Conference 7.286::space

Don Savage
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                    September 27, 1991

RELEASE:  91-158

        Richard H. Truly, Administrator of NASA, issued this statement today
following conference committee action on the 1992 appropriation.

        "Yesterday's action of the House/Senate Conference on the FY 1992
NASA appropriation leaves the people of NASA with mixed feelings.  On the
one hand, we are tremendously grateful to those many members on both
sides of the aisle who have worked so hard on our behalf in this extremely
difficult environment and are particularly pleased with the funding for
Space Station Freedom and the very significant percentage increase for
space science.  Nevertheless, we are disappointed that, for the first time in
many years, the total NASA appropriation does not keep up with inflation.
In any event, we will be working very hard to continue to use the dollars
available to provide the American people with a world-class civilian space
and aeronautics research program."

Article: 1703
From: [email protected] (ROBERT SHEPARD)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.usa,clari.tw.space,clari.news.top
Subject: Funds approved for space station, other programs slashed
Date: 2 Oct 91 18:38:18 GMT
 
	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Money to keep the planned U.S. space station 
alive was included in a compromise appropriation bill approved by the 
House Wednesday, but several other space programs were cut back sharply. 

	The $2 billion provided for the space station represents a
victory for the administration, which vigorously fought an attempt
earlier this year by the House Appropriations Committee to kill the
project, the eventual costs of which are estimated at $40 billion. 

	The compromise bill worked out by House and Senate negotiators
was approved by the House on a 390-30 vote and sent to the Senate for
final approval.  The $80.9 billion measure also includes funds for the
Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development and
the Environmental Protection Agency. 

	While the space station project receives the full $2 billion
requested for 1992, other NASA programs were cut sharply to provide
the funds.  Overall, the space agency appropriation is just 3 percent
above the 1991 bill, as compared to the more than 10 percent annual
increases seen for the past several years. 

	The proposed national aerospace plane was given only $5
million of the $72 million requested. 

	The proposed orbiting solar laboratory and the infrared
telescope projects, along with development of a new fuel pump for the
space shuttle would be terminated under the bill. 

	The $336 million requested for the Earth Observing System in
1992, designed to study global climate change, was cut by 20 percent. 

	Rep. Bob Traxler, D-Mich., chairman of the Appropriations
subcommittee with jurisdiction over NASA and the other agencies
included in the bill, told the House ``there were hard choices made in
this bill, '' but ``for the most part we spread the agony.'' 

	HUD Secretary Jack Kemp was disappointed in the bill's funding
for housing programs and indicated he would urge President Bush to
veto the measure, but a veto was considered unlikely because the space
station is a top priority for Bush. 

	The total $17.8 billion appropriated for various housing
programs is 9 percent less than the 1991 bill.  Included is $361
million for a program that helps public housing tenants to buy their
units.  Kemp had sought $865 million for the program. 

    what turkeys!
    
    They put in $2B!!!! for the space station, but fund the aerospace plane
    at only $ 5 M.
    
    Boy am I disappointed ...... 
    
    Tony

    I agree. Is this ever short sited. Yes there will be a space station
    built and operational but with the shuttle getting older eventually it
    will have to retire. NASP would have been a nice way to continue on the
    evolution of easy access to orbit. Now what?? If NASP goes ahead at
    a snails pace and the shuttle gets near retirement (remember - no new
    shuttles) then having a space station will be useless since we won't be
    able to get to it!
    
    Very disappointing

    While I am normally not a pessimist, I am afraid the ramifications
    of this short-sightedness may go even beyond the US Space program.

    While the Soviets were conducting an aggressive program, the US
    maintained a significant interest in ALSO conducting what we considered
    an aggressive program. Call it competition (it surely wasn't a "race"
    any more).

    Now, with the economic transitioning taking place in the Soviet Union
    (and the political reforms, too) THEIR program is being reduced. Too
    many people in the Soviet Union and elsewhere seem to believe that
    an effective new market structure can somehow be quickly achieved...
    even after over 70 years of failed (but controlled) methods!

    As a result, one Space-leading nation cannot maintain its program
    at the same level as before, and the other does not have the will
    or moral fiber to do so.

    A long retreat from space may have begun...

    John B.

     

Well, maybe with the Soviets cutting back on their defense
spending some of that money will be put into their space program.
I think it would be foolish of them to hit their defense spending
and put a lot of high-tech resources on the sidelines, especially
since they are so close to leadership.  It would be smarter to
turn those resources to space, both to continue their level of
expertise and to open new markets.

For the life of me, I can't understand why they don't develop
their oil fields and start selling to the West.  Do the world a
real favor and bring in lots of money.

Re: .6

The current situation in the former Soviet Union is such that it highly
unlikely that they will be spending more than a minimal amount on space.

They have already announced that there will be no replacement for MIR and
no more flights for their version of the shuttle.

Like it or not, spending on space is likely to decline in both nations that 
currently have manned programs.  Beyond that, the ESA has announced a delay
in the Hermes manned program, in part for funding reasons.

The way the world is today, with billions needed to pull the former East
European and Soviet communist states back into the real world there will be
far less money available for things which do not have direct measurable
economic benefits.  Regrettably only a proportion of the things that have
been done in space thus far have economic benefits and very few that I know 
of have required manned space flight.

Of course things that are perceived as enhancing national prestige or as a 
vote winner will tend to proceed - although maybe slower than in the past.

jb

Given my druthers, I'd suggest the following:

	- Cut Space Station to $1Billion

	- Use other $1Billon to re-fund other programs

	- Use $750 million to BUY Soviet Mir complete with ground support 
	  facilities.

	- Use remaining $250 million to enhance design and manufacture efforts.
	  Change space station design to allow initial sections to connect to 
	  Mir (say by end of 1993 or 1994), eventually swapping out Mir modules 
	  in late 1990s.

Short-sightedness is a famous and looooong rooted problem in DC.

					-**Ted**-

	

    I have seen the so call bargins form the Soviets, 
    the price does not include extras, spare parts,
    transportation, radio/tv rights, and any other support.
    
    For example the Japanese thought they had  a great deal
    for their Japanese cosmonauts, then at the last moment
    they found out this did not include TV rights etc.
    It was rumored that this double the cost of their mission! 
    It did not end their! The price did no include any support 
    form the other cosmonauts to help in the Japanese experiemnts.
    There was a charge for folding the TV camera, unpacking the
    experiments etc, etc.  In the end, the cost was over twice
    the quoted price.
    
    So I do not think buying MIR would save the US space program
    any money!  MIR's  life/usefullness is very limited and the
    real price would be more the doubled the initial cost.
    However, it would be a great bargin to rent for long term experiments that
    are to long to do on the space shuttle.
    
    john
    
    
    

Article: 1827
From: [email protected] (WILLIAM HARWOOD, UPI Science Writer)
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.news.military,clari.news.aviation
Subject: NASA budget cuts advanced booster, comet probe
Date: 29 Jan 92 23:08:02 GMT
 
	CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (UPI) -- The space agency NASA unveiled
its $15 billion 1993 budget request Wednesday, eliminating money for
an advanced shuttle rocket booster and a probe that would have sampled
the dust of a comet. 

	The National Aeronautics and Space Administration also
released a new shuttle launch schedule, listing eight flights per year
through 1996 and nine flights per year therafter. NASA once planned to
launch up to 14 missions per year using four shuttles, but under the
new ``manifest,'' seven flights will be eliminated between now and 1996. 

	``The space shuttle will remain the workhorse of our space
transportation capability with this budget providing $3.115 billion
for eight missions in fiscal '93,'' NASA Administrator Richard Truly
said at a news conference. ``Our current plans assume a flight rate of
eight missions per year through fiscal 1996 and nine annually thereafter.'' 

	The launch rate reflects a decision to cut some $1.8 billion
out of the shuttle budget over the next five years, resulting in the
loss of about 4,000 contractor jobs nationwide. But space agency
officials insist safety will not be compromised and that improved
efficiency and job attrition will account for most of the cuts. 

	NASA's $14.993 billion fiscal 1993 budget, up 4.5 percent over
1992 levels, eliminates funding for the advanced solid rocket motor
program and the Comet Rendezvous and Flyby mission to study an icy
comet in unprecedented detail. 

	The solid rocket motor program was initiated in the wake of
the 1986 Challenger disaster. The goal was a more powerful booster that 
would be safer than the design blamed for the Challenger disaster. 

	NASA's 1993 budget includes $2.25 billion for the agency's
proposed space station project. NASA hopes to begin launching
components of space station Freedom in early 1996. 

	Other budget highlights:

	----$3 billion for space science and applications, a 9 percent
increase. A variety of missions are scheduled for launch over the next
fiscal year, including the Mars Observer, the Extreme Ultraviolet
Explorer and a variety of Spacelab shuttle flights. Development will
continue for the Cassini mission to Saturn and the Advanced X-Ray
Astrophysics Facility space telescope. 

	----$5.3 billion for space flight, control and data
communications, including $3.1 billion for eight shuttle missions. 

	----$1.2 billion for space applications, including $308.4
million for the Earth Observing System, an ambitious program calling
for development of six satellites to study Earth's fragile environment. 

	----$890.2 million for aeronautical research and technology
development. 

	----$319.2 million for facilities construction at various NASA centers.

	----$217.5 million to buy unmanned rockets.

	----$125 million to develop plans for a New Launch System family 
of unmanned rockets to guarantee access to space for critical payloads. 

	----$80 million ``for accelerated development of critical
technologies'' needed for the national aerospace plane, also known as
the X-30. 

    [As I happened to be at KSC last week on business, the hotel provided
     copies of the Orlando Sentinel -- this is page 6 (1/2 page) article
     in case you wondered how the locals noted it.    -dg]
    
    NASA wants to spend 14.99 billion
    by Sean Holton, Sentinel Washington Bureau
    
    WASHINGTON - NASA unveiled at $14.99 billion budget request Wednesday
    that ws, on paper at least, the very essence of fiscal responsibility.
    
    The space agency asked only for a 4.5 percent increase in financing to
    carry it through fiscal 1993 -- a figured barely ahead of inflation,
    safely under a 5 percent ceiling set by Congress and NASA's most modest
    request in five years.
    
    But there is another story about NASA's budged that numbers on a sheet
    of paper cannot tell.  It centers on a rocket factory in the rural
    South, a half-billion-dollar pot of cas, and an 81-year-old
    Mississippian who has served in Congress since the month before Pearl
    Harbor was bombed.
    
    The money NASA and the White House decided to cut to make ends meet was
    $469 million to deep construction going at a factory for a new
    generation of space shuttle boosters.
    
    The factory is in Yellow Creek, Miss., in the district of Democratic
    Rep. Jamie L. Whitten, who has a record 50 years' seniority in
    Congress.  More to the point, Whitten heads the House Appropriations
    Committee, through which NASA's budget must pass.
    
    Connect the dots isn't too hard from there.
    
    "We are disappointed at the administration's position," Whitten said in
    a statement Wednesday.  "We certainly hope to be able to continue the
    operations at Yellow Creek."
    
    Naturally, Whitten is not eager to pull the plug on a $3 billion
    project that has brough 2,000 jobs to his district.  Currying his favor
    was a big reason NASA chose Yellow Creed over Kennedy Space Center in
    1988.
    
    So NASA's budget is not likely to emerge from Whitten's committee
    without the money for the rocket plant.  The $469 million appropriation
    could be lumped right on top of the budget -- making Congress, not
    NASA, look like a ig spender, in violation of the 5 percent limit it
    imposed on the agency.
    
    Or, to keep the overall budget in line, the money could be taken from
    other NASA projects -- leaving Congress, not NASA, to do the dirty work
    of gutting those programs.
    
    NASA's preference is no mystery.
    
    It lobbied hard to get the Yellow Creek project approved and it has
    spent $1.2 billion on it.  NASA Administrator Richard Truly
    acknowledged Wednesday that he really does not want to see the program
    killed now.
    
    He said that electing to kill the booster plant was a "very tough
    decision" that was "a direct result of the constraints ... given to us
    by the Congress."
    
    Instead of killing the program, Truly invited Congress "to identify
    additional funds which could increase NASA's overall budget and allow
    restoration of funds for ASRM [the advanced booster]."
    
    That would turn what NASA unveiled Wednesday into a $15.46 billion
    budget, a 7.7 percent increase from last year's budget, and, in the
    world of Washington politics, the very essence of fiscal magic.
    
    ----------------
    The article also had a box with the following figure:
    
         NASA's slide of the pie
    
    Fiscal         NASA request         Congressional
     Year         (in billions)         appropriation
    -------------------------------------------------
     1982             $6.2                  $6.0
     1983              6.6                   6.8
     1984              7.1                   7.2
     1985              7.5                   7.5
     1986              7.9                   7.8
     1987              7.4                  10.7
     1988              9.5                   8.9
     1989             11.5                  10.9
     1990             13.3                  12.3
     1991             15.1                  13.9
     1992             15.7                  14.3
     1993             14.9                  ----
    
    Source: NASA

From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.tw.aerospace,clari.biz.economy
Subject: Space projects approved by committee
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 92 15:18:08 PDT

	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The Senate Commerce Committee approved Tuesday a
$14.6 billion space budget for fiscal 1993 -- slightly less than the
administration requested -- with more than a third going for the space
station Freedom and the space shuttle.
	The legislation was approved without objection and sent to the Senate
for action.
	The $14.6 billion authorization is $308 million less than the
administration request of $14.9 billion, but $322 million more than was
appropriated for the current year.
	The committee approved $2 billion for the space station Freedom and
$3 billion for the space shuttle.
	The remainder is for space science research, aeronautics and space
technology development, academic initiatives and other programs.
	The committee approved an amendment, offered by Sen. Richard Bryan,
D-Nev., that deleted $13.5 million from the NASA budget for the Search
for the Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) progam. The vote was 11-6.

Article: 25336
From: [email protected] (Kim DeVaughn)
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.astro,sci.physics,talk.politics.space
Subject: Congressional Cutting Continues ...
Date: 6 Aug 92 20:09:31 GMT
Organization: Amdahl Corporation,  Sunnyvale, CA 94086
 
I ran into the attached article in sci.research, and felt it should be
posted to a broader audience.  Followups have been directed to
talk.politics.space. 
 
Note in particular that the recommendation, if followed, would kill
SETI as well as NASP, and would all but kill the Space Exploration
Program. 
 
Fortunately, the Senate will be making its own report/recommendations,
and will hopefully reverse much of this.  Thankfully, I hear that
Traxler has resigned, and won't be around much longer! 
 
/kim
 
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
 
From: [email protected] (Russel Shermer (R43))
Newsgroups: sci.research
Subject: fyi 103  House Appropriations Committee Report: NASA
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 4 Aug 92 19:57:13 GMT
Organization: NAVSWC DD White Oak Det.
 
Posted for:
Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
Contact:  Audrey T. Leath
Phone: (202) 332-9662
Email: [email protected]
 
House Appropriations Committee Report: NASA
 
FYI No. 103, August 4, 1992
 
Accompanying all appropriations bills is a report written by committee
staff providing the committee's recommendations on how agencies should
spend the money which is appropriated to them. Although these reports
are not binding, federal agencies are usually quite reluctant to
implement policies contrary to those of the committee which has
jurisdiction over their budget.  Both the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees write reports, with a final "conference
report" issued to accompany the final bill. Details of the Senate and
conference reports will be provided in future editions of FYI. 
 
Below are selected portions of House Report 102-710, accompanying H.R.
5679, the VA, HUD, Independent Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal
year 1993, as it pertains to NASA.  Two major changes were made since
this report was released.  When the bill went to the House floor, the
Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) program was reduced by
$380,000,000, leaving $100,000,000; and an across-the-board cut of 1%
was applied to all programs in the VA/HUD bill except veteran's
medical care.  This reduction is not included in the numbers below. 
 
For all of NASA, "the Committee has recommended a total program level
of $14,036,102,000 in fiscal year 1993, which represents a reduction
of $956,925,000 below the request, and $278,948,000 below [the] 1992
level." 
 
For Research and Development:
 
"The Committee recommends a total of $6,670,650,000 for the research
and development activities of NASA.  This is $1,060,750,000 below the
budget request.  That reduction includes the following increases,
decreases, and changes to the program areas described below: 
 
     -$525,000,000 from space station.  The Committee directs that
this reduction be taken in recognition of the existing understanding
between the Committees on Appropriations and the agency.  Under that
arrangement, NASA should implement any schedule slip first in the
permanently manned capability while making every effort to preserve
current first element launch and man-tended time-lines. 
 
     -$159,000,000 from space transportation capability development including:

          -$115,000,000 from the national launch system leaving
$10,000,000 for a continued NASA presence. 
 
     -$150,000,000 from space science including:

          A. -$30,000,000 from life sciences maintaining the program
at the 1992 level.  The Committee directs that the reduction be taken
at NASA's discretion except that not less than $10,000,000 be applied
to the request of $18,000,000 for development of the centrifuge. 

          B. -$75,000,000 from the earth observing system platform (EOS).
          C. -$20,000,000 from materials development.
          D. -$10,000,000 from research operations support.
          E. -$5,000,000 from information systems.

          F. -$13,500,000 (the full request) from the search for
extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) program. 

          G. -$50,000,000 as a general reduction to be taken at NASA's 
discretion.
          H. +$20,000,000 to continue work on the gravity probe "B" program.
          I. +$33,500,000 to continue the consortium for international
Earth science information network (CIESIN) program. 
 
     -$80,000,000 (the full request) from the national aerospace plane
(NASP).  The Committee regrets that because of budget pressures this
program must be given a lower priority.  The Committee believes,
however, that the NASP effort is important to the country's future
aeronautical preeminence and would fund the activity if additional
allocation was available. 
 
     -$28,800,000 of $31,800,000 requested for the space exploration
program.  The reduction should be taken from the request of
$28,800,000 for exploration precursor missions." 
 
Other report sections include: Space Flight, Control and Data
Communications; Construction of Facilities; Research and Program
Management; and Office of the Inspector General. 
 
###############
Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
Contact:  Audrey T. Leath
(202) 332-9662
##END##########
 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
[  Any thoughts or opinions which may or may not have been expressed  ]
[  herein are my own.  They are not necessarily those of my employer. ]
 
-- 
UUCP:  [email protected]  -OR-  [email protected]
DDD:   408-746-8462
USPS:  Amdahl Corp.  M/S 249,  1250 E. Arques Av,  Sunnyvale, CA 94086
BIX:   kdevaughn     GEnie:   K.DEVAUGHN     CIS:   76535,25

Don Savage
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
              February 18, 1993

RELEASE:  93-32

        The President's 1994 budget request for NASA will call for an increase
over last year's budget with key provisions for the Space Station program and
the development of important new technologies.

        NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin praised the plan, saying, "It
clearly reflects the President's firm commitment to a meaningful and balanced
space program and the revitalization of American industry through cutting-edge
science and technology development."

        President Clinton has directed the Administrator to redesign the Space
Station as part of a program that is more efficient and effective and capable
of producing greater returns on our investment.  The '94 package provides $2.3
billion for the smooth transition of the program to a streamlined,
cost-effective design, assuring stability in the program during the transition
and minimizing any potential job loss.

        The President also has directed NASA to work closely with the U.S.
Congress and international partners to maintain continuity in the program and
to assure their participation in producing a space station that is technically
challenging and promises the highest possible returns.

        NASA's new technology investment package will provide significant
funding aimed at new projects that could lower the cost of space research,
achieve demonstrable results sooner and are more directly beneficial to the
economy.  The new plan allows room in NASA's budget for future enhancements to
ongoing agency efforts in aeronautics, human and robotic space flight and the
transfer of technology to new and existing industries.

        Goldin was briefed by White House officials late Wednesday and Thursday
morning and offered the following statement:

        "I congratulate the President on his courageous vision of an
aeronautics and space program that is relevant to America and continues to lead
the world in innovation and discovery."

        "In response to the vision, we will join with our international
partners, industry experts, and the science community to introduce broad,
innovative thinking to the process of delivering a meaningful and efficient
program to the American people and to the world."

        "I have great faith and pride in the working women and men of the NASA
team who I know will step up to the challenge to do more with less, just as
they have met the great challenges of the past."

        "NASA will serve the President's vision and live up to its reputation
as a can-do agency by becoming a model in government for quality, efficiency
and productivity."


     Source:NASA Spacelink    Modem:205-895-0028  Internet:192.149.89.61