The Aerospace Industries Association welcomes House passage of S. 442, the NASA Transition Authorization Act, and urges the President to sign the bill into law. NASA programs are at the center of American achievement and innovation and support tens of thousands of high-paying jobs in the space industrial base, with the potential to create many more.
 
As the first authorization bill of NASA programs since 2010, the NASA Transition Authorization Act demonstrates tangible commitment to U.S. leadership and superiority in space for Fiscal Year 2017. Along with continuity of NASA programs of record, it provides for a more robust human beyond Earth orbit exploration program, significant science and technology investments, and clear support for STEM education programs.
 
The NASA Transition Authorization Act received strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, and affirms congressional support of balanced investments in space exploration and science, such as the Space Launch System and Orion crew vehicle, the James Webb Space Telescope, the commercial crew and cargo programs, and ongoing International Space Station operations. We urge the President to sign this bill for FY2017 and stand ready to begin work with the administration and Congress on a multi-year reauthorization that would give NASA program stability, ensure the health of the space industrial base and enable industry to fulfill its potential to create high-skill, high-paying jobs.