Mark Hess
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.                                                  
October 18, 1993
(Phone:  202/358-1400)

June Malone
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
(Phone:  205/544-0034)

Myron Webb
Stennis Space Center, Mississippi
(Phone:  601/688-3341)


RELEASE:  93-189

NASA LimitS Expenditures on THE ASRM PROGRAM

   NASA today took action to limit expenditures on the Advanced 
Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) program.  NASA informed its field 
installations, involved with the ASRM program, that if the pending 
appropriations bill becomes law, it would require termination of 
the ASRM program.  Accordingly, NASA issued direction to its field 
installations to "take immediate action to mitigate the costs of 
terminating the ASRM program."

   The U.S. House of Representatives is taking final action on the 
Fiscal Year 1994 VA-HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations 
Bill and is expected to pass the bill later this week.  If the 
Senate also approves the bill with the proposed House amendment, 
the language effectively will terminate the ASRM program once the 
President signs the bill into law.

   If changes to the bill are enacted, $100 million in Fiscal Year 
1994 will be appropriated to cover the ASRM program's termination 
costs.  Should the final appropriations bill language be modified, 
further program direction will be sent to the NASA centers.

   NASA Headquarters has directed all affected offices to develop 
an implementation plan to terminate the ASRM program within the 
available budget ($100 million plus any uncosted/unobligated 
program funds).  The plan is to be provided to Headquarters no 
later than November 1.


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   The field installations have been directed to provide 
information, as detailed as feasible, to all ASRM contractors of 
the recent Congressional action and its consequences should the 
bill become law to assist the contractors in their planning.

   About 3600 contractors currently work on the program.  Lockheed 
Space and Missile Co. in Sunnyvale, Calif., is the prime 
contractor for the ASRM. The number of actual job terminations 
required as a result of this action will be determined by the 
individual contractors and subcontractors working on the program. 

   The ASRM program is managed by the NASA Marshall Space Flight 
Center, Huntsville, Ala.  Fabrication of the motor was to be 
accomplished at facilities under construction in Iuka, 
Mississippi.  Additional facilities for the qualification testing 
of the motors were under construction at the Stennis Space Center, 
Mississippi.  The motor, which would replace the Redesigned Solid 
Rocket Boosters used to launch the Space Shuttle, was started in 
June 1990.  It's projected development cost was $3.8 billion, and 
its first flight was scheduled for December 2000. 

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