§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the current status of the Space Station and of the operative agreement relating to it entered into by the United States of America with the European Space Agency and others, in the light of the United States budget.
§ Lord TrefgarneThe intergovernmental agreement on the permanently manned civil space station was signed in Washington on 29th September 1988 by the United States, by European governments participating in Columbus (the European Space Agency's contribution to the project), by Canada and by Japan. Solid preparatory work is already under way in many countries, including Europe, pending ratification by the parties. The importance of the space station for the US's future space options has recently been reaffirmed by President Bush. NASA's budget requirements for the space station in US fiscal year 1990 are now being considered by relevant congressional committees. The outcome will not be known for some time. There is at present no basis for believing that there will be major schedule or other implications for the US's partners.