Congressman Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, voted with members of the House Committee on Science, Space, & Technology in favor of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Authorization Act of 2018 on Tuesday.
The vote passed 26-7 on the bill that would authorize approximately $21 billion for various science, research and technology programs.
The final version of the bill includes several key provisions from Rep. Knight’s Aeronautics Innovation Act, H.R. 3033.
The bill codifies NASA’s civil experimental “X”-Plane program to evaluate and prove technology concepts that can be applied to civilian air travel. This program encompasses NASA projects such as the Low Boom Flight Demonstrator (LBFD) program, ultra-efficient subsonic aircraft and the fully electric X-57.
Another included provision from H.R. 3033 prioritizes the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s (ARMD) hypersonic technology research, which will strengthen its role in supporting the Department of Defense’s pursuit of these technologies.
Lastly, a new sub-account under the Construction of Facilities account is established to be dedicated to Aeronautics research centers to ensure these sites have the resources they need to achieve their research and testing objectives.
“Between Plant 42, Edwards Air Force Base, and NASA Armstrong, our region is perfectly poised to contribute to aerospace advancements and have a long history of doing so,” Knight said Tuesday. “In the Antelope Valley, our geography makes us perfectly suited for test flights to push the envelope of what can be done in civilian and military aircraft. The technology advanced by this bill will directly lead to improvements in services for delivery, passenger and research aircraft that will benefit everyone.”
H.R. 5503 also supports consistent funding for multiple programs with heavy production and development assets in Southern California. Additionally, a bipartisan majority of the Committee approved a final Amendment by Rep. Knight that provides additional support to the LBFD program.
