Quick Look: President Bush's FY 2009 Budget:  National Aeronautics & Space Administration -- Feb. 4 2008

The California Institute prepares a quick analysis of the President's budget request on the day it is released.  For the FY 2009 Budget, the budget was released the morning of February 4, 2008.  The following represents an examination of this portion of the budget from a California perspective.  For analysis of other components visit our 2009 Budget page.

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA)

The Budget proposes spending $17.6 billion for the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), up from the $17.1 billion estimated in discretionary authority for FY08. California perennially receives a large portion of NASA expenditures.

Science

For the Science account, the Budget proposes $4.4 billion in funding, as compared to the roughly $5.5 billion in FY08 estimated funding. The Aeronautics account will also drop from $622 million in FY08 to $447 million in FY09, and the Space Operations account will drop to $5.775 billion from $6.734 billion.

Exploration

The Exploration account will drop from the FY08 estimate of $3.8 billion to $3.5 billion in FY09 funding. Activities in this account include the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and Space and Flight Support programs. Included in this funding is $1 billion for a new human spaceflight vehicle, the Orion, which is expected to be safer and more reliable than the Space Shuttle. The Budget also includes $1 billion for development of a new kind of rocket, Ares I, to launch Orion.

Other Components

Shortfalls in the other programs will be made up for in Cross-Agency Support programs, where the FY09 request is $3.3 billion, as compared to $376 million in FY08 estimated funding. This program provides for the Agency supporting functions associated with the science, aeronautics, education, space operations, and exploration activities of the agency. This account provides for the research; development; operations; salaries and related expenses; design, repair, rehabilitation, modification of facilities, and construction of new facilities; and other general and administrative activities supporting the themes within the five other program accounts.

The New Millennium Technology Demonstration Program is reduced by $54 million.

 

 

The California Institute prepares a quick analysis of the President's budget request on the day it is released.  The FY 2009 Budget was released the morning of February 4, 2008.  The following represents an examination of this portion of the budget from a California perspective.  For analysis of other components visit our 2009 Budget page.

Official Source Material for FY 2009 Budget -- For your reference, the following are links to mirrored copies of OMB 2009 Budget materials (which are also available from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget via direct download)

 

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