Appropriations Update

While many of us were focused on the space shuttle launch on Friday, the House passed the FY2012 defense appropriations bill (H.R. 2219) and began consideration of the energy and water appropriations bill (H.R. 2354).

No amendments were adopted during consideration of the defense bill that would directly affect military space activities. As reported from the House Appropriations Committee, the Defense Weather Satellite System (DWSS) — DOD’s portion of the former National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) — was cut in half and several other programs were cut, too. Their fate is now in the hands of the Senate, which has not yet marked up its version of the bill.

As for the energy and water bill, as reported from the House Appropriations Committee, it denies the request for Department of Energy (DOE) funding to restart production of plutonium-238, which is needed for some of NASA’s deep space and lunar probes. In the FY2012 request, DOE and NASA would split the costs, but the appropriations committee is not convinced that DOE should pay for any of it since NASA is the agency that benefits from the Pu-238.