WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona) applauds today’s vote on H.R. 3070, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Authorization Act of 2005.  Rep. Calvert is the Chairman of the Subcommittee  on Space and Aeronautics and was the chief sponsor of H.R. 3070.  Today’s vote is the first time in five years that a NASA authorization bill was considered by the whole House.  The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 383-15.

“As we enter the Second Space Age, we must give NASA the rules and tools it needs to succeed,” said Rep. Calvert.  “NASA is an agency is transition.  This bill gives the agency direction as it plans the next steps in space exploration, aeronautics, and other science programs.  For the first time, today’s vote gave Congressional approval to the President’s Vision, which was announced in January 2004.

“Other nations are actively pursuing human spaceflight and exploration.  China alone graduates almost as many engineers in a month as we do in a year.  India too graduates five times as many engineers per year as we do.  NASA, with its excellent reputation in exploration, science and aeronautics is the one national agency which can focus and inspire America’s youth to take up the challenging work of math and science careers.

“I want to thank Chairman Boehlert and Ranking Members Gordon and Udall for their work on this bill.  Space exploration, aeronautics, and the sciences have always been bipartisan and I am pleased that tradition continued today.”

Some of the provisions in the NASA authorization include:

  • Endorses the President’s Vision for Space Exploration to return us to the moon and preparing for missions to Mars and beyond;

  • Encourages NASA to complete the new Crew Exploration Vehicle as close to 2010 as possible;

  • Directs NASA to use a balanced approach to pursue human space exploration, robotic space exploration, space science aeronautics, and earth sciences;

  • Authorizes a prize program to spur private sector development.  The program is patterned after the X-Prize that was won by Burt Rutan and the SpaceShipOne Team;

  • Permits the NASA Administrator to undertake a Hubble servicing mission.