Contrary to Trump's budget proposal for 2018, which was published just a few days ago and proposed to cut the agency's budget, Trump yesterday signed the "NASA Transition Authorization Act", which increases its budget for the current year. The law, which passed unanimously in Congress, defines a manned mission to Mars in the 30s as an official goal of the agency. In addition, the administration announced its intention to renew the activities of the "National Space Council", which was disbanded in 1993. The council will be chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, and its role will be to direct and coordinate the American space program.
Trump signed yesterday "NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017". The law is the first of its kind that Congress has passed since 2010, and its main goal is to maintain stability in the agency's missions during the presidential transition period. Among other things, it is designed to prevent a radical change like the one carried out by President Obama after taking office, so he Canceled the "Constellation Program" initiated by his predecessor, President Bush.
The law passed unanimously in the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the presidential signature now makes it official law. The central significant section of the law is the allocation of 19.5 billion dollars to the space agency for the current year, an increase of 200 million dollars from last year. Due to the presidential elections, last year the annual budget proposed by the Obama administration was not approved, so the agency operated on a temporary budget weighted from previous years.
The significant increase in the agency's budget stands in contrast to the cut he proposed Trump just a few days ago, in his budget proposal for 2018, in which the agency's budget is 19.1 billion dollars.
At the signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, Trump emphasized his support for strengthening the private sector in the field of space: "This law will ensure that NASA's most important and effective programs will continue, and directs NASA to continue transferring activities to the private sector, where we have seen incredible progress." It is amazing what is happening, so many people and so many companies are very interested in what NASA advocates. So the private and commercial sector will be able to use these [NASA] facilities, and I hope they will pay us a lot of money, but they will make a lot of progress.”
He added: "This nation is ready to be the first time in space again. Today we are taking the first steps towards a bold and bright future of American spaceflight."
Honored to sign S.442 today. With this legislation, we support @NASA's scientists, engineers, and astronauts in their pursuit of discovery! pic.twitter.com/9W37qQ0GVf
- Donald J. Trump (@ realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2017
As mentioned, the law orders NASA to continue its various activities, such as the development of the SLS heavy launch vehicle, the Orion spacecraft and the James Webb Space Telescope. It also determines the continuation of the agency's "Commercial Crew Program", in which it helps SpaceX and Boeing develop commercial spacecraft that will launch American astronauts to the International Space Station.
The law instructs NASA to examine the possibility of using the Orion spacecraft, which are intended for deep space flights, also as spacecraft for the space station if the private spacecraft encounter any delay.
The law also states that the agency must prepare for a mission to Mars (although not necessarily a landing on it) in 2033, thus continuing NASA's main goal for several years. Despite the goal established by law, it is not clear if this will also be the goal of the Trump administration, which has not yet announced its policy on the matter, and seems rather to be more interested in returning to the moon.
Vice President Mike Pence will chair the National Space Council
During the signing ceremony of the law, Vice President Mike Pence announced that Trump would resume his activities National Space Council (National Space Council), which was disbanded in 1993. The council is responsible, officially at least, for coordinating all the activities of the agencies and organizations related to the American space program, and for linking the military, intelligence, civil, scientific and commercial aspects related to space. Pence said at the ceremony: "In a very short time, the president will work to relaunch the National Space Council, and he has asked me to chair it, as vice presidents have done in the past."
The Council has operated, in various capacities and intermittently, since the establishment of NASA in 1958. In 1973, President Nixon dissolved the Council, but in 1989, Congress ordered its reinstatement, and it operated during the term of President George Bush Sr. Bill Clinton re-disbanded the council after taking office in 1993, although the law still mandates its operation.
The idea of renewing the activities of the National Space Council has come up several times in the past: Obama promised to do so before the presidential election in 2008, but in the end did not keep his promise. Trump also raised this possibility in his presidential campaign, and the idea continued to float during the presidential transition period.
It is not entirely clear whether the renewal of the National Space Council will really help advance the US space program. In a historical review of the council's activity, John Longstone, professor emeritus at George Washington University, emphasized that its activity over the years has been plagued by many problems - among other things, many presidents have avoided relying on it in determining their space policy, and government organizations such as NASA have seen it as a bureaucratic obstacle in communicating with the president. Longstone, however, points out that if Vice President Mike Pence shows leadership and interest in the council's activities, then its renewal may have a great advantage.
Watch the signing ceremony at the White House:
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Herzl:
On what basis do you claim that? Can you point to a section of the law that prohibits "climate studies"? The law passed unanimously in Congress, and if it had such a ban I find it hard to believe that the Democrats would have supported it. If I remember correctly the law ignores the field of Earth exploration and leaves it open.
Perhaps you are talking about Trump's budget proposal, which requires the approval of Congress, which really seriously harms the study of climate change and the environment, and also cancels a satellite in the field that NASA is developing. But specifically with regard to NASA, the proposed cut in the field of Earth exploration is relatively limited (from approximately 1.9 billion to 1.8 billion).
The law also prohibits conducting climate studies. Satellites that have already been launched and aimed at Earth will probably be abandoned in space (a tiny budget is needed to continue receiving the data, but this is prohibited). Climate research satellites under construction will not be launched. Hundreds of climate scientists will be fired from NASA and other research organizations. So increase the budget for a manned flight to Mars - probably no life will come back.
The "president-elect" of the USA is simply mentally ill and an idiot.
It's amazing that at the end of the "primitive" and "stupid" president, who apparently on the issues of abortion, religion, weapons and more, I'm insanely far from him,
Understands that the future of humanity requires an hourly investment in space exploration compared to the intelligent President Obama who has hated me since he canceled the Constellation program. He also understands that a country should take care of security first, and when security is good, take care of the well-being of the citizens, and when the residents' well-being is good, take care of the rest of the world.