Newsroom

House Bill Boosts NASA Exploration, Aeronautics, Sciences

August 02, 2007

An appropriations bill approved by the House last week contains across-the-board good news for NASA, with increases for exploration, aeronautics research, and Earth and space sciences, AIA President and CEO John Douglass said. The fiscal 2008 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Act (HR 3093) includes strong investment in NASA priorities that are critically important to national security and economic strength, Douglass said. "This is a signal that Congress understands the core importance of NASA's space exploration, aeronautics, and scientific programs to the nations global high technology leadership," Douglass said. The bill received strong bipartisan backing, passing 281 to 142. It succeeded due to strong support from the leadership of the Appropriations Committee and the Science, State, Justice, and Commerce Subcommittee, Douglass said. The measure would fully fund the president's budget request of $3.9 billion to continue Project Constellation, NASAs multi-faceted program for space exploration including journeys to the moon and Mars, Douglass said. HR 3093 would also increase the agency's aeronautics research request by $146 million, for a total of $700 million, and would add $325 million to Earth and space science accounts, Douglass said. "These funding levels would allow NASA to move forward with vital initiatives," Douglass said. The bill would also allocate $108.7 million for the Commerce Department's Manufacturing Extension Partnership, $62 million above the administration's recommendation. The MEP supports the efforts thousands of small and medium-sized businesses in all 50 states, including aerospace suppliers, to modernize their production and distribution networks.