Harvard-Affiliated Committee To Testify for NASA Funding

A group representing Harvard and 21 other universities will present testimony today at a Congressional hearing opposing proposed cuts in National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NSA) funding.

An official of the Space Science Working Group, established in 1981 to centralize the colleges' leverage in Washington, will ask a House sub-committee to add 539 million to the Reagan Administration's fiscal year 1984 budget for NASA research.

Negative Impact

Although NASA's budget has not been cut as severely as in the last two years, Harvard research could be negatively affected if the money is not restored, David Gregory, associate director for planning at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics, said yesterday.

Most of Harvard's space-related research is under the aegis of the Center for Astrophysics, which includes the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory, both located adjacent to the Radcliffe Quad. Gregory said that research into X-rays and ultraviolet rays make up much of the Center's relationship with NASA.

The Working Group will request that Congress add funds for experimental programs and research in planetary exploration and environmental observation, more flight research opportunities on the space shuttle and satellites, and replacement of obsolete equipment.

No Inflation Compensation

The new budget proposals call for a general increase in funding for space science, but the allocations fail to keep up with inflation and therefore do not compensate for past declines according to Gerry Shannon, the Group's government hasion.

NASA's 1984 budget tentatively is over 5900 million, a hike of over 10 percent. Although that figure exceeds the expected 5 percent inflation rate, Shannon pointed out that much of that increase would go towards maintenance costs rather than research.

The Group will tell the House subcommittee on Space. Science and Applications that "you can get a very large space science bang for the buck since the science is so well developed," Parker L. Coddington, Harvard's director of governmental relations and a member of the Group's steazing committee, said yesterday.

The Group was credited with helping to successfully urge Congress to restore last your's NASA research budget from the original 30 percent cut by the Reagan Administration.

A congressional staffer said yesterday that the group has "substantial influence" on Capitol Hill.

Harvard's Role

The University has played a "central role" in both organizing the Group and developing testimony for the hearing, Shannon said.

"The Harvard staff takes a lead it representing the academic community in Washington," she added