Nelson defends “very robust selections” in NASA’s price range proposal

WASHINGTON — NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson defended the company’s plans to chop again or cancel some company applications at a Home listening to, putting a lot of the blame on the toes of Congress.

At a largely collegial 90-minute listening to of the Home Appropriations Committee’s commerce, justice and science committee April 17 about NASA’s fiscal yr 2025 price range proposal, Nelson confronted questions from some members about plans to cut back spending on Mars Pattern Return and cancel a satellite tv for pc servicing mission.

Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) criticized NASA for its choice in March to cancel the On-Orbit Servicing, Meeting and Manufacturing (OSAM) 1 mission, with solely $11 million proposed for the mission in fiscal yr 2025 to shut out the satellite tv for pc servicing venture. OSAM-1 is led by NASA’s Goddard House Flight Middle in Maryland.

“Canceling that program could be catastrophic for scientific innovation in Maryland and end result within the lack of 1,200 jobs,” he stated. NASA, in its announcement of the OSAM-1 cancellation, stated 450 civil servants and contractors have been engaged on the mission.

Nelson famous that OSAM-1 was years delayed and much past its authentic price range. Furthermore, he stated satellite tv for pc servicing applied sciences and wishes had modified from the unique idea of that mission to refuel a spacecraft in low Earth orbit.

“We’re, for ’25, principally wanting us to maneuver on from OSAM,” he stated, noting that NASA might proceed work on the mission by way of the remainder of the present fiscal yr earlier than closing it out. “Within the parlance of the South, this canine doesn’t hunt.”

Nelson argued that the choice to cancel OSAM-1 was tied to broader fiscal pressures on the company created by price range caps enacted by Congress final yr for 2024 and 2025. “Perceive the hand that you simply dealt us,” he informed Trone. “With much less cash, we’ve got to make some very robust selections. Your program is considered one of them. California’s program is one other one.”

“California’s program” is a reference to Mars Pattern Return, led by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory within the state. Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) reiterated his considerations about spending cuts to MSR, together with NASA’s choice to spend $310 million on this system in 2024, which he famous was close to the low finish of the vary allowed by Congress in its 2024 omnibus spending invoice, with solely $200 million proposed for 2025.

He stated he was involved in regards to the potential for added layoffs at JPL that might drop the lab beneath a “essential mass” wanted to hold out missions. “I fear that, after we make sure choices, that we’re slicing to the bone and, on this case, probably amputating JPL.”

Nelson stated he was “fairly sanguine” about the way forward for each MSR and JPL, citing NASA’s plans to hunt different architectures for the pattern return mission in addition to expectations that price range caps shall be lifted after 2025. “I’m very optimistic, as I discuss to our scientists, that it may be finished.”

Close to the tip of the listening to, Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) requested about one other aspect of the price range proposal that has attracted controversy, a 40% discount within the price range for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Astronomers have argued that the lower would convey the mission to a untimely finish.

Morelle famous the telescope has as a lot as a decade of helpful life remaining. “I’d assume we’d need to proceed it,” he stated.

“Keep in mind I stated we needed to make onerous selections,” Nelson responded, noting that Chandra has been in house for almost 25 years. “And it’s time for brand new missions.” NASA has not permitted improvement of any new massive X-ray telescopes to interchange Chandra.

These onerous selections, he reminded appropriators, have been the results of the price range caps enacted final yr as a part of the deal to boost the debt ceiling and keep away from a authorities default. “That’s the compromise you needed to do,” he stated. “If I had been a member, I’d have voted for that, too, to avoid wasting the complete religion and credit score of the U.S. authorities.”

Associated