Reaction to the FY08 NASA budget

Some quick takes on the proposed FY2008 NASA budget:

House Science and Technology Committee chairman Bart Gordon is critical of the budget, claiming that the administration isn’t offering the agency enough money to carry out all of its missions. “Exploration and human space flight are important long-term missions for the agency and our country. So are NASA’s core activities in science and aeronautics. Yet this budget request and its five-year funding plan do not provide the funding needed to ensure the future health of any of these initiatives. I fear we may be heading for a train wreck if no corrective actions are taken.”

The ranking member of the committee, Rep. Ralph Hall, however, is more welcoming of the budget proposal. “As promised, the President has prioritized funding for NASA, which speaks volumes for his dedication to funding American competitiveness and keeping our nation at the cutting edge of human space flight and exploration.”

The Space Foundation is also unhappy with the proposed level of funding for NASA, saying that it will continue to press for NASA to receive a full one percent of the federal budget (which would be around $29 billion), rather than its current level of 0.6% (0.7% according to the press release.) The Foundation also calls upon the Senate to reverse half-billion cut in NASA’s FY07 budget when it takes up the joint funding resolution some time this week or next. Good luck on both accounts…

SPACE.com has a good summary of the budget proposal and what it means for the agency, including some reaction from NASA officials at the budget briefing this afternoon. On the other extreme, however, is a UPI article with the headline “Bush budgets $6 billion for NASA”. Huh? “U.S. President George W. Bush’s $2.9 trillion fiscal 2008 space and science budget includes more than $6 billion for NASA.” Yes, indeed, the budget includes “more than $6 billion” in FY08 for NASA. And I am more than 12 years old.