This is not a NASA Website. You might learn something. It's YOUR space agency. Get involved. Take it back. Make it work - for YOU.
Budget

Gloomy Budget News for SMD

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
November 6, 2013
Filed under , , ,

Hertz Paints Bleak Near-Term Outlook for NASA Astrophysics Division if Sequester Continues, Space PolicyOnline
“NASA Astrophysics Division Director Paul Hertz painted a bleak picture of NASA’s FY2014 astrophysics budget today and forecast a future filled with uncertainty. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may be secure, but the rest of NASA’s astrophysics program could have tough sailing ahead. Hertz stressed that the country spends quite a bit of money on NASA’s astrophysics portfolio – a total of $1.3 billion “and you can’t plead poverty when there’s $1.3 billion on the table.” Roughly half of that is for JWST, however, which is managed separately from the rest of NASA’s astrophysics programs.”

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

4 responses to “Gloomy Budget News for SMD”

  1. mattmcc80 says:
    0
    0

    $1.3B, or less than 8% of NASA’s budget, to do what could very well be the most important stuff NASA does, in the grand scheme.

  2. BeanCounterFromDownUnder says:
    0
    0

    JWST has blown their budget after initially being told that the project was on schedule and budget, which was patently a lie.
    Now they’re reaping the rewards of a cutting edge cost plus contract program. Will it ever fly? Eventually I imagine, and perhaps like Hubble, all will be forgiven if it lives up to expectations.
    Pity the researchers who don’t require it.

  3. gelbstoff says:
    0
    0

    A single over-budget DOD program can be larger than the entire NASA budget. This is an issue of national priorities and double standards. DOD can mismanage all they want, but NASA has to cancel participation of scientists in research conferences, or stay away from offering cafe during panels and workshops.

    Nevertheless, NASA needs to learn to cost missions better, be less expensive, and stay within budget. I am not opposed to cancelling missions that blow their budget. We need to lead by example.
    G

  4. dogstar29 says:
    0
    0

    Another reason for NASA suporters to question the even larger SLS/Orion. It still isn’t clear to me whether JWST budget has actually peaked. If it has projections might be more accurate.