Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, has said the agency is preparing for budget uncertainties ahead of the new fiscal year which would begin on Oct. 1st, SpaceNews reported Tuesday.
Reuter told attendees at a NASA Advisory Council meeting that the House’s appropriations bill for fiscal year 2021 includes $227 million for on-orbit satellite servicing, assembly and manufacturing operations. The House’s version of the bill also allocates $110 million to support nuclear thermal propulsion development efforts.
NASA’s FY 2021 budget request earmarks $1.58 billion for space technology, including $100 million to support the development of a nuclear technology program that covers projects such as a fission reactor for lunar missions.
According to Reuter, the increase in allocations for space technology in the FY 2021 request reflects additional spending for the Artemis moon mission. He added that NASA has met virtually with House and Senate committees to “try to ask for a little relief in the congressional direction to give us a little bit of flexibility.”
