Utah's congressional delegation is applauding action in both the Senate and House on Thursday that should help maintain U.S. civilian solid rocket motor capability, a key factor for jobs in the Beehive State.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved $1.9 billion for a new space launch vehicle system using solid rocket motors as a core technology for a heavy lift rocket.
The House Science Committee also approved its NASA bill.
Both measures contain language that should help maintain solid rocket motor capability in Utah and other states that is critical to the manned space flight program, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said in a news release.
Solid rocket motors for NASA's new launch vehicle will be produced in Utah, protecting thousands of jobs that were expected to be lost with the retirement of the space shuttle, Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a prepared statement.
"The continued strength of this program allows the ability to send astronauts safely into space, maintain a missile defense system and sustain the United States' preeminence in space exploration," he said.
Hatch hailed the House and Senate votes on the bills that "take us a step closer" to serving the state's solid rocket motor industry and the nation's manned space flight program.
The legislation appears to be a compromise between the White House and lawmakers who objected to abandoning much of the work already done by Alliant Techsystems (ATK) in Utah and other contractors for the Constellation space project.
ATK is building the Ares I rocket engine for Constellation, but Obama announced he wanted to hand over the work to other private contractors who would build the entire rocket.
Since April 2009, more than 1,500 people have left ATK, voluntarily or otherwise, after defense and aerospace cutbacks in the shuttle and other missile programs.
"We are encouraged by the progress made both in the House and the Senate this week on developing a meaningful compromise that supports a long-term vision for space exploration and a role for Utah in that effort," said Trina Patterson, a spokeswoman for ATK Aerospace System.
"The work of Utah's congressional delegation has been instrumental to the progress made in Congress, and we applaud them for their efforts," she said.
While ATK is encouraged, there is still significant work to be done, Patterson said.
"This week, we were able to build upon developments made last week in the Senate by including even stronger language that will help ensure the preservation of solid rocket motor technologies, such as the Ares I rocket," U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop said in a statement.
U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, was also successful in getting language inserted into the bill that may help with the issue of mitigation costs, Bishop said.
Obama announced a plan in February that would have resulted in the end of the nation's manned space flight program and Utah's solid rocket motor industrial base, Hatch said.
The NASA bill doesn't bring back Constellation, Hatch said, but does establish payload requirements for a new Space Launch System, which is government-owned, that industry insiders he has spoken with say can be realistically met only with the use of solid rocket motors.
It also requires NASA to use, as much as possible, existing contracts, work forces and industries for the space shuttle and Ares rockets, he said.
Hatch said but it is important to put Thursday's vote in its proper context.
The finish line is still ahead, "but this provides us with more reasons for optimism as this process continues to play out during the coming months."
Comments