NASA Announces Future Work Assignments for Field Centers

WASHINGTON -- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Deputy
Administrator Lori Garver presented an outline for new and extended
program assignments across the agency Thursday in support of the
president's fiscal year 2011 budget request.

Pending congressional approval, NASA will create new program offices
that include activities in exploration technology and development,
heavy lift rockets and rocket propulsion technology, exploration
precursor robotic missions, human research, and commercial
spaceflight opportunities.

In addition, the new budget has increases for NASA's Science and
Aeronautics directorates that will improve the agency's Earth
observation capabilities and help create a Next Generation air
transportation system that is safe, efficient and friendlier to the
environment. The work assignments expand on the strengths of NASA's
10 centers while allowing the agency to safely fly out the space
shuttle manifest and establish a firm foothold in space by extending
the International Space Station, likely to 2020 or beyond.

"These assignments build on the deep knowledge and expertise that NASA
has developed during five decades," Bolden said. "They recognize our
work force's wealth of experience and commitment, and the specialties
already existing at the NASA field centers."

Bolden said the work assignments represent a bold new approach to
exploring space that will enable NASA to get beyond low-Earth orbit
and create robust near-Earth space flight capabilities. In addition,
several of the technology development efforts will focus on
innovative approaches to spaceflight and other technologies.

For details on the NASA center work assignments and more information
about the agency's fiscal year 2011 budget, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/budget

Source: NASA