Congress Makes Space Plans Known To President TBD
Senate Committee Advances Bill to Ensure Stability at NASA During Change of Administration, AIP
“The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee has advanced a NASA authorization bill that focuses on space exploration and seeks to ensure stability at the space agency through the upcoming presidential transition. Unlike the House-passed NASA authorization bill, the Senate bill has only a few provisions specific to NASA’s science divisions. Whereas the House backed a sweeping authorization bill that addresses all of NASA’s major programs, including providing extensive guidance to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, the Senate bill focuses on big picture strategy and ensuring stability at the agency through the upcoming presidential transition. The Senate legislation emphasizes NASA’s role in space exploration, and it would formalize in statute the horizon goal of sending humans to Mars as well as support steps for getting there.”
NASA you are ordered to keep trying to go to Mars. Until we
provide more funding. Or you are told otherwise. Try, not do.
In the meantime, you are ordered to place funds toward SLS and Orion. The plan being that maybe, whenever you are done that is, these will be used. That is, if we provide funding to use them. This is called the US human spaceflight exploration long term plan.
You know, a “plan”, like someone planning to build a house saying
buying those concrete blocks a few at a time and storing them in the back yard is a good first step. In 10 or 20 years, when we have enough blocks, we’ll have that logical first step out of the way, then see about what comes next. (You know, blocks are the goal! Like “EM-1 is a program” and “Capabilities driven strategy”). See how long term we think – the backyard is already filling with blocks! It’s “the plan”! (George Orwell would be amazed at the double-good plus speak).