President Barack Obama released the 2016 proposed budget for NASA - a whopping $18.5 billion - which would be a half-billion dollars more than the budget for 2014, according to Science Recorder. Marshall Space Flight Center Director Patrick Scheuermann and NASA's Administrator Charles Bolden spoke to the media about their plans for the money. (See the video here).
Via satellite from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Bolden said, "It's a clear vote of confidence to you, the employees of NASA. Your work is part of a vital strategy to equip our nation with the new advanced manufacturing and space technologies for the future and inspire a new generation of explorers to make the next giant leaps in human experience."
Provided Obama's budget passes, $2.09 billion will go to Marshall Space Flight Center and fund the anxiously anticipated mission to Mars.
Experiments on new welding technology, recycled oxygen, advanced life support, robotic welding and recycling urine into potable water are all necessary for an extended voyage, Marshall Space Flight Center has said.
Scheuermann said the new budget numbers will keep the mission preparations going while avoiding losing programs or laying off workers, according to Science Recorder.
"This is really the year of the (Space Launch System) rocket and you're starting to see real hardware come off the lines," said Scheuermann. "PowerPoint has its place, but when you actually start cutting metal, it's a whole different feeling. You're starting to move from drawing to actual flight. I can only speak for myself, but Marshall Space Flight Center obviously has a great role in space flight and when we get closer to flight, you can feel the passion of the workforce coming through again."
