Clinton offers NASA $14 billion in 2001 budget

February 7, 2000
Web posted at: 5:07 PM EST (2207 GMT)

From staff reports

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- New programs like "Living with a Star" and the Small Aircraft Transportation System highlight NASA's $14 billion budget request for fiscal year 2001, unveiled Monday by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin. President Bill Clinton's proposed budget would provide a three-percent funding increase over 2000 for the agency.

Research and development are stressed in the new budget, which includes investments in biotechnology, nanotechnology and the International Space Station.

If approved by Congress, the NASA budget would go up for the first time in seven years.

The budget would decrease NASA involvement in operations. But Goldin said NASA "will never compromise safety. It's our number one priority. That's why I am proud to announce our shuttle safety program alone will jump from $600 million to $2.1 billion over the next six-year period."

The funds would allow the shuttle fleet to become safer and fly for at least another decade, Goldin said. NASA's primary development priority, however, will be the next generation of reusable launch vehicles.

Over the past seven years the agency spent $1.8 billion on the effort. NASA plans to invest $6 billion from 2000 to 2005.

The appropriations request for human space flight in general stands at $5.5 billion. Most would go to shuttle flight operations or the International Space Station.

Science, aeronautics and technology programs would receive $5.9 billion. The category includes biomedical research and countermeasures, and Earth science observations.