It looks like the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation is getting ready to administer the Obama administration a sharp rebuke and refuse to authorize many of the changes proposed for NASA, according to the New York Times.
“The bill, which lays out the direction of the nation’s space program for the next three years, would add at least one more space shuttle flight, speed development of a heavy-lift rocket and move ahead with building a spacecraft to venture beyond low-Earth orbit. It would also slow down a rush to invest in commercial rockets by requiring companies to demonstrate their capabilities before receiving large contracts for delivering astronauts to the International Space Station, said a staff member who was not authorized to speak for attribution.”
The Senate authorization bill for NASA would have the effect of restoring the Constellation return to the Moon program, albeit with a slightly different architecture. The commercial space initiative, first started by President George W. Bush, proposed for expansion by President Obama, would remain, but at a slower pace and with safeguards.
The House has not produced its version of the bill, but considering the almost total opposition to the Obama space plan that exists in both houses of Congress, it is very likely it will resemble the Senate version to a great extent.
Mark up for the final version of the bill is scheduled for July 15th, next Thursday.
Comments