NASA to Congress: Stop Frakin with our budget

NASA will need an additional $350 million in fiscal 2009 and $400 million FY '10 to reverse the effect of the FY '07 continuing budget resolution and put the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) back on schedule to debut in 2014, Administrator Michael Griffin told House appropriators March 13.

The continuing resolution, which freezes NASA's budget at FY '06 levels, amounts to a $545 million cut to the agency's topline compared to its FY '07 request. Griffin told lawmakers earlier this month that the appropriations bill further directs a reduction to human spaceflight of $677 million, $577 million of which is coming out of exploration - primarily the Orion and Ares Crew Launch Vehicle. This will push the Orion's manned debut back an estimated six months to 2015 (DAILY, March 2).

Restoring the funding later to regain schedule will cost more than the original amount cut, Griffin said, because "money added later always costs more than money taken away now." [emphasis added - wb] By March 15 NASA is due to deliver to Congress its FY '07 operating plan, which will detail precisely how it proposes to deal with the funding cut. The slip to 2015 would mean NASA will miss President Bush's originally announced deadline of 2014 for the Orion's manned debut.

Pinching now, almost always adds much pain later, imnsho based on my experiences in tech related enterprises.