ORLANDO, Fla. — Over 40 members of Congress from California have requested the White House to overturn the budget cuts NASA has placed on the Mars Sample Return (MSR) program. They have cautioned that this could lead to job losses and a significant setback to scientific progress.
In a letter dated Feb. 1 addressed to Shalanda Young, the director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, the signatories, including Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), called for a reversal in the funding slowdown for MSR initiated by NASA due to uncertainties in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations.
The letter was signed by 41 members of California’s congressional delegation, as the leading center for MSR, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is located in California.
In November, NASA announced that it would be scaling back activities related to MSR due to disparities in spending bills. While the House appropriations bill met the agency’s full request of $949.3 million for MSR, the Senate version only included $300 million.
Since NASA, along with the rest of the federal government, is operating under a continuing resolution that funds the agency at 2023 levels, NASA reduced the MSR spending to $822.3 million. NASA explained that it was necessary to reduce spending for MSR due to concerns that the program might run out of 2024 funding if it continued spending at the higher 2023 rate for several months.
The members of Congress dismissed this reasoning, expressing that it was “short-sighted and misguided” and highlighting the potential loss of jobs and scientific progress. They also emphasized that the decision contradicted Congressional authority.
Congress is yet to finalize a full-year 2024 spending package, but there has been progress in recent weeks. The current CR that funds NASA runs through March 8.
The letter also indicates progress in resolving the funding level differences between the House and Senate for the MSR program. It expresses concerns about the proposed $300 million for the program in the FY2024 Senate appropriations bill and mentions ongoing collaboration efforts between the House Appropriations Committee leadership and their Senate counterparts for a compromise position.
If the current reductions in funding are not reversed, the letter warned that it would impact JPL’s ability to meet the next launch window and lead to the cancellation of contracts and the termination of skilled employees.
The reductions have already resulted in the layoff of 100 contractors at JPL in early January, with most involved in MSR-related activities. This decision was attributed to the uncertainty surrounding the budget for 2024.
Another factor adding uncertainty is the agency reassessment of the MSR architecture prompted by an independent review, which found the current approach to be behind schedule and over budget. This reassessment is expected to be completed in March.
The letter also mentioned that the modified mission architecture would simplify the program and reduce annual costs, potentially addressing concerns expressed in the FY2024 Senate appropriations bill. However, NASA has not publicly disclosed any details about any potential alternative mission architectures.
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