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Draft Only: Highlights of the NASA Authorization Act of 2013

By Marc Boucher
NASA Watch
June 18, 2013
Filed under

Draft House NASA Authorization Bill Would Create 6-Year Term for NASA Administrator, No Funds for ARM, Space Policy Online
The draft NASA Authorization Act of 2013 penned by the House Science, Space and Technology Committee would make the NASA Administrator a 6-year term appointment and authorize no funds for the proposed Asteroid Return Mission (ARM). A hearing on the draft bill is scheduled for Wednesday.
– Authorizes $16,825,200,000, which is “consistent with the Budget Control Act and FY2013 appropriations.” If Congress replaces or repeals the Budget Control Act (which created the sequester) then funding would be added for the International Space Station (ISS), Space Launch System (SLS), and Commercial Crew.
Human Spaceflight – Makes clear that missions to lunar orbit, the surface of the Moon, and Mars are NASA’s human spaceflight goals.
– No funding for the Asteroid Rendezvous Mission [alternately called the Asteroid Return Mission or Asteroid Retrieval Mission]
– NASA to study feasibility of extending ISS beyond 2020
– OSTP to lead a strategic plan for ISS utilization by “all science agencies”
– Continued commitment to SLS/Orion; reiterates that Orion is a backup to commercial crew for ISS

Marc’s note: This is a draft only. NASA is moving forward with the Asteroid Initiative at the direction of the White House. The final bill will assuredly look different.

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4 responses to “Draft Only: Highlights of the NASA Authorization Act of 2013”

  1. Steve Whitfield says:
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    My congradulations to the House Committee on their thoroughness. This draft Bill includes pretty much everything needed to bring any progress at NASA to a complete grinding halt, and convert even more past efforts into wasted efforts. The only thing they missed was shutting down NASA all together. And they very efficiently managed to give the President yet another poke in the eye at the same time.

    I’m exaggerating, but not by much. This draft Bill makes no sense to me at all. I think it’s yet another grab for power and nothing more. How can these people live to be in their 70’s and 80’s and still not manage to grow up? Very disappointing.

  2. James Stanton says:
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    I am pleased to see a great draft Bill that includes extending the ISS. Hope it all passes ok.

    • CadetOne says:
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      Playing Devil’s advocate: (1) If ISS is *not* a valuable resource, then extending ISS is just a waste of money. (2) If ISS *is* a valuable resource, then the government facility competes with potential commercial efforts such as Bigelow and SpaceX’s DragonLab.

      • MarkUhran says:
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        Hey CadetOne — do you think the Ford Fiesta is in the same competitive class as a Hummer too? Public and private assets could be used very effectively together under the right conditions. But, we’ll have to leave that to OSTP and all the science agencies…sigh.