Senate Passes NASA Authorization Act

Senate Approves Bill Championed by Senator Hutchison to Preserve America’s Human Spaceflight Capabilities
“The Senate today approved bipartisan legislation championed by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, to safeguard America’s human spaceflight capabilities while balancing commercial space investment with a robust mission for NASA. The bill is also supported by Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), David Vitter (R-La.) and George LeMieux (R-Fla.).”
Bill challenges NASA to evolve, mind budget, Bill Nelson and Kay Bailey Hutchison, Orlando Sentinel
“Still, our legislation would reduce the time we would have to depend on Russia for access to the space station by extending the shuttle for another year. It would thus keep in place much of the talent at the Kennedy and Johnson space centers. Our legislation would push NASA’s development of a new heavy-lift rocket forward, with the goal to fly by 2016. And it would make a significantly higher investment in commercial space ventures, specifically by accelerating development of both commercial cargo and crew carriers. Our congressional initiative also would keep the space station and its immense research opportunities going through at least 2020.”