As NASA focuses on interplanetary exploration, it confronts terrestrial challenges, particularly inadequate funding leading to deteriorating buildings. Eric Weiser, NASA Facilities and Real Estate Division Director, reveals that the majority of NASA's 5,300 facilities exceed their intended lifespan, yet maintenance budgets remain insufficient.
A yearly maintenance gap of $250 to $260 million, explained by Weiser during a meeting, hampers effective upkeep, risking mission disruptions, including Artemis, their ambitious lunar program.
A NASA helicopter flies past the Vehicle Assembly Building after the scrubbing of a launch attempt for the Artemis I rocket from launch pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center on September 03, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
House and Senate Cuts NASA Budget
Weiser informed the committee that NASA's present underfunding issues stem from historical spending gaps, a situation likely to persist as Congress and Senate appropriators reduces the agency's budget despite NASA's appeals for more funds.
Simultaneously, Weiser highlighted that NASA allots merely 1.7 percent of its budget to construction, a stark contrast to the industry's standard practice of dedicating around three percent of total budgets to construction efforts.
During a July 13 markup, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a spending bill for fiscal year 2024 encompassing NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation, and other agencies, with a vote of 28-1.
While the bill text and report were yet to be released as of early July 14, a committee summary indicated a funding allocation of $25.0 billion for NASA, falling short of the $25.384 billion in fiscal year 2023 and notably below the requested $27.185 billion for 2024.
Weiser emphasized that the current practice of renewing infrastructure roughly every 200 years falls short of an optimal cycle of 60 to 80 years, a goal achievable through increased funding. Unfortunately, constrained by limited funding, NASA has postponed 78 projects in the last four years, resulting in building deterioration as deferred repairs transform into unforeseen failures, as described by Weiser.
An evaluation of NASA's facilities indicates a widespread state of maintenance ranging from "marginal to poor," which pertains to the buildings themselves rather than the equipment they house. Weiser highlighted that the scientific instruments within the buildings receive adequate funding; however, if the building infrastructure fails, the value of the contained equipment diminishes.
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Will NASA Goes Out of Business?
NASA has put into action multiple strategies to curb expenses, such as adopting a tiered system to prioritize and schedule maintenance, identifying properties for potential sale, and generating income by leasing facilities that are not crucial for missions.
Over the course of a year, in 40 workshops dedicated to assessing all NASA facilities, more than 750 assets suitable for divestment were identified, amounting to $20 million saved in maintenance expenses that could then be reallocated to other facilities, as Weiser explained, ultimately yielding a net gain of $40 million.
Additionally, NASA anticipates raising $37 million annually by 2026 through the disposal of outdated buildings. Despite these measures, the growing maintenance gap, currently at $250 million, remains a challenge, leading to potential unplanned failures and facility shutdowns for maintenance, as Weiser conveyed to the committee, noting that while the gap can be reduced, closing it entirely remains elusive.
Committee member and retired NASA leader Mark Saunders said that NASA could go out of business if the situation continues. In response, Weiser emphasized the necessity to recalibrate their infrastructure, halt funding for unnecessary buildings, and take further measures due to current financial constraints.
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