$7.7-Billion NASA Money Bill Gets Congress’ Approval

Congress gave final approval Thursday to a bill authorizing $7.7 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, including its space shuttle and work on a space station.

The House and Senate, both by voice votes, ratified and sent to President Reagan a compromise between bills each chamber passed earlier to govern space agency programs.

The compromise is $220 million less than the Reagan Administration requested, but $155 million more than originally passed by the House and $14 million more than the original Senate version.

Space shuttle production and operations consume about $2.7 billion of the bill, about $30 million less than the Administration request. Congress cut $25 million from the $230 million NASA requested for preliminary work on its planned space station, due for orbit in 1992 or 1993.