Full Committee Markup – NASA Authorization Act of 2013
Full Committee Markup – H.R. 2687, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2013, House Science Space & Technology
– Commercial Spaceflight Federation Statements on House Appropriations Committee NASA Budget
– Committee Approves Bill to Prioritize NASA’s Missions
– Committee Republicans Set NASA up to Fail with Flawed Bill – Positive Democratic Alternative Defeated
– Statement by Rep. Edwards
– Statement by Rep. Johnson
– Statement of Rep. Palazzo: Full Committee Markup Of 2013 NASA Authorization
– Statement of Rep. Lamar Smith: Full Committee Markup Of 2013 NASA Authorization
Marc’s note: Yesterday’s long NASA Authorization Act of 2013 markup meeting, which was passed, included 35 amendments, available on the full page of this article, of which 10 amendments were approved, 3 withdrawn and 22 defeated. Of the 35 amendments put forward only 1 was by a Republican and was passed.
All of the substantial amendments put forward by the Democrats were defeated and only small changes were approved.
Of note for the historians out there, Representative Kennedy (D-Mass.), related to that other Kennedy, had his Amendment 004 passed which added the following paragraph to the Bill:
“The President should invite the United States partners in the International Space Station program and other nations, as appropriate, to participate in an international initiative under the leadership of the United States to achieve the goal of successfully conducting a crewed mission to the surface of Mars.”
– Download or play audio of the Committee meeting. (173MB mp3 – Edited to 5 hours 2 minutes)
– Amendment 016, offered by Chairman Smith (R-Texas), Approved by a voice vote
– Amendment 020, offered by Ms. Edwards (D-Fla.), Defeated by a vote of 19:15
– Amendment 017, offered by Mr. Bera (D-Cali.), Defeated by a voice vote
– Amendment 005, offered by Ms. Bonamici (D-Ore.), Defeated by a vote of 21:15
– Amendment 006, offered by Ms. Edwards (D-Fla.), Defeated by a vote of 21:16
– Amendment 021, offered by Ms. Edwards (D-Fla.), Defeated by a vote of 22:17
– Amendment 022, offered by Ms. Edwards (D-Fla.), Defeated by a vote of 22:17
– Amendment 012, offered by Mr. Maffei (D-NY), Defeated by a vote of 21:18
– Amendment 014, offered by Mr. Takano (D-Cali.), Defeated by a vote of 21:18
– Amendment 037, offered by Ms. Brownley (D-Cali.), Defeated by a vote of 22:18
– Amendment 004, offered by Ms. Johnson (D-Texas), Defeated by a vote of 22:17
– Amendment 179, offered by Mr. Grayson (D-Fla.), Defeated by a voice vote
– Amendment 008, offered by Ms. Edwards (D-Fla.), Defeated by a vote of 24:15
– Amendment 011, offered by Ms. Edwards (D-Fla.), Defeated by a vote of 24:15
– Amendment 172, offered by Mr. Grayson (D-Fla.), Approved by a voice vote
– Amendment 176, offered by Mr. Grayson (D-Fla.), Approved by a voice vote
– Amendment 004, offered by Mr. Kennedy (D-Mass.), Approved by a voice vote
– Amendment 173, offered by Mr. Grayson (D-Fla.), Approved by a voice vote
– Amendment 021, offered by Ms. Esty (D-Conn.), Approved by a voice vote
– Amendment 024, offered by Ms. Edwards (D-Fla.), Defeated by a voice vote
– Amendment 018, offered by Ms. Bonamici (D-Ore.), Defeated by a voice vote
– Amendment 023, offered by Ms. Edwards (D-Fla.), Defeated by a vote of 22:17
– Amendment 026, offered by Ms. Edwards (D-Fla.), Defeated by a vote of 22:17
– Amendment 018, offered by Mr. Bera (D-Cali.), Defeated by a vote of 22:17
– Amendment 023, offered by Ms. Wilson (D-Fla.), Withdrawn
– Amendment 002, offered by Mr. Kennedy (D-Mass.), Defeated by a voice vote
– Amendment 024, offered by Mr. Lipinski (D-Ill.) and Ms. Esty (D-Conn.), Approved by a voice vote
– Amendment 003, offered by Mr. Kennedy (D-Mass.), Approved by a voice vote
– Amendment 174, offered by Mr. Grayson (D-Fla.), Defeated by a voice vote
– Amendment 025, offered by Ms. Edwards (D-Fla.), Defeated by a voice vote
– Amendment 020, offered by Mr. Takano (D-Cali.), Withdrawn
– Amendment 007, offered by Ms. Johnson (D-Texas), Approved by a vote of 20:19
– Amendment 015, offered by Ms. Edwards (D-Fla.), Withdrawn
– Amendment 028, offered by Ms. Johnson (D-Texas), Defeated by a vote of 22:17
– Amendment 177, offered by Mr. Grayson (D-Fla.), Approved by a voice vote
HERE are the recorded votes.
I believe the authorization act “of 2013” is for fiscal year 2014, that being the way the Congress works; that is, passing authorizations for next year’s funds this year. Well, in theory, anyway.
As far as I can tell from these and other articles, the budget (1) has no money to develop human spacecraft that descend into a gravity well (e.g., land on the Moon or Mars) and (2) expressly forbids any work on the mission that avoids a gravity well (asteroid mission).
Did I get that right?
If so, whether you are pro NASA or not, you better start putting your hope in the private sector.
A caveat: Section 701c requires NASA to provide a report on the asteroid missions with a detailed budget profile, detailed technical plan, and a review of the feasibility of the mission.
Optimistically, I could read this as, “Get your act together, and maybe we’ll reconsider.”
Planetary defence is not dead yet. If they like it the committee members may use the section 701c report to sell the idea to the rest of Congress. If necessary the whole of the country.
The wheels of government have started but the report can still be shelved.
“If so, whether you are pro NASA or not, you better start putting your hope in the private sector.”
Just another data point. International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) and Moon Express, another one of these space startups, announced plans to land a little observatory on the Moon ~2016.
I wish them luck.
http://www.moonexpress.com/…