The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration applauds Chairman Richard Shelby, Vice-Chairman Barbara Mikulski and the entire Senate Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee for its outstanding support for NASA’s human and science exploration programs in its FY 2017 Appropriations bill. Once again, the Subcommittee has worked across the aisle to produce a bipartisan bill that ensures our space program receives the necessary funding to continue America’s leadership in space. This is no easy task, and the Coalition appreciates the committee’s vision and leadership.
The bill, which was approved by the full Appropriations Committee today, reaffirms the $19.3 billion in agency funding first agreed to in the FY 2016 Omnibus in December. This maintains a significant boost to NASA’s topline budget relative to recent years. The FY17 bill continues the bipartisan commitment to America’s exploration programs, adding $1B in discretionary spending rather than the mix of mandatory and discretionary funding included in the President’s FY 2017 budget request.
This level of funding supports a balanced portfolio for NASA’s exploration and science missions, including the International Space Station, transportation services in low Earth orbit, and space science, as well as providing support for aeronautics and technology development. The Coalition is pleased that the Committee prioritized funding for NASA’s next generation exploration rocket, the Space Launch System, at $2.15 billion (including $300 million for the Exploration Upper Stage for crewed missions in 2021 and beyond), the exploration crew spacecraft, Orion, at $1.3 billion, and additional funding of $484 million for Exploration Ground Systems, ensuring that the 2018 and 2021 launches of Orion and SLS remain on track. These systems are the core elements of America’s Journey to Mars in the decades ahead.
We also applaud the continued commitment to NASA’s space science missions, providing $5.4 billion overall, almost $250 million above the FY 2017 request. This includes funding for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is undergoing final assembly and testing in preparation for its launch, also in 2018. JWST enables scientific exploration of some of the most distant objects in the Universe, heralding a new era in astronomy and cosmology.
It is fitting that Senator Mikulski’s final CJS bill in Congress represents a significant, bipartisan effort to ensure that NASA has the necessary resources for its next generation exploration and science missions. We appreciate her service to the nation, and know that she and Chairman Shelby will continue to work closely together towards the successful passage of a bill later this year.