NASA's effort to farm out astronauts' space station trips to private companies over the next decade is under fire again, this time by federal deficit hit men.

Spaceflight vendors stand to lose $1.2 billion in NASA funding in 2015 under a proposal by the co-chairmen of President Barack Obama's bipartisan deficit commission.

Eliminating federal funding for commercial rocket rides is just one of dozens of ideas put forth earlier this month. It was No. 24 on the list and, outside of space circles, was barely noticed, overshadowed by proposed cuts in Social Security benefits and a call for higher taxes.

NASA isn't overly worried, for now. Neither are the entrepreneurs who are counting on government dollars to hurry their spacecraft and rockets along; they're used to the Earth-mired roller coaster ride. Besides, few if any observers expect the proposed cut to muster enough support.

But the fact that commercial spaceflight was targeted, underscores the vulnerability and controversy of the Obama administration's plan to get American astronauts to the International Space Station via commercial craft once the space shuttles stop flying next year.