NASA budget moves along

NASA's budget request took another step forward Tuesday when the House Appropriations Committee approved the annual bill setting spending levels for science, state, justice and commerce programs.

The NASA portion of the bill was unchanged from the version passed last week by a subcommittee.

It sets the space agency's spending level at $16.79 billion for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. That reflects a $462 million increase from the 2006 spending level, according to a press release from the congressional panel.

The bill must now go before the full House for a vote. Eventually, it must be reconciled with a Senate version, voted on again by both chambers, and sent to President Bush for his signature.

House appropriators altered the original NASA budget request by shifting $100 million to aeronautics programs and $75 million to space science.