Posted: Wed, Feb 11, 2015, 6:35 AM ET (1135 GMT)
The US House of Representatives approved Tuesday a NASA authorization bill nearly identical to one it passed last year. The House passed on a voice vote HR 810, a bill that authorizes funding for NASA for the current fiscal year and includes a number of policy provisions. Other than the funding levels, the bill was virtually identical to one that the House passed on a 401-2 vote in June 2014 but died in the Senate. Among other provisions, the bill would direct NASA to prepare a detailed exploration roadmap that leads to humans on the surface of Mars. Backers of the House bill hope the Senate will quickly approve it, allowing them to focus on a more ambitious multi-year authorization bill for the space agency.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Wall Street Journal article
•  The Hill article