NEW YORK: The Senate Appropriations Committee rejected a budget request from NASA on June 11, in a move the space agency says could affect the ability to launch astronauts into space in the near future. Since the Space Shuttles were retired in 2011, NASA has depended on Russia to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA requested $1.2 billion for the Commercial Crew program, an increase from $900 million. That cooperative program between NASA, Boeing and SpaceX is designed to launch astronauts into space from American soil for the first time since the end of the shuttle program. The funding increase was introduced by senator Barbara Mikulsky of Maryland as an amendment to a spending bill under consideration by the committee. The proposal was defeated 16-14 in a party-line vote.
This vote resulted in NASA Administrator Charles Bolden releasing a statement berating the committee for denying the funding request.
Pakistan to get $3b loan from Islamic Trade Financing Corporation
ISLAMABAD: Islamic Trade Financing Corporation (ITFC) to provide Pakistan with a $3 billion loan, according to an official statement released...
