Includes Money To Spur COTS Development
NASA applauded President Bush's
$17.6 billion budget request for fiscal year 2009, to continue
exploring the solar system, building the International Space
Station, studying Earth from space and conducting aeronautics
research. NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale said the increase
for the agency's 2009 budget demonstrates Bush's commitment to the
agency's missions.
The NASA budget includes $5.78 billion for the space shuttle and
space station programs, $4.44 billion for science, $3.5 billion for
development of new manned spacecraft systems and $447 million for
aeronautics research. Even with the increase, Dale notes, NASA
still accounts for less than one percent of the federal budget.
Dale noted steady progress with NASA's missions, with three
successful space shuttle launches last year and up to six planned
for this year, including a flight to service the Hubble Space
Telescope. She said the agency also is making progress in
developing the Orion spacecraft and Ares launch vehicles to replace
the aging shuttle fleet, and prepare for journeys to the moon and
destinations beyond.
NASA has 55 science missions currently in space -- about half
involving international partnerships -- with 15 additional missions
scheduled for launch by the end of 2009.
"In Earth science, NASA's investments in measuring the forces
and effects of climate change are allowing policymakers and the
public to better understand its implications to our home planet,"
Dale said.
A recently completed decadal survey for Earth science includes
views of the scientific community that will help the agency set
priorities for new missions to add to humanity's knowledge of Earth
and its climate and ecosystems. NASA will dedicate $910 million
during the next five years to develop new missions to add to the
Earth-observing fleet of spacecraft.
The budget also includes funding for lunar science to further
scientific understanding of the moon and for planetary science and
astrophysics to continue exploring worlds beyond Earth and to study
dark energy and other mysteries of the cosmos.
In aeronautics, NASA is helping address fundamental research
needs facing the Next Generation Air Transportation System, aimed
at making US air travel safer, more efficient and environmentally
friendly.
Dale noted the NASA budget also provides funding to help spur
development of commercial orbital transportation services (COTS) to
send cargo and possibly crews to the station after the shuttles
retire in 2010. Without commercial providers, the United States
will be left to depend on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to carry
astronauts between Earth and the space station... a scenario Dale
appears eager to avoid.
"The development of space simply cannot be 'all government all
the time,'" Dale said. "NASA's budget for FY 2009 provides $173
million for entrepreneurs -- from big companies or small ones -- to
develop commercial transport capabilities to support the
International Space Station. NASA is designating $500 million
toward the development of this commercial space capability.
"With over $2.6 billion in NASA funds available over the next
five years to purchase cargo and crew services to support ISS
operations, we would much rather be using this money to purchase
cargo and crew services from American commercial companies than
foreign entities," she pointedly added.