U.S. Senate Votes More $$$ to NASA

NASA's space shuttle program would get a $1 billion boost under a measure passed by the Senate on Thursday, as lawmakers fretted that U.S. space exploration could be overshadowed by Russia, China or India.The Senate approved the additional money for NASA in the fiscal year that began on Monday. The Senate still has to work out details with the House of Representatives.The funds, which also helps to pay for science programs at NASA, were attached to a bill that provided a $1.2 billion increase in agency funding.
The White House has been warning that they may veto the bill because it is part of a broader bill that is part of a list of many things that may go over President Bush's budget. The increase in space funding came on the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union's surprise launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite, marking the start of the space age and a race with the United States on developing technology to sustain manned missions in outer space.
The legislation would give NASA $18.5 billion for the year. That includes $2.2 billion dollars for operations in the space station. Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, said years of insufficient funding for NASA created the possibility of "another Sputnik moment" for the United States. She said that U.S. leadership in space eventually could be eclipsed by "the Chinese or to the Indian nation or to Russia."
Sen. Bill Nelson, the Florida Democrat who in 1986 orbited Earth 96 times while aboard the Columbia space shuttle that broke apart in flight 17 years later, called for reinvigorating U.S. space exploration.
"China is now graduating five times the number of engineers as the United States. I want to return to that era when we can get people excited about science and technology," Nelson said.
The disintegration of Columbia above Texas during its descent from space in 2003 put financial burdens on NASA as it tried to investigate the cause of the accident and repair engineering problems.
Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, who wanted the additional $1 billion for the space shuttle program, said it would help "cover the cost of repairing and upgrading the space shuttle fleet."
She added that after the 1986 explosion of the Challenger space shuttle, Congress gave about $3 billion to fix problems and get the shuttles in flight again.
Mikulski also said the money would help NASA fill a funding gap it faces between 2010, when the shuttle fleet is scheduled to be retired, and 2015, when a new space transport vehicle is supposed to be delivered.
The new vehicle would help prepare for planned U.S. missions to the moon and Mars.
Since 1958, NASA has accomplished many great scientific and technological feats in air and space. NASA remains a leading force in scientific research and in stimulating public interest in aerospace exploration, as well as science and technology in general. NASA helped the United States have the first man on the moon as well. It provided many great things for the United States. Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. The government's funding for NASA gives the United States the ability to excel in the field of air and space exploration and scientific research. It helps the United States be a leading power. The United States clearly has to put more effort in their research and advancement in the field of air and space to stay on top as a dominating force in the world. For more information on what NASA is using their money on, go to http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codeq/qnews/qnews4.pdf


http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-usa-space-funding.html?_r=1&oref=slogin