NASA - it stings the nose

WaPo lead article on NASA funding bill just passed

"...the administration has no intention of spending extra money to deal with a shortfall that some space experts say could exceed $6 billion from 2006 to 2010, when NASA plans to retire the shuttle for good."

So, we're screwed. Didn't see that one coming, eh?

"NASA's budget difficulties have also been complicated by having to pay for about $400 million in special projects inserted, mostly by senators, into the agency's 2006 funding."

So, they want 19 shuttle flights, 18 to ISS obliged to international partners and one for HST servicing (yes, it is back on, no it is not funded, just required to be paid for out of the existing budget).

They can't shut shuttles down, not given JSC and KSC's location, and Congress is rightly scared that a "gap" in human spaceflight would become a chasm. So nothing will happen until 2009, at which point EVERYTHING will have been delayed by 5+ years and the long term cost will actually have been higher than if they'd just decide something now.

And cut the #&@%~)! pork. Bastards.