For the first time in five years, a NASA authorization has been passed by Congress, allowing NASA to continue its operations on the ISS and its exploration objectives.
The Nasa the authorization bill will fund more Mars exploration and trips to the Moon. The previous authorization, signed in 2017, allowed NASA to operate the International Space Station (ISS) until 2024. However, the gap between the authorization bills passed by the House and Senate and signed by the President shows how hesitant a commitment to space exploration has been. . The NASA Authorization Act of 2022, titled “Creation of useful incentives for the production of semiconductors (CHIPS) and science law”, passed in the House on July 28 and in the Senate on July 29.
Support was needed to continue space exploration and NASA’s many missions, especially after Russia’s planned exit from the ISS. This long-awaited authorization follows the previous bill signed in 2017, which was the first signed after a seven-year hiatus, giving new encouragement to NASA employees and space enthusiasts alike.
In a statement reported by SpaceNewsNASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his delight and enthusiasm for the passage of the bill, stating that “[t]his act shows continued … support for NASA’s many missions, including our moon-to-Mars approach, as well as expanding American participation in the International Space Station. The Biden-Harris administration supports the bill because it will encourage more advanced scientific discoveries, create sustainable aviation methods and increase efforts to combat climate change as it worsens. Congress originally drafted the bill to manufacture semiconductors domestically, but a portion was added that extends NASA’s participation in the ISS until 2030. The addition also provided a formal statement of a “Moon to Mars“, which will help create a transition point on the moon for spacecraft heading to Mars.
Future space exploration
Nelson also called the current American generation “Generation Artemis“, considering them as those who will continue to seek sustainable ways to explore space and fight climate change. The NASA Authorization Act of 2022 will allocate money to NASA for new scientific discoveries and American access to the unknowns that await outside the Earth.This can lead to normal individuals traveling beyond Earth’s atmosphere for personal exploration and fulfillment.
The Artemis program, the current one Nasa program, aims to land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon. The CHIPS and Science Act will provide new opportunities to go to the moon and set up transportation and new space suits to explore Mars and beyond. There is still much to discover, and this bill is only a starting point.
Source: SpaceNews
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