This Week in Space 188

Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, and private astronaut, took on Capitol Hill this week in his second confirmation hearing as President Trump's pick for NASA's next leader. Here's what it could mean, plus: A Russian cosmonaut got kicked off a SpaceX flight for allegedly trying to steal spacecraft secrets, China's 1st reusable rocket Zhuque-3 reached orbit, but crashed and burned (and exploded) during landing, and Russia accidentally wrecked the only launch pad it has for astronauts with Thanksgiving's new ISS crew launch. 

Headlines: 

• Russian Cosmonaut Pulled from SpaceX Crew 12 Mission over Alleged Incident at SpaceX HQ
• Russian Soyuz Launch Pad Damaged After Thanksgiving Crew Mission, Threatening Future Flights
• China’s Land Space Rocket Nearly Sticks First Reusable Launch and Landing—Explodes on Return
• Scientists Find Time Passes Faster on Mars Than Earth, Thanks to Relativity

Main Topic: Jared Isaacman’s Bid to Become NASA Administrator

• Isaacman Returns for Second Senate Confirmation Hearing After Trump Re-Nominates Him
• Controversy Over SpaceX Ties, Conflict of Interest, and Elon Musk’s Influence
• Bipartisan Support from Astronauts, Industry, and Lawmakers Highlights Isaacman’s Appeal
• Project Athena Leaked: Isaacman’s Vision for NASA and Debate on Earth Science Outsourcing
• Congressional Drama Over Artemis Funding, Gateway, and the US-China Race to the Moon
• Questions Around Space Shuttle Discovery’s Possible Move to Houston
• Anticipation Builds for Senate Vote and NASA’s Need for Stable Leadership Ahead of Artemis 2

Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Links

• Cosmonaut removed from SpaceX's Crew 12 mission for violating national security rules: report
• Russian Launch Site Mishap Shows Perilous State of Storied Space Program
• Damaged launch pad: How long before Russia can send astronauts to the ISS again?
• China's 1st reusable rocket explodes in dramatic fireball during landing after reaching orbit on debut flight
• The US must beat China to moon, Trump pick for NASA chief Jared Isaacman tells Senate: 'If we make a mistake, we may never catch up'
• Was Elon Musk in the room where it happened? This senator still wants to know
• Trump pick for NASA chief Jared Isaacman pledges to move space shuttle Discovery to Houston, lawmaker says