Cabana part of Senate panel on human spaceflight

Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana will testify Thursday in a U.S. Senate committee hearing on the direction of the nation's human spaceflight program.

Following questioning of NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, Cabana will join a panel including the Michael Coats and Robert Lightfoot, the directors of Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center, respectively.

The Subcommittee on Science and Space says the hearing will "provide an opportunity to articulate NASA's goals for human exploration and how they complement International Space Station support and utilization, technology development, international collaboration, and commercial activities." Click here for a Webscast of the 10 a.m. Thursday hearing.

In progress this morning: a U.S. House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee hearing titled, "Exploring Mars and Beyond: What’s Next for U.S. Planetary Science?" Click here for a Webcast.

Witnesses include:
-- Jim Green, Planetary Science Division Director, Science Mission Directorate, NASA
-- Steve Squyres, chair, Committee on the Planetary Science Decadal Survey, National Academies of Science
-- Sally Ericsson, Program Associate Director for Natural Resources, Energy, and Science, Office of Management and Budget (invited)

IMAGE: Robert Cabana shown as commander of the STS-88 shuttle mission. Credit: NASA.