Senate Appropriators Add $75 Million for Ares V

The Senate Appropriations Committee’s report (S. Rept. 111-34) on the Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill (H.R. 2847) provides details on the committee’s actions on the FY2010 NASA budget. The top line number — $18.686 billion — is the same as the Obama Administration’s request, but there are funding changes, as well as directives about how NASA is to spend some of the funds, however. For example, the committee added $75 million to the $25 million requested for Ares V.