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For Immediate Release
09/25/08
Contact: Rob Blumenthal w/Inouye 202-224-8374
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Senate Approves National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate today unanimously approved a substitute amendment to H.R. 6063, a bill to reauthorize the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The substitute includes agreed upon text that resolves differences between the House bill and the Commerce Committee’s version, S. 3270.

The NASA Authorization Act of 2008 provides a $20.2 billion authorization of appropriations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 to fund the various activities of the agency. The authorization includes $1 billion to accelerate the initial operating capability of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle and $100 million for the development and demonstration of a commercial crew vehicle. The total authorization of appropriations is approximately $2.6 billion above the President’s request for FY 2009.

“I am pleased that the Senate passed the NASA reauthorization for 2008, and I look forward to swift passage by the House,” said Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii). “Recent international events have made it imperative that we provide NASA with the guidance it needs to successfully transition from the Shuttle program to the new Constellation program. I would like to thank Senator Bill Nelson for his leadership on the Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics, and Related Sciences, for his dedication to space policy, and for the key role he played in drafting this important legislation.”

The bill reaffirms Congress’s support of the goals of U.S. space exploration, including activities related to Moon missions and Mars exploration, and expresses support for both international cooperation and commercial involvement in space exploration activities. The bill reaffirms support for the goals of Earth science research, including a focus on the future of Earth observation activities and recommendations from the National Academies’ Earth Science decadal survey.

The bill includes a number of provisions related to ensuring that the United States has uninterrupted human access to space. Specifically, the bill provides flexibility to the next Administration regarding the Space Shuttle’s retirement by preventing the Administrator from continuing any activities that would prohibit uninterrupted and safe flight of the Space Shuttle, and requires NASA to provide a report on the impacts of extending the Space Shuttle. The bill expresses support for the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program and directs the Administrator to establish a competition to develop a private sector capability to launch human crew. Recognizing that the Shuttle will eventually be retired, the bill requires the Administrator to establish a Space Shuttle Transition Liaison Office to assist local communities that would be affected by the retirement.

The International Space Station is an important component of the U.S. space program, and in an effort to ensure that the Station’s scientific capabilities are utilized to the maximum extent, the bill requires the agency to develop a plan to support the operations of the Station beyond 2015. The bill requires the Administrator to establish an International Space Station National Laboratory Advisory Committee to assess and recommend scientific research that will make effective use of the Station.  The bill also requires the Administrator to plan an additional Shuttle mission to deliver scientific experiments to the Station.

Aeronautics is an important area of research and a critical component of NASA’s mission. The bill aligns the agency’s aeronautics research with the high-priority challenges described in the National Research Council’s 2006 Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics. The bill outlines a series of aeronautics research initiatives related to research and development in environmentally friendly aeronautics technology, supersonic flight and the impact of sonic booms, and aviation weather and climate change research.
 
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September 2008 Press Releases  « August | October »   « 2007 | 2009 » 
27th -  Senate Passes Maritime Administration Reauthorization
27th -  Hutchison Praises Congressional Passage of NASA Reauthorization Bill
26th -  Senate Passes Broadband Data Improvement Act
26th -  Senate Passes National Sea Grant College Program Reauthorization
26th -  Senate Passes Hydrographic Services Improvement Act Amendments of 2008
26th -  Commerce Committee Approves CPB and DOT Nominations, USCG Promotions
26th -  Senate Gives Coast Guard Increased Authority to Interdict Submarines Smuggling Drugs into the United States
25th -  Senator Hutchison Calls for Increased Transparency and Disclosure in Online Advertising
25th -  Inouye Praises House Passage of Rail Safety and Amtrak Bill, Calls for Immediate Passage in Senate
25th -  current Press Release
24th -  Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Safety Hearing
23rd -  Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for Broadband Consumer Privacy Hearing
23rd -  Inouye Urges Agencies to Redouble DTV Transition Efforts
22nd -  Commerce Committee Announces Hearing to Examine Safety of Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation
18th -  Senator Hutchison Calls for Improved Bus Safety Standards
18th -  Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for DTV Transition Hearing
18th -  Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for U.S.-Korea Automobile Trade Imbalance Hearing
17th -  Commerce Committee to Examine Consumer Privacy Issues Related to Broadband Service Providers
16th -  Senator Hutchison Commends Dept. of Commerce for Helping Nursing Homes with DTV Converter Box Program
16th -  Inouye Calls for Immediate Passage of S.1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act
16th -  Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for Bus Safety Hearing
12th -  Commerce Committee to Hear Testimony from Corporation for Public Broadcasting Nominees
12th -  Commerce Committee to Review Progress of DTV Transition with FCC, NTIA
12th -  Commerce Committee Announces Witnesses for Hearing on Consumer Benefits of Broadband
11th -  Commerce Committee Releases MARAD Bill Financial Disclosure Certification
11th -  Commerce Committee Cancels Hearing to Examine Marine Protected Areas
10th -  Senator Hutchison Cosponsors Calling Card Legislation to Help Consumers
9th -  Commerce Committee to Hold Hearing on Consumer Benefits of Broadband
8th -  Commerce Committee to Examine Marine Protected Areas
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