back to article NASA awaits approval of $24bn 2022 budget

NASA's request for $24bn in funding for its 2022 fiscal year will be considered by US lawmakers this month. This comes at an awkward time for the space agency: it was just recently criticized for underestimating the cost of Artemis – its mission to set foot again on the Moon – and the future of the International Space Station …

  1. redpawn

    That's probably enough

    to point some sensors at Earth. It's good that the current administration recognizes that this planet is worth studying as well.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It is astounding what NASA achieves with so little money compared to the bloated budgets of the MIC.

    1. Throatwarbler Mangrove Silver badge
      Alert

      Hey, now, those F-35s aren't going to throw themselves into the ocean!

  3. lglethal Silver badge
    Go

    Such a pity..

    $24 billion sounds like a lot, but its basically a rounding error on the US budget.

    Imagine what they could achieve if given some real money...

    1. ravenviz Silver badge

      Re: Such a pity..

      Or 3% of the military spend in 2020 if added together.

      Although (hopefully) the proportion is higher now with all the cash freed up after evacuating Afghanistan.

      1. codejunky Silver badge

        Re: Such a pity..

        @ravenviz

        "Although (hopefully) the proportion is higher now with all the cash freed up after evacuating Afghanistan."

        Is money freed up from leaving Afghanistan? I can believe less is being spent but isnt it more of what the US doesnt have. It would be nice if governments didnt try to keep spending ever increasing amounts but when a project stops just dont look for somewhere else to spend that money.

        Thats not only for the US either especially after the covid blowouts

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: Such a pity..

          >Is money freed up from leaving Afghanistan

          Sadly no, a big chunk of the $tn is the ongoing pension/medical benefits for veterans.

          If cases for actual harm from things like waste burning go through it could go up a bunch

    2. AlanS

      Re: Such a pity..

      During the first lockdown two years ago I watched a lot of "space porn": SpaceX Falcon launches, Tim Dodd's articles, Starship development... Amazed at Congress' cheeseparing for anything not SLS, I estimated that NASA's budget was the same as what Americans spend on cigarettes every year.

      1. ravenviz Silver badge

        Re: Such a pity..

        Or 0.1 US annual McDonalds purchases:

        1 USMcD = 10 NASA budgets (= 0.0008 NHS Budgets).

        https://www.theregister.com/Design/page/reg-standards-converter.html

        1. notyetanotherid

          Re: Such a pity..

          > (= 0.0008 NHS Budgets)

          You may need to try that conversion again.

          Reg standard NHS budget is ~£118bn, or ~$155bn at current exchange rate, so I reckon 10 NASA budgets is around 1.5 Reg-standard NHS budgets.

          Of course the Reg-standard NHS budget is woefully out of date; the budget for 2022/3 is £178bn, which I think makes it pretty much the same as 10 NASA budgets.

  4. 1752

    Safe keeping

    Well with that much money when they make it back to moon, hopefully this time they can keep the tapes of the landing safe and secure.

  5. fishman

    The irony...

    It's always amazing to see politicians who expouse cutting spending turn around and vote for endless pork like the SLS........

  6. codejunky Silver badge

    Hmm

    I would think we are getting closer to the point where its cheaper to let others build the rockets to send stuff up there. The US had 3 competing companies developing and delivering working rockets and at least one aiming for reaching mars. The original development and build was beyond the financial ability of business back in the first space race and so it was restricted to rich governments, but now its falling into reach for the private sector.

    Maybe some tax payer money could be saved.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Hmm

      The point of NASA is to spend US taxpayer's money in the USA. Any science is a by product.

      Pretty much the same is true of the DoD, NASA just does leas collateral damage

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