Congress affirms commitment to space

The NASA Authorization Act cleared Congress on Saturday and provides funding for space programs and aeronautics research and development. Provisions include $20.2 billion for the agency, with an additional $1 billion dedicated to accelerated development of the Orion spacecraft and Ares 1 launch vehicle. Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi are key players in those programs. (Source: PR Newswire, 09/29/08)