Astronauts approach asteroid. Image Credit/Lockheed Martin
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee pledged a bi-partisan effort on Wednesday to remove legislative barriers from future temporary budget measures that could pro-long NASA’s efforts to transition from the Constellation lunar program to a more flexible initiative that includes human missions to asteroids and Mars.
Like much of the federal government, the space agency is operating under a continuing budget resolution that expires on Friday. The CR, in force since Oct. 1, restricts funding to 2010 levels.
In NASA’s case, President Obama has signed a 2010 authorization measure that includes $19 billion in 2011 spending, or about $300 million more than the 2010 appropriated level. Other provisions of the CR prevent the space agency from terminating Constellation contracts so that it can initiate work on a new heavy lift rocket and multi-purpose crew capsule as well as the commercial space transportation initiative proposed by the president – all in the NASA authorization measure.
The Senate panel would like the restrictions removed, if as expected Congress passes another short or long term CR.
U. S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who chaired Wednesday’s proceedings, said the panel could accept $18.7 for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year, if necessary, to hasten work on the new heavy lift rocket and crew capsule. They will replace NASA’s space shuttle, which is facing retirement next year.
“We want to see this law implemented without a lot of groaning and moaning,” said Nelson.
The 2010 authorization bill spells out a late 2016 date for initial operations of the new heavy lifter and crew capsule. Through previous negotiations, it’s likely the rocket and capsule would rely substantially on Constellation and shuttle technologies for propulsion and the Constellation’s Orion capsule for the human spacecraft.
“Space exploration is a part of the golden history of this country, and it’s also essential for our future,” said U. S. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Texan who serves as the committee’s ranking Republican. “Delay could cost us success.”
The panel pressed for and received a pledge from John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, to follow the compromise road map spelled out in the authorization bill in executive negotiations with Congressional leaders over appropriations. Initially, the president pushed for a larger investment in commercial transportation systems to carry astronauts as well as cargos to the International Space Station. At first, Obama favored a much longer development period for a heavy lift rocket and limiting Orion’s future to that of space station life boat.
“The administration hopes the Congress will act swiftly to provide the funding and budgetary guidance to enable NASA to fully implement the direction provided in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 and bring the new plan to fruition,” said Holdren.
The measure cleared the Senate and House in August and September. Obama signed it into law on Oct. 11.
The bill extends station operations from 2016 to 2020 and calls for one additional shuttle flight beyond those currently planned aboard Discovery and Endeavour by the spring of next year. Atlantis would fly again in mid-2011, carrying supplies to the space station — if lawmakers appropriate the funding.
In her testimony, NASA Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Robinson said the additional shuttle mission could be flown even if spending was restricted to 2011 levels.
However, some in Congress would like to roll back 2011 federal spending to 2008 levels for most agencies, or about $17.4 billion in NASA’s case.
In that situation, little could be done to implement NASA’s new direction.
“It would be a truly drastic situation,” said Robinson. “At that point, we would be looking to shed expenses wherever we could.”
Holdren agreed.
“If there was a funding level drastically different than the one we have been talking about, that would clearly pose challenges,” he testified.