Area Budget For The Atk Economic Development Project Area: Fill & Download for Free

Well let's see. NASA’s portion of federal outlays is around $19B in FY2017. That’s approximately the acquisition cost of two new Aircraft Carriers spread over 10 years. (That’s how the funds flow for Large multi year product acquisitions) and the one project most people like to discuss when comparing government programs and cost. Or in other terms, like humanitarian SNAP ( Food stamp) benefits cost $74.1 billion in fiscal year 2015 and supplied roughly 46.5 million Americans with an average of $125.35 for each person per month in food assistance. The rise was from $24B in 2011 with the onslaught of the recent recession and is falling as the job market improves. If the government funded (non-head start) preschool education it would cost on the average . Depending on where you live and the quality of the preschool, costs range from $4,460 to $13,158 per year ($372 to $1,100 monthly), per 7 or 8 million children each according to the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA). If the Federal government were to pay for free college tuition at “Public institutions” it would cost a mere $62.6 billion dollars per year ( That’s in 2012$s too) According to new Department of Education data, that's how much tuition public colleges collected from undergraduates in 2012 across the entire United States. And I'm not being facetious with the word mere, either. The New America Foundation says that the federal government spent a whole $69 billion in 2013 on its hodgepodge of financial aid programs, such as Pell Grants for low-income students, tax breaks, work study funding. And that doesn't even include loans. Currently students and grads owe over 1. 3 $Trillion (with a T) in student loans.So there are some of the alternatives for NASA money. So now let's look at NASA’s paltry $19B annual budget.NASA currently employs approximately 17,000 scientists, researchers and technicians, not to mention all the large and small contractors and many workers who actually build and test NASA’s products.The percentage of federal budget that NASA has been allocated has been steadily dropping since the Apollo program and in 2012 it was estimated at 0.48% of the federal budget. In a meeting of the United States Senate Science Committee, budgetary analysts testified that "Right now, NASA’s annual budget is half a penny on your tax dollar. For twice that—a penny on a dollar—we can transform the country from a sullen, dispirited nation, weary of economic struggle, to one where it has reclaimed its 20th century birthright to dream of tomorrow."FY 2017 NASA BUDGET: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/fy_2017_nasa_agency_fact_sheet.pdfNASA’s budget advances the Nation’s space exploration plan and ensures our nation remains the world’s leader in space exploration and technology, aeronautics research and discovery in space and Earth science. The budget supports developing the technologies that will make future space missions more cabable and affordable, partnering with the private sector to transport crew and cargo to the International Space Station, continuing the development of the Orion crew vehicle, Space Launch System and Exploration Ground Systems that will one day send astronauts beyond low Earth orbit. The budget also keeps the Webb Telescope on track for a 2018; builds on our scientific discoveries and achievements in space; and supports the Administration’s commitment to serve as a catalyst for the growth of a vibrant American commercial space industry.Science - $5,601 million $2,032 million for Earth Science, including a plan to continue the 43-year Landsat record of global land-imaging measurements. $1,519 million for Planetary Science, keeping on track the Mars 2020 rover and the next selection for the New Frontiers program and including formulation of a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa. $782 million for Astrophysics, continuing support for the Hubble Space Telescope, the Explorers Program, and the Wide-Field and Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST). $569 million for the James Webb Space Telescope, maintaining its 2018 launch date. $699 million for Heliophysics, supporting the launches of two Explorer missions this decade as well as research to improve space weather modeling. Continues development of 30 missions toward launch and operation of 60 missions producing leading edge science. Funds over 10,000 U.S. scientists in universities, industry, and government labs through over 3,000 openly competed research awards.Human Exploration Operations - $8,413 million Includes $3,337 million for Exploration and $5,076 million for Space Operations. Continues commercial development of US crew transportation systems to be certified to support the ISS by the end of 2017, ending the need to pay Russia for crew transport services. Enables use of ISS as a platform for scientists to identify and quantify risks to human health and performance, develop countermeasures, and develop and test technologies that protect astronauts during extended human exploration missions. Continues development of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew vehicle to send astronauts on deep space missions. Furthers Advanced Exploration Systems development of foundational technologies – often through public-private partnerships – for future exploration missions, including deep space habitation. Continues mission-critical space communications and navigation services for customer missions, including human, science, and commercial crew and cargo missions.Space Technology - $827 million Enables the U.S. aerospace community to find technologies at the “tipping point” and make them viable for use by industry, NASA, and other government agencies in order to accelerate the transfer and commerlization of these technologies. Cultivates small businesses as the central home for NASA SBIR/STTR and engages with academia through early stage research. Continues formulation activities for a full-scale in-space demonstration of on-orbit robotic satellite servicing. Continues development of high-powered solar electric propulsion to meet demands by U.S. aerospace industry, and for NASA exploration missions. Support fast transit in-space propulsion and high-bandwidth deep space communication to support future exploration missions.Aeronautics Research - $790 million Advances aeronautics research bringing transformational advances in the safety, capacity, and efficiency of the air transportation system while minimizing impacts on the environment. Develops transformative capabilities that enable the U.S. aviation industry to maintain and advance its global leadership and contributes to the nation’s economic growth and job creation Establishes a major new experimental flight initiative to demonstrate and validate new technologies that dramatically reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and noise, and open new markets for U.S. Industry Supports research and development for revolutionary low carbon emission aircraft, including associated transportation systems, as part of a multiagency effort to enable a 21st century clean transportation system.Education - $100 million Continues to provide opportunities for educators, learners and institutions that are consistent with the goals, objectives, and strategies of the Five-Year Federal Strategic Plan on STEM Education. Continues the Agency’s investment in the Space Grant, EPSCOR, and MUREP Programs.Safety, Security and Mission Services and Construction & Environmental Compliance and Restoration - $3,257 million Funds Agency-wide mission support operations, including facilities and environmental activities. Ensures NASA infrastructure and assets are safe, secure, environmentally sound, and operate efficiently.For information, how NASA Contracts:How a Typical NASA contract for one of major projects currently in work is accomplished? The Boeing SLS program: taken from a Q&A session NASA, Boeing provide details about Space Launch System contractUnder Boeing’s agreement with NASA, does Boeing handle the subcontractors fees under the agreement – or is the amount Boeing will be paid separate from what the subcontractors are paid? – “Yes, Boeing is responsible for overall contract performance, to include subcontract management and payment of subcontract costs (inclusive of any fees).”Given ATK has a major role in building SLS, will the $2.8 billion contract includes the subcontractors, to include ATK – or is the amount they are paid separate from this? – “Payment of any Stages-related ATK subcontract cost is covered in the Stages contract with prime contractor Boeing. That being said, ATK is also considered a prime contractor to NASA for the boosters and that is under a separate contract.”What is the total cost of one SLS rocket? – “As part of its Key Decision Point-B review, NASA estimated preliminary SLS development and operations costs of between $7.65 and $8.59 billion through the first non-crewed launch of SLS in 2017.” As noted, the first flight of SLS is currently on schedule to launch in 2017. This is planned to be an uncrewed test flight of the SLS booster itself, along with an Orion spacecraft. Orion is currently set to undertake its first test flight in December of this year atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket.The space agency along with the contractors and subcontractors will test out various systems relating to the duo before the first crewed test flight is carried out in 2021. Due to budget constraints, NASA is unable to conducting a testing regimen similar to that seen during the Apollo era.The U.S. space program has been split into two distinct efforts. The first involves ceding the delivery of crew and cargo to the only current low-Earth-orbit destination, the International Space Station to private companies. The second element involves the use of SLS and Orion to send crews to orbits beyond the orbit of Earth. These include a diverse array of targets which currently include an asteroid, potential locations such as a Lagrange Point or the Martian moon Phobos with the primary target being a crewed mission to Mars sometime in the 2030s. Read more at http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/nasa/nasa-space-launch-system/#7xJh7StqLZrLL3X1.99So, what alternatives are there? Say, by allocating a few cents per tax $ collected to the NASA budget we’d be walking on Mars and other planets by now, not to mention other tremendous advances in science that would benefit all mankind and in a short time improve the overall wealth of the United States. Or we could cut their budget, puting thousands out of work and losing any technological advantage our nation does have in the sciences.As far as I'm concerned, that $19B is well spent. Even reallocation of it all to some of the other much needed programs such as rebuilding our infrastructure, health care, food for the poor, free education.. etc……would be blowing in the wind because of the astronomical costs involved, and $19B isn't going to solve anything!