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INTRODUCI'1ON Raymond S. Colladay dialog. ~ that is extremely important to NASA. And I'm further pleased by the fact that Human Factors is being considered at this symposium in the context of Autc mate d and Robotic systems, because that's Precisely that way we should look at that subject. to do to bring those disciplines to-tether. I'm delighted to see that in spite of the snow here in Washington, there is such a good turnout. I was talking to Stan Deutsch before the meeting and he told me that att ~ nce had to be restricted so that the group would be small and intimate to encourage good interchange and ''m pleased with that because it Provides a focus on a subject _ , _ __ _,,, ~ this reflects what NASA is trying _ I think that when you look into the subjects which you are addressing in this symposium, you're going to see a discrepancy between cur gains and our current capability, specifically ~ the NASA program. Your f~p~h~ck Ln the discussions and in the proc edgings of this meeting will be very important to us in planning the program and in trying to get cur capability on track with our expectations and our vision. We have great plans for extending human presence in space. The space-station is only the first step In ~t vision, which is talkie shape right now es we contemplate lunar teases, eruditions to Mars, and offer missions beyond the space station. It is nor pleasure to welcome you to this symposia on Human Factors In Au~na~ and P0otic Space Systems, and I'd like to Chard the National Prearm ~uncil's Unique on mean Factors for their efforts in corxtucting this symposium, and for their vane contributions corer the years to TSAR Aeronautics arm Apace In Factors resort preens. The committee has helped us to for~ate and develcp the kirks of programs we need in this area. m e subject of this ~ slum is tin ~ y indeed. Yesterday was the first anniversary of the Challenger accident, a day of rededication to excellence in memory of the Mission ST-L Challenger astronauts. It was a day when, as a nation, we re5P~;cated ourselves to the excellence that characterizes America. For our part, we at NASA are developing a clear vision of the future in space and are currently refining our research and technology development plans to ensure the health, safety, and productivity of humans in space throughout the coming decades. Althcogh it was only formalized as a research discipline about five years ago, our Space Human Factors Program is bullt upon a long history 15
16 of aeronautical human factors research, and extensive agency experience In life sciences research and manned space flight. Something else is happening in the NASA program which pleases me, and that is the start of a new building for human performance research for the space program at our Ames Research Center in California. I intend this building to be the first leg of a major facility that ccmb~nes human performance and autcmation research. We are, in fact, putting a building in place to reflect exactly the kind of merger of those disciplines that this symposium is addressing. We'll call it the Human Performance and Autcmation Laboratory. This will pull those disciplines together In a very realistic way, and will get researchers working in the laboratory in computer science, artificial intelligence, automation, and human factors. I look forward to the results of this symposium. I think it will be extremely helpful to us. We welcome this opportunity to interact with you and I wish you luck in the proceedings and the discussions that follow. Thank you very much.