The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee today unanimously approved bi-partisan legislation that would add a shuttle mission and jump start work on a heavy-lift rocket next year. The NASA reauthorization act would steer the agency's human spaceflight program away from the Constellation program, which was developing Ares rockets to return to the moon and beyond.
But it hopes to leverage some of the $9 billion invested in the program in the heavy-lift vehicle and a spacecraft for deep space exploration, possibly as soon as 2016.
Amendments to the draft legislation were not immediately available, but committee members said they increased funding for the development of commercial crew taxis above what was in the draft.
Some, including business and space advocates on the Space Coast, were critical of the draft bill because it scaled back President Obama's proposed funding for that program and for technology development.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W. Va., the committee chairman, said the priorities in the compromise bill enjoyed support from Senate appropriators and the White House, though further adjustments could be made.
A press conference to discuss the reauthorization is planned at 11:45 a.m. Participating senators include U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas; Bill Nelson, D-Fla.; John D. Rockefeller, D-W. Va.; Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; David Vitter, R-La.; and George LeMieux, R-Fla.
22 comments:
and your point is ? More political double talk without results.
And now maybe they can look at Unemplyment Compensation and the COBRA extension for all the soon to be laid off Shuttle and ISS workers...Too little too late.
Very disappointing, but not unexpected. We had the opportunity to make a major change from spaceflight by government for government to a path that leads to a vibrant space civilization, but pork, politics and payoffs won out again. Also again - Obama doesn't stand behind something he supposedly supports. Again, very disappointed but not unexpected.
Time to clean out bout houses of congress
election year pork
This effectively means???? Nothing!
The Republicans are not going to extend unemployment. It is all about keeping things bad until the Nov. election. The American people are only pawns for the politicians.
Nasa is a Govt Program just like Public Option Health Care.
Nasa should go where the Public Option went.
Lest we forget how things really work and shame on FT for not spelling it out to its readers. First, this is the view of a Senate committee ONLY , no one else!....the House must also take action, then conference committee must take action and then the appropriations committee for both House and Senate and then the approps conference committee and then a vote and then a presidential signature on a spending bill...until then this is just ink on paper and typical political posturing by politicians and page filler material for FT to make them seem like they are on top of a story. I suggest if you want the real story on what will or will NOT happen on any topic, visit the websites for the House and Senate and review what specific actions the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee are taking. Anything else is fluff and words....however Appropiations Committees $ speaks volumes.
This is a start "Back" in the right direction.. when one cuts through all the BS and hype surrounding the "reality" of Commercial doing this one their own dime and expecting to make money in this business.. this is the right step. Even Lockheed and Boeing, Super sized and well funded companies would not risk their futures to fund such a program wthout BIG $$ from NASA to guarantee a return on investment..
Nations are the only entity capable of funding such large and expensive projects for the benefite of human kind just the same way nations fund their defense programs.
I am all for NASA providing limitied funding to help the commercial operations work through all the years, trail and errors, certifications that it will take for one of teo companies to evolve with a vehicle that will be able to go to LEO.. BUT
In the mean time, we the USA must have self reliance and access to space and we need a heavy lift vehicle to do it, we have several plans that were already presented to the Augustine committee, Direct X wold be a fantastic vehicle able to perform many different missions and use much of the existing program materials and facilities, saving thousands of jobs RIGHT NOW..
Would this be a shuttle-derived heavy-lift rocket?
Breaking news...Nelson saves NASA and wins a landslide election. More breaking news, 6 months later NASA lays off 7500 shuttle works while Nelson "smiles" smurks at the reporters saying I did all I could to save it......
The Senate does not care about the unemployed worker.
Extend the Space Shuttle program to 2016 and cancel funding the Soyuz taxi flights. Why send tax dollars to Russia?
Save the U.S. manned space program.
NASA works dont care about unemployed workers either, they only care about their fat paychecks. You people screwed Brevard by resting on your space shuttle laurals now we are to feel sorry for you? Not me,too many outside of NASA has lost jobs, homes ect. around here....we cant afford to keep handing out billions for a lost mission. How bout you workers taking a 40 to 50% paycut like many of us have had to do and then maybe you will get some sympathy from Brevard residents.
My husband and I are thankful for the additional launch, which will prolong some layoffs until the next tax year. He will be laid off when the time comes - and it will be tough for everyone out there.
All of the local space program Republicans hate the government for spending too much money. Then they hate the government even more when the budget is cut and they are laid off!
Amazing they can find money to bail out KSC but can't find funding for the already unemployed. I hope the Republican's don't vote no on this like they did for the millions that are hurting right now. Their reasoning is that they want the unemployment extension to be funded. Where will the money be coming from to fund the KSC bailout?
"Breaking news...Nelson saves NASA and wins a landslide election. More breaking news, 6 months later NASA lays off 7500 shuttle works while Nelson "smiles" smirks at the reporters saying I did all I could to save it."
SO TRUE... Sounds like another "political fallacy" (maybe a few fallacies like appealing to ignorant voters who still believe political promises) merely to gain votes. Wake Up Americans to Reality that the inevitable NASA layoffs will come sooner or later. Glass half full> Think of all those nice pool homes laid off NASA employees will foreclose on after they leave. Over the years, the NASA shuttle program is nothing more than a lucrative social welfare program for overpaid engineers making very little progress in future space exploration.
Charging....CLEAR......Thud.
Charging....CLEAR......Thud.
Charging....CLEAR......Thud.
Charging....CLEAR......Thud.
Charging....CLEAR......Thud.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I think we've lost it Doctor.....
Just like congress told us....7 years ago....
You have known this is coming for 6 years...you have nbody to blame but yourselves....and maybe the union leaders who used you and are throwing you away.
Vote no for Nelsen in Nov.
The heavy lift vehicle will probably be cancelled after Nov. elections.
The congress and senate needs to be cleaned out.
NASA officials stated that the Space Shuttle is safe as ever been. Extend the Space Shuttle Program until a replacement is found.
Fund the Ares V too. We already spent billions.
I rather see people working then in unemployment lines.
Eliminate the two wars and President campaign Air Force One.
With the Senate Bill, the U.S. is no longer a leader in manned space exploration.
U.S. is not investing in aerospace. Everything the U.S. learned in space will be given to China, Russia, India.
The U.S. exports will decline. We will no longer be a super power.
The problem was not NASA developing a new launch vehicle.
It was the incompetent Senate, Representatives and Presidents for not funding the research projects correctly.
Now, the Senate and Obama will destroy NASA manned space flight. 25,000 people will loose their jobs. Astronaut group will be reduced to 30. T-38 will be junked. Everything that NASA accomplished the last 50 years will be destroyed.
NASA was the only agency that landed on the moon, constructed an international space stations and created an amazing Space Shuttle. These investment created jobs and industry spin-offs.
Investing in NASA -- is an investment in U.S. industries.
The Senate and Obama are too incompetent to realize it.
Or the Senate and Obama does not care about the U.S. middle class. They rather fund Russia's space program.
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