Southeast : Space Industry Urged to Boost Research

NASA chief administrator Daniel Goldin on Friday encouraged top aerospace and defense contractors in the area to pour more money into research so they can remain competitive as federal contracts become scarcer and products must be marketed to the private sector.

Goldin told a Downey gathering of aerospace and defense executives, civic leaders and state representatives that “as funds become tight, there’s going to be more and more competition.”

Earl Beauvais, operational director at Rockwell’s space division in Downey, said its research funding has fallen about 25% over recent years to $30 million this year. However, he said, the company plans to dedicate $50 million to develop a new reusable space transport vehicle for NASA that could be used commercially.