FY 2016 Budget Request: NASA

The Obama Administration has requested $18,529.1 million for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for FY 2016. This is an increase of $518.9 million or 2.8 percent. The budget includes $620 million in funding for the James Webb Space Telescope on track for launch in 2018 and $1,243.8 million for the commercial spaceflight exploration program. Funding for the development of the Orion Multi-purpose Crew Vehicle, Space Launch System, and Exploration Ground Systems and support for space technologies is also included in the Administration’s budget request.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden spoke about the agency’s budget request at a briefing earlier this week. He described the progress of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket stating that the U.S is “insourcing these jobs and creating a whole new private market in low Earth orbit.” He noted SpaceX’s work “to complement the successful cargo capsule that has now been regularly delivering cargo and science experiments to the International Space Station for more than two years.” The NASA-developed technologies required for landing on an asteroid “will be applicable to commercial satellite servicing, future exploration, resource extraction, mining, in situ resource utilization and planetary sample return… and will demonstrate advanced high-power Solar Electric Propulsion, critical for future NASA and commercial uses,” stated Bolden as he explained that NASA has identified several asteroid candidates for this mission. He also discussed the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s dedication to STEM education and the agency’s work towards traveling to Mars.

NASA
The FY 2015 appropriation was $18,010.2 million
The FY 2016 request is $18,529.1 million, an increase of $518.9 million or 2.8 percent

Science
The FY 2015 appropriation was $5,244.7 million
The FY 2016 request is $5,288.6 million, an increase of $43.9 million or 0.8 percent

James Webb Space Telescope
The FY 2015 appropriation was $645.4 million
The FY 2016 request is $620.0 million, a decrease of $25.4 million or 3.9 percent

At the time of the release of the President’s NASA budget request, FY 2015 operating plans had not been approved by Congress. The following are budget request information for the FY 2016 request:

Earth Science Research
The FY 2016 request is $1,947.4 million

Planetary Science
The FY 2016 request is $1,361.2 million

Astrophysics
The FY 2016 request is $709.1 million

Heliophysics
The FY 2016 request is $651.0 million

Aeronautics
The FY 2015 appropriation was $651.0 million
The FY 2016 request is $571.4 million, a decrease of $79.6 million or 12.2 percent

Space Technology
The FY 2015 appropriation was $596.0 million
The FY 2016 request is $724.8 million, an increase of $128.8 million or 21.6 percent

Exploration
The FY 2015 appropriation was $4,356.7 million
The FY 2016 request is $4,505.9 million, an increase of $149.2 million or 3.4 percent

Exploration Systems Development
The FY 2015 appropriation was $3,245.3 million
The FY 2016 request is $2,862.9 million, a decrease of $382.4 million or 11.8 percent

Commercial Spaceflight
The FY 2015 appropriation was $805.0 million
The FY 2016 request is $1,243.8 million, an increase of $438.8 million or 54.5 percent

Exploration Research and Development
The FY 2015 appropriation was $306.4 million
The FY 2016 request is $399.2 million, an increase of $92.8 million or 30.3 percent

Space Operations
The FY 2015 appropriation was $3,827.8 million
The FY 2016 request is $4,003.7 million, an increase of $175.9 million or 4.6 percent

Education
The FY 2015 appropriation was $119.0 million
The FY 2016 request is $88.9 million, a decrease of $30.1 million or 25.3 percent

Safety, Security and Mission Services
The FY 2015 appropriation was $2,758.9 million
The FY 2016 request is $2,843.1 million, an increase of $84.2 million or 3.1 percent

Construction and Environmental Compliance and Restoration
The FY 2015 appropriation was $419.1 million
The FY 2016 request was $465.3 million, an increase of $46.2 million or 11.0 percent

Inspector General
The FY 2015 appropriation was $37.0 million
The FY 2016 request was $37.4 million, an increase of $0.4 million or 1.1 percent

NASA published a budget summary and agency budget fact sheet for the FY 2016 budget request.