National Aeronautics and Space Administration's FY2001 Budget Request and FY2001-FY2002 Authorization: Description and Analysis

Publication Date: January 2001

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

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Research Area: Science and technology

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Abstract:

For FY2001, NASA requested $14.035 billion, an increase of 3.2% above the FY2000 appropriations. This was the first budget increase requested by NASA in seven years. Of the request, $9.73 billion is for R&D, an increase of 0.8% above the FY2000 level. NASA requested an increase of $206 million for Space Science and $69.9 million for Aero-Space Technology. The agency requested a decrease of $208.6 million for the International Space Station.

In its request, NASA proposed a five-year, $4.4 billion ($290 million for FY2001) effort to develop the technology base for a 2nd generation reusable launch vehicle (RLV), and a 10-year, $1.7 billion ($20 million for FY2001) program — Living With a Star — to study the origins of eruptions on the Sun’s surface that can result in damage to Earth satellites. Another initiative in the request was a five-year, $1.9 billion effort for safety and supportability upgrades for the Space Shuttle.

The budget request highlighted several issues that were considered by the 106th Congress. A perennial concern was U.S. reliance on Russia for construction of the ISS, and the problems Russia is having in meeting its commitments. An issue that intensified this past year was whether NASA’s “faster, better, cheaper” policy about deployment of its scientific missions resulted in too many failures and not enough attention to the scientific objectives of the mission. Concerns were also raised about NASA’s plans to develop a follow-on RLV to the Space Shuttle. In the meantime, there was growing concern about the safety and reliability of the shuttle, although the shuttle upgrade program proposed by NASA could address those concerns. It is likely that these issues will continue to be important for the 107th Congress.

On October 27, 2000, the VA/HUD appropriations bill for FY2001 (P.L. 106-377, H.Rept. 106-988) was signed providing $14.285 billion for NASA, 1.8% above the request and 5.0% above FY2000. Included in the amount is a shift, proposed by NASA subsequent to the initial budget request, of $75 million to the Mars 2003 Lander program from other NASA programs. All other programs are being funded at or above the level requested originally including the Living With a Star and 2nd generation RLV initiatives.

On October 30, 2000, the NASA authorization bill for FY2001 and FY2002 became law (P.L. 106-391 and H. Rept. 106-843). The Act authorizes $14.184 billion for FY2001 and $14.465 billion for FY2002. The Living With a Star and 2nd generation RLV initiatives were both authorized. In addition, Act put a cap of $25 billion on total ISS development costs with a 20% contingency fund to cover “urgent situations” that may arise. The 106th Congress also expressed support for the “faster, better, cheaper” concept, while urging NASA to improve its implementation.