House Passes NASA Authorization Bill

The House voted to approve a NASA authorization bill Wednesday in a 304-118 vote. The bill is a companion to similar legislation already unanimously approved by the Senate and calls for one more space shuttle flight before the program is retired.

The bill also includes $6.9 billion over the next three years for the development of NASA's next heavy-lift rocket. There is only $1.6 billion slated for commercial rocket development over three years, as opposed to the $3.6 billion preferred by a plan proffered by President Obama in February.

Shuttle workers can now begin preparations for the additional flight, tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2011. There are two flights scheduled before that, in November and February 2011.

U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, whose district covers much of the Space Coast, voted for the bill but said it didn't go far enough.

"So while the bill falls short of legislation that I authored last year which closes the human space flight gap, the good news is that this final bill is at least somewhat of a departure from the plan outlined by the administration in February," Posey said in a released statement.