106-103 – “Support Increased NASA Funding for Space Science”

Click here to go back to “Resolutions”

WHEREAS, the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 provides that NASA shall expand human knowledge of the Earth, of phenomena in the atmosphere and space and preserve the role of the United States as a leader in space science;

WHEREAS, NASA space science programs such as the Hubble Space Telescope, the Mars Exploration Rovers and Deep Impact have made significant contributions to our understanding of space and the nation’s economy;

WHEREAS, NASA space science programs such as Voyager One and the Spitzer Space Telescope inspire our nation’s youth to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM);

WHEREAS, NASA funding for space science was projected to reach a level of $5.960 billion in fiscal year 2007 and to increase to $6.797 billion in fiscal year 2010;

WHEREAS, the President’s budget request for space science in fiscal year 2007 was $5.330 billion and included a 15 percent reduction in science research, a 50 percent reduction in astrobiology research and the termination of several significant space science programs;

WHEREAS, the President directed NASA in a Vision for U.S. Space Exploration on January 14, 2004, to advance U.S. scientific, security and economic interests through a robust space exploration program by returning to the Moon by 2020 and to travel to Mars and other destinations at a later time;

WHEREAS, Congress approved the Vision for U.S. Space Exploration in Public Law 109-155, the NASA Authorization Act of 2005, and authorized funding for NASA of $17.932 billion for fiscal year 2007 and $18.686 billion for fiscal year 2008 in this law;

WHEREAS, the President’s budget request for NASA was $16.8 billion for fiscal year 2007;

WHEREAS, the House Appropriations Committee approved NASA funding of $16.709 billion and the Senate Appropriations Committee approved funding of $16.757 billion for fiscal year 2007;

WHEREAS, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved additional emergency funding for NASA of $1.04 billion in fiscal year 2007 to pay for the return of the Space Shuttle fleet to flight after the loss of the space shuttle Columbia in 2004;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Aerospace States Association encourages the United States Congress to approve emergency funding for NASA of $1.04 billion in fiscal year 2007, to approve additional emergency funding of at least $1 billion in fiscal year 2008 and to establish as a longer range goal one percent of the federal budget for NASA.

Approved by a vote of the ASA membership on October 4, 2006

Loren Leman,
Lieutenant Governor, Alaska
Chairman, Aerospace States Association

Click here to go back to “Resolutions”