{ "id": "R41016", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R41016", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 413343, "date": "2011-01-27", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T01:07:27.884357", "title": "The Future of NASA: Space Policy Issues Facing Congress", "summary": "The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-267) authorized major changes of direction for NASA. Among these, it called for the development of a new, crew-capable, heavy-lift rocket, and it provided for the development of commercial services to transport NASA crews into low Earth orbit. However, under the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 (P.L. 111-242 as amended by P.L. 111-322), NASA continues to operate under a requirement to proceed with its previous human spaceflight program. Moreover, in a period of fiscal constraint, it is unclear whether future appropriations will match the growing NASA budgets envisioned by the 2010 act. Thus the 112th Congress is likely to continue to closely examine the future of NASA.\nBefore the 2010 act, NASA\u2019s priorities were governed by the Vision for Space Exploration. The Vision was announced by President Bush in January 2004 and endorsed by Congress in the 2005 and 2008 NASA authorization acts (P.L. 109-155 and P.L. 110-422). It directed NASA to focus its efforts on returning humans to the Moon by 2020 and some day sending them to Mars and \u201cworlds beyond.\u201d The resulting efforts are approaching major decision points, such as the end of the space shuttle program and key milestones for the Constellation spacecraft development program intended to replace the shuttle. A high-level independent review of the future of human space flight, chaired by Norman R. Augustine, issued its final report in October 2009. It presented several options as alternatives to the Vision and concluded that for human exploration to continue \u201cin any meaningful way,\u201d NASA would require an additional $3 billion per year above previous plans.\nIn February 2010, the Obama Administration proposed cancelling the Constellation program and eliminating the goal of returning humans to the Moon. NASA would instead rely on commercial providers to transport astronauts to Earth orbit, and its ultimate goal beyond Earth orbit would be human exploration of Mars, with missions to other destinations, such as visiting an asteroid in 2025, as intermediate goals. Operation of the International Space Station would be extended to at least 2020, and long-term technology development would receive increased emphasis. The 2010 authorization act incorporated many of these proposals, though it retained elements of Constellation and scaled back the proposed emphasis on commercial providers and technology development.\nAs the 112th Congress oversees NASA\u2019s implementation of the 2010 act and considers how to address the broad space policy challenges that remain, it faces questions about\nwhether NASA\u2019s human exploration program is affordable and sufficiently safe, and if so, what destination or destinations it should explore;\nhow to ensure that new spacecraft for human exploration, both government-owned and commercial, are developed effectively, despite budget constraints;\nhow to manage the transition of workforce and facilities as the space shuttle program comes to an end during 2011;\nhow best to manage and utilize the International Space Station; and\nhow NASA\u2019s multiple objectives in human spaceflight, science, aeronautics, and education should be prioritized.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R41016", "sha1": "19e059d94e898fff0b092df93d1ee4530fab1fb3", "filename": "files/20110127_R41016_19e059d94e898fff0b092df93d1ee4530fab1fb3.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R41016", "sha1": "b0d726f51ac027be5997ce5d4594bf96d29a3f2b", "filename": "files/20110127_R41016_b0d726f51ac027be5997ce5d4594bf96d29a3f2b.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc491417/", "id": "R41016_2010Jul08", "date": "2010-07-08", "retrieved": "2015-01-27T19:40:46", "title": "The Future of NASA: Space Policy Issues Facing Congress", "summary": "This report analyzes questions regarding space policy challenges and gives some possible answers. It also addresses a number of cross-cutting issues, such as NASA's interactions with other federal agencies and the growing role of the commercial space industry.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20100708_R41016_bc789f30c7445ffe538016b5de4dd5e58d570409.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20100708_R41016_bc789f30c7445ffe538016b5de4dd5e58d570409.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Science policy", "name": "Science policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Space policy", "name": "Space policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Space activities", "name": "Space activities" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Space programs", "name": "Space programs" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501922/", "id": "R41016_2010Apr19", "date": "2010-04-19", "retrieved": "2015-03-30T22:03:27", "title": "The Future of NASA: Space Policy Issues Facing Congress", "summary": "This report analyzes questions regarding space policy challenges and gives some possible answers. It also addresses a number of cross-cutting issues, such as NASA's interactions with other federal agencies and the growing role of the commercial space industry.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20100419_R41016_61efce4030c22a0feb531c6ae46d81c09292e897.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20100419_R41016_61efce4030c22a0feb531c6ae46d81c09292e897.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Science policy", "name": "Science policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Space activities", "name": "Space activities" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Space policy", "name": "Space policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Space programs", "name": "Space programs" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc505621/", "id": "R41016_2010Jan14", "date": "2010-01-14", "retrieved": "2015-05-29T05:37:21", "title": "The Future of NASA: Space Policy Issues Facing Congress", "summary": "This report analyzes questions regarding space policy challenges and gives some possible answers. It also addresses a number of cross-cutting issues, such as NASA's (the National Aeronautics and Space Agency's) interactions with other federal agencies and the growing role of the commercial space industry.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20100114_R41016_b28f2015674e5ac499f68170f3706b3011c10bc4.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20100114_R41016_b28f2015674e5ac499f68170f3706b3011c10bc4.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Science policy", "name": "Science policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Space policy", "name": "Space policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Space activities", "name": "Space activities" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Space programs", "name": "Space programs" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Appropriations", "National Defense", "Science and Technology Policy" ] }