FY15 White House NASA Fact Sheet

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Funding Highlights:
• Provides $17.5 billion in discretionary funding for the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) by prioritizing the research and development that lays the foundation
for future long-term growth and exploration, as well as the key commercial partnerships that
will enable the efficient long-term operations of the International Space Station. This includes:
|| Extending the life of the Space Station to 2024;
|| Allowing NASA and its international partners to continue the research and technology
development work that holds promise to improve life on Earth, advance human capability
to live and work in space, and allow long-term human exploration missions;
|| Partnering with the commercial space industry to regain the capability to send astronauts
into space cost-effectively from U.S. soil;
|| Investing in space technologies, such as advanced in-space propulsion, which is

necessary to increase America’s capabilities in space, bring the cost of space exploration
down, and pave the way for other Federal Government and commercial space activities;
|| Keeping the development of the James Webb Space Telescope, the more powerful
successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, on track for a 2018 launch; and
|| Supporting robust development of NASA’s longer-term human space exploration

programs.
Opportunity, Growth, and Security Initiative:
• Through the Opportunity, Growth, and Security Initiative, supports:
|| The development of game-changing space technologies that will lower the cost and
increase the capabilities of future space activities;
|| The ability of American companies to carry people to space;
|| Science missions and research that will enhance human understanding of the Earth and
solar system; and
|| NASA’s investment in a heavy lift rocket and crew capsule for deep space exploration.
137
138 NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Reforms:
• Contributes to the Government-wide effort to restructure and improve the effectiveness of

science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education programs.
• Achieves savings by reducing funding for lower priority programs, such as the Stratospheric
Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. These savings enable continued support for higher priority
programs, including lower cost, competitive science missions, and extended operations for the
Cassini Saturn mission.
The National Aeronautics and Space Partners with American Commercial

Administration’s (NASA) mission is to drive ad- Space Enterprises. In order to reduce U.S. re-
vances in science, technology, and exploration liance on foreign providers for transporting U.S.
to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, astronauts to and from the International Space
economic vitality, and stewardship of Earth. To Station, the Budget invests in private industry-
achieve this mission, NASA develops aeronautics based solutions that will create competitive trans-
and space technologies, studies the Earth from port capabilities at a lower cost than previous
space, and pioneers the exploration of space. The systems. After the successful completion of the
Budget provides $17.5 billion for NASA to sup- commercial cargo development program, NASA
port investments that will ensure continued U.S. is now purchasing services from two U.S. provid-
leadership in space, while helping to create new ers who have successfully conducted cargo resup-
industries and capabilities. The Budget supports ply missions to the Space Station. Building on
research and development to drive advances in the success of these efforts, the Commercial Crew
space capabilities and strengthens NASA’s abil- Program is a uniquely American partnership
ity to answer increasingly important scientific aimed at introducing new efficiencies in space
questions about the Earth. The Budget also pri- exploration that will strengthen U.S. leadership
oritizes the “seed corn” of technology develop- in space, help produce a more globally competi-
ment, as well as innovative commercial programs tive U.S. space industry, and enable the Nation to
that promise to reduce costs and increase U.S. more fully benefit from the International Space
capabilities. Station’s research capabilities. The Opportunity,
Growth, and Security Initiative provides an ad-
Leads the World in Space Exploration ditional $250 million to speed development and
certification of these systems.
Extends the Life of the International
Space Station. The Budget extends the planned Sustains Investment in Space Tech
life of the International Space Station to 2024. nologies. Advan ced technology investments
The Space Station provides a unique environ- will increase the affordability and safety of space
ment for the research on human health and space activities by NASA, other Federal Government
operations necessary for future long-term human entities, and industry, with the ultimate goal
missions. In addition, the Space Station has of enabling travel to and exploration of desti-
served as a tool for promoting science, technol- nations never before visited. From laboratory
ogy, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) edu- experiments to technology demonstrations on-
cation and inspiring the public. The Opportunity, board the International Space Station to future
Growth, and Security Initiative provides an addi- in-space missions, the Budget funds the testing
tional $100 million to enable the Space Station’s and development of technologies that will be cru-
research facilities to be fully utilized. cial to NASA’s missions and will help to keep the
U.S. aerospace industry competitive with other
THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015 139
nations. The Opportunity, Growth, and Security climate and land imaging observations, NASA
Initiative provides an additional $100 million to missions will advance Earth system science and
develop new space technologies. demonstrate technologies for next generation
measurements.
Unlocks Mysteries of the Universe. The
Budget continues the development of the James Makes Air Travel Safer and More
Webb Space Telescope, a 100-times more capable Cost-Effective
successor to the Hubble Telescope, keeping it on
track for launch in 2018. Within the current con- Promotes Innovation in Aviation. The
strained funding environment, the Budget also Budget continues support for research and devel-
funds high priority planetary science missions, opment to improve the Nation’s air transporta-
including efforts to detect and characterize poten- tion system so that Americans can get where they
tially hazardous Earth asteroids, extension of an need to go as safely and efficiently as possible.
existing Saturn mission, and multiple missions The Budget funds the second year of an initia-
focused on Mars exploration. The Opportunity, tive that will make lighter composite materials
Growth, and Security Initiative provides fund- more easily usable in aviation, and continues to
ing to extend missions that continue to generate fund myriad research projects aimed at increas-
valuable science and to accelerate early work on ing efficiency and reducing environmental im-
a potential successor to the James Webb Space pacts in aviation. The Opportunity, Growth, and
Telescope. Security Initiative provides additional funding
for research to help increase the efficiency and
Continues Human Exploration of the throughput of the air traffic systems that affect
Solar System. The Budget funds the contin- all travelers.
ued development of new systems that will sup-
port crewed missions to deep space. The Space Maximizes Resources
Launch System heavy lift rocket will eventually
be the world’s largest rocket since the Apollo era Supports High-Quality STEM Education
Saturn V, and its capsule counterpart, the Orion Programs. The Budget continues NASA’s effort
Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, is designed to carry to consolidate its education efforts into a more
crews past the Moon. Both programs leverage focused portfolio funded through the Office of
NASA’s skilled workforce and contractor teams Education. Additionally, the Budget provides $15
and build upon existing capabilities to push the million to NASA’s Science Directorate to fund the
reach of humans farther into the solar system, best application of NASA Science assets to meet
with an initial goal of visiting an asteroid in the the Nation’s STEM education goals through a
next decade, followed eventually by a human competitive process.
mission to Mars. The Opportunity, Growth, and
Security Initiative provides an additional $100 Boosts Sustainability and Energy
million to aid the development of the heavy lift Efficiency of NASA Facilities. The Budget
rocket and the Orion capsule. supports a number of initiatives to help NASA
facilities operate in a more efficient and sustain-
Improves Understanding of the Earth able manner. Today, more than 80 percent of
NASA buildings are beyond their design life. The
Advances Science Needed to Improve Budget supports NASA’s efforts to replace or mod-
Prediction of Climate and Weather. The ernize inefficient buildings, providing jobs to local
Budget provides $1.8 billion for NASA’s Earth communities, and leading to increasingly efficient
Science missions that will allow unprecedented use of taxpayer dollars. For example, the Budget
study of climate change and weather modeling supports cost-saving investments across NASA
and prediction. From global measurements of that will reduce the agency’s footprint, co-locate
soil moisture and the ocean to continuation of key
140 NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
personnel, consolidate data centers, increase have the most significant return on investment
energy efficiency, and improve sustainability. and reduces funding for lower priority programs.
For example, the Budget sharply reduces funds
Achieves Savings Through Reducing or for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared
Terminating Lower Priority Programs. Astronomy in order to fund higher priority science
Recognizing the challenges of the fiscal environ- missions.
ment, the Budget focuses on those programs that

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

|| Extending the life of the Space Station to 2024;

|| Investing in space technologies, such as advanced in-space propulsion, which is

|| Supporting robust development of NASA’s longer-term human space exploration

• Through the Opportunity, Growth, and Security Initiative, supports:

|| The ability of American companies to carry people to space;

• Contributes to the Government-wide effort to restructure and improve the effectiveness of

The National Aeronautics and Space Partners with American Commercial

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