With the money proposed by President Obama, NASA hopes to boost spending on a "space taxi" program by 50 percent, according to Science Recorder. The space vehicles will carry International Space Station crew members back and forth, provided the $18.5 billion proposal passes for the fiscal year, which begins on Oct. 1.
Included in the budget is $1.24 billion to help the private, commercial companies, Boeing and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX).
Currently, $805 million is permitted by Congress to be spent on the Commercial Crew program, but the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. Should Congress not pass the funding, NASA will not be able to afford the projects with Boeing and SpaceX, and astronauts will not be able to fly back and forth without Russia's help.
"As a result we will not be able to certify the development of those services by the end of 2017. That's the outcome," NASA's Chief Financial Officer David Radzanowski told Science Recorder.
The estimated cost-per-seat for a U.S. "space taxi" is $58 million per seat, compared to the $70 million- per-seat price tag on the Soyuz capsules. Since 2011, the United States has not had a ride to space after the shuttle was retired.
The budget proposal also includes plans for the heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion capsule. NASA hopes to be able to allocate $2.5 billion on the program, with $400 million less being spent on Orion. The first test flight for SLS is scheduled for November 2018.
"I am disappointed that the budget request does not adequately support the programs that will take us farther into space to destinations like Mars," said House Science Chair Lemar Smith (R-TX), according to Science Recorder.
NASA is also supposed to take over non-military satellites from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
