spacetoday.net: House passes NASA budget

Posted: Sun, Jul 27, 2003, 12:45 PM ET (1645 GMT)
NASA

The House of Representatives approved a 2004 "status quo" budget for NASA on Friday, deferring any discussion of changes to the shuttle program until after the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) releases its final report. The House approved the $15.5-billion budget for NASA as part of a larger funding bill just before recessing for summer break. The House made few significant changes to the budget from what was approved by the House Appropriations Committee earlier in the week, defeating a bid to take $114 million from NASA's Project Prometheus nuclear propulsion program and reallocate it to the EPA's Superfund program. The House did approve an amendment proposed by Rep. Ralph Hall (D-TX) that would also give NASA $15 million to study developing an escape pod for the shuttle. The House also cut $55 million from the New Frontiers program, which would force the program's first mission, the New Horizons Pluto flyby spacecraft, to miss its 2006 launch date. Congressional leaders said they would revisit NASA's budget once the CAIB publishes its final report in late August, and may make changes to NASA's budget at that time. The Senate has yet to begin work on its version of NASA's budget. The House on Friday also approved a 2003 supplemental spending bill that includes $50 million for the Columbia investigation.