----- Original Message ----- From: "Alan Stern-- SwRI/Boulder" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Bruce Moomaw" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2002 8:33 AM Subject: Re: Senate $ > > > http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/custom/space/orlasecnasa24072402jul24.st > ory?coll=orl%2Dnews%2Dheadlines%2Dspace NASA could get a bonus in its budgetBy Gwyneth K. ShawSentinel Staff WriterJuly 24, 2002WASHINGTON -- Senators have tucked an extra $200 million into NASA's > proposed budget -- and said they want more but are constrained by the dismal > fiscal climate.The move by the Senate subcommittee that oversees the National Aeronautics > and Space Administration budget would bump the agency's funding to $15.2 > billion. The full Appropriations Committee will consider the plan Thursday, > but the House version won't emerge until the fall."We believe that we could fund NASA at least $1 billion more," said Sen. > Barbara Mikulski, the Maryland Democrat who chairs the subcommittee.But rising deficits and the pressure to find money for homeland security > left budgeters with little with which to work.Still, the Senate plan would devote $105 million in the 2003 budget to an > unmanned mission to Pluto -- a project that a panel of scientists recently > said should be one of NASA's top priorities. The money, combined with $15 > million already in NASA's budget for outer-planetary exploration, is enough > to keep the mission alive through 2003.The Senate committee also is asking NASA to set priorities for upgrades to > the space shuttle and the facilities at Kennedy Space Center that support > the shuttle.The additional money is a sharp change of course from last year's budget > season, when the Senate committee sliced $150 million from the troubled > international space station in response to cost overruns for the project.Mikulski said she thinks this year's edition offers a balanced approach that > will allow NASA to adequately fund the shuttle and station while also moving > to explore the universe. She professed high hopes for agency chief Sean > O'Keefe's ability to get the program back on track.Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., echoed her comments."This gives them some flexibility in dealing with the severe problems the > administration faced, particularly with the space station," he said.However, the committee did not attempt to restore any of the station > components cut by the White House last year in an effort to get the > station's costs under control. A committee aide said members want to wait > until NASA finishes a series of reviews of the project before pushing ahead > with more money -- probably next year.Gwyneth K. Shaw can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 202-824-8229.Copyright © 2002, Orlando Sentinel > > == You are subscribed to the Europa Icepick mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Project information and list (un)subscribe info: http://klx.com/europa/
