The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration expresses appreciation for the House Science, Space, and Technology (SS&T) Committee for proposing the inclusion of $4.4 billion in funding for NASA.
"NASA is a national treasure -- an agency that mobilized our country's vast resources and brainpower to put a man on the moon within a decade of its founding. But many of its facilities date back to the 1960s or even earlier," said Coalition for Deep Space Exploration CEO and President Frank Slazer in the Coalition statement.
"We encourage the full House to support this funding and urge the Senate to follow suit in its reconciliation budget bill," Slazer added. He also explains that the proposed funding is important to ensure that NASA can continue the country's leadership in space exploration as well as in the technological advancement and inspiration from it.
"While the overall size of the reconciliation package is still in flux, these investments are especially important right now," Slazer concluded.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A less that 24 hours before it is scheduled to launch for its Crew-2 mission, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, April 22, 2021. - A crewed SpaceX mission to the International Space Station has been postponed by a day due to weather concerns downrange of the launch site, NASA said Wednesday. Liftoff had been scheduled for Thursday but because of unfavorable conditions along the Atlantic coast, it will now be set for 5:49 am (0949 GMT) Friday April 23.
A Long-Overdue Investment in NASA
The proposed funding was stipulated in the Committee print passed at the start of September in support of the House infrastructure budget reconciliation package. According to the Coalition, the $4.4 billion in the submitted SS&T draft is a long-overdue investment to the space agency.
Additionally, the majority of the proposed fund - $4 billion - is intended for repairing and modernizing the aging NASA facilities. About $388 million would go to climate change research and development and $12 million would support associated efforts on cybersecurity, information technology, and oversight.
There have been a wide variety of NASA projects funded by the government over the past years. However, investments toward its fundamental infrastructure, which, according to the Coalition, lies in areas that are susceptible to earthquakes and hurricanes, remain neglected. Also, NASA facilities in locations like Florida's Space Coast, Virginia's Wallops Island, as well as those in New Orleans, Mississippi, and Houston are all at risk because of climate change.
"As the Artemis program prepares to bring the first woman and first person of color to the moon, we must assure that the infrastructure needed to support this effort -- and many other vital NASA missions, including science and climate change research -- is capable of supporting these investments in our future," Slazer adds.
About the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration
The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration is an alliance of more than 60 space industry enterprises, universities, and advocacy groups focused on ensuring that the United States remains a leader in space, science, and technology. These groups work together to reinforce the benefits and value of deep-space exploration, raising awareness and ideas to both the public and the government - building lasting support for sustainable, long-term, and strategic direction for the US space program.
Some of the companies included in the Coalition are Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing, Jacobs, and Lockheed Martin.
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