Nasa Administrator Defends Commercial Crew Program Under Attack By Us Texas Senator

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told members of the Senate in a CAPITOL HILL HEARING Wednesday, March 7, 2012, that spending more on the SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM (SLS) HEAVY-LIFT ROCKET and Orion crew capsule would not allow the government-owned vehicles to make their debut any sooner than 2017, reports Dan Leone at "SPACENEWS".

Bolden's remarks came in response to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. The Texas Senator sparred with Bolden over the administration's proposal to decrease funding for a rocket development program that she has championed at a congressional hearing, acoording to the "DALLAS MORNING NEWS".

Bolden made his assertion in response to complaints from the committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, that President Barack Obama's 17.71 billion NASA budget proposal draws funds away from SLS and Orion to pay for a steep increase for the agency's Commercial Crew Program.

NASA is seeking nearly 3 billion for SLS and Orion for 2013. But with about 10 percent of that money budgeted for related ground and support infrastructure, funding for actual vehicle development would be about 325 million less than Congress provided for 2012.

At the same time, NASA is seeking to raise the Commercial Crew Program's budget to 830 MILLION FOR 2013, which is significantly above the 500 million Congress authorized for the program and more than double the program's current budget, according to "SPACE NEWS". NASA is trying to outsource flights to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station to the private space sector.

"I'M GOING TO PAY THE RUSSIANS 450 MILLION A YEAR FOR EVERY YEAR THAT I DON'T HAVE AN AMERICAN CAPABILITY TO PUT HUMANS INTO LOW EARTH ORBIT," Bolden testified. "I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. YOU AND I HAVE BOTH AGREED. BUT THAT'S THE PRICE I PAY," reported "THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE".

The text of NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's remarks to the Senate Committee ARE HERE. Inclosing, General Bolden reminded that commercial spaceflight was included in the original NASA Space Act in 1958 and was also included in the President's 2010 national space policy.

General Bolden offered that an American commercial crew and cargo program needed to be developed so the American commercial companies could offer those services too ther nations that also want a way to carry crew and cargo to low Earth orbit, in his opening statement.