Nasa's Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request Hearing
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NASA’S FISCAL YEAR 2010 BUDGET REQUEST HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION MAY 19, 2009 Serial No. 111–28 Printed for the use of the Committee on Science and Technology ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.science.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 49–551PDF WASHINGTON : 2009 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 15:34 Dec 19, 2009 Jkt 049551 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 C:\DWORK\FULL09\051909\49551 SCIENCE1 PsN: SCIENCE1 COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HON. BART GORDON, Tennessee, Chairman JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois RALPH M. HALL, Texas EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER JR., LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California Wisconsin DAVID WU, Oregon LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas BRIAN BAIRD, Washington DANA ROHRABACHER, California BRAD MILLER, North Carolina ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois MARCIA L. FUDGE, Ohio W. TODD AKIN, Missouri BEN R. LUJA´ N, New Mexico RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas PAUL D. TONKO, New York BOB INGLIS, South Carolina PARKER GRIFFITH, Alabama MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New Jersey MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida JIM MATHESON, Utah BRIAN P. BILBRAY, California LINCOLN DAVIS, Tennessee ADRIAN SMITH, Nebraska BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky PAUL C. BROUN, Georgia RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri PETE OLSON, Texas BARON P. HILL, Indiana HARRY E. MITCHELL, Arizona CHARLES A. WILSON, Ohio KATHLEEN DAHLKEMPER, Pennsylvania ALAN GRAYSON, Florida SUZANNE M. KOSMAS, Florida GARY C. PETERS, Michigan VACANCY (II) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 15:34 Dec 19, 2009 Jkt 049551 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DWORK\FULL09\051909\49551 SCIENCE1 PsN: SCIENCE1 C O N T E N T S May 19, 2009 Page Witness List ............................................................................................................. 2 Hearing Charter ...................................................................................................... 3 Opening Statements Statement by Representative Bart Gordon, Chairman, Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................... 17 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 18 Statement by Representative Ralph M. Hall, Minority Ranking Member, Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ......... 19 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 20 Prepared Statement by Representative Jerry F. Costello, Member, Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ............................. 21 Prepared Statement by Representative Harry E. Mitchell, Member, Com- mittee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ................. 21 Witness: Mr. Christopher J. Scolese, Acting Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 22 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 24 Biography .......................................................................................................... 34 Discussion ISS Re-supplying .................................................................................................. 35 Negative Effects of Insufficient Funds ............................................................... 36 Budget Plan for 2020 Goal .................................................................................. 36 ITAR and Export Controls .................................................................................. 37 Transition From the Shuttle to Constellation ................................................... 39 NASA Perspective on Review Panel ................................................................... 40 International Competition ................................................................................... 40 Mars and Moon Programs ................................................................................... 41 Glenn Research Center ........................................................................................ 42 Moon Program and Cyber Security .................................................................... 43 NASA’s Education Efforts ................................................................................... 45 Climate Change and Asteroids ........................................................................... 46 Russian Cooperation ............................................................................................ 47 Shuttle Program Future ...................................................................................... 48 Benefits of NASA ................................................................................................. 49 Aeronautics ........................................................................................................... 50 NASA Workforce During Gap ............................................................................. 51 Current NASA Budget Increase ......................................................................... 53 Orbiting Carbon Observatory .............................................................................. 54 Workforce and Funding Gap ............................................................................... 55 U.S. Space Industrial Base .................................................................................. 56 Appendix: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions Mr. Christopher J. Scolese, Acting Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ............................................................................. 60 (III) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 15:34 Dec 19, 2009 Jkt 049551 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DWORK\FULL09\051909\49551 SCIENCE1 PsN: SCIENCE1 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 15:34 Dec 19, 2009 Jkt 049551 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DWORK\FULL09\051909\49551 SCIENCE1 PsN: SCIENCE1 NASA’S FISCAL YEAR 2010 BUDGET REQUEST TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2009 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 2:05 p.m., in Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Bart Gordon [Chair- man of the Committee] presiding. (1) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 15:34 Dec 19, 2009 Jkt 049551 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 C:\DWORK\FULL09\051909\49551 SCIENCE1 PsN: SCIENCE1 2 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 15:34 Dec 19, 2009 Jkt 049551 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 C:\DWORK\FULL09\051909\49551 SCIENCE1 PsN: SCIENCE1 3 HEARING CHARTER COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NASA’s Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2009 2:00 P.M.–4:00 P.M. 2318 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING Purpose On Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 2:00 p.m., the Committee on Science and Tech- nology will hold a hearing on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request, NASA’s proposed Fiscal Year 2009 Oper- ating Plan, and use of funds provided through the Recovery Act. Witness: Mr. Christopher Scolese Acting Administrator National Aeronautics and Space Administration BACKGROUND INFORMATION Overview The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which was estab- lished in 1958, is the Nation’s primary civil space and aeronautics R&D agency. The projected civil service workforce for FY 2009 is 17,900 employees. NASA has ten field Centers, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). NASA conducts research and develop- ment activities in a wide range of disciplines including aeronautics, astrophysics, heliophysics, planetary science, Earth science and applications, microgravity re- search, and long-term technology development. NASA also operates a fleet of three Space Shuttles and is assembling and operating the International Space Station (ISS). NASA is undertaking an exploration initiative with the goals of developing a new human space transportation system for both low-Earth orbit and for missions beyond low-Earth orbit, returning American astronauts to the Moon by 2020, and carrying out a broad program of human and robotic exploration of the solar system. NASA also maintains a space communications network that supports both NASA missions and other federal agency requirements. As of 2007, the most recent date for which complete data are available, about 82 percent of NASA’s budget was for contracted work. In addition, a number of NASA’s scientific and human space flight activities involve collaboration with international participants. Budgetary Information NASA’s proposed budget for FY 2010 is $18.7 billion, an increase of 5.1 percent over the enacted FY09 appropriation for NASA. The FY10 budget projection for NASA beyond FY10 is essentially flat through FY13. Attachment 1 summarizes the FY10 budget request and its five-year funding plan. In addition, The American Re- covery and Reinvestment Act [P.L. 111–5], included $1 billion for NASA’s Earth science,