NASA
The Tennessee Valley, home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, is the birthplace of America’s space program. Marshall continues to be the leader in developing the space systems America needs to journey into low Earth orbit, the moon, and beyond. Congressman Brooks, through his membership on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, fights for NASA and America’s preeminence in space.
After many years of neglect by the Obama Administration, Congressman Brooks has a renewed sense of optimism for the space program under the Trump Administration. Congressman Brooks strives to ensure that these programs remain on a steady path to success. He was excited to see the Trump Administration prioritize deep space exploration in its first year budget request, demonstrating that he has the full intention of challenging America’s space program to reach farther into space than ever before through the use of vehicles like the Space Launch System and Orion.
Congressman Brooks knows that there is more work to do to ensure the preeminence of our nation’s space program. That is why he is committed to doing whatever is necessary to promote our nation’s space objectives via Congressional hearings, meetings, and letters to key appropriators, and will continue to monitor NASA’s progress on these critical programs.
For more information concerning my work and views on NASA issues, please contact my Washington, DC office.
News Releases
Washington, DC— Thursday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) praised NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine’s decision to name the agency’s headquarters building in Washington, D.C. after Mary W. Jackson, the first African American female engineer at NASA and one of the “Hidden Figures”.
Washington, DC— Wednesday afternoon, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) voted “Yes” on Space Subcommittee passage of H.R. 5666, the “National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2020.” The bill passed the subcommittee by voice vote. Notably, Brooks successfully amended H.R. 5666 to ensure competition and flexibility for NASA’s choosing an integrated crewed Mars landing/assent system design.
Brooks is #2 in seniority amongst Space Subcommittee Republicans.
Washington, DC— Thursday, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee passed by voice vote H.R. 5260, the Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow Act (the PROSWIFT Act). Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) teamed with Democrat sponsor Congressman Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) to pass the PROSWIFT Act which seeks to enhance America’s scientific understanding of the potential consequences of severe space weather phenomena and establishes a forecasting regime for severe space weather events.
Washington, DC— Wednesday, in a House Space Subcommittee hearing, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) questioned NASA experts on their starkly different views on how to best return to the Moon. Former NASA Associate Administrator Doug Cooke advocated replicating the simpler “Apollo” approach while current NASA Associate Administrator Kenneth Bowersox defended a more complex, multi-faceted “Artemis” approach. Cooke estimated that NASA’s current “Artemis” approach has a 49% mission failure risk versus an “Apollo” approach mission failure risk of 20%.
Huntsville, AL— Friday, in the shadow of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket test stand at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) joined NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in announcing that Marshall will lead design and development of the Artemis program lunar lander, the vehicle that will transport astronauts from the Moon-orbiting Gateway space station to the Moon’s surface. Congressman Brooks and Administrator Bridenstine were joined by Congressmen Robert Aderholt (AL-04) and Scott DesJarlais (TN-04).