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million. Mr. Chairman, the Kennedy Space Center is certainly an exciting time. This year, we have achieved a significant increase in funding for the Ground Systems Exploration program, including money for a second mobile launcher that will allow us to explore the Earth 's orbit earlier and more reliably. Teams at K.S.C continue to progress on Orion and Starliner. And the Dragon Capsule for the first SpaceX commercial test flight arrived in Cape Town only a few weeks ago
. But it's really an exciting time for our space program, but it's also a very difficult time. We are asking more of NASA's women and men than ever before.
We must ensure that the space station operates safely and productively. We have to bring our new crewed vehicles to the finish line and have our astronauts leave the US ground. It is the number one job.
We must complete the construction of SLS, Orion and Cape infrastructure to launch them. And, of course, we must continue to make progress in NASA's leading scientific and aeronautical activities.
Finally, we must prioritize the types of technology investments that will make a mission to Mars safer, more productive, and more affordable.
For example – new revolutionary propulsion systems tested in the field at the moment could shorten the return time to Mars by several months.
NASA's budget request this year proposed new programs – including efforts to develop a range of small, medium and large lunar landers – ultimately leading to a human lunar lander.
The request also included the development of a human "gateway" orbiting the moon.
The gateway was previously described by NASA leaders as a test vehicle for deep space transport to take us to Mars. But it is notably absent from the application any mention of the transport vehicle Mars.
Thus, in examining these propositions, we must think of two important points. First, do these missions help us reach our goal of bringing humans to Mars in the next fifteen years? And, secondly, show me the money!
The Augustine Commission found that NASA needed an increase of a few billion dollars a year, and that it would at least increase the pace of inflation to carry out a program. 39, significant exploration. A few years later, National Academies discovered that if we had only NASA budget increases equivalent to inflation, in the scenario where we first returned to the Moon, we would not join Mars until 2050.
I do not think we want to wait that long.
International and public-private partnerships, if used intelligently, could certainly help improve the affordability of our exploration program.
And in recent years, Congress has given NASA rather healthy budget increases. I will definitely push for continuous increases.
But we need a plan that keeps everyone – industry, Congress, international partners, and NASA's men and women – in the right direction.
Our 2017 licensing bill forced NASA to define step-by-step plan to reach Mars. I am disappointed and worried that this roadmap for human exploration is late by more than seven months, but NASA is moving anyway on major acquisitions like the development of a large lunar lander.
We must make sure that we make intelligent choices in terms of priorities. And we need to make sure we understand what NASA needs to do as we asked.
So, Mr. Chairman, the subject of this hearing is very timely. And the panel of witnesses is exceptional.
I want to thank each and every one of you for coming and I look forward to knowing what you think of how we will have boots on Mars.
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