientific organization.

Cruz Lashes Out At Pelosi Over Mask Rules: ‘Who The Hell Is She To Be Fining Members Of The House?’

Mission:
To oversee all non-defense federal scientific research and development. More specifically, the committee has complete jurisdiction over the following federal agencies: NASA, NSF, NIST, and the OSTP. The Committee also has authority over R&D activities at the Department of Energy, the EPA, FAA, NOAA, the DOT, the NWS, the DHS and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Senate Counterpart: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Subcommittees:

• Energy
• Environment
• Investigations and Oversight
• Research and Technology
• Space and Aeronautics

Chair: Frank Lucas, Oklahoma (R)
Ranking Member: Zoe Lofgren, California (D)

Majority Staff Director: Janie Thompson
Minority Staff Director: Josh Mathis
Meeting Location: 2321 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515; Phone: 202-225-6371

Featured Video: Building Back the U.S. Research Enterprise: COVID Impacts and Recovery – Feb. 25, 2021
Web Links

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 18 since 1995 (formerly 19th)
Affiliation: Democrat
Other positions:  Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship
District:    all of San Benito County and parts of Santa Clara and Monterey counties, including Salinas, Hollister, Watsonville, Gilroy, Soledad, and downtown and eastern San Jose.
Upcoming Election:

Quotes: 
A company can simultaneously be helping people get vaccinated & spreading misinformation. When it comes to Facebook, like President Biden, I am concerned about the latter.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren shares what she’s learned after witnessing every modern impeachment inquiry

Current Position: US Representative of OK 3rd District since 1994 (formerly 6th District)
Affiliation: Republican
District:   The district is bordered by New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and the Texas panhandle. 
Upcoming Election:

After Republicans won the House majority in the 2022 elections, Lucas became chair of the Science, Space and Technology Committee, which has jurisdiction over non-defense federal scientific research and development, including NASA, NSF, NIST, and the OSTP.

Lucas laid out an ambitious agenda for the committee: independence for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a federal program to develop unmanned drones, advances in fusion energy, and research money for institutions other than those on the coasts.

Featured Quote: 
Today, instead of working with Republicans, House Democrats passed an appropriations bill jam-packed with partisan policy provisions and irresponsible levels of government spending. Congress must return to regular order.

ONR Extra with Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas