Bill Nelson

It was. It was engineered to go in the payload bay. In fact, it is a completed spacecraft.

And according to your answer on AMS, the same would be true of the Deep Space Climate Observatory?

One of the things that maybe you, Senator Mikulski, and Senator Hutchison could all explore is language that would give additional flexibility.

Well, then, that's newfound money, isn't it? That would go into the Shuttle account.

What we'd like you to come up with is a figure that is realistic that we could go out and try to find for you, so you can keep on the schedule of 2014 or earlier for Orion/Ares.

Are your figures calculating that you're going to be reimbursed for the money that you spent on hurricane repairs?

We're trying to help you.

May I interject right there? Now, let me get the math.

Excuse me for interrupting, but wasn't there one program that you told us, for example, in the development of the heat shield, that you could take out of exploration and put into aeronautics?

I believe those decisions have forced Dr. Griffin to make the kinds of painful choices we are hearing about from the scientific community.

If the U.S. does not sustain an active space exploration program, other nations will--and are preparing to--step into that vacuum.

I am further concerned that being forced to make those choices can have the effect of undermining the traditional constituency for NASA.

I am disappointed that the appropriations for FY 2007 were so far below even the amount requested.

Thank you, also, in an uncertain budget year, where we haven't had budgets submitted by the White House that have matched with the authorization.

Thanks to Senator Hutchison and to Senator Barbara Mikulski, they had added another billion dollars, over and above the White House request.

It's been a long time since I chaired one of these Space Subcommittee hearings.

It's just amazing, Mark, how you can just put it on a dime, and you don't have an engine.

You all do us proud.

Yes, if confirmed, I would consider commissioning an independent review and assessment of the BMD acquisition program.

If confirmed, will you pledge to work closely with this committee to ensure rigorous oversight of the Department's missile defense program?

Do you have in your mind that you're going, as CNO, to implement a plan for carrying out this principle of strategic dispersal?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It is my belief that it would be a serious strategic mistake to have all of those key assets of our Navy tied up in one port.

My judgment is that dispersion is still the situation. A nuclear carrier should be in Florida to replace the John F. Kennedy to get some dispersion.

The Atlantic fleet should continue to be dispersed in two home ports.