NASA Authorization Act passes

[Bill McBlueState]

This was in an American Astronomical Society e-mail I just got. The text is from a House Science Committee Press Release that I haven't tried to find elsewhere on the web. I do agree with Calvert that "we must give NASA the rules and tools it needs to succeed," but I don't think that funding Bush's cowboy Mars fantasy at the expense of basic space science and earth science is the best way to do it.

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On July 22, 2005 just shortly after midnight, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the NASA Authorization Act of 2005. Companion legislation must now be passed by the Senate.

H.R. 3070 endorses the President's Vision for Space Exploration; endorses the return of humans to the Moon by 2020; ensures NASA's missions in space science, Earth science and aeronautics remain healthy and robust; endorses a Shuttle servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope; establishes an awards program to encourage the private sector to develop creative solutions to NASA's technical challenges; allows NASA to proceed with its plan to retire the Space Shuttle fleet by the end of 2010; and encourages NASA to launch the Crew Exploration Vehicle (the Shuttle's replacement) as close to 2010 as possible.

Chairman Boehlert said, "H.R. 3070 is built on four central principles that will give clear direction to NASA. First, it endorses the President's Vision for Space Exploration, specifically calling for the development of a new Crew Exploration Vehicle and the return of humans to the Moon by 2020. Second, it ensures that NASA's missions in space science, Earth science and aeronautics are well funded and have robust programs. Third, it requires additional information from NASA to ensure that Congress has the information it needs to make policy decisions in the years ahead. And the fourth principle is that NASA has to try new ways of doing business if it is to remain innovative, so the bill establishes a prize program to help encourage the private sector and space entrepreneurs to help solve NASA's challenges."

"As we enter the Second Space Age, we must give NASA the rules and tools it needs to succeed," said Chairman Calvert. "NASA is an agency is transition. This bill gives the agency direction as it plans the next steps in space exploration, aeronautics, and other science programs. For the first time, today's vote gave Congressional approval to the President's Vision, which was announced in January 2004.

"Other nations are actively pursuing human spaceflight and exploration. China alone graduates almost as many engineers in a month as we do in a year. India too graduates five times as many engineers per year as we do. NASA, with its excellent reputation in exploration, science and aeronautics is the one national agency which can focus and inspire America's youth to take up the challenging work of math and science careers."

...

continues at length about various amendments that were proposed

[shireen]

1. NASA science is hurting really bad

because of those Martian Cowboy fantasies.

[Maple]

2. I'd like to see all of it go forward

because all of it's important, but I guess under current conditions that's not possible. Sigh.

[Pepperbelly]

3. Did they put money into it or are they just do legislative foo-fa-ra? nt

[Emperor_Norton_II]

4. Pretty much just noise

No budget for any of the items on the list, just endorsements and encouragement.