House appropriators extend middle finger to NASA's 2024 moon landing goal
The Trump administration proposed in its budget submission for NASA for FY 2021 that $4.7 billion be allocated to exploration research and development (R&D), including the Human Landing System (HLS). The numbers were designed to assure that NASA could return astronauts to the moon by 2024.
However, the House Appropriators were pleased to disagree. The subcommittee that funds NASA marked up a bill that allocated $1.56 billion for exploration R&D. That means that the HLS would get just over $600 million for the next fiscal year, inadequate for achieving a 2024 moon landing.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine reacted to the news with his characteristic calm.
"I want to thank the House Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee for the bipartisan support for NASA's Artemis program. The $628.2 million in funding for the human landing system (HLS) is an important first step in this year's appropriations process. We still have more to do and I look forward to working with the Senate to ensure America has the resources the first woman and next man on the moon need in 2024."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/house-appropriators-extend-middle-finger-to-nasa-s-2024-moon-landing-goal/ar-BB16E4Br?li=BB141NW3&ocid=DELLDHP