As reported in FYI
#129, the Senate Appropriations Committee, in the report accompanying
its FY 2005 VA/HUD Appropriations bill, included lengthy report language
on NASA and the President's vision for space exploration. The entire
text of the report (S. Rept. 108-353) is available at http://thomas.loc.gov/
under "Committee Reports." Selections from the report's introductory
section on NASA follow:
SPACE EXPLORATION VISION: "Early this year the President
announced a vision to return man to the Moon and eventually to Mars.
This vision has provided an overall direction for NASA. Such a Presidential
vision has been missing from NASA for many years. While many programs
at NASA have been working, in some cases exceptionally, a comprehensive
initiative to orient the mission of NASA has been lacking. The Committee
is supportive of the vision, but has reservations about the low level
of details provided in the fiscal year 2005 budget request on how this
vision will be accomplished."
"By providing a vision, the President has prompted a discussion
about what NASA could do, or should be doing. The budget NASA has presented
to the Committee outlines the plan for implementing the vision, yet
does not provide sufficient details for the technical and scientific
goals to be reached by embracing the vision. The Committee understands
that as any plan moves forward, particularly in an area of high risk
such as space, that adjustments in time and budget will be necessary.
However, a sufficient framework must be established prior to embarking
on a path that may ultimately cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
"NASA's new vision maps out an aggressive role for the United States
in both manned and unmanned space exploration. However, the potential
out-year costs are substantial and will likely be very difficult to
sustain. In addition, the Committee believes that there must be a commitment
to those activities at NASA that are already underway. The Shuttle program
and the construction of the ISS continue to be the primary focus of
the Nation's manned space flight activities. Nevertheless, the Committee
believes that a replacement for the Space Shuttle's manned and heavy
lift capabilities must be considered as part of any plan for continued
human access to space.
"The Committee is concerned that the current implementation plans
for the new vision do not properly address the requirements and development
for the heavy lift capability that may be necessary to carry out the
proposed vision. A complete review of such plans must be conducted prior
to embarking fully upon the implementation of the proposed vision."
"NASA has the opportunity to lay the groundwork for a successful
implementation of the proposed vision. The current budget justification
does not provide the details the Committee expects to see for such a
dramatic undertaking. The Committee expects NASA to take initial steps
for implementing the vision in fiscal year 2005, and to provide year-by-year
budgetary and developmental goals related to the vision for the next
5 years, along with 10-year summary budget totals, in the fiscal year
2006 request."
RETIREMENT OF SHUTTLE: "NASA has presented a timeframe for
the retirement of the Shuttle program which assumes an end in the program
around 2010. This timeframe is essential if resources are to be available
for the Crew Exploration Vehicle [CEV] in order to meet a potential
Moon mission between 2015 and 2020. If there are delays in the Shuttle
program that push retirement beyond 2010, then funds for CEV development
will also be delayed. At a time when the Shuttle fleet continues to
be grounded, the Committee feels that the schedule NASA has presented
is overly ambitious and optimistic."
PHASE-OUT OF EXISTING PROGRAMS: "As part of the proposed
exploration vision, NASA will begin to phase-out existing programs in
order to accommodate the vision. These plans must be clearly identified
in order for NASA to smoothly transition older programs to make way
for missions associated with the vision.... The current Federal fiscal
environment is not favorable to supporting completely the budget NASA
has presented for fiscal year 2005. The out-year costs also seem overly
optomistic at time when both the administration and Congress are committed
to reducing the Federal budget deficit. However, steps toward laying
the foundation of future NASA initiatives must be taken in order for
there to be a future for many NASA activities once the Shuttle program
is retired and the International Space Station is completed.
"The Committee is also concerned that NASA will neglect areas that
will only tangentially benefit from, or that do not fit within, the
proposed vision. Within the fiscal year 2005 budget request, programs
and infrastructure are proposed to be deferred, or cancelled, in such
areas. These programs appear to be the sacrifices for the near-term
budgetary resources needed to facilitate the implementation of the new
Moon/Mars vision."
NEED FOR STRONG, BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM: "The new national
space policy to proceed with human and robotic exploration of the Moon,
Mars, and beyond has profound implications for all of the science conducted
by NASA. While the Committee applauds those goals, it is concerned that
the strong, balanced science program that has served the Nation so successfully
for many years should be nurtured and sustained as the new policy is
implemented. That science program has been based on a set of carefully
crafted scientific strategies that are founded on scientific and technical
merit, relevance to overall national needs, and broad consultation with
the scientific community via the National Academy of Sciences. Consequently,
the Committee directs the National Academies' Space Studies Board to
conduct a thorough review of the science that NASA is proposing to undertake
under the new policy and to develop a strategy by which all of NASA's
science disciplines, including Earth science, space science, and life
and microgravity science, can make adequate progress towards their established
goals, as well as providing scientific research in support of the new
policy. Further, the Committee is troubled by the abrupt and seemingly
unilateral decision to alter the science conducted aboard the ISS to
focus solely on biological and physiological research without any consultation
with or authorization by Congress. As part of the scientific review,
the National Academy of Sciences shall also consider the new direction
of research proposed by NASA on the ISS and whether it is compatible
with the overall national research needs identified in past Academy
reports.... Prior to receipt and consideration of the report, NASA is
directed to maintain a balanced science program that follows priorities
that have been recommended by the National Academy of Sciences and agreed
to by Congress."
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