NASA Requests $8.1Bln in 2024 Budget to Return US Astronauts to Moon

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - NASA has requested more than $8 billion in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget to return US astronauts to the Moon, according a FY 2024 Agency Fact Sheet released on Monday.

"The FY 2024 budget request for NASA is $27.2 billion (7.1% increase over FY 2023 enacted)," the release said. "Specifically, this budget requests $8.125 billion to return American astronauts to the Moon, including the first woman and first person of color, to establish a sustainable lunar presence and lay the groundwork for humanity’s first crewed mission to Mars."

NASA seeks through the requested funding to also support continued human presence in low-Earth orbit with operations of the International Space Station through 2030, the release said.

"This includes $228 million to collaborate with US industry on commercial space stations that will become available in the late 2020s, in order to initiate transition from ISS after its retirement; and $180 million for a US deorbit vehicle that will enable the safe and responsible deorbit of the ISS at the end of this decade," the release said.

NASA’s budget request also includes $4.525 billion for Common Exploration Systems Development to support lunar missions, the release said.

In addition, the requested funding includes $3.235 billion for the Artemis Campaign Development to advance lunar exploration capabilities, the release said.

Moreover, NASA asked for $4.535 billion to continue conducting space operations, the release added.

On Thursday, the White House issued a document saying that President Joe Biden's budget proposal for fiscal year 2024 requests $27.7 billion in discretionary budget authority for NASA - an increase of $1.8 billion from the 2023 enacted level.

Biden will submit his budget proposal to Congress and it will serve as a blueprint for lawmakers in crafting their own budget legislation. The US Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse as it is up to lawmakers to approve all spending levels for government agencies and programs.