President Joe Biden’s Budget request for 2023 places a Space and satellite technologies at the core of his many initiatives, including those to address climate change and also defense and security. There is also a major provision to address the growing issue of orbital debris and ensure sustainability of Space.
To begin with, in total the Budget proposes USD 26 billion in discretionary funding for NASA, a 11.6 percent increase from the 2021 enacted level.
Of this, a major chunk — USD 7.5 billion — has been proposed for the Artemis lunar exploration – a USD 1.1 billion above the 2021 enacted level — to enhance US human spaceflight leadership. However, there is also an additional USD 2.4 billion for the Earth Science program at NASA, which includes a USD 200-million-plus plan to develop an Earth System Observatory that would provide a three-dimensional, holistic view of Earth to better understand natural hazards and climate change. In addition, NASA would collaborate with other agencies to enhance greenhouse gas monitoring and make greenhouse gas data more accessible to a broad range of users.
Additionally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gets a funding of
USD 2.3 billion for developing next-generation weather satellites, which would provide major assistance in improving the agency’s ability to predict extreme weather associated with climate change.
Combined, the funding will greatly improve the country’s capabilities in predicting extreme weather and climate events, and thus providing businesses and communities accurate and accessible information to better prepare for such events.
Consistent with the current Administration’s commitment to use the latest technologies in the fight against wildfires, the Budget also permanently sustains a pilot program that leverages sensitive satellite imagery to rapidly detect wildfires.
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International Space Station and beyond
The budget also categorically voices support for the development of commercial space stations, allocating USD 224 million towards such initiatives after the International Space Station (ISS) is retired. It however continues to support the operation of the ISS, paving the way for its continued operation through 2030.
The Budget proposes increased funding for NASA’s Space Technology research and development portfolio to more than USD 1.4 billion to support new technologies to help the commercial space industry grow, enhance mission capabilities, and reduce costs.
Orbital debris
The President’s budget request also commits a USD 88 million to NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce, to build space situational awareness and address the growing issue of orbital debris. The nearly eight-fold increase from its 2021 enacted level of funding seeks to improve real-time tracking and reporting of space objects and debris in Earth’s orbits, helping the space industry safely navigate a congested space environment. The Budget also provides USD 2 million for Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to develop new data tools to measure the space economy.
Trump Administration’s Space Policy Directive-3 had assigned the Department of Commerce the task of taking over SSA for non-military satellite operators from DOD, which had earlier been responsible for tracking space objects.
The Budget also recognizes that NASA has a key role in better understanding the worsening orbital debris environment and supporting the development of innovative approaches to help protect the Nation’s satellites and reduce the risk posed by space debris. Towards this, there is a USD 30 million provision for NASA for orbital debris research, early-stage technology, and measurement technologies.
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Defense and security
The USD 773-billion request for the Defense Department includes USD 24.5 billion for the US Space Force and the Space Development Agency (SDA). This is around USD 5 billion more than what Congress had enacted in 2022. SDA is currently under the Office of the Secretary of Defense and will be absorbed by the Space Force later this year.
The Space Force had placed a 2023 budget request of USD 24.5 billion, including USD 1 billion slated for developing a new missile warning and tracking constellation with satellites in multiple orbits to complicate any adversary attack, according to senior Pentagon officials, Breaking Defense earlier reported.
Without getting into the details, President Biden’s annual Budget recognizes that Space is vital to the country’s security and integral to modern warfare, and thus sees to maintains the national advantage by improving the resilience of US Space architectures to bolster deterrence and increase survivability during hostilities.
Others
There is a provision for USD 480 million in lunar robotic missions, including a rover to investigate ice deposits that could provide future astronauts with fuel and oxygen and the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative that supports low-cost deliveries to the Moon. Further, USD 822 million has been proposed for the Mars Sample Return mission, which would return Martian rock and soil samples to Earth.
Further, the Budget provides for USD 150 million for NASA’s Office of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Engagement in order to attract diverse groups of students to STEM through learning opportunities that spark interest and provide connections to NASA’s mission and work. This effort includes targeted engagement of underserved populations, including underserved students and people of color.
