NASA FY95 Budget Request: Space Station, Russian Cooperation

Below are selected highlights from background material supplied by NASA for its fiscal year 1995 budget request:

“In October 1993, NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin announced that the Office of Space Flight (OSF), which managed the Space Shuttle program, would assume responsibility for management of the Space Station program. This management change was done because planned Space Shuttle flight activities are becoming increasingly more involved with Space Station planning. OSF managers now consider the Space Station and Space Shuttle programs to be an integrated effort for all future planned human space flight activities.

“In the NASA FY 1995 estimate, the Human Space Flight appropriation provides funding for NASA’s human space flight activities.... These activities are funded in four categories: 1) Space Station - ($1.890 billion); 2) U.S.-Russian Cooperative Activities -($150 million); 3) Space Shuttle - ($2.42 billion, Shuttle operations, $903.9 million, Saftey/Performance Upgrades); and 4) Payload and Utilization Operations - ($356.2 million).”

SPACE STATION: “The total NASA request for the Space Station Program is $2.1 billion; of that total $1.9 billion is contained in the Human Space Flight budget, and the remaining $181 million is contained in the Science, Aeronautics and Technology budget. The $1.9 billion request provides for the development, manufacturing, test, assembly and qualification of flight hardware; the development of facilities required for operations, docking systems and other integration activities with the Space Shuttle to integrate the Space Shuttle and Space Station programs; activities related to NASA hardware and utilization of the Russian Mir space station; and flight technology demonstrations. FY 1995 funding also provides for utilization support and long-lead items to support vehicle and ground operations....”

“During the past year, extensive- and intensive- redesign efforts, mandated by the Administration, have resulted in a new international Space Station design which will continue to include participation by traditional U.S. partners- the European Space Agency, Japan and Canada (with Italian involvement as well)- and Russia, which has been invited to become a full-fledged partner and will be a major player in the launch, assembly and scientific utilization of the facility during its intended 10-year lifetime. Launch and assembly of the U.S. portion of the international Space Station will begin in 1997. Permanent, international occupation of the Station by as many as six persons is scheduled for shortly after the turn of the Century.”

RUSSIAN COOPERATION: “A total of $150 million is contained in the Human Space Flight budget in FY 1995 for Russian Cooperation. $100 million of that will go to the Russian Space Agency as part of a 4-year, $400 million fixed price contract between NASA and the RSA for NASA’s lease of the Russian Mir space station. The contract is for services and equipment to be provided by the Russian Space Agency and includes the enhancement of Mir-1 operational capabilities, joint space flights and other joint activities to design, develop, operate and utilize the international Space Station. (By prior agreement with the Congress, the contract funding amounts are not included in the $2.1 billion Space Station and related funding request.) The remaining $50 million is for Shuttle and Spacelab requirements in support of the Mir program.”