NASA Chief Eyes 2011 for New Spacecraft

Published: Apr 26, 2006
Source: www.washingtonpost.com



WASHINGTON -- A new spaceship could be ready to replace the nation's aging shuttle fleet by 2011 _ three years ahead of schedule _ if lawmakers added money to NASA's proposed budget, the head of the space agency told a congressional panel on Tuesday.

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said that date is the earliest the new spaceship, or crew exploration vehicle, could be developed no matter how much money the agency received.

Currently, the target date for building a new vehicle is 2014.

With his pitch to Congress, Griffin underscored a point he has made previously about completing the spaceship on a faster time frame.continue..