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NASA requests $24.8 billion in 2022, proposes to cancel SOFIA again
NASA released its fiscal year 2022 budget request May 28, asking for $24.8 billion to support a number of new and existing science and exploration programs but also proposing once again to cancel an airborne astronomical observatory.
[...] The $7.93 billion for NASA's science programs is the largest ever, Nelson said, eclipsing the $7.3 billion the agency received in 2021. "The Biden administration is proving that science is back," he said. "The record funding in the science area will help NASA address the climate crisis and advance robotic missions that will pave the way for astronauts to explore the moon and Mars."
[...] NASA's planetary science program, though, would see a larger increase of $500 million to $3.2 billion in 2022. That additional funding would primarily go to a new Mars Sample Return program, with $653.2 million requested for it in the budget. It would also ramp up funding for the development of the Near Earth Object Surveyor mission, a small space telescope to search for potentially hazardous asteroids.
Unlike budget requests during the Trump administration, the fiscal year 2022 budget proposal includes funding for several science missions frequently targeted for cancellation, such as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the PACE and CLARREO Pathfinder Earth science missions.
However, as with the 2021 budget request, NASA is proposing to cancel the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a modified Boeing 747 that carries a 2.5-meter telescope to perform observations above much of infrared-absorbing water vapor in the lower atmosphere.
See also: NASA budget goes all-in on science, stays the course on Moon lander
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday May 30 2021, @05:50AM (3 children)
Put the telescope in space. Almost anywhere in space. High earth orbit, geosynchronous orbit, even low earth orbit. Stick it in a lagrange point. Park it on the dark side of the moon. Throw it out into the asteroid belt. Put one in Mars orbit. Flying an airplane around in our upper atmosphere just looks like a giant waste of resources. I mean, big deal, at fifteen miles, you get a better view of Elon Musk's satellite fleet. Screw that.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday May 30 2021, @06:28AM (2 children)
Or you could put that giant waste of resources on a plane for a small fraction of the cost. One of the problems with trying things in space is that they are often much cheaper to do on Earth.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 30 2021, @05:25PM (1 child)
Except putting a man on Mars. That can only be done on Mars, which is why we need to put a man on Mars.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday May 30 2021, @10:12PM
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 30 2021, @07:42AM (3 children)
Eclipsing?!? $7.93 is eclipsing $7.3? That's like saying my new 278G SSD drive is eclipsing my old 256G SSD. Largest ever? Cool! But only by a little over 8%. Maybe just leave it at that and save the "eclipsing" hyperbole for a truly exciting shift in NASA funding.
"The Biden administration is proving that science is back,"
OK, call me crazy, but the science programs come out of the over all NASA budget, in which they're requesting $24.8 billion this year. Less than the $25.2 billion requested by Trump. That amount isn't approved by Biden or anyone else yet. It's a "request" from NASA, not a grant by the administration. Congress may decide to give more or less than that request. The science programs portion of that budget is determined by NASA itself. So it's more like saying that "NASA is proving that science is back". And like it or not, NASA's budget increase year after year during Trump's administration, where as NASA's budget suffered "eclipsing" cutbacks during the Obama administration. It's far too soon to be crediting Biden for anything at this point (although I hope he pushes for more NASA spending).
https://www.thebalance.com/nasa-budget-current-funding-and-history-3306321 [thebalance.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 30 2021, @07:51AM
I take it you've never seen an eclipse.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Sunday May 30 2021, @11:04AM (1 child)
Without hyperbole, politicians, reporters, and the entire news industry would all be out of work. More, the news industry is under a blanket mandate to praise Biden with every sunrise, so, it is what it is.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 30 2021, @05:27PM
> the news industry is under a blanket mandate to praise
Bidenpower with every sunriseFTFY
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 30 2021, @11:34AM (3 children)
Just write a check for $15 billion to Musk... same job gets done, taxpayers come out ahead.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 30 2021, @05:28PM (1 child)
And more self-promotion. Bonus.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 30 2021, @06:58PM
One man is better at doing things than industries with a century of experience and governments with effectively infinite budget possibilities (due to infinite debt acceptance) and all the on-paper experts government money can buy.
"Promotion" takes on a different twist in this light. It's kind of like calling a world champion of something arrogant. When you're the best in the world at something, and know it, anything short of declaring yourself God is quite humble.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 31 2021, @08:07PM
You may not want to be this dumbass and actually read what NASA does?