Lori Garver addresses webcast audience. Photo Credit/NASA/Bill Ingalls
NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver expressed a willingness Tuesday to work with Congress on the accelerated development of a heavy lift rocket as part of changes in the nation’s human exploration strategy proposed by President Obama. But she cautioned policymakers against strapping the agency with more than it can afford.
Garver addressed a range of issues facing NASA during an interview hosted by Space News, the trade publication, and broadcast over the internet.
During the interview, she also said Obama’s proposed cancellation of the previous administration’s Constellation back-to-the-moon program is meeting with favor in Europe and elsewhere among prospective international partners on future robotic as well as human exploration projects.
The president’s strategy, as outlined in NASA’s 2011 budget, calls for major new investments in commercial crew and cargo transportation services for the International Space Station as well as in enabling technologies that lower the cost and risk of human missions to deep space destinations. Obama has proposed that NASA prepare for the human encounter with an asteroid by 2025 as part of a step-by-step strategy to reach Mars with explorers at a future time.
“The NASA people are unbelievable. They are going to be able, I know, to implement anything we are able to get as our 2011 and beyond budget,” Garver told the Space News audience. “The issue really is where the money comes from, and is there enough of it. My biggest concern is that once again we over promise, causing us to under deliver.”
Last year, an independent White House committee led by aerospace industry veteran Norm Augustine found Constellation so under financed the initiative had no way of meeting the Bush Administration’s goal of reaching the moon with American explorers by 2020. The 10-member panel offered the White House a range of exploration options, while urging the president and Congress to gradually elevate NASA funding by $3 billion annually.
Obama’s budget calls on Congress to fund technology demonstrations until 2015 before making a decision on a new heavy lift rocket development strategy. However, U. S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who chairs a congressional NASA oversight panel, has urged the administration to reach a decision on a heavy lift rocket in 2011.
Meanwhile, Obama has proposed that NASA continue with the development of the Orion crew exploration vehicle. A major component of the Constellation Program, Orion would continue as a space station crew life boat under the president’s proposal.
So far, neither the White House nor Congress has spelled out how they would finance an acceleration of the rocket developent or the changes to Orion.
Earlier this month, Garver was in Europe for the Berlin Air Show. The visit also included a stop in Paris for meetings with representatives of European space agencies who are eager to shoulder more significant participation in future U. S. led or involved missions.
They welcome the opportunity to place themselves in the “critical path,” something Constellation was structured to avoid, according to Garver.
“We don’t have to take the lead on everything.” she said. “They understand and recognize that we need to be pushing these technologies so we can go forward faster and farther, but they also are looking for ways they can cooperate earlier than they could with Constellation.”
Garver acknowledged the difficulties involved with the cancellation of a major program like Constellation. They include a pro-longed and sometimes contentious debate with Congress over NASA’s future that is threatening to slow passage of the 2011 budget.
At least, the discussion is over how best to move ahead with future exploration, not whether or not to proceed, NASA’s second in command noted.
“I would urge people to realize that NASA does have a very large percentage of its programs that are on-going and providing continuous benefits, as they have done for more than 50 years now — Earth sciences, aeronautics, space science and human space flight,” said Garver. “They are really not affected by this concern.”
Though the space shuttle program is facing retirement next year, the White House and Congress seem in agreement that NASA’s lead role in the space station should be extended through at least 2020.