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Funding Highlights:

•	 Provides $17.5 billion in discretionary funding for the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA) by prioritizing the research and development that lays the foundation 

for future long-term growth and exploration, as well as the key commercial partnerships that 

will enable the efficient long-term operations of the International Space Station. This includes:

| Extending the life of the Space Station to 2024;

| Allowing NASA and its international partners to continue the research and technology 

development work that holds promise to improve life on Earth, advance human capability 

to live and work in space, and allow long-term human exploration missions;

| Partnering with the commercial space industry to regain the capability to send astronauts 

into space cost-effectively from U.S. soil;

| Investing in space technologies, such as advanced in-space propulsion, which is 

necessary to increase America’s capabilities in space, bring the cost of space exploration 

down, and pave the way for other Federal Government and commercial space activities;

| Keeping the development of the James Webb Space Telescope, the more powerful 

successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, on track for a 2018 launch; and

| Supporting robust development of NASA’s longer-term human space exploration 

programs.

Opportunity, Growth, and Security Initiative:

•	 Through the Opportunity, Growth, and Security Initiative, supports:

| The development of game-changing space technologies that will lower the cost and 

increase the capabilities of future space activities;

| The ability of American companies to carry people to space;

| Science missions and research that will enhance human understanding of the Earth and 

solar system; and

| NASA’s investment in a heavy lift rocket and crew capsule for deep space exploration.

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND 

SPACE ADMINISTRATION
138 NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

The National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration’s (NASA) mission is to drive advances in science, technology, and exploration 

to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, 

economic vitality, and stewardship of Earth. To 

achieve this mission, NASA develops aeronautics 

and space technologies, studies the Earth from 

space, and pioneers the exploration of space. The 

Budget provides $17.5 billion for NASA to support investments that will ensure continued U.S. 

leadership in space, while helping to create new 

industries and capabilities. The Budget supports 

research and development to drive advances in 

space capabilities and strengthens NASA’s ability to answer increasingly important scientific 

questions about the Earth. The Budget also prioritizes the “seed corn” of technology development, as well as innovative commercial programs 

that promise to reduce costs and increase U.S. 

capabilities.

Leads the World in Space Exploration

Extends the Life of the International 

Space Station. The Budget extends the planned 

life of the International Space Station to 2024. 

The Space Station provides a unique environment for the research on human health and space 

operations necessary for future long-term human 

missions. In addition, the Space Station has 

served as a tool for promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and inspiring the public. The Opportunity, 

Growth, and Security Initiative provides an additional $100 million to enable the Space Station’s 

research facilities to be fully utilized.

Partners with American Commercial 

Space Enterprises. In order to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign providers for transporting U.S. 

astronauts to and from the International Space 

Station, the Budget invests in private industrybased solutions that will create competitive transport capabilities at a lower cost than previous 

systems. After the successful completion of the 

commercial cargo development program, NASA 

is now purchasing services from two U.S. providers who have successfully conducted cargo resupply missions to the Space Station. Building on 

the success of these efforts, the Commercial Crew 

Program is a uniquely American partnership 

aimed at introducing new efficiencies in space 

exploration that will strengthen U.S. leadership 

in space, help produce a more globally competitive U.S. space industry, and enable the Nation to 

more fully benefit from the International Space 

Station’s research capabilities. The Opportunity, 

Growth, and Security Initiative provides an additional $250 million to speed development and 

certification of these systems.

Sustains Investment in Space Technologies. Advanced technology investments 

will increase the affordability and safety of space 

activities by NASA, other Federal Government 

entities, and industry, with the ultimate goal 

of enabling travel to and exploration of destinations never before visited. From laboratory 

experiments to technology demonstrations onboard the International Space Station to future 

in-space missions, the Budget funds the testing 

and development of technologies that will be crucial to NASA’s missions and will help to keep the 

U.S. aerospace industry competitive with other 

Reforms:

•	 Contributes to the Government-wide effort to restructure and improve the effectiveness of 

science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education programs.

•	 Achieves savings by reducing funding for lower priority programs, such as the Stratospheric 

Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. These savings enable continued support for higher priority 

programs, including lower cost, competitive science missions, and extended operations for the 

Cassini Saturn mission.
THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015 139

nations. The Opportunity, Growth, and Security 

Initiative provides an additional $100 million to 

develop new space technologies.

Unlocks Mysteries of the Universe. The 

Budget continues the development of the James 

Webb Space Telescope, a 100-times more capable 

successor to the Hubble Telescope, keeping it on 

track for launch in 2018. Within the current constrained funding environment, the Budget also 

funds high priority planetary science missions, 

including efforts to detect and characterize potentially hazardous Earth asteroids, extension of an 

existing Saturn mission, and multiple missions 

focused on Mars exploration. The Opportunity, 

Growth, and Security Initiative provides funding to extend missions that continue to generate 

valuable science and to accelerate early work on 

a potential successor to the James Webb Space 

Telescope.

Continues Human Exploration of the 

Solar System. The Budget funds the continued development of new systems that will support crewed missions to deep space. The Space 

Launch System heavy lift rocket will eventually 

be the world’s largest rocket since the Apollo era 

Saturn V, and its capsule counterpart, the Orion 

Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, is designed to carry 

crews past the Moon. Both programs leverage 

NASA’s skilled workforce and contractor teams 

and build upon existing capabilities to push the 

reach of humans farther into the solar system, 

with an initial goal of visiting an asteroid in the 

next decade, followed eventually by a human 

mission to Mars. The Opportunity, Growth, and 

Security Initiative provides an additional $100 

million to aid the development of the heavy lift 

rocket and the Orion capsule.

Improves Understanding of the Earth

Advances Science Needed to Improve 

Prediction of Climate and Weather. The 

Budget provides $1.8 billion for NASA’s Earth 

Science missions that will allow unprecedented 

study of climate change and weather modeling 

and prediction. From global measurements of 

soil moisture and the ocean to continuation of key 

climate and land imaging observations, NASA 

missions will advance Earth system science and 

demonstrate technologies for next generation 

measurements.

Makes Air Travel Safer and More 

Cost-Effectiv

Promotes Innovation in Aviation. The 

Budget continues support for research and development to improve the Nation’s air transportation system so that Americans can get where they 

need to go as safely and efficiently as possible. 

The Budget funds the second year of an initiative that will make lighter composite materials 

more easily usable in aviation, and continues to 

fund myriad research projects aimed at increasing efficiency and reducing environmental impacts in aviation. The Opportunity, Growth, and 

Security Initiative provides additional funding 

for research to help increase the efficiency and 

throughput of the air traffic systems that affect 

all travelers.

Maximizes Resources

Supports High-Quality STEM Education 

Programs. The Budget continues NASA’s effort 

to consolidate its education efforts into a more 

focused portfolio funded through the Office of 

Education. Additionally, the Budget provides $15 

million to NASA’s Science Directorate to fund the 

best application of NASA Science assets to meet 

the Nation’s STEM education goals through a 

competitive process.

Boosts Sustainability and Energy 

Efficiency of NASA Facilities. The Budget 

supports a number of initiatives to help NASA 

facilities operate in a more efficient and sustainable manner. Today, more than 80 percent of 

NASA buildings are beyond their design life. The 

Budget supports NASA’s efforts to replace or modernize inefficient buildings, providing jobs to local 

communities, and leading to increasingly efficient 

use of taxpayer dollars. For example, the Budget 

supports cost-saving investments across NASA 

that will reduce the agency’s footprint, co-locate 
140 NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

personnel, consolidate data centers, increase 

energy efficiency, and improve sustainability.

Achieves Savings Through Reducing or 

Terminating Lower Priority Programs.

Recognizing the challenges of the fiscal environment, the Budget focuses on those programs that 

have the most significant return on investment 

and reduces funding for lower priority programs. 

For example, the Budget sharply reduces funds 

for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared 

Astronomy in order to fund higher priority science 

missions.