House Appropriations for NSF, NASA
A variety of PDFs are reports are available covering the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science subcommittee bill. There is the full appropriations committee summary, the statement from Rep. Mollohan on the markup of the bill, a summary table of the appropriations.
Much of the detail, however, is in the committee report. The entire report can be viewed as a PDF from the Government Printing Office, complete with numerous tables. It’s also available on the Library of Congress site as a web page – here is the section on NASA science for example.
FYI does their usual, excellent job in discussing the NSF report language. The NSF mark is below the President’s request, a 6.9% increase over FY ’09 instead of a 8.5% increase.
The biggest notable event is that NASA space exploration receives a significant cut over the request – to quote Chairman Mollohan:
The recommendation, however, acknowledges that the Administration has established a blue ribbon panel, led by Dr. Norm Augustine, to review the current vision for human space flight. Funds are provided in the bill to continue investments in human space flight at the same level as provided in fiscal year 2009. Reductions from the budget request should not be viewed as a diminution of my support or that of the Subcommittee in NASA’s human space flight activities. Rather, the deferral is taken without prejudice; it is a pause, a time-out, to allow the President to establish his vision for human space exploration and to commit to realistic future funding levels to realize this vision.
The deferral amounts to a change of 212.3 million less than the request in Exploration. Also, a new budget line was created for the “Construction of Facilities” and some internal budget shifting occurs out of Cross-Agency support.
None of those budgetary changes effect NASA Science or the comparison of NASA science numbers to the request. Science sees a slight increase over the president’s request – $18.9 million more than requested. The details are from the above-linked Science section of the committee report, which you can see below.
Tags: appropriations, FY 2010, House of Representatives, NASA, NSFSCIENCE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fiscal Year 2009 enacted $4,503,019,000Fiscal Year 2010 request 4,477,200,000Recommended in the bill 4,496,100,000Bill compared with:Fiscal Year 2009 enacted -6,919,000Fiscal Year 2010 request +18,900,000------------------------------------------This appropriation provides for the full costs associated with the science activities of the agency, which consist of the programs, or themes, within the Science Mission Directorate. The full costs include all labor, travel, procurement, test and fabrication costs to execute these programs, which provide for all of the research; development; operations; salaries and related expenses; and other general and administrative activities supporting the themes within this account. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate encompasses four themes: Earth Science, Planetary Science, Heliophysics, and Astrophysics. The Directorate seeks to answer fundamental questions concerning the ways in which Earth’s climate is changing; the comparison of Earth with other planets in the solar system and around other stars; the connections among the Sun, Earth, and heliosphere; and the origin and evolution of planetary systems, the galaxy, and the universe, including the origin and distribution of life in the universe. The Directorate achieves its objectives through robotic flight missions, ground-based scientific research and data analysis, and the development of new technologies for future missions.
For fiscal year 2010, the Committee recommends $4,496,100,000, an increase of $18,900,000 above the budget request, and $6,919,000 below the fiscal year 2009 comparable levels. The appropriation shall be available for one fiscal year, except that $450,000,000 shall be available for two fiscal years. The recommendation makes the following adjustments to the budget request, which you can see below.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Earth science research and analysis +$32,000,000Earth science, other missions and data analysis +15,000,000Orbiting carbon observatory (incl. FY 2009 balances) -32,200,000Near Earth object observations +2,000,000Astrophysics, other missions and data analysis +50,000,000Realign the costs of administrative activities to CAS -24,300,000Consolidate all agency construction in new account -12,600,000Affordability adjustment -11,000,000-------------------------------------------------------------------Earth science- The Committee supports the development of Tier I missions in support of NASA’s Earth science program. These missions, in coordination with small and medium class missions being developed by the agency, are critical to address global challenges in climate change and other areas.
Earth science, other missions and data analysis- The recommendation includes $201,300,000 for Earth science, other missions and data analysis. An increase of $15,000,000 is provided above the request to advance further the studies of the next two decadal survey missions, the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) and the Deformation, Ecosystem Structure, and Dynamics of the Ice (DESDnyl).
Scatterometer- The Committee directs NOAA and NASA to continue joint studies leading to a NOAA request in the fiscal year 2011 budget to build and fly an operational scatterometer to provide sea surface vector wind measurements. NASA should continue to co-fund this study in fiscal year 2010 and then supply its customary implementation support to NOAA satellite activities on a reimbursable basis beginning in fiscal year 2011. The Committee acknowledges that a radar scatterometer could have been adopted as an operational NOAA instrument many years ago and appreciates the support NASA has provided to the operational data users by flying scatterometers as part of its Earth science research mission.
Orbiting carbon observatory (OCO)- In February, a rocket failure sent OCO into the ocean off the coast of Antarctica, depriving climate scientists of measurements meant to bridge data collected by a seven-year-old satellite and a more advanced spacecraft is not expected to launch for at least several years. This satellite was to map Earth’s carbon dioxide concentrations in unprecedented detail. Several options have been suggested following the loss of the OCO: extend the operations of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard the Aqua spacecraft, launched in 2002; accelerate the development of the follow-on spacecraft, ASCENDS, which is currently not slated until after 2013; and building and flying another OCO. The Committee awaits NASA’s informed judgment on how best to proceed, including schedule and cost estimates for its recommendation, but expects such determination by September 1, 2009.
Near Earth object observations- The recommendation includes $5,800,000 for near Earth object observations, an increase of $2,000,000 to support ongoing scientific research at the Arecibo Observatory in the fields of climate change and space weather.
GLOBE- Within the amounts provided for Earth science, $3,000,000 is provided for the GLOBE program. NASA is directed to work cooperatively with NOAA during fiscal year 2010 to transition program responsibility for GLOBE from NASA to NOAA.
Mars program.–Exploring Mars remains one of NASA’s most challenging and exciting endeavors. The Committee continues to support a robust Mars exploration program and recommends funds for the completion of the Mars Science Laboratory for launch in 2011.
Astrophysics other missions and data analysis- Within the amounts provided, not less than $50,000,000 is available to continue efforts in the use of the next generation of human space flight architecture to service existing and future observatory-class scientific spacecraft as identified in the conference report accompanying division B of Public Law 111-8.
Astrophysics exoplanet exploration, other missions and data analysis.–Building on NASA’s decades of investment in interferometric capabilities and technologies, the Committee recommendation includes funds requested to enable SIM-Lite to continue mission concept, technology and risk reduction efforts in fiscal year 2010.
Jupiter system mission- In February 2009, after a competitive review by the world’s leading planetary scientists and senior NASA leadership, NASA formally decided that the top priority Outer Planet flagship mission was the Jupiter Europa orbiter/lander, which would launch in 2020. This review also concluded that a mission to Saturn’s moon, Titan, would follow later in the decade. The Committee continues to support the Jupiter Europa orbiter/lander and NASA’s decision.
The Jupiter system mission consists of two spacecraft to explore the Jupiter system and investigate the emergence of potentially habitable worlds around giant planets. The mission places a special emphasis on two of Jupiter’s giant moons, Europa and Ganymede, and would be conducted in concert with the European Space Agency. The Committee recommendation includes $18,000,000 to further study the Europa Jupiter system mission and to address the primary risk to the mission, the energy particle radiation environment of Jupiter. Included in these funds shall be efforts to assist the science community in preparing to respond to the announcement of opportunity for the instruments.
The Committee is concerned that the budget profile for the Outer Planets flagship mission to Europa appears inconsistent with a 2020 launch. Therefore, NASA is directed within 60 days of enactment of this Act to provide a projected full lifetime budget outline for the Europa mission, to include anticipated contributions from foreign partners, and an alternative budget profile that would accelerate the launch to 2018.
Planetary science, technology- Within the funds provided for planetary science, resources are provided for test and development of thermal protection systems (TPS), such as coal-based carbon foam ablative devices, in future missions to and from Mars and Moon.
