Astronauts considered in NASA budget cuts, LA Times
“At the behest of the White House, the nation’s top science advisors this month began a 10-month study of the appropriate “role and size” of the astronaut corps after the final shuttle mission next year. The study, by the National Academies, reflects two realities: NASA’s budget, squeezed by congressional budget hawks and its own cost overruns, needs every penny. More significantly, the United States may not need all these astronauts.”
Project: Human Spaceflight Crew Operations, NAS Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
“Project Scope: An ad hoc committee will conduct a study and prepare a report on the activities of NASA’s human spaceflight crew office. In writing its report the committee will address the following questions:
1. How should the role and size of the activities which are managed by the human spaceflight crew office change following Space Shuttle retirement and completion of the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS)?
2. What are the requirements of crew-related ground facilities after the Space Shuttle program ends?
3. Is the astronaut corps’ fleet of training aircraft a cost-effective means of preparing astronauts for the requirements of NASA’s human space flight program? Are there more cost-effective means of meeting these training requirements?”
Committee membership
First Meeting
