Deficit Commission Targets Commercial Crew Funding

President Obama’s bipartisan deficit commission released a draft of its report today. One of the areas of federal spending it recommends cutting is the government’s proposed subsidy of commercial crew.

That recommendation is the only one out of 54 examples of “illustrative savings” the commission identified in its draft document that directly impacts space activities. The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform is due to make its final recommendations on December 1.

The Commercial Spaceflight Federation issued a statement criticizing the draft recommendation. Federation President Brett Alexander said the cut would have “disastrous consequences for NASA and the nation.”