NASA requests $1.2 billion for the Commercial Crew spaceflight program (CCP) in FY ’16, a nearly 54 percent increase from the $805 million that was enacted in FY ’14, according to budget documents released Monday.
CCP is the program to allow the United States to return delivering its astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA currently rents seats from Russia to get astronauts to and from ISS. Though the request for Commercial Crew this year is a big boost, NASA expects CCP funding requests to decline through 2020. Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham said Monday in a statement NASA’s CCP request keeps the program on track toward a competitive, two-supplier system that will return the United States to human spaceflight operations in two years. The Space Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing space-related endeavors.
NASA, in total, requests $18.5 billion for FY ’16, a 2.9 percent increase from the $18 billion enacted last year. The civil space agency also expects to request $18.8 billion in FY ’17.
NASA requests $620 million for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a Northrop Grumman [NOC]-led program. The $620 million request would be a 3.9 percent decrease from the $645 million requested last year. JWST will be a large infrared (IR) telescope with a 6.5-meter primary mirror. The project has a 2018 launch goal, according to NASA. Ball Aerospace [BLL] and Exelis [XLS] are also contributing to JWST.
NASA requests less funding for its Orion space vehicle and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for FY ’16. The civil space agency requests nearly $1.1 billion for Orion, 8.2 percent less than the nearly $1.2 billion enacted in FY ’15. NASA also requests nearly $1.4 billion for SLS, down 20 percent from the $1.7 billion enacted last year. Lockheed Martin [LMT] is the prime contractor for Orion, which on Dec. 5 launched atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket on the Orion Flight Test, a two-orbit, four-hour flight that tested many of its critical safety systems.
NASA expects a continuous uptick in ISS funding through 2020. The civil space agency requests $3.1 billion for FY ’15, a 4.8 percent increase from the nearly $3 billion provided two years ago. Numbers were not provided for FY ’15. NASA expects a steady increase of expected funding for ISS, culminating with a possible $4 billion request in FY ’20. President Barack Obama’s administration last year approved United States participation in ISS through 2024.
NASA requests $1.6 billion in FY ’16 for ISS crew and cargo transportation, up roughly 15 percent from the nearly $1.4 requested in FY ’14. Numbers were not available for FY ’15. NASA purchases cargo delivery to ISS under the Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) contracts with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) and Orbital Sciences [ORB].
The FY ’16 budget supports these contracted flights as well as future flights, NASA said. The ISS crew and cargo transportation program also funds activities supporting visiting vehicles that provide transportation for the ISS like SpaceX’s Dragon space capsule, including integration activities and the NASA docking system.