spacetoday.net: White House proposes $18.7 billion NASA budget for 2012

Posted: Tue, Feb 15, 2011, 6:51 AM ET (1151 GMT)
NASA

The Obama Administration released its fiscal year 2012 budget proposal on Monday, including $18.7 billion for NASA, a figure virtually identical to the agency's 2010 budget. Agency officials said the budget included "tough choices" to cope with an overall budget level nearly $300 million below its 2011 budget request and $750 million less than what last year's project projections had predicted for 2012. The budget included funding to continue development of the Space Launch System rocket and Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle capsule authorized in legislation last year, but at lower levels than previous planned. The budget also includes $850 million for commercial crew development in 2012. Despite cost overruns, the James Webb Space Telescope would get only $375 million in 2012, and would defer a decision on the program's future, including a new launch date, until the 2013 budget request.