FY 2010 budget: House and Senate negotiators reached agreement Dec. 8 on a 2010 omnibus spending bill that includes $18.7 billion for NASA — a $942 million increase over the agency’s 2009 budget — $47M was included for microgravity research – which is life and physical science research. This reflects the same funding and subsequent levels of effort that we have seen this past year. HOWEVER, within the explanation language of the omnibus, with regards to the Augustine report, ”The committee's work raises issues requiring thoughtful consideration by the Administration and the Congress, before the Committees on Appropriations of the House and Senate can recommend detailed funding levels.” Congress “notes that the Constellation program is the program for which funds have been authorized and appropriated over the last four years, and upon which the pending budget request is based. Accordingly, it is premature for the conferees to advocate or initiate significant changes to the current program absent a bonafide proposal from the Administration and subsequent assessment, consideration and enactment by Congress..the conference agreement provides $3,466,400,000 for human exploration architecture development, the same level as the budget request. Changes in budgetary and programmatic requirements for fiscal year 2010 from the original budget request shall be submitted only in the form of a supplemental budget request for fiscal year 2010 and not through an initial operating plan or subsequent updates. Funds are not provided herein to initiate any new program, project or activity.. It is the expressed hope..that the Administration will formulate its formal decision soon, submit its recommendation for congressional review and consideration, and budget the necessary resources to meet U.S. spaceflight program funding requirements identified in the Administration's recommendation and congressionally-approved program for space exploration while maintaining a balanced portfolio of science and aeronautics programs.” My simple translation- standby, but nothing is going to take without the agreement of Congress that could take awhile depending on the Administration’s recommendations. It was acknowledged in the FY2010 omnibus that we are on a path to a non-viable human space exploration but a budget had to be approved in the meantime.