Bolden Says Cut Will Extend Reliance On Russia For Transportation To ISS

A Senate subcommittee crafting NASA's budget for the next fiscal year has cut the proposed appropriation for the space agency's Commercial Crew program from NASA's requested $1.2 billion to $900 million, a move NASA administrator Charles Bolden says will delay the development and eventual launch of Boeing's CST-100 and SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, according to Spaceflightnow.com.

The U.S. has been targeting 2017 for the first launch of astronauts to the ISS aboard Boeing's commercially-developed spacecraft. But in a statement, Bolden said that cutting the budget will delay the program, and extend U.S. reliance on Russia for transportation of personnel to the orbiting outpost.

"I am deeply disappointed that the Senate Appropriations subcommittee does not fully support NASA's plan to once again launch American astronauts from U.S. soil as soon as possible, and instead favors continuing to write checks to Russia," Bolden said in the statement. 

"Remarkably, the Senate reduces funding for our Commercial Crew Program further than the House already does compared to the President's Budget. 

"By gutting this program and turning our backs on U.S. industry, NASA will be forced to continue to rely on Russia to get its astronauts to space – and continue to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into the Russian economy rather than our own.

"I support investing in America so that we can once again launch our astronauts on American vehicles."

Spaceflightnow.com reports that House appropriators cut the Commercial Crew budget to $1 billion.

In his opening remarks to the committee at the hearing, Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce-Justice-Science, said "This bill funds NASA at $18.3 billion, making it possible for the agency to achieve efficient and cost-effective operations for science and exploration missions.

“Funding the Space Launch System in a responsible manner in fiscal year 2016 is especially needed at this critical stage of development."

In a statement June 1, the white house issued a statement saying President Obama would veto the House version of the budget bill because multiple programs, including Commercial Crew, are underfunded.

The U.S. spends about $500 million per year with Russia to transport astronauts to ISS.

FMI: www.nasa.gov