America's Future in Space Aligning the Civil Space Program with National Needs (2009) / Chapter Skim
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3 Foundational Elements
3 Foundational Elements
Pages 49-58
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From page 49... ...
1. Coordinated national strategies -- implementing national space policy coherently across all civilian agencies in support of national needs and priorities and aligning attention to shared interests of civil and national security space activities; 2.
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From page 50... ...
But a process, led by senior executive branch officials, that has as its purpose the proper alignment of the nation's space activities would help to ensure that each participating agency has the resources necessary to achieve its established goals; that avoidable duplication is reduced; and that the nation has the effective civil and military space programs that it requires. Such a process for aligning the nation's space activities would involve establishing a long-term government commitment and realistic resources, and would define clear roles and responsibilities for government participants, and meaningful relationships with stakeholders outside the government; it would establish lines of authority and accountability, delineating priorities for national resources and leveraging important capabilities to achieve broad national goals.
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From page 51... ...
And, even more important, it should reflect an understanding of the growing role of civil space in our lives. The process should provide a framework for meaningful international relationships in civil space activities while realistically addressing national security priorities such as preventing transfer of militarily sensitive technologies to adversaries abroad.
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From page 52... ...
The agency does not have the necessary resources to carry out the tasks of completing the International Space Station [ISS] , returning humans to the Moon, maintaining vigorous space and Earth science and microgravity life and physical sciences programs, and sustaining capabilities in aeronautical research" (p.
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From page 53... ...
The budgetary situations faced by NASA and NOAA are a consequence of a trend in recent administrations to view the space program as an isolated stovepipe, with little or no connection to the nation's most prominent problems. Civil space programs have largely been assigned budget levels that are incrementally based on previous years' budgets, with only tenuous connections to the evolution of the programs or their capabilities.
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From page 54... ...
A recent NRC report, as well as others, also emphasized that certain skill areas, especially systems engineering and project management, are particularly understaffed and vulnerable to further shortages. To address those specific needs, a follow-on NRC report calls for more opportunities to provide hands-on training and experience with spaceflight development programs.10 A strong aerospace engineering workforce is only one component of the overall demand in our country for a strong science and engineering workforce.
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From page 55... ...
DOD is responsible for the nation's launch complexes and ranges at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base, which support military launches and which also provide collateral support to NASA and commercial launch operations. It also maintains the worldwide space surveillance network used by all U.S.
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From page 56... ...
leadership in space requires a foundation of sustained technology advances that can enable the development of more capable, reliable, and lower-cost spacecraft and launch vehicles to achieve space program goals. A strong advanced technology development foundation is needed also to enhance technology readiness of new missions, mitigate their technological risks, improve the quality of cost estimates, and thereby contribute to better overall mission cost management.
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From page 57... ...
Most of what remained was moved to the Constellation Program and has become oriented specifically to risk reduction supporting the ongoing internal development program.11 To fulfill NASA's broader mandate, an independent advanced technology development effort is required, much like that accomplished by DARPA in the DOD, focused not so much on technology that today's program managers require but on what future program managers would wish they could have if they knew they needed it, or would want if they knew they could have it. This effort should engage the best science and engineering talent in the country wherever it residesin universities, industry, NASA centers, or other government laboratoriesindependent of pressures to sustain competency at the NASA centers.
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From page 58... ...
civil space program would have more effect, a broader reach, and a greater connection to the American people if senior officials paid more attention to these elements.
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