Space Access Society Political Advisory 07/09/99 This one is important. Please give it (and next week's similar push on the House NASA Appropriation) everything you've got. Summary: The Senate HUD/VA (NASA) Appropriations bill goes through subcommittee then committee "markup" this coming week of July 11th. If a Senator from your state is on the Appropriations Committee (see attached list) please call or fax them at their Washington office as early in the week as possible, and ask them to do two things in the NASA Appropriation markup: 1) Add $50 million to NASA Future-X for reusable rocket low-cost operability demonstrations. Ask them to support NASA doing this as a small business setaside, to encourage new entrants to the space launch business. 2) Provide no funding for initiation of NASA's premature and oversold "Spaceliner 100" airbreathing launch vehicle project. Background, Item 1: We're pushing for startup funding for one or more NASA Future-X low-cost fast-turnaround high-speed reusable- rocket flight operations demonstrators, done as small business setasides, with a goal of $100 million or less ("Pathfinder" class projects, small enough not to attract too many vultures) per flight vehicle program. The majors all have their own X-rocket projects, none to date very promising as far as significantly cheaper launch goes. We think it's time to give one or more of the entrepreneurial startup launch companies a chance to show what they can do on a shoestring. Background, Item 2: The "Spaceliner 100" RBCC-engined (RBCC is a notional hybrid rocket-airbreather) space launch vehicle project has been repeatedly oversold in recent months, to the point where we think the overstated and sometimes downright deceptive claims being made are actively damaging the already-fragile commercial investment environment for more proven near-term low-cost launch approaches. We approve of ongoing research aimed at bringing the various "Spaceliner 100" technologies closer to ready for prime time. We strongly oppose attempts to fund a half-billion-dollar flight vehicle project based on an as-yet hypothetical engine at the expense of real current commercial reusable launch vehicle projects. We think initiation of a $500 million "Spaceliner" flight vehicle project is both grossly premature in terms of the state of the technologies involved, and damaging to the near-term chances of implementing far more mature low-cost launch technologies. How To Do It If one or more of the Senators listed is from your state, get their DC office fax number (or phone number) from www.vote-smart.org. (Alternative: make a call to your local library information desk.) Compose a polite concise one-page latter to them, identifying yourself as a constituent of theirs, telling them what you'd like them to do, then briefly explaining why - just hit one or two high points, don't overexplain. Thank them for their attention, sign the letter, and send it. Fax is best on this short notice, a voice call is second, and email is a distant third, as far as the chances of getting attention - staffers are aware paper mail, faxes, or phone calls take more effort, so they take these more seriously. If you can't fax, then phone their DC office number, ask for whoever handles NASA appropriations questions, then when connected to that staffer (or more likely their voice mail) tell them briefly who you are ("I'm Joe Smith from Missouri") and what you want them to do, then (unless they have questions) thank them for their time and ring off. Thanks! Henry Vanderbilt Space Access Society www.space-access.org Senate Appropriations Committee Members * HUD/VA (NASA) Subcommittee member - Republicans Ted Stevens (AK), Chair Thad Cochran (MS) Arlen Specter (PA) Pete Domenici (NM) Christopher Bond (MO) * (Subcommittee chair) Slade Gorton (WA) Mitch McConnell (KY) Conrad Burns (MT) * Richard Shelby (AL) * Judd Gregg (NH) Robert Bennett (UT) Ben Nighthorse Campbell (CO) Larry Craig (ID) * Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX) * Jon Kyl (AZ) * - Democrats Robert Byrd (WV), Rnk. Mem. * Daniel Inouye (HI) Ernest Hollings (SC) Patrick Leahy (VT) * Frank Lautenberg (NJ) * Tom Harkin (IA) * Barbara Mikulski (MD) * (Subcommittee RMM) Harry Reid (NV) Herbert Kohl (WI) Patty Murray (WA) Byron Dorgan (ND) Dianne Feinstein (CA) Richard Durbin (IL)