Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, the chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee that determines NASA funding, has been the driving force behind a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa. However, according to a Wednesday story in Space Policy Online, the congressman has an even greater challenge for the space agency. During a hearing on the FY 2016 NASA budget request, Culberson charged NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to further “the development of the first interstellar rocket propulsion system that would carry us to Alpha Centauri and beyond.” Culberson is very keen to start the exploration of exoplanets that have been discovered by the Kepler Space Telescope.
The suggestion took place at the end of a hearing that covered more conventional aspects of NASA, including the heavy-lift Space Launch System, the commercial crew program, and a commercial follow-on to the International Space Station. Some contention took place between Culberson and Bolden about the possibility that the Russians would cut off access to the ISS. Bolden admitted that NASA has no plan to deal with that contingency in advance of the beginning of commercial space flights scheduled for 2017. Culberson also bemoaned President Obama’s cancelation of the Constellation program, which he claimed would have created a follow-on to the space shuttle by this year, something Bolden disputed.
A "rocket" isn't going to cut it. To read more, click here.