House of Representatives approves NASA budget boost

The House of Representatives has approved new legislation that will give NASA a much-needed budget boost, Florida Today reports. The raise comes at a time when NASA needs it most, as the organization plans manned missions to nearby asteroids and Mars.

The bill will provide NASA with $18.9 billion for the fiscal year beginning on October 1 – $276 million more than the House granted the agency during the 2010 fiscal year. The raise matches the $19 billion that President Barack Obama granted the space organization earlier this year.

“This keeps us absolutely on course, with robust funding for NASA and support for the workers at Kennedy Space Center,” Senator Bill Nelson of Orlando told the source. “We’re just nibbling around the edges.”

The legislation wasn’t passed without contention, though. Some senators felt the money would be better suited for other causes.

NASA is planning several high-profile missions over the next few decades. The space agency plans to send astronauts to nearby asteroids by 2025, while it’s on course to send a team to Mars by 2035.