26 July 2004: Kerry hunts for votes in Florida, Houston Chronicle “About 250 people crammed a conference center at Kennedy Space Center for a Kerry forum billed as a discussion of science and the future. But the senator, sleep deprived by a hectic schedule , delivered a far-ranging but sometimes listless riff on the keywords of his campaign: strength, respect abroad, health care and jobs.” 26 July 2004: John Kerry […]

26 July 2004: Report of the Roles, Responsibilities And Structures (“Clarity”) Team “On January 14, 2004, President Bush announced that the United States would pursue a new Vision for Space Exploration. NASA Immediately recognized that changes would need to be made in order to effectively and efficiently pursue that vision. Shortly after the President’s announcement, the Deputy Administrator formed the Roles, Responsibilities and Structure Team (also known as the “Clarity […]

25 July 2004: Deep Cuts Loom for NASA’s Fiscal 2005 Spending Plan, Aviation Now “A Senate Commerce Committee session to finish drafting the NASA authorization bill, which at least in theory mirrors the appropriations legislation, was postponed at the last minute July 22 for lack of time for the “very contentious” debate that committee chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he expected. The NASA markup will be rescheduled in September, […]

23 July 2004: Bush threatens veto over NASA money, UPI “This is the first time any U.S. president has threatened to veto a spending bill because it contained too little space money. The threat suggests the administration is committed to its space proposal and may risk an election-year fight — even with Republican leaders — to save Bush’s space program.” 22 July 2004: Analysis: Bush stands by his space plan, […]

21 July 2004: Bush’s NASA Plan Hits Speed Bump, Wired “Despite these concessions, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) called the cuts “unacceptable” and suggested that he would stop the bill from being passed if it remains in its current state. “Yes, we are at war, just as we were when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. And yes, the budget is constricted,” said DeLay in a statement. “But for […]

“The committee made it clear in its as-yet-unpublished report on the proposed legislation that it did not fully agree with the president’s priorities: “While the committee is supportive of the exploration aspect of NASA’s vision, the committee does not believe it warrants top billing over science and aeronautics,” said the report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post.” Link: Full Story

“However, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, the Sugar Land Republican whose district includes NASA’s Johnson Space Center, called the cuts “unacceptable,” then warned: “It would be very hard to get this bill to the floor if it’s unacceptable to me.” Link: Full story

“Despite these concessions, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) called the cuts “unacceptable” and suggested that he would stop the bill from being passed if it remains in its current state. “Yes, we are at war, just as we were when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. And yes, the budget is constricted,” said DeLay in a statement. “But for four decades, America’s mission in space has been one of […]

20 July 2004: Having Too Much and Too Little Oxygen on the Space Station, SpaceRef “Several Russian Progress spacecraft were allowed to reenter Earth’s atmosphere in 2003 carrying unused oxygen supplies. In one case, half of the oxygen being delivered to the ISS was dumped into the Pacific Ocean when these Progress spacecraft later reentered the Earth’s atmosphere. Within months the ISS would face the prospect of a shortfall in […]

“NASA is funded at $15.1 billion, $229 million below last year and $1.1 billion below the request. The bulk of these savings come from the elimination of funding for new initiatives. The reductions include $30 million for technology maturation efforts; $230 million from Project Prometheus related to Jupiter Icy Moon Orbital; $438 million resulting from delaying the Crew Exploration Vehicle; and $100 million from Space Launch Initiatives by accelerating the […]