O'Keefe: NASA won't steal from other programs to pay shuttle tab.(The Orlando Sentinel)

Byline: Gwyneth K. Shaw

WASHINGTON _ Answering pointed questions from senators, NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe said Thursday that while the shuttles won't fly again until the agency is certain they are safe, he also won't steal from other projects to pick up the tab.

"I assure you our intent is not to rob other programs in order to pay for shuttle costs," O'Keefe said. "That is not in the mix."

Testifying before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's budget, O'Keefe told lawmakers it's simply too soon to start talking about how much it will cost to fix the shuttles and get them back into orbit.

NASA's budget request for the 2004 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, was prepared before the Feb. 1 Columbia accident, which grounded the fleet and threw the entire manned space flight program into chaos.

Now, with the Columbia Accident Investigation Board still piecing together what caused the shuttle to break apart over east Texas, lawmakers are trying to figure out how to craft a budget blueprint without knowing how much money NASA needs.

"We all agree the best way to honor the astronauts is to get back into space again," said U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a Maryland Democrat who serves as the ranking member on the subcommittee.