Agenda Released for Keep the Promise Event

Washington, D.C. – Last fall, Congress agreed to fund key NASA programs that are critical to America’s economic future. Sadly, they have not followed through on that promise. In fact, Congress is now looking at what to fund for 2012, though they have yet to pass a budget for 2011. This is unacceptable.

The Keep the Promise event will be held in Washington, D.C on March 6-8th with the goal of reminding Congress of their promise to support the following commercial space programs. Register for the event at promise.spacefrontier.org/registration.

The agenda for Keep the Promise is as follows:

1. Fully fund Commercial Crew for 2011 and 2012.

In the NASA authorization act of 2010, Congress agreed to fund the Commercial Crew program at $312 million dollars in 2011. Congress needs to follow-up and pass an appropriation for NASA that funds Commercial Crew at this level. Additionally, we are requesting that Congress fully fund Commercial Crew at the President’s requested level of $850 million for 2012.

2. Fully fund Flight Opportunities/CRuSR.

In 2010, NASA committed to funding the Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR) program at $15 million per year. Congress agreed to this in the 2010 NASA Authorization. We are demanding that Congress follow through with this program (which is part of the Office of Chief Technologists’ “Flight Opportunities” activity) for 2011 and 2012.

3. Removal of restrictive language related to starting and stopping programs.

In 2009, as it became clear that the now-cancelled Constellation program was unaffordable and unsustainable, restrictive language was inserted into the NASA appropriation to prevent stopping old programs or starting new ones. Amazingly, this language remained in place even after enactment of the 2010 NASA Authorization which set a new direction. The result is that taxpayers are continuing to pay hundreds of millions every month on programs that Congress voted to cancel and new programs Congress voted for are being pointlessly delayed.

For more information, visit promise.spacefrontier.org, or email Aaron Oesterle at spacepromise@spacefrontier.org.