Astronauts Explore an Asteroid in this Artist's Concept Image credit/Lockheed Martin
The House Science and Technology Committee has completed a revised 2010 NASA authorization bill that aligns closely with an already adopted Senate measure that accelerates work on a new heavy lift rocket and crew spacecraft for missions to the moon, asteroids, Mars and the moons of the Red Planet.
The revised three-year measure increases the prospect, without assuring, full Congressional passage before lawmakers adjourn next week for the November elections.
Like the Senate authorization measure, the House measure would increase NASA’s budget to $19 billion, $19.45 and $19.96 billion in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
The two measures direct NASA to develop a heavy lift rocket and multi-use crew vehicle by Dec. 31, 2016.
While their primary mission purpose would be to transport explorers on voyages to the moon, the Lagrange points, near-Earth asteroids and Mars, the NASA heavy lift and spacecraft would also be cable of transporting astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station – if the efforts to develop commercial providers falls through.
“This is a good, bipartisan and fiscally responsible bill,” said U. S. Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., who chairs the House Science and Technology Committee.
“This is a good, bipartisan, and fiscally responsible bill. For too long, NASA has not been given the resources to complete the many missions the nation has asked of it,” Gordon said. “NASA is too important to the nation to continue on that path. This will provide a clear and sustainable direction for NASA, in light of the current fiscal environment.”
The new measure would provide nearly $13 billion for heavy lift and crew capsule development over the next three years.
The House bill also calls on NASA to rely as much as possible on the contracts and personnel already in place for the Constellation back-to-the-moon program initiated by the previous administration but facing cancellation by President Obama.
Obama favored a five-year technology development effort before committing NASA to a heavy lift rocket strategy.
The House bill also provides $1.2 billion over three years for the development of commercial crew and cargo services, including the transport of NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. The new measure requires NASA to establish human ratings standards and crew safety certification procedures. It also assures NASA access to the workings of the commercial spacecraft developers.
Obama proposed a near $6 billion commitment to commercial transportation over five years.
The House measure would extend space station operations from 2016 until at least 2020. It would also establish a non-profit group to manage National Lab research aboard the station and encourage greater use of the orbiting laboratory by commercial users. The White House and Senate legislation is similar.
The House bill would also add another flight to the soon-to-retire shuttle program. Shuttle missions already targeted for lift off on Nov. 1 and Feb. 26 would be followed by an encore mission using the shuttle Atlantis sometime after June 1. NASA has already assigned a crew for the Atlantis flight that would support extended space station operations.