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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Pages 1-9

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From page 1...
... These programs provide technologies for advanced life support systems, environmental monitoring and control, extravehicular activities, and space human factors engineering, and vary greatly in technology development, scheduling, and funding challenges. Together, these groundbased research and development programs received about $17 million in fiscal year 1996 (FY96)
From page 2...
... The physical/chemical (P/C) and bioregenerative life support programs have been successfully merged into a single program, but the current ALS program does not have an appropriate balance of funded projects to bridge the gap between current P/C life support system technology and advanced bioregenerative systems that will be necessary in the nearly closed environments envisioned for permanent planetary bases.
From page 3...
... Efforts to push the envelope of existing technologies, to think innovatively about P/C technologies, and to address issues associated with hybrid systems should be among the top priorities for technology development. The management of the OLMSA ALS program which sponsors R&D at four NASA centers (Ames Research Center [ARCi, Johnson Space Center [JSCi, Kennedy Space Center [KSCi, and Marshall Space Flight Center [MSFC]
From page 4...
... Unfortunately, there appears to be little communication or coordination between the ALS program and the Space Shuttle or ISS programs, although both the Space Shuttle and the ISS are essential to ensuring the utility of ALS projects directed at near-term needs and for providing on-orbit facilities to support technology development. The ALS program should recognize the ISS Environmental Control and Life Support System as a baseline for technology initiatives and should address the evolution of the ISS in concert with the development of tools, processes, subsystems, and systems necessary to support space vehicles and planetary bases.
From page 5...
... The committee endorses NASA's establishment of an EMC technology program separate from the life support and environmental health programs. Because the EMC program is envisioned as an enduring, though always modest, effort, the committee recommends that the program continue to be managed separately from programs responsible for current and nearterm flight operations.
From page 6...
... Sustained EVAs in planetary conditions, which will occur far from access to resupply or other material support, will require EMUs designed for greater mobility and dexterity; reduced use of consumables; high reliability over long periods of time; reduced need for servicing; easier maintenance; increased resistance to dust; increased interchangeability and versatility; and reduced time for "prebreathe" for tissue denitrogenation (required to prevent decompression sickness, often colloquially referred to as "the bends") prior to performing an EVA.
From page 7...
... The stated goals of OLMSA's SHF program, as currently and vaguely defined, are to address human psychological and physiological capabilities and limitations, develop cost effective technologies that support human and system elements of space flight, and ensure that mission planners use the results of human factors research and technology developments to increase mission success and crew safety. The nature of these goals makes it difficult to evaluate the success of the programs.
From page 8...
... Focused priorities especially in areas where NASA has unique interests that are unlikely to be pursued by others with clearly identified objectives, strong leadership and management, timely examination of technologies being developed elsewhere, and critical evaluations appear to be the ingredients necessary for future success. The SHF program requires strong leadership with a view of the entire SHF area.
From page 9...
... NASA should put more emphasis on finding technologies and knowledge relevant to human support outside of the NASA centers and the other locations where technology has been developed in the past. The human support programs should strive to include universities and large companies in their projects and should make special efforts to take advantage of the willingness of industry to use private funds for research and development projects relevant to NASA's long-term goals.


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