The full House has now passed its version of the FY 2004 VA/HUD appropriations
bill, which contains funding recommendations for NASA and the National
Science Foundation as well as other programs. Under the House bill,
funding for NASA would increase to $15.5 billion, an increase of 1.3%
over FY 2003 funding, and an increase of 0.5% over the Administration's
request. Funding for Space Flight Capabilities would decline to $7.8
billion, 1.3% less than current-year funding but 0.3% above the request.
While budget levels are not specified for Space Science, Earth Science,
and Biological and Physical Research, the entire Science, Aeronautics
and Exploration account would grow to $7.7 billion, an increase of 4.1%
above current-year funding, and of 0.6% above the request.
Accompanying the bill is the House Appropriations Committee report
(H. Rpt. 108-235). The report states that the committee's final actions
with regard to the Space Station, the Space Shuttle, the Orbital Space
Plane and Next Generation Launch Technologies will await the results
of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board; it is not yet known how
the Board's findings will impact the budget for Space Flight Capabilities.
The committee report also expresses concern over graduate student stipend
levels and NASA's difficulties in maintaining its workforce. Below are
selected quotations from the report:
SPACE SCIENCE:
"The Committee is concerned that the high radiation environment
in the Jovian system will cause problems for the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter
(JIMO) mission unless an investment is made in developing effective
and reliable hardened microcircuit devices that can be produced in quantity
at reasonable cost. Presently, the only available option for producing
such devices for the forthcoming JIMO mission involves using very high
cost techniques for customized microdevice construction. However, the
Committee is aware of promising technology wherein conventional, low
cost, high volume device fabrication might be used to produce the required
radiation hardened microcircuits in bulk using a variation on conventional
techniques. The Committee directs NASA to undertake an immediate effort
to validate this technology in time for use on the JIM mission and assess
its potential for cost effectiveness for that purpose and for other
missions."
EARTH SCIENCE:
"The fiscal year 2002 appropriations bill and accompanying reports
gave NASA Congressional direction to establish an implementation plan
for Earth science applications partnerships.... The result of the implementation
plan was a competition from which awards were announced on July 2, 2003.
The Committee notes that NASA received 258 proposals in response to
the competition notice of a peer-review process and 41 proposals were
selected based on highest merit. The Committee commends NASA for moving
forward with this effort and looks forward to working with NASA in the
future to ensure adequate funding is provided for a more robust peer-reviewed
competitive program. For this reason, the Committee recommendation does
not include any funding for new remote sensing applications centers....
The Committee directs $5,000,000 from the NASA Earth Science Enterprise
be transferred to the Air Force Research Laboratory (PE 62204F Aerospace
Sensors) to develop dual-use lightweight space radar technology."
BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL RESEARCH:
"The Committee has included an increase of $3,000,000 for technology
development necessary to ensure the Satellite Test of the Equivalence
Principle (STEP) mission can move forward. While the STEP mission was
rejected for funding under NASA's SMEX program last year primarily because
of its lack of technology development, the Committee has found that
this was due to promised funds not being provided from NASA's Office
of Space Science. With this action, the Committee is not negating the
results of the SMEX competition. Instead, the Committee action creates
a level playing field so the STEP program can compete in future programs....
The Committee continues its support for the materials science research
community, and expects substantial progress to be made during fiscal
year 2004 towards the completion and U.S. utilization of the Materials
Science Research Rack-1 onboard the International Space Station."
SPACE FLIGHT CAPABILITIES:
"Within this appropriation, two major subcategories of funding
exist, space flight and aerospace technology. Funding in the space flight
category is provided for continued development and operation of the
International Space Station, operations and upgrades to the performance
and safety of the space shuttle, and flight support operations. Funding
in the aerospace technology category includes the space launch initiative,
mission and science measurement technology, and innovative technology
transfer partnerships.... The Committee has taken no action at this
time with regard to the International Space Station, the Space Shuttle
program, the Orbital Space Plane program, or the Next Generation Launch
Technology program. All of these programs will undoubtedly undergo significant
transformation in the coming weeks as the results of the Columbia Accident
Investigation Board's work is published and discussed. The Committee
will use the report of the Board, and NASA's proposed response to the
Board's findings and recommendations, as the basis for final action
on the fiscal year 2004 budget proposal. The Committee has taken this
position at this time because it expects the Board's recommendations
to be far- reaching and significant. The Committee expects NASA to provide
its plan of action for implementing the Board's recommendations to the
Congress as soon as possible, with at least preliminary budget implications
formally submitted to the Committee no later than September 15, 2003."
SPACE STATION:
"The Committee remains committed to the full scientific utilization
of the International Space Station (ISS), which will require a robust
and expeditious means by which station crew can return safely to Earth
in the case of an emergency. The Committee recognizes that NASA is in
the process of using independent review teams to evaluate the costs
and benefits of developing a reusable or expendable Orbital Space Plane
(OSP) crewed system, which will return crew from, and soon thereafter
transport crew to, the ISS. The Committee emphasizes its intent that
full scientific utilization of the ISS begin as soon as possible, and
therefore an American crew return and transport capability should be
developed as expeditiously as possible.... Therefore, NASA is directed
to provide to the Committee within ninety days of enactment of this
act a report on the costs and benefits of both reusable and expendable
architectures for the OSP crewed system, including the implications
of each architecture type on the development timeline for a system that
meets NASA's OSP Level I requirements. In addition, NASA is directed
to notify the Committee before it takes any action that would preclude
the OSP crewed system from eventually being integrated with a reusable
launch booster."
SPACE SHUTTLE:
"In the past, this Committee and the Congress have been staunch
supporters of NASA's efforts to upgrade its shuttle fleet in the areas
of safety and reliability and has provided all amounts requested for
upgrades only to see significant upgrades canceled or deferred due to
technological obstacles or cost constraints. The Committee therefore
is pleased that NASA has initiated a new process that will integrate
safety, supportability, obsolescence, infrastructure, and ground systems
associated with the shuttle. The Committee expects that this overall
process will result in long range plans for the shuttle, a prioritized
list of investments, and a formal selection process for those investments
that will achieve the goal of safe and efficient shuttle operations."
GRADUATE STIPENDS:
"The Committee is aware of a concern in the graduate education
community that the current level of stipends in NASA's Graduate Student
Research Program and the Earth System Science Fellowship are lagging
the level in other areas of the Federal government and that participation
in the programs by the best and brightest is therefore jeopardized.
The Committee believes that NASA's investment in graduate education
tries to fill a crucial funding gap in much the same way that NASA support
for basic and applied research fills a gap in those programs. When the
NASA investment in graduate education via stipends is increased, the
rewards to NASA will increase. The Committee directs NASA to evaluate
the stipend level in its programs and report to the Committee on actions
it will take to increase the level of stipend for its programs. Additionally,
the Committee directs NASA to evaluate and report on the value of expanding
its use of graduate fellowships to all NASA science offices."
EDUCATION:
While no total amount is specified for all of NASA's education programs,
$25.3 million is recommended for the National Space Grant College and
Fellowship program. The report states, "The Committee remains concerned
that NASA is no closer to solving its workforce problems than at this
time a year ago. At that time, the Committee had directed NASA, in cooperation
with the Nation's leading research universities, to develop a comprehensive
plan and implementation strategy that will result in an increase in
the number of students pursuing advanced degrees. While the education
budget indicates NASA has a program of Explorer Academies starting in
fiscal year 2003, very little information is provided which would give
the Committee an assurance that this program will energize student interest
in science, engineering, mathematics or other disciplines needed for
NASA's future workforce. Likewise, the Education Base Program is listed
in the budget material as being ‘under review' for alignment with
new priorities. While this budget material in no way justifies the requested
funding level of $169,800,000, the Committee has provided the budget
request and directs NASA to inform the Committee expeditiously on its
detailed plans for an education program in fiscal year 2004." (House
and Senate bills to provide NASA with more flexibility in workforce
recruitment and retention, H.R. 1085 and S. 610, have been passed by
the House Science Committee and the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee,
respectively.)
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