Space Foundation issues statement on Congress approving NASA's budget

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 22, 2004) — Today, Space Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Elliot G. Pulham offered this statement about the recent congressional approval of the NASA fiscal year 2005 budget: “This weekend an extraordinary thing happened – the United States Congress authorized funding that will commit our nation to the most ambitious space exploration program since Apollo. NASA’s FY 2005 budget request sets in motion the Vision for Space Exploration. Congress endorsed that Vision in its entirety by approving NASA’s full $16.2 billion request. Credit lies with many people, but President Bush, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, and NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe all get top billing as the architects of this bipartisan budgetary and policy success. This is an important and vital step for our nation and allows the space community to fully embark on the Vision’s roadmap for returning the space shuttle to flight, completing the International Space Station, returning to the moon and then moving to Mars and beyond. The Space Foundation looks forward to working with the White House, NASA, the Congress, and the space industry to help implement this bold new era of exploration.” About the Space Foundation Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, the Space Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that vigorously advances civil, commercial, and national security space endeavors and educational excellence. The Space Foundation has offices in Washington, D.C., and Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Space Foundation annually conducts, along with its partnering organizations, the National Space Symposium, scheduled April 4-7, 2005, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs; and Strategic Space 2005, scheduled Oct. 4-6, 2005, in Omaha, Neb. For more information, visit www.spacefoundation.org.