By 
March 8th, 2018
A House Subcommittee on Space carried out a hearing on March 7: An Overview of the NASA Budget for Fiscal Year 2019
The sole witness was NASA’s Robert Lightfoot, Jr., Acting Administrator.
Moon: proving ground
In an opening Statement Space Subcommittee Chairman Brian Babin (R-Texas) noted that Mars has been, and will remain, the first interplanetary destination for humanity.
“And along the way, NASA has been encouraged to carry out any mission necessary, including cis-lunar activities, to advance future interplanetary exploration,” Chairman Babin said.
“There are many benefits to this strategy. The moon offers a proving ground closer to home for advancing the technologies necessary for deep space exploration. The opportunities for commercial and international participation could greatly enhance a lunar mission. And the more frequent operational cadence will better prepare astronauts, mission crews and the commercial partners for future missions.” Babin noted.
Range of questions
Subcommittee members served up a wide range of questions for NASA’s Lightfoot on Moon and Mars exploration plans to a variety of topics, including the James Webb Space Telescope and other future missions, including the space agency’s plans for fending off asteroids.
To view a video of the hearing, go to:
The written testimony of NASA’s Lightfoot is available at:
The full opening statement by Babin is posted at:
Posted in Space News
