spacetoday.net: House passes NASA authorization bill

Posted: Thu, Sep 30, 2010, 7:01 AM ET (1101 GMT)
US Capitol

The House of Representatives approved a NASA authorization bill Wednesday night that previously passed the Senate. The House approved the bill, S. 3729, by a 304-118 margin, more than the two-thirds majority needed to approve the bill. The bill, identical to the one the Senate passed in early August, authorizes funding for NASA for the next three years, including $19 billion in the 2011 fiscal year that starts Friday. The bill includes a number of policy provisions, including calling for one additional shuttle flight and immediate development of a heavy-lift launch vehicle. The bill does not itself provide any funding for the agency; that will come in appropriations bills to be considered by Congress after the November elections. For the time being NASA and other federal government agencies will operate under a stopgap funding bill through at least early December.