[Satellite TODAY 12-15-09] The U.S. Senate passed an omnibus spending bill, which provides NASA with an $18.7 billion budget through September and establishes new congressional oversight of NASA’s Constellation program, NASA announced Dec. 14.
    The 2010 NASA budget is $942 million higher than its 2009 funding level, with $50 million allocated toward assessing satellite-servicing capabilities for the manned Orion spacecraft. The space shuttle program would receive almost $3.16 billion, and the space station would get nearly $2.32 billion under the bill.
    The bill, which heads to President Obama’s desk for signing, also provides at least $50 million to start a new project to replace NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, lost in a launch failure in February. However, the bill prevents NASA from paying for an replacement by cutting ongoing or future missions.