Staffers on Capitol Hill have discussed reauthorizing NASA spending and even approving a spending bill that funds the space agency by the end of the year. But whether they succeed depends on the results of the November election.

Pentagon spending appears on the presidential campaign radar primarily as it relates to the No. 1 issue—jobs and the economy. When the candidates travel to Virginia—a military-heavy state that could make a difference in the election's outcome—they have to address defense issues. But without much emphasis by the campaigns on military matters, Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama wind up stumbling on the details.

Advocates study hyper-modular smallsat 'hive' approach

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While NASA and industry are continuing to push toward a 2015 deadline set by Congress for integrating UAVs into civilian airspace (i.e., National Air Space, or NAS), the FAA is weighing concerns about the potential to compromise safety. NASA is considering a prize challenge to accelerate the integration of unmanned aircraft into the FAA's NextGen airspace system. Two competitions of increasing complexity would be run in late 2013 and 2014, with a combined prize purse of $1.5 million.

Europe's aerospace and defense industry missed a unique opportunity to complete a wide-ranging consolidation process that began nearly 50 years ago. Combining EADS and BAE Systems would have created a world-class giant with an impressive €72.9 billion ($94.3 billion) in revenues, 216,000 employees and a comprehensive product range. Moreover, the initiative looked like a perfect fit.