ICYMI: The Wall Street Journal: Bipartisan Cruz-Nelson NASA Reauthorization Bill Charts a Path to Mars

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Saturday, an article in The Wall Street Journal highlighted the bipartisan NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2016, introduced by U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) last week. The article notes that this legislation, which aims to ensure continuity of NASA’s Mars plan, is “big picture and more strategic” than previous NASA bills. 

“The bill affirms congressional support for ‘continuity of purpose’ and criticizes past program cancellations for ‘placing the nation’s investment in space exploration at risk’ and ‘degrading the aerospace industrial base,’” according to the article. “Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who is chairman of the space subcommittee and a sponsor of the bill, said in an interview Saturday that ‘stability and predictability are critical’ to NASA. He said the aim is to avoid ‘some of the battling and back and forth we have seen in the past’ when a new President opts to dramatically change the agency’s course.” 

Read the article in its entirety here. Excerpts are available below:

In an unusual bipartisan move, the Senate Commerce Committee is expected to adopt a bill next week intended keep the next president from making wholesale changes to NASA’s plans to send astronauts to Mars by the mid-2030s. 

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For the first time in such federal legislation, there is language explicitly calling for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to ultimately establish a human settlement on Mars. The bill says the agency ought to be aiming for “a capability to extend human presence, including potential human habitation, on the surface” of the planet by the end of the century. 

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Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who is chairman of the space subcommittee and a sponsor of the bill, said in an interview Saturday that “stability and predictability are critical” to NASA. He said the aim is to avoid “some of the battling and back and forth we have seen in the past” when a new President opts to dramatically change the agency’s course. 

Noting that such previous shifts have resulted in major program disruptions, lost effort and wasted spending, Sen. Cruz added that the bill’s strong bipartisan support gives NASA the certainty that is essential if the U.S. wants to lead world in space exploration. 

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Unlike many previous NASA bills, which focused primarily on tactical squabbles over funding levels for competing NASA programs, the latest legislation is big picture and more strategic. If enacted, it would explicitly put lawmakers on the record as agreeing that major changes in NASA’s current manned-exploration priorities would seriously delay and impede overall agency progress.

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The bill singles out SLS and Orion, saying it is imperative to fully develop them and related systems. Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. would be among the biggest corporate beneficiaries of the robust funding. 

On Saturday, Sen. Cruz said the language on human settlements reflect congressional desire to “assist NASA in planning toward long-term objectives,” while putting the U.S. on “the strongest footing possible” to follow through with those plans… 

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