Yesterday's official Space Day was a bitter-sweet experience for visitors to the Space Pavilion with news that the US House of Representatives has voted to slash NASA's spending on space programmes next year.
NASA chiefs will be left searching pockets for small change if the bill becomes law.
On the 35th anniversary of man's first steps on the moon, the administration learned that it may get $229 million less next year than it did in 2004, and $1.1 billion less than President Bush had requested.
On the upside, NASA's request for $4.3 billion for the space shuttle programme and $691 million for robotic Mars missions were agreed. But Bush's request for $910 million for a human mission to Mars was cut back to just $372 million.
Craig Steidle, retired admiral and NASA's associate administrator for exploration systems, was pragmatic at the show: "I have seen both cynicism and optimism over NASA's future plans. The government has a difficult job to do to balance its budgets, but we should be able to get on with at least some of our plans next year.
"We may have to put together contingency programmes," he says.
The no-show of NASA chief Sean O'Keefe, who had been billed to appear, may have disappointed visitors. Steidle says President Bush persuaded him to stay in Washington DC for the Apollo 11 anniversary celebrations.
STEVE NICHOLS
Source: Flight Daily News
