Nasa Commercial Crew Budget Under Review

CONGRESSMAN FRANK WOLF (R-Va.), chairman of the House Appropriations commerce, justice, science subcommittee, suggested in comments during a Congressional hearing this past week that it might be better for the four NASA-funded commercial crew programs come together under NASA's leadership, reports "SPACE NEWS".

In its 2013 BUDGET REQUEST, released Feb. 13, 2012, the White House proposed spending 830 million of NASA's 17.7 billion budget next year to keep multiple commercial crew hopefuls on track to start flying astronauts to the space station in 2017.

Proposals for the third round of the Commercial Crew Program are due March 25 with awards expected in August. NASA plans to award funded Space Act Agreements to at least two competing crew transportation providers. The 21-month agreements will be worth 300 million to 500 million each and are intended to mature designs for two crew transportation systems.

Mike Gold

Space News questioned Mike Gold, the director of Washington operations for Bigelow Aerospace of North Las Vegas, Nev., saying TWO COMMERCIAL SPACECRAFT AWARDS would be adequate. "DISTRIBUTING FUNDS TO MORE THAN TWO EFFORTS WOULD LIKELY BE PROBLEMATIC FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT DRIVES CONSOLIDATION OR NOT, SO BE IT," Gold said in an interview with Space News after the hearing.

Bigelow, which is developing inflatable space habitats, is also WORKING with BOEING SPACE EXPLORATION of Houston on that company's CST-100 space capsule. Boeing is expected to pair CST-100 with a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 for its third-round commercial crew proposal.

MARK WHITTINGTON, WRITING FOR YAHOO NEWS, provides more insight on the commercial crew program Congressional OVERSIGHT and review of the proposed NASA budget, suggesting that the concerns expressed were more about undermining the commercial crew program than SAFETY ISSUES.

Reference: ovni-news.blogspot.com