NASA Under Obama

The 2010 budget blueprint released by the Obama administration yesterday gives NASA $18.7 billion. Coupled with the $1 billion supplemental NASA received earlier this month, the space agency will have $2.4 billion more than it had in its 2008 budget.

The blueprint still calls for the retirement of the space shuttle in 2010, and maintains funding for the new Constellation program, which means that, so far, President Obama is keeping the goal of returning astronauts to the Moon by 2020. It's fair to say the President has probably been busy with things other than the direction of the manned spaceflight program, but it's also fair to say that a vigorous NASA seems to fit his emphasis on supporting basic scientific research.

The 2010 budget calls for increased spending on space research, climate studies and monitoring of Earth, and aeronautic research.