Each year, Congress passes a Federal Budget which decides where and how federal money will be spent. This money goes to a number of businesses, educational groups, and social programs in order to fund specific organizations. Part of this money typically is funded towards space programs like NASA, in order to continue promoting technological and aesthetic advancements in the scientific community. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent organization of the government whose mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research. Established in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, NASA was launched partly due to the Soviet Union’s launching of the first artificial satellite in 1957. President John F. Kennedy then focused NASA towards sending a man to the moon, which was accomplished through the Mercury and Gemini projects, which helped develop the technology and experience to meet this challenge. NASA then continued by conducting research and developing applications for space technology, a pursuit that led to the first weather and communications satellites.
Federal funding is allocated to over 500 programs and departments. These programs include the Department of Defense for the United States, which in turn has dozens of subcategories; The Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, and Department of the Air Force, among others. This is just one side to the puzzle, however.
These programs are part of the 'Military/National Security' part of the annual budget, which accounts for approximately 63% of the total discretionary budget, the budget that must be approved by Congress each year. Programs that do not fall under this category are part of the 'Non-Military/National Security' portion of the budget, which is allocated around 520 billion dollars, in comparison with around 901 billion dollars for the military. Programs in this category include the Department of Education, Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, NASA, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, among others.
Funding for NASA has been sporadic over the years. During President Johnson's administration, funding reached an all-time high, at around $25 billion, only about six years after its initial launch. Funding then decreased dramatically over the next decade, reaching an all-time low between 1974-75, during President Ford's administration. For the 2010 year, President Obama has requested roughly $1.4 Trillion for the Federal Discretionary Budget. Although around $18.7 billion of this will go to NASA, which is about 5% higher than for the 2009 budget, the subcategories of NASA - Space Operations, Science, Exploration, Cross Agency Support, and Aeronautics -will either be seeing cuts between three and eleven percent, or simply not have any gain. In contrast, many defense programs will be allocated between 5% to over 80% gains in funding, which include a number of new programs which have been recently added. The funding for NASA is important because it allows for the continuation of scientific and technological advancements that not only help unveil some of the many mysteries of the universe, but also creates opportunities for learning and teaching. A few of the many achievements of NASA include launching the Skylab space station in the 1970s, the Voyager program, and since the 1970's the introduction of the Space Shuttle. One of the major projects that NASA has undergone is the creation and upkeep of the Hubble Space Telescope.
The telescope has taken hundreds of thousands of images since its launch in 1990, which has helped procure many groundbreaking achievements. Without this funding, NASA would not be able to attempt such innovative and pioneering experiments. Mark Jarosz is the extravehicular activity (EVA) and crew systems manager within the Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Project, and therefore one of the many scientists that is involved in the HST program. In reply to a question about what people should know about Hubble, Jarosz stated:Hubble is a success because of several factors, two of which are particularly important in my mind. First, Hubble stirs the public imagination and our natural desire to understand our universe. The second is the people. Hubble is a success because of a lot of people working toward a common goal. NASA cannot achieve its successes without teamwork and dedication of a very diverse workforce.
Among other accomplishments, the images have helped determine the age of the universe and have shown how galaxies form and shed light on black holes.
Part II
Over the past decade, criticism for NASA has increased and its funding has become more controversial, as a number of private companies are aiming to offer cheap access to space, for both tourism and commercial launching. Although some arguments state that NASA is now not needed at all, and is more of an obstacle and a nuisance, NASA is far from pointless. The recent work that NASA has accomplished has allowed for the continued exploration of the origins of both the universe and our own planet earth. It has also led to the study of distant planets, on which life may be possible. Most importantly it has continued to adopt the challenge of manned spaceflight, which in turn inspires the pursuit of technological and personal advancement. The government has not put a high enough priority on the funding for space organizations like NASA. However, with the 2010 federal funding for NASA coming in to total an increase of $903.6 million above the amount provided NASA in the FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, the work that NASA has provided will be allowed to continue and prosper.
NASA's diverse range of programs in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering creates a broad range of educational activities. The 2010 budget that NASA receives will advance a number of global interests, including aviation safety and fuel efficiency, and the continuation of global climate change research in an effort to support and improve American innovation and global competitiveness. In addition to the funding, the White House announced the launch of a review of NASA's human space flight activities, which will examine and suggest advisable alternative options, with the goal of providing programs that remain safe, innovative, and affordable in following years. In addition to the scientific and technological advancements that NASA has achieved, it will continue developing a future workforce by improving the technological ambition of the Nation's universities, attracting students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) disciplines, and immersing the public in NASA's missions and programs. In order to obtain these goals, NASA has offered to supply competitive research grants to universities, and providing educational support to Minority Serving institutions and two-year community colleges. NASA will also use Earth and deep space observations as well as future missions to the Moon and other destinations to engage elementary and secondary school audiences, in the hope of attracting and retaining students in STEM disciplines.
During this school year, I fulfilled my community service requirement by volunteering at Chabot Space & Science Center. I found this to be a very satisfactory way of volunteering, as I am interested in science and space, and on my way to college to study physics. The current Chabot facility was developed as a Joint Powers Agency with the City of Oakland, the Oakland Unified School District, and the East Bay Regional Park District, in collaboration with the East Bay Astronomical Society. The institution is an expansion of a public observatory that has provided astronomy and science education programs to Bay Area schools and citizens for over 125 years. Chabot also offers number of unique student, teacher, and public programs, including classes, lectures, shows, and interactive exhibits. I was lucky enough to volunteer at a number of special events, in which I interacted with groups of children and adults and engaged them in different educational activities. In addition, I participated in a number of educational classes for myself, including an astronomy course and a number of workshops which are specially geared towards volunteer involvement.
Part III
NASA is a very important part in both the scientific and military communities. The military relies heavily on a strong presence in space, whether for sea navigation purposes, guiding smart bombs to their destinations, or any other number of uses. The funding that NASA receives is an important base structure, as it allows for the continuation of scientific exploration and discovery, and continued space military support. NASA was founded for the simple intent of space exploration. However, as both the military and scientific communities have progressed, they have become more cordial towards each other. NASA now includes a number of military space programs, including the Global Positioning System, and the United States Naval Observatory. Although some of these programs have civilian requisition, others are purely dedicated to scientific research. Programs like the USNO are very important and would not have been possible without the aid of NASA. 
The U.S. Naval Observatory is used as a basic scientific role for the United States, the Navy, and the Department of Defense. In addition to determining the position and movement of many celestial objects-such as the Earth, Sun, Moon, and many planets and stars-it provides astronomical data, measures the rotation of the Earth, and maintains the Master Clock for the United States. This data is essential for both accurate navigation and the communications on Earth and in Space, which is vital for the Navy and the Department of Defense. The Global Positioning System is quite another program, although many would argue just as important. Many people pride themselves today on having the latest technological advancements, including ever-helpful GPS systems that are now often a part in vehicle construction. The GPS is a U.S. radionavigation system that provides position and navigation services to civilian users world-wide continuously. Made up of three parts-satellites which are orbiting Earth, monitoring stations on Earth, and the GPS receivers owned by civilians-the GPS receiver is then able to provide three-dimensional location, and time.Since its launch, NASA has proved to be an innovative technological, scientific and educational research center. The massive amount of programs that NASA has started and evolved, including the Hubble Space Telescope and a number of satellites that have been launched shows the dedication that NASA has to improving the knowledge and lives of citizens throughout the world, not only by its outstanding research concerning space exploration and discovery, but also its associations with social and military programs that benefit the global population. Randy Kimble, a project scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope Development Project, commented about his work on Hubble, stating:
Hubble produces results that are thrilling, both intellectually and aesthetically.
It is a wonderful thing that humans are able to use modern technological tools such as Hubble, along with our understanding of physics that has been developed over centuries, to try to understand something as vast and complex as the observable universe. Hubble observations help us understand how the universe works, how it has evolved through cosmic time, and how it will change in the future. It is tremendously exciting to think that this sort of understanding is within our grasp.
The aesthetic aspects of Hubble are important, too. The universe is filled with spectacular, beautiful objects and phenomena. The ability of Hubble pictures to make that beauty available to everyone is a significant part of its success.
The federal funding that NASA receives is an important part of its continued success, without which it would not be able to progress towards greater goals. Although the $18.7 billion that NASA received from the U.S. Federal Discretionary Budget will aid in its future endeavors, the funding that NASA receives should be a higher priority in the yearly budget, because of its many redeemable qualities and important parts with which it is involved in the U.S. Military, the scientific community, and numerous educational programs.
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