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NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announces NASA’s 2020
budget request from the Trump Administration to NASA employees, contractors and
the media at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 11, 2019– backdropped
by the Orion Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2) crew capsule being assembled in the
Neil Armstrong Operation and Checkout Building.
Astronaut Karen Nyberg shows off interior of mockup Orion via video link
from NASA’s Johnson Space Center,Texas. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Ken Kremer -- SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM – 11 March
2019
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – The Trump Administration proposed a top line NASA budget of $21.02 Billion for Fiscal Year 2020, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced during a budget rollout speech to employees and the media at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Monday, March 11 – which actually amounts to a significant 2.2% cut that forces a slowdown in development of the agency’s SLS Moon to Mars megarocket and eliminates several science missions like the WFIRST flagship astrophysics space observatory.
Once again NASA is being asked to do more with less - as the Trump Administration shifts NASA’s immediate focus and funding to a human return to the Moon.
Trumps FY 2020 budget request fortifies lunar exploration by fully funding NASA’s 'Gateway’ lunar orbiting outpost as well as providing funds for a human lunar lander for the first time in 10 years.
Overall President Trump has slashed NASA’s 2020 budget by $480 million compared to the actual Fiscal Year 2019 budget appropriated and enacted by Congress in February 2019 – which amounted to $21.5 Billion.
Thus it will be up to the US Congress to act in a bipartisan manner to save NASA science – that is if they choose to do so.
The NASA 2020 budget proposal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) calls for $820 million for building the ‘Gateway’ mini lunar outpost and $363 million for accomplishing a human lunar landing with a commercial lander by 2028 and was highlighted in NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine’s speech at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). But he made no mention of slowing SLS development.
“I want everybody to know that NASA’s budget request is very good,” Bridenstine said at KSC. “We’re going to be able to accomplish more than we’ve ever been able to accomplish before because of the administration’s support.”
"For the first time in over 10 years, we have money in this budget for a return to the moon with humans. I'm talking human-rated landers, compatible with Gateway, that can go back and forth to the surface of the moon."
Enjoy our Space UpClose eyewitness photos attending the event as media.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – The Trump Administration proposed a top line NASA budget of $21.02 Billion for Fiscal Year 2020, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced during a budget rollout speech to employees and the media at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Monday, March 11 – which actually amounts to a significant 2.2% cut that forces a slowdown in development of the agency’s SLS Moon to Mars megarocket and eliminates several science missions like the WFIRST flagship astrophysics space observatory.
Once again NASA is being asked to do more with less - as the Trump Administration shifts NASA’s immediate focus and funding to a human return to the Moon.
Trumps FY 2020 budget request fortifies lunar exploration by fully funding NASA’s 'Gateway’ lunar orbiting outpost as well as providing funds for a human lunar lander for the first time in 10 years.
Overall President Trump has slashed NASA’s 2020 budget by $480 million compared to the actual Fiscal Year 2019 budget appropriated and enacted by Congress in February 2019 – which amounted to $21.5 Billion.
Thus it will be up to the US Congress to act in a bipartisan manner to save NASA science – that is if they choose to do so.
The NASA 2020 budget proposal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) calls for $820 million for building the ‘Gateway’ mini lunar outpost and $363 million for accomplishing a human lunar landing with a commercial lander by 2028 and was highlighted in NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine’s speech at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). But he made no mention of slowing SLS development.
“I want everybody to know that NASA’s budget request is very good,” Bridenstine said at KSC. “We’re going to be able to accomplish more than we’ve ever been able to accomplish before because of the administration’s support.”
"For the first time in over 10 years, we have money in this budget for a return to the moon with humans. I'm talking human-rated landers, compatible with Gateway, that can go back and forth to the surface of the moon."
Enjoy our Space UpClose eyewitness photos attending the event as media.
 |
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announces NASA’s 2020
budget request from the Trump Administration to NASA employees, contractors and
the media at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 11, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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NASA is developing the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy lift booster and Orion crew capsule to send astronauts back to the Moon.
However funding for SLS has been cut by $375 million or 17% and development of the new improved performance Block 1B version is deferred as development of the more powerful Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) is deferred. Orion will be cut by about $84 million.
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Aspirational concept of Gateway crewed lunar
outpost shown by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine as he announces
NASA’s 2020 budget request from the Trump Administration to NASA employees,
contractors and the media at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 11,
2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
|
“The Budget defers upgrades to the SLS known as “Block 1B”, which are not needed for missions planned during the first half of the 2020s. Funding is instead focused on completion of the initial version of the SLS and supporting a reliable SLS and Orion annual flight cadence,” the budget document states.
NASA is currently building the Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) and EM-2 capsules at KSC for the first two uncrewed and crewed test flights in the early 2020s - but launch dates are TBD.
“Due to ongoing challenges, these dates are under review pending completion of independent assessment of core stage production and the integrated mission schedule,” the budget document states.
Bridenstine unveiled an aspirational concept for Gateway that would launch its first US element in 2022- the power and propulsion module. It will be maneuverable to other orbits around the moon to enable exploration of vast areas with both robots and humans.
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Aspirational concept of Gateway crewed lunar
outpost shown by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine as he announces
NASA’s 2020 budget request from the Trump Administration to NASA employees,
contractors and the media at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 11,
2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
|
The Gateway mini station would hopefully include elements from international partners.
Canada has already signed up as the first partner and will build the Canadarm3 robotic arm.
Additional elements from NASA and partners such as the Habitation module and ESPRIT element contributions – yet to be agreed to - would enable the first human Orion crew to board Gateway in 2024 on EM-3.
"Beginning with a series of small commercial delivery missions to the Moon as early as this year, we will use new landers, robots and eventually humans by 2028 to conduct science across the entire lunar surface," Bridenstine elaborated.
"The president has given us Space Policy Directive 1, which says to go back to the moon, and we're going to do that in short order. Maybe even in 2019, but at least by 2020 — with commercial lunar payload services that are going to be funded through the Science Mission Directorate, and all of this is going to be possible because we're looking at going fast.”
 |
NASA Administrator Jim
Bridenstine announces NASA’s 2020 budget request from the Trump Administration
to NASA employees, contractors and the media at the Kennedy Space Center in
Florida on March 11, 2019– backdropped by the Orion Exploration Mission-2
(EM-2) crew capsule being assembled in the Neil Armstrong Operation and
Checkout Building. Astronaut Karen
Nyberg shows off interior of mockup Orion via video link from NASA’s Johnson
Space Center, Texas. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
|
Overall the NASA science budget is cut by $602 million or nearly 10% from $6.9 Billion to $6.3 Billion.
Planetary Science is cut by $136 million, Earth Science by $136 million and Astrophysics by $299 million.
The Europa Clipper mission is funded with almost $600 million but would launch on a commercial rocket in 2023 rather than SLS.
The Mars 2020 robotic rover mission is fully funded and will include the first ever ‘Mars Helicopter’ said Bridenstine. A Mars Sample Return mission also receives startup funding of $109 million.
“The Budget also provides funding for a Mars Sample Return mission launching as early as 2026 that will bring samples collected by Mars 2020 back to Earth,” reads the budget document.
Furthermore President Trump once again stipulates total mission termination for the flagship Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) space telescope – the highest priority in astrophysics as outlined in NASA’s decadal survey. This would save $383 million.
WFIRST is the next space telescope following JWST.
On top of that NASA STEM science education is again zeroed out from $110 million to NOTHING.
“Consistent with prior budgets, provides no funding for PACE, CLARREO-Pathfinder, and the Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Engagement," reads the NASA budget document.
The oft delayed James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is fully funded at $352 million with launch delayed from 2018 to 2021.
“It has been a challenge for me, as your NASA administrator, to go up to the hill and talk about the James Webb Space Telescope,” Bridenstine said. “Some of you might have seen those hearings, and they’re not fun. But I will also tell you this: this administration is committed to the James Webb Space Telescope, and we have bipartisan support.”
Operations funding for the two commercial
crew vehicles SpaceX Crew Dragon and Boeing Starliner continue at $1.828 billion and the International Space
Station at $1.458 billion.
SpaceX just completed the highly successful
uncrewed Demo-1 test flight of Crew Dragon. Boeing Starliner could lift off as
soon as next month.
“We just saw a SpaceX Crew Dragon dock with the International Space Station, deliver some cargo, ultimately do a lot of tests, undock, fly home and land safely,” Bridenstine said at KSC.
“That is a first step in a much longer mission for NASA to become one customer of many customers in low-Earth orbit in a robust commercial marketplace.”
NASA hopes that crewed flights can begin later this year- restoring America’s ability to launch astronauts from American soil and end our sole reliance on Russia since the forced shutdown of the Space Shuttle in 2011.
“We just saw a SpaceX Crew Dragon dock with the International Space Station, deliver some cargo, ultimately do a lot of tests, undock, fly home and land safely,” Bridenstine said at KSC.
“That is a first step in a much longer mission for NASA to become one customer of many customers in low-Earth orbit in a robust commercial marketplace.”
NASA hopes that crewed flights can begin later this year- restoring America’s ability to launch astronauts from American soil and end our sole reliance on Russia since the forced shutdown of the Space Shuttle in 2011.
The Trump Administration is no longer seeking
to end all ISS funding in 2025 – as it did last year to massive opposition in
Congress.
“Provides funding for the International Space
Station which will be used to facilitate a transition to a more robust and
cost-effective commercial approach to human space activities near the Earth," the budget document states.
For example; the National Science Foundation (NSF) budget was cut 12%, the National Institute of Health (NIH) cut 13%, and EPA cut 31%.
Clearly investments in science, medical research and environmental protection are not priorities of the Trump Administration.
Congress if you’re listening, please save NASA and the other US Science Agency’s which are essential drivers to US science, research and development upon which our economic growth, innovation and job growth depend.
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NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announces NASA’s 2020
budget request from the Trump Administration to NASA employees and the media at
the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 11, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
|
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
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Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
Learn more about the upcoming/recent ULA Delta 4 WGS-10, SpaceX Demo-1, Falcon 9 Nusantara Satu launch, USAF GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-16 launch to ISS, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL, evenings:
Mar 14/16: “ULA Delta 4 WGS-10 launch, SpaceX Falcon 9 Demo-1 and Nusantara Satu launch, Dragon CRS-16 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX Falcon GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon Heavy & Falcon 9 launches, upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 USAF GP3 3-01, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto, Kuiper Belt and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
Learn more about the upcoming/recent ULA Delta 4 WGS-10, SpaceX Demo-1, Falcon 9 Nusantara Satu launch, USAF GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-16 launch to ISS, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL, evenings:
Mar 14/16: “ULA Delta 4 WGS-10 launch, SpaceX Falcon 9 Demo-1 and Nusantara Satu launch, Dragon CRS-16 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX Falcon GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon Heavy & Falcon 9 launches, upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 USAF GP3 3-01, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto, Kuiper Belt and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale
Ken’s
upcoming talks:
Apr 3: “Exploring
Mars; The Search for Life & A Journey in 3-D.” 7 PM, Lawton C
Johnson Middle School, Summit, NJ
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