NASA to Unveil Plans to Send 4 Astronauts to Moon in 2018

NASA to Unveil Plans to Send 4 Astronauts to Moon in 2018
By Brian Berger
Space News Staff Writer
posted: 14 September 2005
6:43 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON – NASA briefed senior White House officials Wednesday on its plan to spend $100 billion and the next 12 years building the spacecraft and rockets it needs to put humans back on the Moon by 2018.

The U.S. space agency now expects to roll out its lunar exploration plan to key Congressional committees on Friday and to the broader public through a news conference on Monday, Washington sources tell SPACE.com.

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And in a related story...

Senate Approves $16.4 Billion Budget for NASA
By Brian Berger
Space News Staff Writer
posted: 15 September 2005
6:07 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate approved a $200 million budget increase for NASA Thursday, giving the U.S. space agency most of the funding it needs to get started on a new lunar exploration plan to be unveiled Monday.

The NASA funding was approved as part of a $48.9 billion spending bill that also funds the Justice and Commerce Departments. Of that amount, NASA would receive $16.4 billion for 2006, about $60 million less than the agency requested but $200 million more than it had to spend this year.

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