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[i]Although the bill supports elements of Obama's plan, including a plan to continue flying the space station through at least 2020 and a space technology program designed to spur innovation, it rebuffs the White House proposal to cancel Constellation and rely on commercially owned and operated vehicles to send astronaut crews to the orbiting outpost. It also [b]contrasts with companion legislation[/b] approved by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee July 15, touted as a compromise by its authors, that provides $1.3 billion for commercial crew initiatives over the next three years. ...Obama directed NASA to settle on a heavy-lift launcher design by 2015. The Senate bill calls for a heavy-lift vehicle and deep space capsule to be fully operational by the end of 2016; the House bill would give NASA six months from the date of enactment to select a launch vehicle design and sets a goal of fielding the rocket by "the end of the current decade." ...According to the bill text, commercial crew programs would get just $50 million annually through 2015 and another $500 million over that same time period via direct government loans or loan guarantees. Although the bill fully funds the $4.2 billion sought for routine commercial cargo resupply runs to the space station starting in 2011, it reduces the president's $312 million request for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Service (COTS) program next year to just $14 million. The Senate version provided $300 million for the agency's COTS providers in 2011. ...Unlike the Senate bill, the House measure does not call for an additional shuttle mission to the space station, though it does fund a shuttle work force transition program and requires NASA to initiate a detailed study of space station cargo resupply needs and capabilities through 2020. It also directs NASA to study options for deploying a variable-gravity centrifuge to the space station and develop a strategic plan for life and microgravity sciences research aboard the orbiting outpost.[/i]
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