[257] A comparison of the budgets of the three NACA laboratories shows that throughout the NACA period, Lewis had an only slightly lower total budget than Langley. In contrast, Ames received sometimes less than half that of the other two laboratories. This is because, even in the NACA era, Lewis depended on large facilities for engine testing. They are expensive to build and to run.
During the NASA period, between 1959 and 1968, the Lewis budget was substantially larger than that of Langley or Ames, a fact that reflects the greater number of development projects supervised by Lewis. Construction of the large rocket test facilities at Plum Brook was begun at this time. In 1963 funding for the construction of NASA facilities reached its height, with Lewis receiving $44.8 million. This figure can he compared to funds for the construction of facilities at Langley at $9.8 million, Ames at $14.4 million, and Kennedy Space Center at $334 million. In terms of the total NASA budget, Lewis had become a small fish in a very large pond. Nevertheless, between 1959 and 1965, the year that Lewis received its largest appropriation, its budget had increased from $39.19 million to $393.30 million. By 1968 it had declined to an all time low of $199.64.
.
.
1940
157,946
1,641,150
104,020
-
-
-
1941
196,935
2,091,889
229,307
-
-
-
1942
328,979
4,215,736
828,921
421,789
-
-
1943
371,353
6,002,447
1,604,651
4,559,693
-
-
1944
416,586
7,667,537
2,535,386
7,972,423
-
-
1945
407,806
10,832,226
3,050,071
10,455,750
-
-
1946
764,200
13,616,625
4,921,660
13,930,715
-
-
1947
623,612
11,826,315
3,962,356
12,354,438
-
-
1948
1,392,862
13,694,187
5,134,140
12,708,420
-
-
1949
788,356
15,327,202
6,126,230
14,315,302
643,376
326,922
1950
895,124
16,705,748
6,990,932
16,043,756
466,407
685,072
1951
1,081,842
17,631,974
7,535,318
16,416,186
803,904
919,281
1952
1,200,316
19,692,928
8,277,495
18,381,205
777,545
1,208,163
1953
1,137,088
19,261,787
7,794,571
17,292,736
594,371
1,368,065
1954
1,340,524
19,503,862
7,980,951
17,598,976
756,093
1,437,368
1955
1,338,752
20,117,456
8,498,011
18,207,519
687,925
1,705,182
1956
1,541,237
22,083,125
11,269,561
21,996,415
910,217
1,913,134
1957
1,623,981
27,976,270
13,267,350
25,662,580
1,001,005
2,117,607
1958
1,958,201
32,774,912
20,312,089
30,461,848
2,323,465
2,565,353
|
. |
|
|
|
. | ||
|
1959 |
330.9 |
39.19 |
|
1960 |
523.6 |
44.85 |
|
1961 |
964.0 |
58.14 |
|
1962 |
1,825.3 |
108.28 |
|
1963 |
3,674.1 |
345.70 |
|
1964 |
5,100.0 |
381.81 |
|
1965 |
5,250.0 |
393.30 |
|
1966 |
5,175.0 |
317.16 |
|
1967 |
4,968.0 |
244.88 |
|
1968 |
4,588.9 |
199.64 |
|
1969 |
3,995.3 |
183.7 |
|
1970 |
3,749.2 |
207.5 |
|
1971 |
3,312.6 |
245.3 |
|
1972 |
3,310.1 |
257.4 |
|
1973 |
3,407.6 |
331.0 |
|
1974 |
3,039.7 |
303.0 |
|
1975 |
3,321.2 |
283.9 |
|
1976 |
3,551.8 |
303.6 |
|
1977 |
3,819.1 |
340.1 |