Some Good News For NASA's $1.6 Billion Artemis Request
‘Near-final’ budget deal could prevent government shutdown, stabilize military funding, Defense News
“The retreat from the possibility of a one-year continuing resolution, which lawmakers and the administration had openly discussed, is a win for the Pentagon. While short-term stopgap CRs are nothing new, CRs do lock in spending at the previous year’s level and bar new programs from starting as well as production increases.”
Question: There is talk of not getting budget numbers and moving to a CR. That would be counter productive for you, correct? @JimBridenstine – "Yes, that would be devastating. If we end up in a CR the lander will not be developed". #Artemis #Moon2024
— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) July 17, 2019
Lander iff it’s the capable 6.1 mT LEV in Zubrin’s Moon Direct plan. Otherwise, NASA will just incinerate the added G$ on continual SLS & Gateway overruns, while the MIC cost-pluses their lander to oblivion. Fingers crossed that Starship makes this all moot eventually.
Correction: 6.1 is deltaV km/s. Zubrin estimates 10 metric-ton LEV mass, 8 for fuel & 2 for payload (which seems light given that the crew would be there for 3+ days Earth orbit <> lunar base).
I don’t see how this helps the $1.6 billion Artemis request. It’s not mentioned at all.
A continuing resolution would make that $1.6 billion impossible. As it stands, the money could be appropriated when the House and Senate versions of the budget are reconciled or as a later amendment. I think that’s unlikely, but it is possible and would not be under a continuing resolution.
Wow. Paint me amazed. I’m happy to be wrong when of helps NASA. I predicted a CR this year.
Maybe this Artemis thing will happen after all.