NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #18/NN_1992_18.iso/spool/sci/research/882

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From: [e-mail] (Russel Shermer (R43))
Newsgroups: sci.research
Subject: fyi #114: SACR: Space Station
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Date: 19 Aug 92 15:40:12 GMT
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Posted for:
Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
Contact:  Audrey T. Leath
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Senate Appropriations Committee Report:  Space Station

FYI No. 114, August 19, 1992

The Senate Appropriations Committee has produced the report, S.
Rept. 102-356, to accompany its version of H.R. 5679, the VA, HUD,
Independent Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 1993.  FYI
#113 provided information on funding for NASA's space science and
applications.  Below are selected portions of the report as it
pertains to Space Station Freedom.  All amounts are changes made to
the President's budget request:

     -$103,000,000 from space station development activities, to be
taken at the agency's discretion subject to the normal
reprogramming guidelines.  Emphasis should be placed on reducing
contractor overhead rates, minimizing redundant systems engineering
and integration activities, and eliminating unnecessary management
tasks.  Any additional reductions in development activities should
be targeted to costs identified only with the permanently manned
phase of the space station program.

     -$35,000,000 from space station operations.

     -$12,000,000 from studies for the assured crew rescue vehicle.
Any additional funds for ACRV studies should be deferred until
completion of the evaluation of using the Russian Soyuz-TM for such
purposes.  The Committee is concerned about recent reports which
indicate that NASA may choose to hire an additional program
integrator for a Russian Soyuz effort.  This would seemingly only
add another layer of management and cost with few discernable
benefits.  The Committee strongly believes any additional savings
from using a Russian ACRV should be reinvested back into other key
NASA programs-- such as a fifth shuttle orbiter or an augmentation
of the high-speed commercial transport initiative.

"The Committee is providing a program level of $2,100,000,000 for
fiscal year 1993 for the space station, an amount only slightly
above the current year's activities.  In allocating these funds,
NASA is directed to maintain all of its commitments to the current
program consistent with House Report 101-900 and its letters to the
Committee of March 20, 1991, and April 15, 1991, outlining the
content of the restructured space station program.  Bill language
has been added to ensure that current assembly sequence remains in
place.  The initial phase of space station activities will be
man-tended in nature with an emphasis on microgravity science
devoted largely to biomedical and materials research.

"The Committee is encouraged by recent progress between NASA and
the National Institutes of Health to develop a biomedical protocol
for space station experiments.  The Committee urges NASA to
continue to strengthen these links and to develop appropriate
flight opportunities for precursor space station experiments."

The full Senate intends to vote on the VA/HUD bill when it returns
from recess on September 8.


###############
Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
Contact:  Audrey T. Leath
[phone]
##END##########