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COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 

FISCAL YEAR 2017 

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016 

U.S. SENATE, 

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, 

Washington, DC. 

The subcommittee met at 10:31 a.m., in room SD–192, Dirksen 

Senate Office Building, Hon. Richard C. Shelby (chairman) presiding. 

Present: Senators Shelby, Cochran, Boozman, Capito, and Mikulski. 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLES F. BOLDEN, JR., ADMINISTRATOR 

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR RICHARD C. SHELBY

Senator SHELBY. The subcommittee will come to order. Mr. Administrator, welcome to the Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee hearing on the President’s 2017 budget request for 

NASA. You are no stranger to the subcommittee. 

Last year, Congress provided NASA with $19.3 billion in the 

2016 omnibus that maintained a balanced space program, ensuring 

that NASA’s priorities are able to move forward. We hoped at that 

time that this administration would leverage the solid financial 

foundation we provided to move forward on all of NASA’s exploration goals, but I think that hope was short-lived. 

The budget that NASA has presented to us claims to include a total funding level of $19 billion, but we have to look at this budget 

closely. This overall amount is achieved through a combination of 

discretionary spending and an unprecedented amount of funding 

disguised as mandatory spending, when it is, in fact, not actually 

mandatory. 

Since the budget roll out of February 9, NASA has used glossy rhetoric to mask the fact that $763 million of the agency’s requested funding is offset by proposed tax increases, such as a new 

$10 tax on each barrel of imported oil, that Congress has not yet 

considered, nor do I expect that we ever will consider. The truth is that NASA’s request is only $18.26 billion, a cut of 

$1 billion from what this subcommittee provided in the last fiscal 

year. These cuts, if enacted, would erode ongoing science missions, 

jeopardize core operations, and delay exploration launches. 
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I am sure it is no coincidence that most of those proposed cuts 

target programs that are supported by this subcommittee and other 

members of Congress, in both chambers, and on both sides of the 

aisle. 

The simple fact, I believe, is this: that the administration 

prioritized funding elsewhere in the Government’s budget, and it 

could not find enough discretionary funding to make NASA whole. 

Once again, NASA has failed to propose, I believe, a truthful budget that can accomplish the Agency’s goals. 

In order to move forward in 2017, the subcommittee, I believe, 

must set aside those so-called ‘‘mandatory spending gimmicks.’’ Instead, we must provide honest funding that is necessary to advance 

our Nation’s space program using discretionary spending that does 

not bust the budget caps agreed upon last fall. 

This proposed budget represents staggering reductions that 

would lead to a nearly $1 billion reduction to NASA’s discretionary 

budget compared to last year. Those proposed cuts have both nearterm and long-term implications, and if not corrected, will delay ongoing work and will drive up development costs, outcomes that this 

subcommittee has worked hard to avoid. 

I look forward particularly with concern at the consistent lack of 

support for NASA’s human exploration efforts to go beyond low 

Earth orbit. The Space Launch System, SLS, is proposed to be cut 

by $770 million, and its crewed vehicle, Orion, would be cut by 

$217 million. 

In addition, the proposed funding and development path for SLS 

ensures that our next crewed exploration vehicles would not even 

meet NASA’s far from ambitious target of launching in 2023. Surprisingly, NASA has not proposed a single dollar for the development of the upper stage engine that is absolutely necessary for a 

crewed mission that is only 7 years away. The request will not 

allow NASA to stay current on its own Orion production and 

launch schedule. 

Administrator Bolden, you have traveled around the country in 

recent months touting NASA’s strong support for the SLS and 

Orion missions, when in reality this budget will effectively delay 

any advancement in a NASA-led human mission to Mars or anywhere at all. 

Quite frankly, if this weak budget plan for exploration is what 

the administration calls ‘‘strong support,’’ I hate to imagine what 

the request would look like if there was only a professed marginal 

commitment from NASA. 

Other missions across NASA will also feel the detrimental consequences of this request level. Planetary science missions such as 

Mars Opportunity, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Express would be totally reliant on imaginary funding to continue operations, and 

therefore, effectively cancelled in this budget. 

Under this year’s proposed budget request, the spectacularly successful New Horizons mission to Pluto, which had its mission extended, will essentially have to depend on a tax increase that has 

virtually no chance of being enacted. 

Even the recent high profile announcements of aeronautics experimental flight vehicles will become greatly dependent on budg-
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etary gimmicks. Many other activities across NASA are open to additional risks caused by budgetary uncertainty. 

Both the Inspector General and the Government Accountability 

Office have cited the risk from funding uncertainty as a top chronic 

concern at NASA, and this budget has borne out those concerns 

even further. In fact, this budget creates more problems than it 

solves. I find it disturbing that NASA’s true priorities are not better reflected in an honest budget. 

I look forward to hearing your views on these matters, and ask 

you to work with our subcommittee members to address our many 

concerns in the 2017 bill. 

Before I yield to our vice chairwoman, Senator Mikulski, I want 

to recognize that today is the last scheduled Commerce, Justice, 

and Science budget hearing for this year. This could be Senator Mikulski’s final hearing as a member of this subcommittee, which she 

has helped to lead as chairwoman or as ranking member since 

2005. 

Senator Mikulski, you have been a great champion for all of our 

Federal science agencies over many decades, especially NASA, and 

you have also served as a vigilant steward of how our tax dollars 

are spent. 

You have consistently challenged NASA to be better, and because 

of your leadership, NASA has better served America’s drive for exploring space and making new discoveries. 

Extending the life of the Hubble Space Telescope, rebooting the 

James Webb Space Telescope construction, returning the Space 

Shuttle to flight after the Columbia accident, these are just some 

of the very important activities you fought so hard to achieve and 

did over the years. 

You are a true and valued partner, and it has been a great pleasure and honor to work along side you these many years. I look forward to one last year of writing this subcommittee’s appropriations 

bill with you, and it is my hope that we can get NASA’s budget 

right again this year. 

Senator Mikulski. 

STATEMENT OF SENATOR BARBARA A. MIKULSKI

Senator MIKULSKI. Thank you very much, Mr. Shelby. I appreciate that warm introduction. Yes, this is my final scheduled hearing of what is now called the CJS Subcommittee. We are here to 

discuss the budget request of such an inspirational Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 

I came to the Appropriations Committee in 1987 and was one of 

the first women to serve on this committee. Now, there are so 

many able women on both sides of the aisle who continue to serve. 

When I came to this committee, NASA was funded by the VA/ 

HUD Subcommittee—VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies. I 

wanted to be on the subcommittee because I so loved America’s veterans and wanted to help them in any way that I could. I wanted 

to be on a subcommittee that funded HUD because I came from the 

gritty streets of Baltimore and had worked as a social worker, and 

I knew what a powerhouse HUD could be for economic development and job opportunity. 
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Then there were those independent agencies, one called NASA. 

I did not know a lot about NASA. I knew we had the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. It was just the beginning of 

it. Of course, in my campaigns, I had come to hear about something 

called ‘‘Goddard.’’ Well, I have supported Goddard from early on to 

now, and it remains a fabulous place for the study of science. 

So, from VA/HUD to CJS, we have been here. I am so proud of 

the men and women that have worked here. Although I knew little 

about the space program, I certainly learned a lot to get started. 

Today, I am going to pay a special tribute to Senator Jake Garn. 

When I came to the VA/HUD subcommittee, it was chaired by Senator Garn, a Republican from Utah, a Senator who himself had 

flown into space. What a wonderful human being. He was gracious 

in his welcoming, and he was patient in his tutorial. 

Between he and John Glenn, I learned so much about the American space program and what it took to be great, not only to be a 

great agency, but how great men can make great things happen. 

Since then, we have had a bipartisan relationship. 

I am very grateful for what Senator Garn did and that I could 

work hand in hand with my colleague, Senator Bond. Then of 

course, there was the unique friendship that I was able to develop 

with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, as we put together our space 

coalition, and then you, Senator Shelby. 

We know each other from the Energy and Commerce Committee 

during our House of Representatives days. It was the incubator of 

Senators. Now, there were a lot of people on that committee. You 

saw rising stars. They were a lot more glamorous, they were on all 

the editorial boards, and they were on their way to be President. 

We were on our way to being very solid Senators, and we have 

had such a superb relationship. I appreciate again the gracious 

way that you have governed, my opportunity to get to know your 

wife, Annette, to get to know Huntsville, Alabama, the only community in America that has its own foreign policy, and if you have 

ever been to the air show, you know it. 

Because we have worked together, having this zone of civility 

and mutual respect, we have been able to achieve mutual accomplishments. I have been proud of this subcommittee. I am proud of 

the way we have helped transform the FBI, modernize the Weather 

Service, focus on violence against women, and make sure that we 

have more cops on the beat and that they have the right equipment. 

We fought waste and fraud from $5 meatballs and $16 bagels to 

reducing the patent backlog. We certainly have done a lot. We have 

seen great accomplishments and great challenges. 

When I came to the committee, it was just days away from the 

terrible, terrible Challenger accident. Yet, at the same time, whether it was the Challenger, whether it was the Columbia, of whether 

it was the Hubble Telescope that needed the most expensive contact lens in American history, we were able to solve those problems 

because we worked together. 

We have seen great discoveries, but I will tell you one of the 

greatest discoveries was getting to know the American space program, from the astronauts who dare to go where no one has ever 

gone before in order to deliver the greatest discoveries, to all those 
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who work in space science and in aeronautics. I am particularly 

proud of them. 

I am grateful for the role that Maryland has played, from Goddard to APL, to the Space Telescope Institute, to Wallops. The 

greatest discovery has not only been what is out there, but the 

wonderful men and women who work right here. 

I look forward to hearing about your budget request. This is 

probably your last appearance here, and all I can say is may the 

force be with us. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator SHELBY. Thank you, Senator Mikulski. Administrator 

Bolden, your written testimony will be made part of the record in 

its entirety, and you may proceed as you wish. 

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLES F. BOLDEN, JR. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and members of the subcommittee. I am pleased to be here today to discuss 

with you President Obama’s $19 billion fiscal year 2017 budget request for NASA. 

It has been my honor to serve as the NASA Administrator 

throughout the Obama administration, and as we submit what is 

likely my final budget, I am proud of the many things this agency 

has accomplished on behalf of the American people with the resources the President and the Congress have committed to us over 

the past 7 years. 

I also wish to personally join you, Mr. Chairman, in recognizing 

Senator Mikulski for her leadership and service in Congress, and 

her dedication to a robust, balanced, and bipartisan NASA program. 

Senator Mikulski, as I told you earlier, you will be sorely missed. 

Together, we have enabled our Nation to continue leading the 

world in space exploration and scientific discovery. 

Last week, American Astronaut Scott Kelly returned home from 

the International Space Station after 12 months working off the 

Earth for the Earth. His year in space will pay scientific and medical dividends for years to come, helping pave the way for future 

astronauts to travel to Mars and beyond. Commander Kelly significantly advanced our journey to Mars, and I trust you all join me 

in saluting his service to our Nation. 

NASA is closer to sending American astronauts to Mars than at 

any point in our history. This budget will keep us moving forward. 

The support of this subcommittee and Congress is essential to this 

journey. The International Space Station is the cornerstone of our 

exploration strategy. 

Thanks to the determination and ingenuity of American industry, we have returned Space Station cargo resupply launches to 

U.S. soil, insourced jobs, and helped establish a new private market in low Earth orbit. 

American companies are now providing supplies to our astronauts on the International Space Station from the United States 

with Orbital ATK, set to launch again later this month, and 

SpaceX, targeting a resupply mission in early April, both from the 

Kennedy Space Center. In July, Orbital will return to its home to 

conduct a return to flight mission from the Wallops Flight Facility. 
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Thanks to the administration’s decision to invest in American industry and to this subcommittee’s full funding in last year’s budget, 

Boeing and SpaceX continue to make great progress towards certification in 2017 to safely transport our astronauts to the Space 

Station from U.S. soil, ending our sole reliance on Russia once and 

for all. 

NASA is making significant progress on the Journey to Mars, developing our newest, most powerful rocket ever built, the Space 

Launch System, and the Orion crewed vehicle, as part of a sustainable and affordable deep space exploration system. 

This budget supports the agency’s baseline commitment for an 

un-crewed test flight of the SLS and Orion in 2018, and a crewed 

flight by 2023. With the additional funding provided by Congress, 

the teams are working toward an earlier launch date for the first 

crewed mission. 

The budget also increases funding for habitation systems development, a key component of our stepping stone strategy to send humans to Mars. The President’s budget funds a robust science program with dozens of operating missions studying our Solar System, 

the Universe, and the most important planet in our Solar System— 

Earth. 

This coming July 4, Independence Day, the Juno spacecraft will 

orbit Jupiter, while the Cassini spacecraft will prepare to execute 

its dramatic grand finale orbits of Saturn. OSIRIS–REx will launch 

to a near-Earth asteroid to collect a sample for return to Earth in 

2023. In 2017 and 2018, NASA will launch seven exciting science 

missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope. Before we 

send humans to Mars, robots are paving the way, with Mars InSight, now targeted for launch in 2018, another Mars Rover set to 

launch in 2020, joining the Curiosity and the Opportunity rovers 

now exploring the Red Planet, and work is underway to define the 

next Mars mission for 2022. 

We are formulating missions to explore Jupiter’s moon, Europa, 

and WFIRST, and accelerating the building of Landsat 9 as part 

of our Sustainable Land Imaging architecture to continue our 40 

year record of high quality measurements of Earth’s land cover. 

NASA technology drives exploration. With this request, NASA 

will continue to conduct rapid development and incorporation of 

transformative space technologies to enable future human and 

robotic missions, increase capabilities of other U.S. agencies, and 

address aerospace industry challenges. 

Space technology investments will ensure that we continue to 

lead the world in exploration and scientific discovery. 

NASA’s Aeronautics program advances U.S. global leadership by 

developing and transferring key enabling technologies to make 

aviation safer, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly. 

With this request, NASA Aeronautics is ready to take the next 

step, to develop and fly X-plane demonstrators in partnership with 

industry and academia, including ultra-efficient subsonic transport 

experimental aircraft, and the world’s first low boom supersonic 

flight demonstrator. 
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Mr. Chairman, we appreciate the support we have received from 

this subcommittee during my tenure, and I look forward to your 

questions. 

[The statement follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLES F. BOLDEN, JR. 

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I am pleased to have this opportunity to discuss NASA’s fiscal year 2017 budget request. The President is proposing a fiscal year 2017 budget of more than $19 billion for NASA, building on the 

strong and consistent support NASA has received from this subcommittee and the 

Congress. This request, which includes both discretionary and mandatory funding, 

will allow NASA to continue to lead the world in space through a balanced program 

of exploration, science, technology, and aeronautics research. 

Of note, within this request, NASA is proposing a 10-year plan that would significantly accelerate aeronautics research. We seek support from congress for a substantial increase in funding for aeronautics that will support a vigorous flight demonstration program to demonstrate and validate technologies to dramatically improve the aircraft of the future. We are ready to test these technologies and concepts 

as integrated systems by developing ‘‘X-plane’’ demonstrators. The United States 

leads the world in aviation, but this leadership can only be maintained by a vigorous program of research to create the efficient aircraft of the future. 

NASA is positioned for a vibrant future, and we look forward to the long term 

support that will enable the Agency to continue leading the world into space and 

on the journey to Mars. We are on track for the key near-term steps on that journey 

with flight certification of our commercial crew transportation systems in 2017, and 

the launch of Exploration Mission 1 (EM–1) in 2018. In 2016, the Juno Spacecraft 

will orbit Jupiter while Cassini will execute its dramatic ‘‘Grand Finale’’ orbits of 

Saturn. The Solar Probe Plus (SPP), Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) 

and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are on track to launch in 2018, and 

a new Mars rover is in development for a 2020 launch on its way to join the spectacular Curiosity rover now exploring the planet. NASA’s missions are providing the 

critical data we need to understand the home planet, our nearby star, every planet 

in the solar system, and the universe. We are accomplishing all this while consistently improving program performance: GAO reports that overall development cost 

growth for the portfolio of major development programs it tracks, excluding the 

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), fell to 1.3 percent, at or near the lowest levels 

we have reported since GAO began annual reviews in 2009. Relying on the consistent support of Congress, the Agency remains on a sustainable path to accomplish 

a world-leading program of exploration and discovery in space. The Agency is well 

positioned to continue on its long-term mission, and, by focusing on executing the 

plan we have laid out, we intend to earn the continued support of future administrations and Congresses for this plan. 

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS

The fiscal year 2017 President’s budget request continues NASA’s Journey to 

Mars, extending our reach in space with the specific goal of sending human missions 

to Mars, and the broader aim of establishing a sustainable human presence beyond 

Earth. NASA’s exploration strategy is to evolve from today’s Earth-reliant posture 

to conducting missions in the Proving Ground of cislunar space and then to the 

Earth-independent capability needed to extend human presence into the solar system and to the surface of Mars. The fiscal year 2017 request includes $3,336.9 million for Exploration, with $2,859.6 million for Exploration Systems Development, 

and $477.3 million for Exploration Research and Development. The fiscal year request also includes $5,075.8 million for Space Operations, including $1,430.7 million 

for the International Space Station (ISS), $887.4 million for Space and Flight Support, and $2,757.7 million for Space Transportation—both commercial crew system 

development and on-going crew and cargo transportation services that resupply ISS. 

The first step on the Journey to Mars is our current activity in low Earth orbit 

(LEO), where research and technology development activities conducted aboard ISS 

are delivering the knowledge we need to keep our astronauts safe, healthy and productive on deep-space missions of increasing durations. ISS research is advancing 

the fundamental biological and physical sciences for the benefit of humanity, improving life on Earth and adding to our understanding of the universe. The ISS is 

the cornerstone of our exploration strategy, a nearby outpost in space where humanity is taking its early steps on its journey into the solar system, and we appreciate 
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the action Congress took last year to authorize continued Station operations through 

at least 2024, consistent with the President’s request. 

Under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contracts, our two commercial 

cargo partners, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Orbital ATK, have 

demonstrated not only the ability to provide cargo deliveries to ISS, but also the 

flexibility to recover effectively from mishaps. Both companies have worked closely 

with NASA to understand the anomalies they experienced over the last year and 

a half. In developing the launch vehicles for their cargo spacecraft, SpaceX and Orbital ATK have also helped to bring some of the commercial satellite launch market 

back to the U.S., and helped to lower commercial launch costs. This January, 

through CRS–2, NASA contracted with SpaceX, Orbital ATK, and Sierra Nevada 

Corporation to ensure that critical science, research and technology demonstrations 

will be delivered to the ISS from 2019 through 2024. Our commercial crew partners, 

SpaceX and the Boeing Company, are developing the Crew Dragon and CST–100 

Starliner spacecraft, respectively. The work, being done under two Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)-based, fixed-price Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts, is expected to result in flight certification of their crew 

transportation systems by the end of calendar year 2017. In 2015, NASA ordered 

the initial post-certification missions, and in 2016, milestone completion and work 

are progressing well. Two thousand seventeen will be an exciting and challenging 

year as we work with our partners to launch the first new human spaceflight capability in a generation. 

Under the auspices of the ISS National Laboratory, managed by the Center for 

the Advancement of Science In Space (CASIS), NASA is encouraging broader use 

of the ISS by non-traditional companies and other Government agencies. The ISS 

National Lab has reached full capacity for allocated crew time for research that was 

both scientifically and economically reviewed for terrestrial benefit. 

As we move out into the Proving Ground of cislunar space, we will employ new 

deep-space systems, including the heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS), Orion 

crew vehicle, the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) that support them, and new 

deep space habitation capabilities developed through public-private partnerships. 

We will also continue to invest in exploration research and development that will 

make future missions safer, more reliable, and more affordable. NASA’s initial deepspace mission, EM–1, is on track to launch to a distant retrograde orbit in the Proving Ground around the Moon in 2018. In 2015, the Agency conducted a key decision 

point review of the Orion program, establishing an Agency baseline commitment 

level for Orion that supports a 2023 launch readiness date for EM–2. The fiscal year 

2017 budget fully funds the Agency baseline commitment level. In the initial phase 

of our Proving Ground operations, NASA will use this region of space to test and 

demonstrate flight and mission operations and staging of human-rated vehicles farther from Earth than ever before. Crewed Orion missions launched on the SLS in 

the 2020s will establish our capability to operate safely and productively in deep 

space. 

SLS and Orion are critical to human spaceflight beyond LEO. The NASA-Industry 

teams building SLS and Orion have made tremendous progress over the last year 

in building and testing vehicle components. For SLS, the Core Stage qualification 

and EM–1 flight barrels are awaiting vertical welding at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), the RS–25 flight engines are all assembled and awaiting engine controller installation, and production of the final booster qualification motor is nearly 

complete. For Orion, the EM–1 Crew Module pressure vessel welding is complete, 

the European Service Module structural testing is in progress, and software testing 

is underway in the Integrated Test Lab. In EGS, Mobile Launcher structural mods 

are complete, the Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 3 platforms are being installed, and Crawler Transporter mods are underway. 

Subsequent missions in the Proving Ground will target challenges and strategic 

knowledge gaps while helping develop the core capabilities necessary to expand 

human activity farther into deep space, culminating in demonstration of a long-duration (1-year plus) deep-space habitation capability, critical preparation for crewed 

missions to Mars. The fiscal year 2017 request includes the funding to support work 

on the required habitation systems. Our fiscal year 2017 budget includes $90 million 

to support habitation systems development. This work includes the second phase of 

the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Broad Agency Announcement, an effort to stimulate deep-space capability development across 

the aerospace industry. Through these initial public-private partnerships, 

NextSTEP partners will provide advanced concept studies, technology development 

projects, and significant measurements in key areas, including habitat concepts, environmental control and life support systems, advanced in-space propulsion, and 

small spacecraft to conduct missions related to Strategic Knowledge Gaps. The 
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NextSTEP efforts are a key component of our overall strategy to move into the Proving Ground. 

NASA will continue to develop the Asteroid Redirect Mission. This will include 

a robotic mission that will remove a multi-ton boulder from a target asteroid and 

use solar-electric propulsion to move the boulder into lunar orbit. A human mission 

using the SLS and Orion vehicles will then rendezvous with and take samples from 

this asteroidal mass. The mission demonstrates the use of advanced solar-electric 

propulsion, automated rendezvous and complex crew operations in the Proving 

Ground of lunar orbit, and improves NASA’s ability to identify and respond to potentially dangerous asteroids. 

SPACE TECHNOLOGY

NASA’s fiscal year 2017 request includes $826.7 million for Space Technology to 

conduct rapid development and incorporation of transformative space technologies 

to enable NASA’s future missions, increase the capabilities of other U.S. agencies, 

and address aerospace industry challenges. NASA’s Space Technology program has 

developed a diverse portfolio creating a technology pipeline to solve the Agency and 

Nation’s most difficult challenges in space. Space Technology will continue to 

prioritize ‘‘tipping point’’ technologies and early-stage innovation with approximately 

600 awards to industry and small businesses, private innovators, and academia to 

spark new ideas for the benefit of NASA as well as the broader U.S. aerospace and 

high tech sectors. As efforts complete, appropriate technologies will be transferred 

and commercialized to benefit a wide range of users ensuring the Nation realizes 

the full economic value and societal benefit of these innovations. Technology drives 

exploration by continuing maturation of enabling technologies for future human and 

robotic exploration missions including deep space optical communications to return 

more data and improve operations; improved carbon dioxide removal and oxygen recovery systems for more efficient life support and environmental control capabilities; 

nuclear thermal propulsion technologies for rapid in-space transit; robotics and autonomy to reduce mission cost and risk; and advancements in remote sensing instruments and spacecraft subsystems to reduce size, weight and power requirements enabling lower cost missions utilizing small spacecraft. 

The program will take a major step early next year with the launch of the Green 

Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM). GPIM will demonstrate on-orbit a propellant 

that has higher performance and is much safer to handle than the hydrazine fuel 

that is now commonly used for in-space propulsion systems. 

In fiscal year 2017, building on the Robotic Refueling Mission technology demonstrations on ISS, the program will continue mission formulation for Restore-L, a 

mission to advance and demonstrate the capability to service and refuel satellites 

on orbit with the potential to add life to existing satellites worth billions of dollars. 

In support of the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM), Space Technology 

continues development of high-powered solar electric propulsion technologies that 

will enable extremely efficient orbit transfer and accommodate increasing power demands for government and commercial satellites. 

Also in fiscal year 2017, the Mars Oxygen In Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) payload on the Mars 2020 mission will hold a Critical Design Review. The payload will demonstrate the in situ production of oxygen on Mars, a 

technology that could furnish oxygen for breathing and fuel on future Mars missions. The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration project will complete its 

Critical Design Review and Key Decision Point—C, and will continue hardware fabrication to support a late calendar year 2019 launch readiness date. 

SCIENCE

NASA’s science vision is to use the vantage point of space to achieve with the 

science community and our partners a deep scientific understanding of our home 

planet, the Sun and its effects on the solar system, other planets and solar system 

bodies, the interplanetary environment, and the universe beyond. The President’s 

fiscal year 2017 budget requests $5,600.5 million for NASA’s Science program including $2,032.2 million for Earth Science, $1,518.7 million for Planetary Science, 

$781.5 for Astrophysics, $569.4 million for the James Webb Space Telescope, and 

$698.7 million for Heliophysics. 

From orbit, NASA satellites advance our knowledge of our dynamic and complex 

home planet, Earth. In addition to driving scientific discoveries, NASA Earth-observing research satellite missions collect essential measurements that serve national interests. Our NASA satellites monitor regional and global food and water security and air quality, support disaster response, and contribute to economic growth. 

Nineteen NASA research missions—five of which were launched in a span of 11 
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months from 2014 to 2015—are orbiting the Earth and providing key measurements 

today. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission has already produced the first 

global rain and snowfall map, and the constellation routinely observes precipitation 

over the entire globe every 2–3 hours. The ISS Rapid Scatterometer, the first 

science payload to be robotically assembled in space since the ISS itself, measures 

surface ocean wind speeds and directions. And the Soil Moisture Active and Passive 

mission provides global, high-accuracy soil moisture and sea-surface salinity measurements at 35 km resolution. 

In 2016, three launches will add significantly to our capabilities. On January 17, 

NASA launched the Jason-3 satellite, a mission led by NOAA and EUMETSAT, 

along with our French partner CNES. Jason-3 is the fourth mission in a U.S.-European series using precision altimetry to measure ocean surface topography—the 

hills and valleys of the ocean surface. Later in the year, the SAGE–III (Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment-III) instrument will launch to the ISS to obtain 

atmospheric trace gas profile data, including ozone measurements, with the Lightning Imaging Sensor as a secondary payload. In October, a constellation of eight 

micro-satellites called the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) 

will become NASA’s first Earth Venture Mission small-sat constellation, to investigate the evolution of tropical cyclones and hurricanes. The fiscal year 2017 request 

supports development of new missions including the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation 

Satellite-2 (ICESAT–2) and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Followon (GRACE–FO) that provide continuity for key long-term measurements. 

NASA is building Landsat 9 as part of our Sustainable Land Imaging (SLI) architecture that will continue our Nation’s accurate measurement of Earth’s land cover. 

NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated Landsat 9 in March 2015 

and it is being built as a near-copy of Landsat 8 for launch in the 2021 timeframe. 

The SLI program will work closely with industry to support and infuse advanced 

satellite, scientific instrument, and overall system technologies into future missions. 

The robust SLI architecture ensures that high-quality Landsat imagery, freely accessible in an open archive, will continue to be available for critical uses such as 

monitoring the irrigation of farmland in the American West. 

NASA’s Astrophysics program continues to operate the Hubble, Chandra, Spitzer, 

Fermi, and Kepler space telescopes, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) airborne observatory, and other missions that together comprise 

an unrivaled resource for the study of our universe. NASA’s next strategic Astrophysics mission, the James Webb Space Telescope, continues on schedule for its 

2018 launch and remains within budget. 

With this year’s request, NASA will continue developing the Transiting Exoplanet 

Survey Satellite (TESS) for launch in 2018. TESS will extend the pioneering 

exoplanet discoveries of the Kepler Space Telescope by looking for rocky exoplanets 

orbiting the nearest and brightest stars in the sky in time for Webb to conduct follow-up observations. During fiscal year 2017, NASA will also continue formulation 

of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), the top priority for largescale missions of the most recent National Academy of Science Decadal Survey in 

Astronomy and Astrophysics. 

With the fiscal year 2017 budget request, NASA will broaden its reach into the 

Solar System with increasingly capable missions and continue to produce a series 

of exciting achievements in planetary science. In one of the biggest stories of the 

past year, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft captured our imaginations by showing 

us the complexity of one of our most distant and smallest neighbors. And despite 

being far beyond Pluto now, the intrepid probe continues to send volumes of pictures 

and other data over a radio link to Earth stretching billions of miles. At the same 

time, the Juno spacecraft is on its way to Jupiter where it will achieve a first-ever 

polar orbit of the gas giant this July 4. And just 2 short months later, NASA’s 

robotic asteroid rendezvous and sample return mission, dubbed OSIRIS-REx, will 

launch to the near Earth asteroid, Bennu, where it will collect a sample for return 

to Earth in 2023. In late 2016, after more than 10 years of exploration, the Cassini 

spacecraft will begin a daring set of orbits called the Grand Finale that is, in some 

ways, like a whole new mission. The spacecraft will repeatedly climb high above 

Saturn’s poles before probing the water-rich plume of the active geysers on the planet’s intriguing moon Enceladus, fly by Titan, and then dive between the planet and 

its innermost ring 22 times. No other mission has explored this unique region so 

close to the planet. Moreover, the fiscal year 2017 request supports several other 

missions operating throughout the Solar System. These include the Curiosity rover 

at Mars, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Dawn spacecraft currently at Ceres, 

and the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) orbiter. 

Looking to the future, the fiscal year 2017 request continues development of a 

new rover that in 2020 will carry seven carefully selected instruments to conduct 
11 

exceptional science as well as for the first time ever, cache a Mars sample for a potential later return to Earth. The budget also continues formulation for a mission 

to Jupiter’s moon, Europa, to explore the most likely host of current life beyond 

Earth. In addition, this year’s request releases a new announcement of opportunity 

for NASA’s New Frontiers Program and selects at least one new Discovery mission 

for development—ensuring this essential path of exploration for the next decade. 

NASA’s Heliophysics program operates 18 active missions comprising 28 spacecraft, called the Heliophysics System Observatory (HSO), to understand the Sun and 

its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather. NASA 

continues to gain important insight from the HSO, including new observations from 

the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission, which entered full science mode September 1, 2015. The fiscal year 2017 request supports the continued development 

of the Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission, planned for launch in 2018. SPP will fly closer to the Sun than any previous mission to study its outer atmosphere. The request 

will enable the continued development of critical instruments for the NASA–ESA 

Solar Orbiter Collaboration mission scheduled for launch in 2018. NASA will continue development of the Ionospheric Connection (ICON) and Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) missions. ICON will investigate the interaction 

of solar forces and Earth’s weather systems that drive extreme and unpredicted variability. GOLD will measure densities and temperatures in Earth’s thermosphere 

and ionosphere to improve our understanding and potentially our predictive capabilities of activity in this region. 

AERONAUTICS

NASA’s Aeronautics program advances U.S. global leadership by developing and 

transferring key enabling technologies to make aviation safer, more efficient, and 

more environmentally friendly. With a request of $790.4 million for Aeronautics, 

NASA will initiate a bold series of experimental aircraft and systems demonstrations as part of the President’s 21st Century Clean Transportation Plan. NASA has 

laid the groundwork for this initiative through years of research at the component 

level, through computer modeling, ground tests, and flight tests. In partnership with 

industry and academia, we have developed technologies and designs that have the 

very real potential to dramatically reduce fuel consumption, harmful emissions, and 

noise. NASA is ready to take the next step. With the fiscal year 2017 request we 

will move out on a plan to develop and fly ‘‘X-plane’’ demonstrators. We will demonstrate and validate transformative concepts and technologies as integrated systems in flight to meet the most challenging needs of aviation. NASA will begin the 

development of a series of ultra-efficient subsonic transport experimental aircraft, 

and initiate the detailed design and build of the world’s first low boom supersonic 

flight demonstrator. 

NASA’s request for Aeronautics also increases investment in developing revolutionary tools and technologies to support X-plane developments, enabling further advances for future transformative vehicle concepts, nurturing university leadership in 

innovation that will also foster and train the future workforce, and leverages nonaerospace technology advancements. 

NASA will continue to advance research and development into the next generation air traffic management system to realize the full vision of Next Generation Air 

Transportation System (NextGen) NASA will complete a series of major flight tests 

to demonstrate significantly more efficient arrival and departure operations in full 

partnership with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and industry. NASA will 

also continue to lead the world for enabling safe Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) 

operations by developing key technologies that will integrate UAS operations in the 

National Air Space and realize small UAS operations safely at low altitude operations. 

In conclusion, the program of exploration we propose to execute with the fiscal 

year 2017 request is the envy of the world, and should be a source of pride to the 

subcommittee, the Congress, and the American people. With constancy of purpose 

and consistent support from the Congress, we look forward to extending human 

presence into deep space, over the course of the next decade. 

Mr. Chairman, I would be pleased to respond to your questions and those of other 

members of the subcommittee. 

NASA’S FISCAL YEAR 2017 BUDGET REQUEST

Senator SHELBY. Thank you very much. Administrator Bolden, 

the discretionary budget request proposes, which I mentioned in 

my opening statement, to cut SLS by $770 million, and Orion by 
12 

$217 million. That is nearly $1 billion. These funds that NASA proposes to cut, I believe, are absolutely necessary under a constrained 

budget profile to continue progress toward a crewed launch as early 

as 2021. 

Without these funds, I believe NASA’s ability to reach far beyond 

Earth’s orbit is at risk of delay and cost escalation. The discretionary amounts being requested by the administration in 2017 do 

not even meet the agreed upon funding levels in the agency’s decision documents. 

Asking for less invites delay, increased costs, and inefficient program management, I believe. 

A couple of questions to you. Why is NASA not even asking for 

the discretionary funding needed to achieve results at the confidence level set by the agency in their planning agreements, and 

secondly, how can you justify, if you can, the financial risk NASA 

is taking with this exploration program? 

Mr. BOLDEN. Mr. Chairman—— 

Senator SHELBY. I know you do not make all those decisions. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Yes, sir. Actually, NASA, in my estimation or from where I sit, is requesting a $19 billion budget for this coming fiscal 

year. I know that may sound trivial but I leave it up to the budgeteers and folk to determine where all the money comes through. 

I know my agreement with the Director of OMB and subsequently the President of the United States is we are requesting $19 

billion for the NASA program. 

RUSSIAN RD–180 ENGINES

Senator SHELBY. I want to get into another aspect. There has 

been a lot of debate over whether to limit the number of or to outright ban the Russian RD–180 engines that are used on rockets 

launched in the U.S. There are some who threaten to enact a total 

ban, which would seriously impact missions and capabilities for the 

national defense. 

What is rarely discussed is the impacts such drastic measures 

could have on NASA. Contractors from both commercial crew and 

commercial cargo missions intend to use the Atlas V rocket, which 

uses, as you know, the RD–180 engine, for resupplying the International Space Station. Science missions are also currently being 

designed with the intent of using the reliable capabilities of the 

United Launch Alliance (ULA) rockets. 

A couple of questions to you. If a comprehensive engine ban on 

purchasing Russian engines regardless of being designated as national security or scientific missions were successfully implemented, what would be the impact on NASA, and secondly, how 

confident are you that the number of RD–180 engines currently 

available will allow NASA to continue with its planned flights? 

Mr. BOLDEN. Mr. Chairman, I will answer the second question 

first. Well, let me say this. I am in full agreement with the testimony that Secretary James has given on numerous occasions. We 

commiserate with each other on a regular basis. She and I both 

agree that while we want to rid ourselves of dependence on the 

Russian rocket engine, it should be done in an orderly fashion—— 

Senator SHELBY. We all want to get rid of them, but we have to 

be measured in how we do it. 
13 

Mr. BOLDEN. Exactly. I agree with that sentiment exactly, and 

that is the plea that we have made. We are counting on being able 

to get the number of engines that will satisfy the requirements for 

NASA to fly the Dream Chaser when it comes around in 2019, but 

more quickly, to fly the Boeing CST–100 Starliner. 

I think American industry has risen to the occasion when you 

look at Blue Origin and Jeff Bezos and what he is doing with ULA 

and the team there, to help develop a new launch system. I think 

you have heard far too much that we do not gain by developing a 

rocket without a full system in which it is integrated. 

So, we support what Secretary James has said, which is we 

preach patience—— 

Senator SHELBY. That is also the position of the Secretary of Defense, is it not? 

Mr. BOLDEN. That is absolutely right. 

Senator SHELBY. And also the Director of National Intelligence? 

Mr. BOLDEN. That is correct. 

Senator SHELBY. And others. 

Mr. BOLDEN. That is correct. Secretary James in her new capacity as the Executive Agent for Space speaks for all of us in one regard, although she does not speak for civil space, but she and I are 

in lock step with what she has told the committees. 

NASA NON-DISCRETIONARY REQUEST

Senator SHELBY. In the area of getting into non-discretionary 

funding, nearly 5 percent of NASA’s budget proposal is comprised 

of funding gimmicks, I believe, which are contingent upon tax increases and other legislation that is yet or maybe will never be enacted by Congress. 

With such a reliance on nondiscretionary spending to accomplish 

its goals, NASA would face difficult funding choices if the agency 

were to only receive the $18.26 billion in discretionary dollars that 

is requested. 

Significant impacts, I believe, would follow NASA’s vehicles that 

enable the exploration plans of traveling to Mars. Other missions 

across NASA would likely be shut down, severely cut back, or not 

started at all. 

Questions, a couple of them. What specific legislative language 

are you sharing with the authorizing committee that if enacted 

would provide NASA with $773 million in funding? 

Mr. BOLDEN. Mr. Chairman, I will just say—— 

Senator SHELBY. That is a tough question, I know it is. 

Mr. BOLDEN. It is not a tough question at all. It is out of my 

league. My hope is that we will be able to continue to work with 

this subcommittee and the subcommittee in the House, which we 

have always tried to do, to come up with a way that we reach an 

appropriate amount of money for NASA’s budget. 

As I said again, my submission to this subcommittee and the Appropriations Committee in the House is for $19 billion. 

Senator SHELBY. Well, I think we have a lot of work to do in the 

subcommittee, but with Senator Mikulski’s experience and help, 

maybe we can work through it. It is going to be difficult. Senator 

Mikulski. 
14 

Senator MIKULSKI. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I, 

too, have concern about the mandatory funding in the budget request because it sounds like it is ‘‘mandatory.’’ You know, for the 

folks back home who do not understand Washington speak and 

budget lingo, the way words mean what they do not mean in Washington; words either have no meaning or they have a different 

meaning. ‘‘Mandatory’’ means funding that is mandatory if we get 

the revenue, and that will be a stretch in the short time allocated. 

What I believe is the hallmark of this subcommittee has been the 

‘‘B’’ word, bipartisan, working together, and also here, a balanced 

space program, assuring human space exploration, space science, 

aeronautics, and a reliable space transportation system. 

I think if we stay in our balanced system, we will be able to get 

through this. 

Mr. Administrator, I know that this, too, is your last time before 

this subcommittee or last scheduled time. I want to thank you for 

your service, both as a Marine Corps officer, as an astronaut, and 

now for the leadership that you have helped to provide NASA. You 

have literally been in the line of fire and gone where no people 

have gone on many occasions now. 

JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

I want to ask a question about space science and the James 

Webb Telescope. It has to go right. This subcommittee was able to 

fix the Hubble, and it performed in a stunning way. The Hubble 

Telescope not only brought us great science, it brought us great 

prestige, and it also was an inspiration to young people. 

But we do not have the money now to go back and fix the James 

Webb Space Telescope. So, my question to you is, number one, are 

we on track for James Webb to go, because if it makes it, and I 

believe it can and it must, it will secure America’s place in astronomy for the next 50 years. 

So, are we managing the project to maintain a 2018 launch? Do 

you have adequate resources to prevent problems including a 

scheduled reserve? Because if it breaks, I am not so sure we can 

fix it. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Senator, as I promised you when we met some 

years ago when I came before this subcommittee or I came before 

you to admit we had James Webb in trouble, that we were underfunded, and we had overestimated our ability to deliver a 2014 

launch then, I think, the agreement that we made was we would 

go back and take a look at it and bring you what we thought were 

reliable numbers. 

We are now well on course to deliver the James Webb Space Telescope to orbit in October of 2018. We have about a 7.5 month— 

‘‘pad’’ is a bad word to use—contingency reserve, in terms of time 

on the schedule, so that means that we have the funds available 

to get it off on time. 

So, in a simple word, yes, we will deliver James Webb to its position, a million and a half kilometers from Earth, in October 2018. 

Senator MIKULSKI. Well, maybe we will go to that together. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Hopefully, we will. 
15 

SATELLITE SERVICING

Senator MIKULSKI. It has to work. Another very bread and butter 

issue that I want to bring up is satellite servicing. As you know, 

this is being developed at Goddard Space Flight Center. Last year, 

we provided $133 million for satellite servicing to support the Restore mission, which will demonstrate the ability to service in-orbit 

government science satellites. This will not only be for NASA, but 

could also service things like weather satellites, where all they 

need is either a nudge to an orbit from which they have drifted out 

or to refuel. 

I am concerned that NASA has reduced the funding for satellite 

servicing in fiscal year 2017, and has also included a mandatory 

funding request. Could you tell us where we are with satellite servicing, because it is important for one, jobs at Goddard, open and 

transparent here, and second, it would really help refurbish other 

government satellites and could be an opportunity for lucrative and 

productive private sector work. Those companies in Maryland that 

build satellites say that if we could refurbish, we could save money 

and yet maintain productivity. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Yes, ma’am, I can. I think what you and I have discussed before is a program called Restore-L, that is being headed 

up by the Goddard Space Flight Center. It is in formulation right 

now. We have put $130 million toward the Restore-L program. 

We have moved it out of the Human Exploration and Operations 

Mission Directorate and into Space Technology, which is a place 

where it probably fits. We have had to make some sacrifices in 

Space Technology with some of the programs that we are now not 

able to do or will not be able to do on time. 

We are well on the way to delivering Restore-L and the satellite 

servicing mission. 

The other thing that we are getting from it is finding synergies 

with the Asteroid Redirect Mission, which is something that is a 

part of our Journey to Mars, if you will. So, we are finding that 

in working with industry and academia and entrepreneurs that we 

are learning a lot and we are gaining a lot by working on RestoreL. 

It is another thing that Restore-L has done, when you look back 

on the lessons that are learned from previous Shuttle missions, 

some people will remember a mission where we attempted to go 

and save a spent upper stage rocket using a probe, if you will, 

looked like a jousting stick, to go up in the rocket and bring it back 

to the Shuttle and eventually back to Earth. 

As a result of the preliminary work we have been doing on satellite servicing, Orbital ATK now, working with a company called 

ViviSat, right out in Beltsville, Maryland, has developed a satellite 

servicing device that we think when teamed with Restore-L will be 

able to cover—industry will be able to cover—— 

Senator MIKULSKI. See, that is my whole point. It is government 

and industry together. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Yes, ma’am. 

Senator MIKULSKI. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator SHELBY. Senator Cochran. 
16 

Senator COCHRAN. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for the 

excellent job you are doing as chairman of our subcommittee. I especially want to compliment Barbara Mikulski for her outstanding 

service on this subcommittee and how much we are going to miss 

her. It will not be nearly as much fun and probably not nearly as 

effective as it has been, but we will all work together and try to 

live up to the stature and credit you have reflected on this subcommittee. 

We appreciate the good work of the Administrator of NASA as 

well. I think this is one of those situations where our subcommittee 

has the opportunity to learn more about these programs under the 

jurisdiction of the subcommittee that have such long-lasting and 

far-reaching consequences. We need to get it right. We need to be 

sure that we understand the best that is in our national interest, 

and that we provide the funding that is needed for the important 

programs that come under the jurisdiction of this subcommittee. 

I really do not have any questions except to come here today to 

congratulate Barbara and thank our distinguished witness for his 

service. Thank you, sir. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Thank you very much. 

Senator SHELBY. Senator Capito. 

Senator CAPITO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, would like to 

add my voice of admiration and gratitude to Senator Mikulski. She 

is a wonderful champion for many things, one of which is NASA. 

So, thank you for the inspiration that you provide for us in the future and in this Senate. 

General Bolden, first of all, I would like to thank you for coming 

to West Virginia State University and delivering the graduation 

address. It was very much appreciated. 

Mr. BOLDEN. And I discovered a new NASA hero in Ms. Katherine Johnson, who was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of 

Freedom this past year, and it was absolutely incredible having an 

opportunity to meet a real American hero like that. 

ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY

Senator CAPITO. Great. Well, thank you. I wanted to follow up 

on one of the questions that Senator Mikulski was asking on the 

satellite servicing capabilities. Some of that work is done—obviously, most of it is done at Goddard, but some of it is done at the 

West Virginia Robotic Technology Center in West Virginia, as the 

lead academic institution. 

You know, I kind of did not hear your answer, there is a small 

cut to this program? No? 

Mr. BOLDEN. No, ma’am. That was a point that Senator Mikulski 

asked, were we funding it to the level that had been requested, 

which I think this year it is $130 million—it is $130 million in the 

next budget. It is fully funded. It is in formulation right now. 

The Center at West Virginia is also—that is an extension of Goddard and the robotic lab at the Goddard Space Flight Center, so 

the team there, it enables them to bring in graduate students, college students, and others to work in that field, but it is part of the 

program. 

Senator CAPITO. Thank you. Also, I would like to say that I was 

honored to attend the Sample Return Robot Challenge, winner 
17 

level 2, which again was at WVU. They not only achieved the victory but received $100,000, which they are going to put back into 

scholarships for future students and to enhance their capabilities 

there. 

So, you and I have talked about how do we inspire future generations, and I think those challenges are always very inspirational. 

HELIOPHYSICS

Now, I am going to go way out on something I need you to educate me on. The President has proposed an increase in the area of 

heliophysics. Do not ask me to tell you exactly what that is. Can 

you give me an understanding of what the benefits of this program 

would be? Again, West Virginia University has faculty members 

that are involved in this program. 

Can you give me an understanding? I know it has some weather 

implications, so just a brief on heliophysics. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Heliophysics is the study of the Sun, and the big 

implication is space weather, something that you and I never heard 

of probably before 2 years ago or maybe real smart people like 

some of you did, but not me. 

It is the study of our Sun, and it is really trying to help us understand what potential impact solar flares, a phenomenon called 

coronal mass ejections, that are just big bursts of energy from the 

Sun, what would be the effect on our communications system, on 

all of our networks, since most things are space-based today. If that 

kind of energy made it through to the orbiting satellites, it could 

have an adverse impact. 

So, understanding the energy that is coming from the Sun, we 

know how to harden satellites now, things we probably did not 

think about before. It is critically important to essentially the satellite infrastructure of the Nation. 

Senator CAPITO. Well, I noticed in the explanation in your testimony that it involves some of the technologies that have been developed, getting closer to the Sun, being able to explore in a more 

detailed and innovative way. You have convinced me. That is good 

for me, to know more about the Sun. 

Mr. BOLDEN. That is what they told me. 

STEM EDUCATION

Senator CAPITO. Especially when it is shining, yes. Thank you. 

Just one last thing, and you and I talked about this again. I know 

it is a passion of yours, education. We are still falling short in our 

STEM education. I know NASA has been working with educational 

resources through EPSCoR in your Space Grant programs. 

I would just ask as a rededication from your position and certainly NASA’s position to inspire that next generation we talked 

about, the low percentage of minorities and women in these fields. 

We talked about partnership, working together. Anything you can 

do or you think we can help with that, please make sure that we 

are there on the front with you. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Senator, I think one thing that is absolutely necessary is continued emphasis from people like you who have a voice 

to help us understand several things—the critical importance of 

STEM education in this Nation. 
18 

I am not trying to be funny or trivial, but I believe NASA dedicates $19 billion in its 2017 budget to STEM education. Some people say how can that be. Well, when we launched Orion on December 5, 2014, it actually had a student experiment on it. That is 

something that a student normally would not get in a classroom. 

There was not a dime that came out of the education—the formal 

education budget. It all came out of our exploration budget, but 

that is STEM education. We are the only agency of the Federal 

Government, I think, that can say every dollar of our expenditures 

contributes to STEM education. 

The other area that we need help with is really encouraging people to take seriously the critical need to increase the numbers of 

women and minorities in the STEM fields. We are challenged. 

Senator CAPITO. Right. 

Mr. BOLDEN. We think we have some answers, but we do not 

have all the answers. 

Senator CAPITO. Well, as a zoology major in college, you could do 

other things with the science degree besides be the administrator 

at NASA. There is hope. Thank you. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Thank you. 

Senator SHELBY. Senator Boozman. 

EDUCATION AND EPSCOR FUNDING

Senator BOOZMAN. I would just like to follow up on Senator 

Capito’s question about the funding for science. I appreciate what 

you are saying, what you do, and that there is an educational opportunity, but the reality is you are still cutting the Office of Education and the EPSCoR budget. 

So, can you talk a little bit specifically about that, and in a State 

like West Virginia and a State like Arkansas, that really does 

make a difference. It is not very many dollars at all, but it really 

is getting involved young people who are going to be the future of 

NASA as we go forward. 

I could say these are minimal dollars. I understand what you are 

saying in the other regard, but comment a little bit about the importance of the Office of Education and EPSCoR, and why we are 

cutting back. Like I said, those are not very many dollars at all, 

especially for states like Arkansas and West Virginia, our rural 

states. 

FUNDING LEVELS

Mr. BOLDEN. With funding being limited the way it has been 

since I became the NASA Administrator, it is essentially decreasing. As we have level budgets, that means it is decreasing. So, we 

have had to try to find innovative ways to continue to fund education in the manner that we did before, and one of the things that 

we have done at NASA is we consolidate inside the agency. 

The Science Mission Directorate is a good example. Rather than 

having every project responsible for managing its own little education program, those funds are consolidated in the Office of the 

Science Mission Directorate, and then it is the Science Mission Directorate head who decides which projects we are going to focus on 

for a particular educational initiative. 
19 

So, we think what we are getting is more efficient application of 

our funds toward education, trying to do more with less, and I hate 

saying that because we are trying to be more efficient with the 

fewer dollars that we have. 

Senator BOOZMAN. No, I understand the budget constraints. I understand what you are saying in efficiency, certainly want that. I 

think in this case, the reality is there will be less programs in the 

states that really are very important. It is not a lot of dollars, but 

I think it is one of those things when you look at dollars spent 

versus return, to society, return to your program, it is something 

that really is important. 

We do appreciate your hard work and appreciate the agency and 

all you represent. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator SHELBY. Senator Mikulski. 

NASA’S FUTURE AND AMERICAN INNOVATION

Senator MIKULSKI. Mr. Administrator, we could go through a lot 

of the line item questions, but I am concerned about America and 

its future. I am concerned about where the jobs are going to be and 

where our young people are going to work. Are these going to be 

jobs that pay living wages? This is why I am a big believer in 

American innovation. 

You and I talked about what generation we are from, we have 

seen great discovery, great jobs, but I will tell you, the anger we 

see in America right now is directly tied to the loss of jobs, as well 

as the loss of confidence in our institution. 

So, my question to you is how do you see this budget closing the 

innovation deficit? What is it that we are doing? Senator Capito’s 

question is whether this is science for science’s sake, which is a 

worthy goal, but where is it all going to take us? 

NASA, Goddard, and the Space Telescope Institute, we have 

three Nobel Prize winners, Dr. Giacconi, a founder of the Space 

Telescope Institute, Dr. John Mather at Goddard, and Dr. Adam 

Riess, who just won the Nobel Prize in physics. 

We win the Nobel Prizes, but I want to win the markets. So, 

where do you see two things, what are we promoting in innovation 

and what is in this budget and in your strategic plan to do in this 

Administration and transfer to the next, whoever that might be, so 

that we win the prizes and win the markets, so that our young people see that they have a future where we are going to continue to 

make something and make something of ourselves? 

Mr. BOLDEN. If you look at the budget, inside the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, there is a line item that 

is called ‘‘habitation systems.’’ Under habitation systems are a 

number of lesser projects that are all technology development and 

innovation, to help us be able to get humans to Mars. 

Another one of those things is called ‘‘NextSTEP.’’ That is, I want 

to say, 12 individual contracts that we let over this last year, 

among them, as a matter of fact, is some work to shore up the laboratory for Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz with the VASIMR engine. We 

are talking about advanced in space propulsion. 

I think we are actually making small investments, incremental 

investments, in American industry but more importantly, in small 
20 

businesses and entrepreneurial entities that are going to keep us 

on the cusp of being the innovation leaders in the world. 

I mentioned to you earlier, and hopefully every member of the 

subcommittee has a copy of our little flyer on the Future of Flight, 

or what we call ‘‘New Aviation Horizons.’’ This is all fueling the engine of innovation in the aeronautics community, the largest balance of trade item in this Nation. 

The reason that we are so excited about this, the reason American industry is so excited about it, is because it is returning NASA 

to the position where we are the leaders in aeronautic research and 

development, and we are again going to provide for more jobs, fuel 

the economy, and keep us in front of everybody else in the world. 

Senator MIKULSKI. Well, thank you very much. We have to stand 

up for the future. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Yes, ma’am. 

Senator MIKULSKI. Thank you. 

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

Senator SHELBY. Thank you, Senator Mikulski. If there are no 

further questions, the Senators may submit additional questions 

for the subcommittee’s official hearing record for the NASA Administrator. We would request if those questions are sent to you, Mr. 

Administrator, they be answered within 30 days. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Yes, sir. 

Senator SHELBY. We appreciate your appearance today. We look 

forward to trying to work with you in putting this appropriation together. 

Mr. BOLDEN. Yes, sir. Thank you very much. 

[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but were 

submitted to the agency for response subsequent to the hearing:] 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO HON. CHARLES F. BOLDEN, JR. 

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR THAD COCHRAN

SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM ENGINE TESTING

Question. Administrator Bolden, I am pleased that systems and engine testing 

continues to take place at Stennis Space Center for the Space Launch System. 

These tests represent important milestones in our efforts to reevaluate the United 

States’ space exploration program. In recent years, this subcommittee has provided 

funding above the budget request to ensure the Space Launch System and associated test infrastructure are adequate to keep the program on schedule. Will NASA 

keep the Space Launch System on schedule by meeting the core-stage engine testing 

requirement at Stennis Space Center in 2017? 

Answer. Please see below an outline of planned work to be performed at Stennis 

Space Center (SSC) in fiscal year 2016 and fiscal year 2017. This includes preparation of the B–2 test stand at SSC in fiscal year 2016 for Space Launch System (SLS) 

core stage testing, as well as the beginning of that testing in fiscal year 2017. 

Stennis Space Center—Fiscal Year 2016 Plans 

—Perform five tests of RS–25D engine to support SLS. 

—Continue developmental and flight certification testing of commercial engine 

systems on reimbursable basis. 

—Perform U.S. Air Force LOX/RP development testing supporting the Air Forcefunded Hydrocarbon Boost program. 

—Complete refurbishment of B–2 test stand to prepare for SLS core stage testing. 

—Complete replacement of E Test Complex data acquisition system to support 

test of sub-scale and component assemblies and engines. 
21 

Stennis Space Center—Fiscal Year 2017 Plans 

—Complete development of the special test equipment required to support the 

SLS Core Stage. 

—Activate B–2 test stand for SLS Core Stage testing. 

—Begin testing SLS Core Stage on the newly refurbished B–2 test stand. 

—Perform engine testing for Aerojet Rocketdyne RS–68 engine, Aerojet 

Rocketdyne AR–1 engine, SpaceX and other commercial engine developers. 

—Perform component testing for the U.S. Air Force LOX/RP test program. 

—Perform facility modifications to the A–1 test stand necessary to support future 

SLS RS–25E engine development. 

NASA TEST STAND INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING

Question. Administrator Bolden, as you know, the Rocket Propulsion Test program maintains and manages a wide range of facilities all over the country used 

to test rocket engines and components. Would additional resources for these engine 

testing facilities help ensure we stay on time with the development of the next generation of rocket engine systems? 

Answer. The President’s fiscal year 2017 budget request supports NASA’s commitment to an SLS launch capability readiness date of November 2018 at 70 percent 

Joint Confidence Level (JCL). This includes the required testing for SLS. The request also enables NASA to maintain Rocket Propulsion Test infrastructure in a 

state of readiness to support the testing of other Government and commercial rocket 

engine systems. NASA and other agencies with rocket test requirements hold a 

monthly coordination meeting to ensure that the facilities maintained across the 

U.S. Government are sufficient to meet its collective requirements. At this time, 

there is no requirement for additional resources for NASA engine testing facilities. 

CONCLUSION OF HEARINGS

Senator SHELBY. Thank you. The subcommittee is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:18 a.m., Thursday, March 10, the hearings 

were concluded, and the subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene 

subject to the call of the Chair.]