From: rsherme@diamond.nswc.navy.mil (Russel Shermer (R43))
Newsgroups: sci.research
Subject: fyi #137:  NASA Funding Legislation Completed
Keywords: NASA, science, congress, budget, president, funding.
Date: 16 Oct 92 17:53:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: relay.1992Oct16.175305.647
Organization: NAVSWC DD White Oak Det.

Posted for:
Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
Contacts: Richard M. Jones  and Audrey T. Leath
Phones:   (202) 332-9661        (202) 234-7058
Email: fyi@aip.org




NASA Funding Legislation Completed

FYI No. 137, October 13, 1992


President Bush has signed H.R. 5679, the VA, HUD, Independent
Agencies Appropriations Bill, funding NASA operations for fiscal
year 1993.  Accompanying this bill is the conference report, House
Report 102-902, with six pages of instructions to NASA on how its
appropriation should be spent.  Some of the highlights of this
legislation follow:

TOTAL NASA funding is $14.36 billion; $14.993 billion was
requested.

SPACE STATION funding was cut $150 million from the requested $2.25
billion to $2.1 billion.  This represents 14.6% of NASA's fiscal
year 1993 budget.

AXAF funding was reduced by $7.5 million from NASA's $174 million
request.

GRAVITY PROBE-B received $27 million above the budget request.

PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY MISSION OPERATIONS were cut by $20 million;
$440.9 million was requested.  The Hubble space telescope request
is not to be reduced as a result of this cut.

PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS was cut $11 million
below the request of $81.4 million.

SETI (SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE) request of $13.5
million was eliminated.

EOS received $391 million; $308.4 million was requested.

MISSION TO PLANET EARTH has a spending floor through 2000 of $8
billion.

PLANETARY EXPLORATION MISSION OPERATIONS AND DATA ANALYSIS was
reduced $9 million from the $170.3 million request.

PLANETARY EXPLORATION RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS was cut by $6.5 million
from the $106.9 million request.

EARTH SCIENCE MISSION OPERATIONS AND DATA ANALYSIS was reduced $15
million from the $142.1 million request.

LANDSAT's budget request was cut by $15 million.

ASRM (Advanced Solid Rocket Motor) funding of $360 million was
included in the bill.  NASA had proposed to eliminate this program.
NASA is instructed to include sufficient fiscal year 1994 funding
to provide for a first launch in December 1998.

The report states: "In recommending the continuation of the ASRM
program, the conferees recognize the continuing and increasing
difficulties confronting the agency and its role in the Nation's
space program.  Unprecedented constraints have already been imposed
on future year budgetary resource allocations, and such constraints
are only expected to grow more severe.  The conferees are very
disturbed that even conservative projections of funding needs of
previously authorized and initiated missions substantially exceed
any reasonable expectation of available budgetary levels.  The
conferees therefore direct the agency to examine all programmatic
requirements both with respect to development and
deployment/assembly scheduling of the Space Station Freedom
program, and with other national space requirements."  The plan is
due by March 31, 1993.

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Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
Contact:  Richard M. Jones
(202) 332-9661
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