With less than a month in 2011, NASA has announced its budget for 2012, and what it plans to do with its government-allotted funds. In total, NASA has got an operating budget of $17.8 billion, which is below what last year's budget was and below what President Obama wanted, but is still $1 billion more than what Congress suggested earlier in the year.
Now, budget determined, where will all of that money go to?
As it operates, NASA has three main areas of spending: space exploration, space operations, and science programs. In all, each main area will receive $3.9, $4.3, and $5 billion, respectively. Compared to last year, the first two areas having to do with exploring space and maintaining current space operations have gotten their budgets slashed while the science programs will see a slight increase.
Generally speaking, the 2012 NASA budget puts a focus on the transition between the Space Shuttle and its successor, the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket, which is set for a 2017 maiden voyage. Another focus is space science, specifically the various observatories already in operation, as well as general aeronautical research.
However, according to Universe Today, there is a potential problem with the 2012 budget and just where the money could be heading.
Compared to last year, the science portion of NASA's budget got an increase, due in large part to the over-budget James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In the bill, there is a clause that reads “the agreement accommodates cost growth in the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) by making commensurate reductions in other programs.” Translation: to fund Webb, other science missions are likely to get cut, with planetary science expected to be on the chopping block.
In the end, only time will tell how NASA utilizes its 2012 funds. Hopefully, in these tough economic times, NASA, like ordinary people, will find ways to stretch their dollars to the max.
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