Industry Leaders Call On Congress To Boost NASA Budget

SPACE TRAVEL

The industry leaders wrote on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Americans they employ.

by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) May 16, 2007
An unprecedented coalition of nearly two dozen U.S. aerospace corporations told the Congress on Friday, May 11, that NASA is in urgent need of a boost to its fiscal year 2008 budget or America's space leadership could be lost for a generation.

The group, which includes the chairmen, presidents and chief executives of such industry giants as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon, asked the Congress to support an increase to NASA's FY08 budget of $1.4 billion. The budget is currently under review on Capitol Hill.

The industry leaders wrote on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Americans they employ, predicting dire consequences for the nation if Congress and the White House don't act immediately to make the increase.

"Without this increase, our nation faces the very real risk of losing our uniquely critical industrial base and human space access capability," the leaders wrote Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX).

While the new exploration program has previously received bipartisan support, the letter points out that the recent FY2007 Congressional Joint Resolution slashed the space agency's budget by $670 million.

According to the aerospace leaders, that cut would force a six-month delay in the launching of the new Orion spacecraft and its Ares 1 booster rocket now set to replace the U.S. Space Shuttle fleet when it is retired in 2010.

They characterize the gap in manned access to space as troubling, pointing out that the forced reliance upon foreign nations for ferrying crews to the International Space Station risked U.S. space independence.

The letter also stated that the Administration's $17.3 billion request was $1.4 billion below the previously congressionally authorized level. "We are deeply concerned that there is a growing disparity between the programs that NASA has been asked to accomplish and the resources the agency has been provided," the letter stated.

NASA's continued investment in research, science and engineering work is vital to maintaining U.S. economic competitiveness in the global competition for jobs and technology.

As the largest member organization for aerospace professionals, AIAA strongly urges Congress and the Administration to support the recommendations provided by the coalition or risk an epic failure of national leadership.

Email This Article

SPACE TRAVEL

Conference Highlights Space Safety As A Global Concern

Paris, France (SPX) May 15, 2007
This week, ESA is cosponsoring an international conference on environmental, human and technical space safety, including related legal and regulatory issues. ESA's space safety interests are growing as the Agency's own near-Earth missions increase and as space tourism and commercial flights worldwide take off.

ENERGY TECH Powered By Sound Revolutionary Stove Could Help Reduce Poverty Researchers Identify Compounds When Making Cellulosic Ethanol Russian Pipeline Monopoly Takes Over Oil Product Transit Firm Bush Vies To Wean US Off Foreign Oil	CIVIL NUCLEAR Russia To Build Nuclear Centre In Sanctions-Hit Myanmar Regulator To Ask US Experts For Hydrocarbon Reserves Estimate Japan Sees Advantage Of Nuclear Deal With Russia Russia Sparks Up Tianwan First Unit
BLUE SKY Widespread Twilight Zone Detected Around Clouds Rand Says Further Study Warranted On Save The World Air Technology Noxious Lightning AIM Heads For Orbit	WOOD PILE Brazil Demonstrating That Reducing Tropical Deforestation Is Key WinWin Global Warming Solution Global Scientists Urge Canada To Save Boreal Forest "Reducing Emissions From Deforestation" Initiative Launched Reducing Tropical Deforestation Feasible, Affordable And Essential
FARM NEWS Spud Origin Controversy Solved Decimation Of Bee Colonies Has Various Possible Causes Asia Fears Chinese Greens Netherlands Refuses GM Corn Shipment From US	CAR TECH The Driving Force Behind Electric Vehicles Radical Engine Redesign Would Reduce Pollution And Oil Consumption Intelligent Cars As Fuel-Efficient As Hybrids China Automobile Dream A Nightmare For Climate Change
AEROSPACE Australia Fears Jet Flight Guilt Could Hit Tourism Nondestructive Testing Keeps Bagram Aircraft Flying New FAA Oceanic Air Traffic System Designed By Lockheed Martin Fully Operational NASA Seeks New Research Proposals	NUCLEAR SPACE Could NASA Get To Pluto Faster? Space Expert Says Yes - By Thinking Nuclear NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement