Astronauts explore asteroid on future mission Image credit/Lockheed Martin
NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver praised Congress on Thursday for bi-partisan passage of a three-year NASA authorization bill that sets the agency on a long term path of human deep space exploration, while also funding new orbital commercial space transportation capabilities.
The Senate’s 2010 NASA authorization bill, which was passed by the House late Wednesday by a 314 to 104 margin, ends nearly two years of often contentious debate over the agency’s future.
The bill will be signed into law by President Obama within 10 days, Garver told a news briefing.
“As you can imagine we are thrilled to have this three-year authorization bill for NASA to help us determine not only generally NASA’s future, but the next phase specifically of robotic and human exploration,” she said. “It’s certainly been a year that has been challenging for a lot of folks in the space community, not just at NASA, but for everybody who cares deeply about us. Change is never easy.”
However, the uncertainty is unlikely to end overnight.
The blueprint outlined in the authorization measure cannot go forward without a companion appropriations bill. Before adjourning for the November elections on Wednesday, the House and Senate adopted a continuing budget resolution that locks NASA and other agencies of the federal government into 2010 spending levels through at least Dec. 3.
NASA’s workforce will bear much of the brunt of the uncertainty. Hundreds of layoffs are unfolding as the 2010 fiscal year comes to a close on Thursday. Most are associated with the shuttle program, which is facing retirement next year, as well as the previous administration’s Constellation back-to-the-moon program, which is facing cancellation at President Obama’s direction and under the new legislation.
Garver said NASA will press ahead with transition planning, but that is too soon to predict how quickly Constellation contracts can be re-directed into new programs.
“Those changes will have to wait until an approved appropriations bill. What we are doing now is working with our Congressional stake holders, specifically appropriators. What we need to do with their direction and clarification is start to develop the future programs so we can quickly start to re-employ,” said Garver. “We hope to have new competitions for the new things we will be doing. I absolutely believe that overall there is a bright future for the aerospace industry, both emerging and established companies. Certainly, we anticipate some changes with specific contracts to do this shift in our space exploration efforts.”
The authorization bill calls on NASA to develop a new heavy lift rocket and human spacecraft by the end of 2016 for future missions to asteroids and eventually Mars. Some experts question whether the $19 billion to $20 billion in annual budgets forecast for NASA over the next three years will be adequate.
“There is no question there are challenges,” Garver said. “However, we do difficult things, and we are going to absolutely try to work with the folks who put this legislation together.”
One in-house NASA study suggests work on a new heavy lift rocket could be accelerated by using space shuttle propulsion components. Other experts endorse the use of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles, the Delta 4 and Atlas 5 rockets , developed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
“I think the trade space continues to be open on what kind of vehicle we will have,” said Garver.
On another topic, NASA’s deputy administrator said Constellation’s cancellation does not mean the agency has turned its back on the moon as a destination for human explorers.
Under Obama’s direction, NASA is to aim for a human mission to an asteroid by 2025. A human orbital mission to Mars would follow a decade later.
Garver said the moon is likely to become a combined government/commercial sector destination. NASA intends to purchase lunar data from commercial providers to the extent possible, she said.
“Going to an asteroid is a unique thing. It’s an important step in our outward migration,” Garver told reporters. “But lunar science, lunar exploration is alive and well at NASA.”