Obama's 2013 NASA Budget

The Obama administration presented its 2013 federal budget today. The NASA budget, less than 0.5 percent of total federal spending, is basically flat, but priorities within that budget have changed slightly.

Spending on planetary science is cut in this budget, which would likely mean NASA would have to abandon its partnership with ESA on its ExoMars missions set for launch in 2016 and 2018. On the other hand, spending on manned spaceflight, technology development, and support for commercial space initiatives is increased. In manned spaceflight, the funding is for continuing development of the Orion space capsule and the heavy-lift launcher meant to push Orion into deep space.

Of course, this is simply the first step in a long, often bewildering process. Mr. Obama's budget as offered today will not pass Congress; it is just a place to start. By the end of the process, NASA's budget could be very different, and the overall federal government may or may not come out with a budget at all.