NASA FY 06 Budget Memo by Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research Victor Lebacqz

The following is a message to all LaRC employees from Dr. J. Victor Lebacqz, Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research:

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

On Monday, February 7, 2005, the Administration’s proposed budget for FY 06 will be announced. Your Center will be having an all-hands sometime on that day to discuss with you the budget and its implications.

NASA will be one of the very few Agencies to have received an increase in this very tight fiscal environment. That increase, when the President is committed to reducing the deficit by reducing government spending, is a clear indication of his continuing support for the vision for space exploration. It is very likely that, without the vision, the NASA budget would be declining in the same way as nearly every other agency.

That said, hard choices were still necessary in proposing the NASA budget. In the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, our programs which support public good activities, such as reducing noise, increasing safety, and transforming the national air traffic management system continue to be strongly supported and were maintained in the FY06 budget. To assure a defendable, understandable Vehicle Systems program that is clearly providing breakthroughs for the nation, however, we have completely transformed it to concentrate on barrier- breaking flight demonstrations. In concert with the Agency transformation, this program will be conducted using a higher level of competitively awarded research. The resulting Vehicle Systems program is smaller in FY 06 than in FY 05, and will be even smaller in FY 07.

I will be coming to your Center as soon as I can to talk about this change. The schedule is for me to be at Glenn Research Center Feb 8, Langley Research Center Feb 10, Dryden Flight Research Center Feb 14, and Ames Research Center Feb 15. Along with your Center management, I will hold an all-hands meeting to answer your questions about the aeronautics programs. I look forward to seeing you.

Best regards,

Vic Lebacqz

Dr. J. Victor Lebacqz

Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Washington, DC 20546-0001

202-358-4600

email: J.Victor.Lebacqz@nasa.gov