President Donald Trump signed a
$19.5 billion NASA bill on Tuesday, adding to the space agency’s budget for the 2018 fiscal year, while also backing their crewed mission to Mars.
The bill supports NASA’s goal of sending a crew to Mars by the 2030s, according to The Washington Post.
Under the new law, the construction of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew spacecraft — designated for the future mission — will receive Congress’ continued support.
“I think it’s really more of a vote for stability,” said Scott Pace, the director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, according to the Post.
This is the first time a NASA authorization bill has been signed by a commander in chief since 2010, and according to Pace, this one is a lot less “chaotic” as the 2010 bill involved ending a program to send astronauts to the moon.
On Tuesday, Trump spoke about the importance of exploring deep space and the “national commitment” to supporting that research, the Post noted.
“It’s been a long time since a bill like this has been signed reaffirming our national commitment to the core mission of NASA, human space exploration, space science and technology,” Trump said. “We support jobs. It’s about jobs.”
Sen. Bill Nelson, who traveled to space in 1986, was present for the signing of the bill on Tuesday, according to USA Today.
“We have the commercial companies going to and from the International Space Station and we have NASA going out and exploring the heavens,” Nelson said. “And we’re going to Mars.”
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