Senate Votes NASA $18.7 Billion; Conference to Resolve With House

The U.S. Senate approved the $65 billion 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill Nov. 5 by a vote of 71 to 28. The spending package, which includes $18.7 billion for NASA for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, reports SpaceNews.

In a strong show of support for President Barack Obama's vision for NASA and manned space missions, the Senate agreed Thursday to hand over all that he asked for: $4 billion to build cutting-edge spacecraft as part of an $18.7 billion budget, reports The Houston Chronicle.

The funding measure now goes to a Senate-House conference committee to resolve the difference with the House which cut human space flight funding by $670 million earlier this year.