The Senate Appropriations Committee this week voted unanimously to reinforce a current law requiring congressional approval before cutting funds for the Constellation program.
Click here to view a new IAM video about efforts to preserve the U.S. Space program.
The amendment mandates that funds budgeted for Constellation in fiscal 2010 must be used for the program, and that contracts may not be terminated by NASA during the fiscal year. Earlier this year, the Obama administration unveiled a plan to end the Constellation program and shift much of NASA’s budget to outside contractors.
Additionally, the President’s plan to rely on a yet to be developed commercial space industry to ferry astronauts to the international space station was sharply criticized by the IAM in a series of public events that highlighted the economic and national security importance of a NASA-based space program.