White House proposes $21 billion NASA budget for 2020
Posted: Sun, Mar 17, 2019, 7:58 AM ET (1158 GMT)
The administration's $21 billion budget proposal for NASA deemphasizes the development of the Space Launch System. The fiscal year 2020 budget requests calls for deferring work on the Block 1B version of the SLS, with its larger Exploration Upper Stage, for an indefinite period, and would instead use commercially procured rockets to launch elements of the lunar Gateway. It also would transfer the Europa Clipper mission from the SLS to a commercial vehicle. NASA officials said they are working on a new, "realistic" launch readiness date for the first SLS mission, now expected to slip from 2020. The proposal emphasizes commercial aspects of exploration, including development of larger commercial lunar landers and commercial communications services. The proposal, nearly $500 million below what NASA received in 2019, makes another attempt to cancel the WFIRST astrophysics mission and two Earth science missions, as well as close the agency's education office.
The administration's $21 billion budget proposal for NASA deemphasizes the development of the Space Launch System. The fiscal year 2020 budget requests calls for deferring work on the Block 1B version of the SLS, with its larger Exploration Upper Stage, for an indefinite period, and would instead use commercially procured rockets to launch elements of the lunar Gateway. It also would transfer the Europa Clipper mission from the SLS to a commercial vehicle. NASA officials said they are working on a new, "realistic" launch readiness date for the first SLS mission, now expected to slip from 2020. The proposal emphasizes commercial aspects of exploration, including development of larger commercial lunar landers and commercial communications services. The proposal, nearly $500 million below what NASA received in 2019, makes another attempt to cancel the WFIRST astrophysics mission and two Earth science missions, as well as close the agency's education office.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, May 19
Earth Observation Reimagined: Marble Imaging and Reflex Aerospace
Reflex Aerospace — 3:12 pm ET (1912 GMT) Avanti Communications launches LEO services in South Africa
Avanti PLC — 3:10 pm ET (1910 GMT) £9 million funding for satellite instruments to monitor climate
UK Space Agency — 3:08 pm ET (1908 GMT) New roadmap for pro-growth regulation in UK space sector launched as Science Minister launches new National Space Operations Centre
UK Space Agency — 3:07 pm ET (1907 GMT) Redwire Announces Development of New European-Built Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) Spacecraft Platform called Phantom
Redwire — 3:06 pm ET (1906 GMT) |
