Sarah Keegan
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                            
April 6, 1993
(Phone:  202/358-1902)

RELEASE:  93-64

GIBBONS OUTLINES SPACE STATION REDESIGN GUIDANCE

   Dr. John H. Gibbons, Director, Office of Science and 
Technology Policy, outlined to the members-designate of the 
Advisory Committee on the Redesign of the Space Station on April 
3, three budget options as guidance to the committee in their 
deliberations on the redesign of the space station.

   A low option of $5 billion, a mid-range option of $7 billion 
and a high option of $9 billion will be considered by the 
committee.  Each option would cover the total expenditures for 
space station from fiscal year 1994 through 1998 and would 
include funds for development, operations, utilization, Shuttle 
integration, facilities, research operations support, transition 
cost and also must include adequate program reserves to insure 
program implementation within the available funds.

   Over the next 5 years, $4 billion is reserved within the NASA 
budget for the President's new technology investment.  As a 
result, station options above $7 billion must be accompanied by 
offsetting reductions in the rest of the NASA budget.  For 
example, a space station option of $9 billion would require $2 
billion in offsets from the NASA budget over the next 5 years.

   Gibbons presented the information at an organizational 
session of the advisory committee.  Generally, the 
members-designate focused upon administrative topics and used the 
session to get acquainted.  They also received a legal and ethics 
briefing and an orientation on the process the Station Redesign 
Team is following to develop options for the advisory committee 
to consider.

   Gibbons also announced that the United States and its 
international partners -- the Europeans, Japanese and Canadians 
-- have decided, after consultation, to give "full consideration" 
to use of Russian assets in the course of the space station 
redesign process. 

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   To that end, the Russians will be asked to participate in the 
redesign effort on an as-needed consulting basis, so that the 
redesign team can make use of their expertise in assessing the 
capabilities of MIR and the possible use of MIR and other Russian 
capabilities and systems.  The U.S. and international partners 
hope to benefit from the expertise of the Russian participants in 
assessing Russian systems and technology.  The overall goal of 
the redesign effort is to develop options for reducing station 
costs while preserving key research and exploration capabilities.  
Careful integration of Russian assets could be a key factor in 
achieving that goal.

   Gibbons reiterated that, "President Clinton is committed to 
the redesigned space station and to making every effort to 
preserve the science, the technology and the jobs that the space 
station program represents.  However, he also is committed to a 
space station that is well managed and one that does not consume 
the national resources which should be used to invest in the 
future of this industry and this nation."

   NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin said the Russian 
participation will be accomplished through the East-West Space 
Science Center at the University of Maryland under the leadership 
of Roald Sagdeev.

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