[meteorite-list] NASA Reaches Higher With Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request

[Ron Baalke]

Feb. 13, 2012

David Weaver 
Headquarters, Washington 
202-358-1600 
david.s.weaver at nasa.gov 

RELEASE: 12-051

NASA REACHES HIGHER WITH FISCAL YEAR 2013 BUDGET REQUEST

WASHINGTON -- NASA announced Monday a $17.7 billion budget request for 
fiscal year 2013 supporting an ambitious program of space exploration 
that will build on new technologies and proven capabilities to expand 
America's reach into the solar system. 

Despite a constrained fiscal environment, the NASA FY13 budget 
continues to implement the space science and exploration program 
agreed to by President Obama and a bipartisan majority in Congress, 
laying the foundation for ground-breaking discoveries here on Earth 
and in deep space, including new destinations, such as an asteroid 
and Mars by 2035. 

"This budget in-sources jobs, creates capabilities here at home -- and 
strengthens our workforce, all while opening the next great chapter 
in American exploration," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. 
"And as we reach for new heights in space, we're creating new jobs 
right here on Earth, helping to support an economy that's built to 
last." 

The NASA budget includes $4 billion for space operations and $4 
billion for exploration activities in the Human Exploration 
Operations mission directorate, including close-out of the Space 
Shuttle Program, and funding for the International Space Station, 
$4.9 billion for science, $669 million for space technology and $552 
million for aeronautics research. 

"This budget puts us on course to explore farther into space than ever 
before, revealing the unknown and fueling the nation's economy for 
years to come," Deputy Administrator Lori Garver said. "We are 
committed to ensuring that our astronauts are once again launched 
from U.S. soil on American-made spacecraft, and this budget provides 
the funds to make this a reality." 

The budget supports NASA's continued work to develop the Space Launch 
System, a new heavy-lift rocket to carry astronauts to destinations 
such as an asteroid and Mars, and the Orion crew capsule in which 
they will travel. Included are resources for final preparation and 
manufacturing milestones for Orion's 2014 Exploration Flight Test 1 
and preliminary design reviews of major Space Launch System elements. 

NASA has prioritized funding for its partnership with the commercial 
space industry to facilitate crew and cargo transport to the station. 
The $830 million for this work in the FY13 budget advances progress 
towards a vibrant space industry that will create well-paying, 
high-tech jobs to the U.S. economy, and reduce America's reliance on 
foreign systems. 

The budget also enhances use of the International Space Station to 
improve life on Earth and help make the next great leaps in 
scientific discovery and exploration. 

NASA's science budget supports a balanced portfolio of innovative 
science missions that will reach farther into our solar system, 
reveal unknown aspects of our universe, and provide critical data 
about our home planet. The agency will continue to develop and 
conduct critical tests on the James Webb Space Telescope leading to 
its planned launch in 2018. As the successor to Hubble Space 
Telescope, James Webb again will revolutionize our understanding of 
the universe. NASA also is developing an integrated strategy to 
ensure the next steps for the robotic Mars Exploration Program will 
support science as well as long-term human exploration goals. 

Space Technology work supported in the budget will drive advances in 
new high-payoff space technologies such as laser communications and 
zero-gravity propellant transfer, seeding innovation that will expand 
our capabilities in the skies and in space, supporting economic 
vitality, lowering the cost of other government and commercial space 
activities, and helping to create new jobs and expand opportunities 
for a skilled workforce. 

NASA supports its commitment to enhancing aviation safety and airspace 
efficiency, and reducing the environmental impact of aviation by 
helping to accelerate the nation's transition to the Next Generation 
Air Transportation System through investments in revolutionary 
concepts for air vehicles and air traffic management. 

"The 2013 budget moves us forward into tangible implementation of a 
sustainable and affordable exploration program," NASA's Chief 
Financial Officer Elizabeth Robinson said. 

The NASA budget and supporting information are available at: 

http://www.nasa.gov/budget  

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