The request effectively cancels the development of a more powerful version of the SLS.
If the proposal is approved by Congress, that means NASA would focus on building a less powerful version of the rocket.
It’s a decision that could bolster critics of the SLS who argue that commercial rockets could be a better option than the delayed and over budget NASA rocket.
That version of the SLS calls for the rocket to have a powerful upper half, known as the Exploration Upper Stage, or EUS.
NASA touted the Block 1B as a rocket that could carry a significant amount of cargo as well as crews at the same time.
However, Bridenstine doesn’t see it that way, maintaining that there is still a place for the giant, expensive rocket at NASA.
This budget is just the beginning of the nearly year-long discussion in Congress that will culminate in the final budget for NASA and other government agencies for fiscal year 2020. »
