CSF President Eric Stallmer released the following statement calling on Congress to quickly pass H.R. 2262, the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act: “CSF applauds the House and Senate negotiators for the tremendous work and effort they put into crafting the bipartisan, bicameral U.S Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (H.R. 2262). When the CSLA was updated 11 years ago, Congress codified a regulatory regime that led to an unparalleled level of investment, innovation, […]
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“Commercial Space Federation”
The International Space Station, backdropped by the blackness of space and the thin line of Earth’s atmosphere. (Credit: NASA)
UPDATE: Added Aerospace Industries Association statement in support of the budget.
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation and the Space Foundation have both offered support for President Barack Obama’s proposed $17.46 billion fiscal year 2015 budget for NASA. Meanwhile, the Congressman who represents NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California says spending on planetary exploration missions is too low.
The proposed budget is slightly below the $17.64 billion appropriated for Fiscal Year 2014. The Obama Administration has proposed supplementing the base budget with an additional $885.5 million from the Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative, which would bring NASA spending to $18.4 billion in the upcoming fiscal year.
The Obama Administration released an update of the National Science Transportation Policy last week. The policy was widely praised for emphasizing commercial space transportation while at the same time directing NASA to focus on deep space exploration.
Below are reactions from key groups followed by a fact sheet released by the White House.
Commercial Spaceflight Federation“The Commercial Spaceflight Federation applauds the clear vision of this Policy, which includes strong continued support for the use of competitive commercial space services. (more…)
Well, the reviews are in for the House’s $16.6 billion spending plan for NASA. And they are not good:
“Absolutely lethal” to a balanced space program.
— Sen. Bill Nelson, D-FL
“This proposal would challenge America’s preeminence in space exploration, technology, innovation, and scientific discovery…..The bill will jeopardize the success of the commercial crew program and ensure that we continue to outsource jobs to Russia.”
— David Weaver, NASA Associate Administrator for Communications
“Less funding for the commercial crew program simply equates to prolonged dependence on foreign launch providers.”
— Michael Lopez-Alegria, Commercial Spaceflight Federation President
Read the statements by Weaver and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation below.