American Astronautical Society Applauds Senate Action on NASA’s Budget

SPRINGFIELD, VA – The American Astronautical Society applauds the U.S. Senate for approving the NASA Restoration Amendment to add $1billion in much-needed funding to NASA’s FY08 budget.

The Society thanks Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) for their tireless leadership and support for our nation’s space program.

“The additional funding provided by the amendment is a very significant first step in beginning to close the gap between the programs that NASA has been asked to carry out and the resources it has been given,” said Mark Craig, president of AAS.

Since the Space Shuttle Columbia accident in 2003, NASA has been forced to absorb $2.8 billion in Shuttle return to flight costs from its annual appropriations, resulting in reduced funds for space and Earth science programs; aeronautics research; and critical development of the next generation of human spaceflight systems that will carry crew members to the International Space Station and eventually to the moon. NASA’s budget shortfall was exacerbated further by the more than half billion dollar reduction that resulted from the FY07 Continuing Resolution.

The NASA Restoration Amendment provides $1 billion in emergency funding to address the costs of the Space Shuttle accident and the subsequent impact of those costs on other NASA programs.