NASA’s budget awaits the president’s signature

The bill is 146 pages long and has reached President Donald Trump’s desk. The US president has 10 days to sign or veto it. The document allocates a budget for NASA of $19.1 billionów.

Amongód more important pointsóin the act should be mentioned the continuation of the International Space Station until 2024 with an option to extend for another four years. The development and deployment of a new type of rocket suitóin space. Continuing the programóIn Space Launch System and Orion or full support for the projectów: Mars 2020, Europa, James Webb Space Telescope, WFIST telescope.

A separate point is to organize a manned mission to Mars by 2033. If Trump signs the bill, NASA is to contact an independent, non-governmental engineering and technical organization within four months to conduct a feasibility study for a manned mission to Mars by 2033.

Such a study is to include technical issues, logistics, testing, cost estimatesów and operational plans for a future Mars mission. The feasibility study report and mission cost estimates are to go to Congress next, który will tell whether a manned mission to Mars is in the strategic interest of the US.

If Donald Trump signs the bill, we will find out later this year whether the United States will conduct a manned mission to the Red Planet. Political commentators predict that the document will be signed by the US president.