Jan 15 1981
From The Space Library
Outgoing NASA Administrator Dr. Robert A. Frosch held a press conference on the agency's 1982 budget proposed by President Reagan in the amount of $6.7 billion, an overall increase of 21% ($1.2 billion) over FY81. "Given the inflation rate, the budget reflects real growth of about 9 % over FY 1981... [not] as much as I would like to have seen, given NASA's extremely tight budgets over the past decade." The major emphasis would be on completing the development of operational capability for the Shuttle.
This budget would also include "a balanced effort in other areas of the space program and in aeronautics," Frosch said, mentioning the Venus-orbiting imaging radar (VOIR); a geological applications program (GAP); research using the triagency flight program NOSS (National Oceanic Satellite System); an upper-atmosphere research satellite (UARS) experiment defining the optimum spacecraft design to improve understanding of the stratosphere and mesosphere; and a numerical aerodynamic simulator (NAS) of airflow over three-dimensional aerodynamic surfaces, with major impact on design of aircraft and large-scale computers. The budget was "good, but not as good as it should be if we are to revitalize NASA," Frosch said. (NASA Text, press conf, Jan 15181)
In an accompanying statement, Frosch reviewed the situation of the inertial upper stage (IUS) to be used on the Shuttle for launching spacecraft into outer space from Shuttle orbit. Within resources offered by the 1981 and 1982 budgets, the best alternative seemed to be modifying the Centaur instead of proceeding with a three-stage IUS, in order to have "that very powerful combination available for first launches in 1985. No other alternative upper stage is available on a reasonable schedule or with comparable costs. Therefore, NASA will expand discussions with the Air Force on the best means for providing upper stages... [and continue with] the two-stage IUS, which both we and the Air Force are counting on." (NASA Release 81-14)
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