The US Congress has published the final version of the NASA spending bill for 2024. It provides for a reduction in the organization’s budget.
In total, the bill stipulates the allocation of USD 24.875 billion to NASA. This is 2% less than the agency received in 2023, and 8.5% less than USD 27.185 billion requested by NASA for 2024. The final figure is also below the levels provided for by separate bills of the House of Representatives and the Senate — USD 25.367 billion and USD 25 billion, respectively.
With regard to the long-suffering MSR (Mars Sample Return) mission, the purpose of which is to deliver samples of Martian soil to Earth, the document provides for a flexible approach. Financial uncertainty about it led to the fact that in February, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory had to lay off 8% of its staff.
The document prescribes NASA to spend at least USD 300 million and no more than USD 950 million on MSR. The organization should also prepare a report indicating a plan for the further implementation of the mission and its architecture.
As for the Artemis program, funding for the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft will remain at the level of 2023. The HLS program, under which SpaceX and Blue Origin are engaged in the creation of lunar descent vehicles, will be fully funded. NASA will also receive money to support commercial orbital stations and finance work on nuclear engines. The bill additionally included a request to NASA to find sufficient funding for the VERITAS mission to study Venus. It was postponed to the early 2030s precisely because of a lack of money.
Curiously, the document also provides for the allocation of 227 million for the OSAM-1 mission, the purpose of which was to service the old Landsat-7 satellite. Just a few days ago, NASA announced the closure of this project.
According to https://spacenews.com
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