NASA’s Space Shuttle Program: Space Shuttle Appropriations FY1992-FY2002

NASA’s Space Shuttle Program: Space Shuttle Appropriations FY1992-FY2002

Order Code RS21411
Updated February 13, 2003
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
NASA’s Space Shuttle Program: Space
Shuttle Appropriations FY1992-FY2002
Daniel Morgan and Amanda Jacobs
Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Summary
This report shows the funding the George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W.
Bush Administrations requested for the space shuttle program between FY1992 and
FY2002, the funding provided in the House and Senate appropriations bills each year,
and the final funding appropriated after the House-Senate conference. It also
summarizes the explanations given in report language for congressional changes to the
funding requested. This report will not be updated.
On February 1, 2003, NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart while returning
to Earth, and all seven astronauts aboard were killed. (See CRS Report RS21408.) In the
aftermath of this tragedy, there is congressional interest in the history of funding for the
space shuttle program.
Table 1 shows the funding the George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush
Administrations requested for the space shuttle program between FY1992 and FY2002,
the funding provided in the House and Senate appropriations bills each year, and the final
funding appropriated after the House-Senate conference. Table 2 summarizes the
explanations given in report language for congressional changes to the funding requested.
Note that the amount appropriated for any given year is not necessarily the same as the
amount actually spent in that year, because NASA can make funding changes between
appropriations cycles as part of its operational planning, and because some funds can be
spent over a two-year period and may thus be spent in the fiscal year following the year
for which they were appropriated.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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Table 1. Requested and Appropriated Funding for the
Space Shuttle Program
(dollars in millions)
Fiscal Year
Request
House
Senate
Conference a
FY1992 b,c
4,312.5
4,487.5
4,100.9
4,026.4
FY1993 c
4,128.0
4,228.0
4,038.0
4,048.0
FY1994 c
4,196.1
3,820.2
3,813.7
3,803.6
FY1995
3,324.0
3,197.0
3,183.0
3,183.0
FY1996
3,231.8
3,178.8
3,081.8
3,178.8
FY1997
3,150.9
3,150.9
3,150.9
3,150.9
FY1998
2,977.8
2,977.8
2,977.8
2,927.8
FY1999
3,059.0
3,027.0
3,059.0
3,028.0
FY2000
2,986.2
2,836.2
2,986.7
3,011.2
FY2001
3,165.7
3,165.7
3,165.7
3,135.7
FY2002
3,283.8
3,318.8
3,333.8
3,278.8
a Conference amounts are computed relative to the request by adding increases noted in the
conference report and subtracting reductions noted in the conference report. Subsequent changes,
such as those made by supplemental appropriations acts, are not reflected in this table. See Table
2 for details.
b In FY1992, space shuttle operations were funded as part of Space Transportation
Operations. The amounts shown above for FY1992 exclude $341.9 million in Space
Transportation Operations that was labeled separately as Expendable Launch Vehicles in
subsequent years.
c Up to FY1994, some activities related to the space shuttle were funded as part of Space
Transportation Capability Development in the budget for Research and Development. Many of
these activities have since been canceled. Others are now funded as part of Payload Utilization
and Operations. For comparability with other sources, the figures in this table do not include
funding for these activities.
Source: CRS, from NASA budget documents and congressional committee reports.

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Table 2. Explanations Given in Appropriations Reports for
Congressional Changes versus Administration Budget Requests
for the Space Shuttle Program
Fiscal Year
House
Senate
Conference
FY1992
+$175m for the
-$50m from ASRM
+$115m for ASRM
Advanced Solid
-$7.7m from structural
-$27.7m from
Rocket Motor
spares
structural spares
(ASRM) program
-$25m from assured
-$40m from assured
shuttle availability
shuttle availability
(concern about
-$330m from shuttle
advanced turbo pump)
operations
-$128.9m from shuttle
-$3.4m from shuttle
operations
production a
FY1993 b
+$315m for ASRM
+$25m for ASRM
+$165m for ASRM c
-$60m from shuttle
-$50m from shuttle
-$60m from shuttle
production (concern
production
production
about advanced turbo
-$75m from shuttle
-$155m from shuttle
pump)
operations
operations
-$155m from shuttle
+$10m for structural
-$10m from structural
operations
spares
spares
-$20m from research
operations support
FY1994 d
-$165m from shuttle
-$200m from shuttle
-$200m from shuttle
operations
operations
operations
-$35m from structural
-$25m from structural
-$30m from structural
spares
spares
spares
-$175.9m from shuttle
-$150.4m from ASRM
-$155.5m from ASRM
production and
-$5m from launch and
-$5m from launch and
operational capability
mission support
mission support
(detailed breakdown
-$2m from program
-$2m from program
not explicit but
support
support
termination of ASRM
mentioned)
FY1995
-$127m at NASA
-$94m general
(same as Senate) e
discretion
reduction from shuttle
operations
-$30m termination of
shuttle checkout
upgrade
-$17m rephasing of
cable upgrades in
payload bay

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Fiscal Year
House
Senate
Conference
FY1996
unspecified savings
-$53m from closure of
-$53m from closure of
from closure of the
the Yellow Creek
the Yellow Creek
Yellow Creek solid
facility
facility
rocket motor facility
-$97m general
(included in Table 1 as
reduction to
a reduction of -$53m)
“maximize budget
savings while
continuing to place
safety first”
FY1997
(no change)
(no change)
(no change)
FY1998
(no change)
(no change)
-$50m reallocated to
space station
FY1999
-$32m because two
(no change)
-$31m transferred to
fewer flights planned
mission support
FY2000
-$150m “unable to
+$0.5m
+$25m for urgent
accommodate
safety upgrades
additional funding” for
upgrades
FY2001
(no change)
(no change)
-$30m from shuttle
reserves f
FY2002
+$35m for
+$50m for safety
+$25m for vehicle
refurbishment of
upgrades
assembly building
vehicle assembly
+$20m for safety
building
upgrades
-$50m from
cancellation of the
Electric Auxiliary
Power Unit program
a The FY1992 conference report provided NASA with authority to make certain transfers
from the Research and Program Management account into the Space Flight, Control, and Data
Communications account, which funded the space shuttle program. The details of these transfers
were not specified in the conference report and are not reflected in Table 1. They may partially
account for differences between Table 1 and some budget history material produced by NASA.
b A supplemental appropriations act for FY1993 subsequently reduced funding for Space
Flight, Control, and Data Communications by $27.2 million but did not specify how much of this
amount should be applied to the space shuttle program. This subsequent action is not reflected
in Table 1. It may partially account for differences between Table 1 and some budget history
material produced by NASA.
c Some budget history material produced by NASA shows an increase of $195 million for
ASRM in FY1993. The increase of $165 million shown above corresponds to the language of the
conference report (H.Rept. 102-902). Only the $165 million increase is reflected in Table 1.
d A supplemental appropriations act for FY1994 subsequently reduced funding for shuttle
operations by a further $20 million. This subsequent action is not reflected in Table 1. It may
partially account for differences between Table 1 and some budget history material produced by
NASA.
e Some budget history material produced by NASA shows a general reduction of $168.9
million for Human Space Flight in FY1995 and states that all of this reduction was applied to the
space shuttle program. The congressional changes specified above (and reflected in Table 1)

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correspond to the language of the conference report (H.Rept. 103-715), which does not mention
the figure $168.9 million or any general reduction for Human Space Flight.
f The FY2001 conference report reduced funding for Human Space Flight by $40 million
to provide additional funds for the Mars Lander program. This change was requested by NASA
after submission of its regular budget request. The conference report specified that $30 million
of the reduction should come from space shuttle reserves and $10 million should come from “the
commercialization and technology program.” The latter appears to be the Technology and
Commercialization Initiative (HTCI), which was funded as part of Investments and Support, not
as part of Space Shuttle. Some budget history material produced by NASA includes the full $40
million as a reduction in space shuttle funding. Only the $30 million reduction is reflected in
Table 1.
Note: ASRM is the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor program.
Source: CRS, from congressional committee reports.