Space News [subscription required] reported late Wednesday that House and Senate budget negotiators have agreed to give NASA $15.9 billion in FY2005. That amount is less than the $16.2 billion that President Bush originally requested, as well as the $16.4 billion the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed (a figure that includes $800 million in emergency funding), but more than the $15.1 billion in the House version of the budget. The article also notes that the bill includes additional money for shuttle RTF and Hubble robotic repair mission activities, presumably at the expense of exploration-related programs. The Orlando Sentinel also reports Thursday that a compromise at $15.9 billion is in the works, although Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) said he is continuing to push for the full $16.2 billion plus additional RTF funding.
The Houston Chronicle reported Thursday that the Office of Management and Budget has issued another veto threat, claiming that the President could veto the entire omnibus budget bill if it has “anything close” to the House’s $15.1 billion NASA proposal. OMB is also opposed to the Senate’s emergency funding measure. The article doesn’t mention if the $15.9 billion compromise would be acceptable to OMB. It would be very surprising if Bush vetoed a giant budget bill over a few hundred million dollars.
I’m almost afraid to say anything, least I jinx the process, but NASA’s budget prospects are looking good!
Can we expect our elected officials to care that much about space policy though? Last July’s release of New Moon Rising has only sold about 500 copies as of mid November, 2004, according to very credible sources. Judging from the lack of interest, maybe we’ll never get enough political support for a Mars program? Regardless, any politicians that back the new space exploration initiative seem to be doing so without much of an expectation of political gain beyond that which is merely pork-related. I had no idea how challenged our cause is until I saw that 500 copies sold figure though.
Rich:
We have sold many more copies than that and are heading toward a revised (second) printing.
Try using your real name once in a while, coward.
How soon Keith? I’ll donate my current copy to the local library and buy the second edition
Not exactly sure yet – still debating how much “revision” there will be i.e. what cutoff do we assume in terms of new things to include.
Cowing:
Prove it. Highly reliable sources in the know about your book’s sales have persuasively demonstrated that you’re lying ONCE AGAIN (just like when you claimed you had exclusive rights to use “NASA Watch” in a domain address prior to being publicly proven wrong yet again while your corruption gets exposed on a regular basis). And if you check in my post above, you’ll see that I DID use my name… in the e-mail address. But what’s a little detail to someone who prefers telling sweeping lies, regardless. I’m sincerely sorry about your sales though. Perhaps if you weren’t so into abusing others, more would have forked over $20 so you could have gotten enough commissions to justify a few of the many hours spent writing the sycophantic book.
You don’t have any sources Rich. You are just making this up – and you are afraid to put your name to these fabricated accusations – or cite your ‘source’.
As for using your name – you never do. Go look at your post. Your name does not appear in the email address.
>Highly reliable sources
Like who?
NASA’s budget prospects are looking good!
let’s see, NASA is getting $300 million less than what the president asked for, with more money to be spent on shuttle and hubble than in the original budget – all coming out of the exploration program, no doubt. the only folks who can think that’s good are lifetime members of the shuttle fan club. that, and perhaps John Kerry.
A modest request: please limit your discussions to the topic of this post — which in this case is the FY05 NASA budget, not the sales of a particular book — and avoid personal attacks on other discussion participants. Thank you.
Jeff:
I apologize. Just to bring some closure to this matter if you don’t mind though please, and to clear my name in Keith’s mind, Jeff could likely confirm to anyone who cares that when I made the initial post I did indeed include my name in the e-mail address. It doesn’t appear though, I now see. But it’s there. And so is the credibility of my highly reliable sources as far as the other assertion made above (the 500 copies sold figure as of November 16th, 2004). If I were wrong, I’d be proven as such but hey…nobody wants to risk violating consumer protection laws by overstating sales, and so the only rebuttal I see is that I supposedly lack sources. Whatever. Of course we know what would happen if I indiscretely disclosed my reliable sources prior to (hopefully) being sued, though. Harassment would ensue. Who needs it. But Keith, PLEASE sue me for libel. Oh how I wish you finally would. The truth’s an absolute defense and society deserves to learn a lot more than what I’ve publicly disclosed thus far about you, which court proceedings would better enable me to disclose. OK Jeff, I will now refrain from further posts since you have kindly allowed me to bring closure to this issue. Happy Thanksgiving to all. And may competitive prizes survive and surprize.
Dogsbd:NASA’s budget prospects are looking good!
AJ Mackenzie: let’s see, NASA is getting $300 million less than what the president asked for………..
Well gee, I don’t think the final figure has been decided on yet. And at the time I wrote my comment the final figure certainly had not been decided, irregardless I only made a prediction IE that the “budget prospects are LOOKING good” not a statement of fact that the final budget would be good.
Mmmmm… 16.2 billion, NASA budget prospects are still looking good.
There was a claim made earlier in this discussion by Mr. Robins about the sales of the book New Moon Rising. While those claims have been refuted by Mr. Cowing in this same discussion, I have received information from other sources that support Mr. Cowing and show that the book has sold far more copies that Mr. Robins alleges. I regret this discussion got out of hand, but remind all participants that the responsibility for any and all comments left here lies entirely with those writing the comments, and not with myself. I do not moderate the messages here nor am I privy to all the information required to pass judgement on the validity of any claims made in any comment.
Should problems like this continue, I will have no recourse left but to eliminate the comment functionality of this weblog. I am closing the comments for this post. Should you have any questions about this, please email me.