NASA authorization bill likely to spur debate

Science : Due to expire later this year, the 2010 NASA Authorization Act killed the plan to return humans to the Moon by 2020 but provided extra funding to support commercial spaceflight. New draft legislation presented to the House of Representatives Science, Space, and Technology Committee revives the idea of a manned Moon mission and includes several other potentially controversial proposals. However, it also supports the agency’s continued investment in commercial spaceflight programs. One of the more contentious parts of the draft bill would prevent NASA from working on the asteroid capture project proposed in the 2014 federal budget. The draft bill also cuts Earth science funding in favor of planetary science and asks NASA to create a Mars exploration plan that would use a Moon base as a stepping stone. However, both of the experts who testified to the committee considered a Moon base unnecessary for reaching Mars.