Issues Affecting the Future of the U.S. Space Science and Engineering Workforce Interim Report (2006) / Chapter Skim
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2 NASA’s Exploration Plans and Workforce Implications
2 NASA’s Exploration Plans and Workforce Implications
Pages 10-15
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From page 10... ...
Pace noted that, in contrast to NASA's space science program, the agency has not done as good a job in replenishing its talent pool in the human spaceflight program. Pace briefly described the formation of NASA's Systems Engineering and Institutional Transition Team (SEITT)
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From page 11... ...
, and NASA's immediate needs for workers who already have significant experience rather than more junior people who require training. The committee notes that one difficulty in understanding and characterizing NASA's potential workforce problems is that the agency's job definitions do not correspond with the standard occupational classifications produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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From page 12... ...
Ledbetter explained that program elements include a range of major, moderate size, and small principal-investigator-class space missions as well as a portfolio of basic and applied research grant projects in scientific data analysis, theory, suborbital flight investigations, and technology development. Ledbetter described the concept of a "science ecosystem" that has three components with the following key roles: · NASA centers Program and project management Development of at least one flight mission at all times to maintain key skills Mission-enabling technology development Scientific research in support of missions · Industry Contractor base for centers Capacity to serve as systems integrator, prime contractor, or subsystem contractor Engineering and fabrication capabilities · Universities Training and research Home of many mission principal investigators Instrument technology development Finally, Ledbetter addressed several current challenges that will have an impact on the future space program workforce.
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From page 13... ...
A key assumption for the analysis was that there would be 10 "healthy" NASA field centers during this entire period. Among the SEITT findings noted by Dawsey were the following: · All skills represented in the current NASA workforce are required to some degree; · No new skills were identified that do not currently exist within the current NASA workforce; · Forty percent of all skills were identified as critical to multiple NASA mission directorates; · Fifty percent were identified as being critical to a single mission directorate; · All mission directorates recognized the criticality of two skills -- systems engineering and program/project management; · Eighty percent of skills are directly related to human exploration work; · Reductions in the shuttle/space station contractor workforce are projected to affect a far greater number of skills than will reductions in the civil service workforce; and · The definition of work content and required positions in the NASA mission directorates is still not yet mature enough to plan the numbers of employees needed with a particular skill or their center locations beyond a very short horizon.
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From page 14... ...
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS In summary, based on the presentations noted above and on ensuing discussions during the workshop, NASA's workforce issues can be thought of in terms of three timescales: · Immediate near-termthe workforce problems that NASA is facing at the present moment, particularly the agency's concerns about its internal skill mix and (approximately 900) underutilized civil service staff at selected centers; · Mid-term, present to 2012corresponds with the retirement of the space shuttle in 2010 and completion of International Space Station construction, and the period for development of the crew exploration vehicle and the early development of the lunar exploration hardware; and · Long-term, post-2012the period during which NASA will be conducting full-scale development of the lunar exploration hardware.
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From page 15... ...
The committee also notes that one of the primary factors affecting management of the NASA workforce is the degree to which NASA conducts R&D work internally versus using a contractor. Administrator Griffin has stated his intention to perform more work in-house at NASA.
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