Proposed NASA budget boosts KSC ground systems

Kennedy Space Center would receive more money to prepare for a 2019 launch of a new deep space rocket and crew capsule under the Trump administration’s proposed $19.1 billion NASA budget for next year.

The Exploration Ground Systems program would receive $460.4 million, an increase of $31.4 million, to continue readying spaceport infrastructure including a Vehicle Assembly Building high bay, launch pad 39B and a mobile launch tower.

Meanwhile, funding for larger programs developing the 322-foot Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule would drop slightly.

“There is a lot of activity getting ready for the launch at Kennedy, and that’s why you see the increase for ground systems happening at this point,” said Andrew Hunter, NASA’s acting chief financial officer. “They’re balancing all three of those elements coming together at the right time for a 2019 launch.”

NASA has not confirmed a target date for the unmanned test flight called Exploration Mission-1, which until recently was scheduled for late 2018.

KSC next year expects to receive major pieces of flight hardware including the SLS rocket’s core stage and Orion's propulsion module, which is being provided by the European Space Agency.

Next year could also see the resumption of astronaut launches from U.S. soil following the space shuttle’s retirement in 2011.

Boeing and SpaceX tentatively plan to fly test flights of new commercial capsules to the International Space Station, first without astronauts on board and then with two-person crews.

Robert Lightfoot, NASA’s acting administrator, said the commercial astronaut flights are expected “in the next couple of years.”

Any launches in late 2018 would fall into NASA’s 2019 budget year, which begins each year on Oct. 1.

Under the proposed budget, funding to design and test the Boeing and SpaceX vehicles would drop next year to $731.9 million, down from $1.2 billion last year. NASA said that was expected as the systems transition into operational flights.

NASA's KSC-based Launch Services Program, which manages launches of the agency's robotic science missions, would receive similar funding of $86.2 million.

Contact Dean at 321-242-3668 or jdean@floridatoday.com.And follow on Twitter at @flatoday_jdean and on Facebook at facebook.com/jamesdeanspace.