AIP FYI #150: NASA Gets Funding Increase for Space Exploration Initiative

Under the omnibus bill funding the remaining FY 2005 appropriations
(H.R. 4818), the House and Senate conferees gave NASA a substantial
downpayment on the President’s Space Exploration Initiative. Even
after an across-the-board cut of 0.8 percent, NASA receives
$16,070.4 million, a 4.5 percent increase over FY 2005 funding of
$15,378.0 million. The Science, Aeronautics and Exploration account
is reduced by 1.9 percent, while the Exploration Capabilities
account grows by 11.1 percent.

In the explanatory language accompanying the bill (H. Rept.
108-792), the conferees identify the shuttle’s return to flight and
servicing the Hubble Space Telescope as two of NASA’s highest
priorities for fiscal year 2005. They also discuss, among other
issues, the need for authorizing legislation for the Space
Exploration Initiative, the lack of specific requirements for a Crew
Exploration Vehicle, and NASA’s ability to transfer funds between
the Exploration Capabilities and the Science, Aeronautics and
Exploration accounts.

SCIENCE, AERONAUTICS AND EXPLORATION: Down 1.9%, to $7,680.7
million.

This is a decrease of $149.3 million from the FY 2004 level of
$7,830.0 million. The request was $7,760.0 million; House
appropriators recommended $7,621.2 million, and Senate appropriators
recommended $7,736.5 million. Specific funding totals are not
provided for space science, Earth science, and biological and
physical research. Over 100 earmarks are specified in the Science,
Aeronautics and Exploration account.

EXPLORATION CAPABILITIES: Up 11.1%, to $8,358.5 million.

This is an increase of $837.5 million from the FY 2004 level of
$7,521.0 million. The request was $8,456.0 million; House
appropriators recommended $7,496.8 million, and Senate appropriators
recommended $7,811.1 million. More than 25 earmarks are specified
in the Exploration Capabilities account.

Below are selected quotations from the “joint explanatory
statement.” All numbers provided have been reduced by the 0.8
percent across-the-board reduction:

EXPLORATION INITIATIVE: A significant portion of the explanatory
language addresses the space exploration initiative. “The
initiative is a very long-term endeavor and will require tens of
billions of dollars over the next two decades,” the conferees
state. “As such, the initiative deserves and requires the
deliberative benefit of the Congress.” The conferees require NASA
to submit “a comprehensive package of authorization legislation” and
urge the appropriate House and Senate authorizing committees “for
action to specifically endorse the initiative and provide
authorization and guidance.” Additionally, the conferees ask NASA
for information on the programs it intends to phase out “in order to
accommodate the vision.”

SCIENCE PROGRAMS: The conferees direct the National Academies’ Space
Studies Board, by March 15, 2005, to “conduct a thorough review of
the science that NASA is proposing to undertake under the space
exploration initiative and to develop a strategy by which all of
NASA’s science disciplines, including Earth science, space science,
and life and microgravity science, as well as the science conducted
aboard the International Space Station, can make adequate progress
towards their established goals, as well as providing balanced
scientific research in addition to support of the new initiative.”

HEAVY LIFT CAPABILITY: The conferees also ask NASA for a report on
the agency’s “heavy lift capability needs and plans to meet those
needs immediately and in the future.” Later in the report, the
conferees state that they are “prepared to commit funds for
development of a Crew Exploration Vehicle [CEV], but remain
concerned that there has not been enough initial planning to
determine what specific capabilities the CEV should have.” They
caution NASA against repeating “the mistakes of the International
Space Station,” and call for “an independent oversight committee
capable of examining the design, technology readiness, and most
importantly the cost estimates for the CEV.”

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE: The conferees provide $288.7 million for a
Hubble servicing mission. “The conferees believe a successful
servicing mission to Hubble should be one of NASA’s highest
priorities and have provided a substantial increase in funding to
accomplish this goal.”

UNRESTRAINED TRANSFER AUTHORITY: Note that the conferees provide, at
NASA’s request, “unrestrained transfer authority between the
Exploration Capabilities account and the Science, Aeronautics and
Exploration account…because NASA needs flexibility as it completes
its transition to full cost accounting. While this transfer
authority can be used for purposes other than addressing full cost
accounting issues, NASA is cautioned to do so with restraint.”

SPACE SHUTTLE: Declaring that “returning the shuttle fleet to
flight, the first step in the Space Exploration Initiative, should
be NASA’s highest priority,” the conferees provide $4,284.7 million
for this activity. They state that “the space shuttle remains the
cornerstone of our Nation’s heavy launch capability and is critical
to the future of the International Space Station and scientific
research.” If additional resources are needed, the conferees state
that the Administration could submit a supplemental request, or
NASA, with congressional approval, could make “funding adjustments
to augment the budget for the space shuttle as necessary.” Later in
the report, the conferees “direct NASA to keep the Committees on
Appropriations…informed, in writing, of any movement of funds
related to the shuttle program, as well as including the out-year
impacts on all activities involved in the funding shifts.”

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS): “As soon as the shuttle is
available to provide access to the ISS,” the conferees call for NASA
to submit a plan “detailing the steps necessary to complete
construction of the ISS,” including cost implications, a
construction timetable, and a timeline for “the eventual transition
to a new manned launch vehicle.”

The complete text of the joint explanatory statement can be found at
http://thomas.loc.gov; at the bottom of the first page select
“Status of FY 2005 Appropriations bills,” then click on the
Conference Report (H. Rept. 108-792) of the Consolidated
Appropriations bill. The NASA provisions fall under Division I
(VA/HUD/Independent Agencies).

Audrey T. Leath

Media and Government Relations Division

The American Institute of Physics

fyi@aip.org

www.aip.org/gov

(301) 209-3094