NASA Unveils $17.6 Billion Budget
NASA announced a $17.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2009 to continue exploring the solar system, building the International Space Station, studying Earth from space and conducting aeronautics research.
NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale said the increase for NASA’s 2009 budget demonstrates President Bush’s commitment to the agency’s missions. With the increase, NASA still accounts for less than 1 percent of the federal budget.
The NASA budget includes $5.78 billion for the space shuttle and space station programs, $4.44 billion for science, $3.5 billion for development of new manned spacecraft systems and $447 million for aeronautics research.
Dale noted steady progress with NASA’s missions, with three successful space shuttle launches last year and up to six planned for this year, including a flight to service the Hubble Space Telescope. The agency also is making progress in developing the Orion spacecraft and Ares launch vehicles to replace the aging shuttle fleet and prepare for journeys to the moon and destinations beyond.
NASA has 55 science missions currently in space, about half involving international partnerships, with 15 additional missions scheduled for launch by the end of 2009.
A recently completed decadal survey for Earth Science includes views of the scientific community that will help the agency develop and prioritize new missions to add to humanity’s knowledge of Earth and its climate and ecosystems. NASA will dedicate $910 million to develop new missions to add to our Earth-observing fleet of spacecraft.
The budget also includes funding for lunar science to further scientific understanding of the moon and for planetary science and astrophysics to continue exploring worlds beyond Earth and to study dark energy and other mysteries of the cosmos.
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