Is the Isaacman Town Hall going to be accessible to the public or not?
Keith’s note: Recently, newly appointed NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman sent a message to the agency's employees, outlining his commitment to transparency. He expressed his eagerness to engage with everyone in an upcoming agency-wide town hall meeting. But here’s where it gets controversial: Will this Town Hall be available for viewing on NASA+ or NASA TV? Currently, there is no mention of it on the official schedules provided on their website or their streaming platforms. Despite submitting multiple questions to NASA's Public Affairs Office and reaching out on social media, I have yet to receive any answers regarding public access to this event.
It’s important to highlight that the ‘NASA family’ extends far beyond just the civil servants who have access to internal NASA broadcasts. This larger group includes contractors, academic researchers, individuals traveling for work, field scientists, policymakers, and, importantly, the taxpayers who fund NASA’s initiatives. All of these stakeholders have a vested interest in the discussions that take place at the agency. If NASA decides against making this event publicly accessible, I’m more than willing to accept any audio recordings that attendees might capture on their devices, and I can ensure that any identifying information will be removed to protect the sources. Let’s hope for open dialogue and accessibility moving forward! Ad Astra!
