TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Pathways to Exploration: Rationales and Approaches for a U.S. Program of Human Space Exploration SN - DO - 10.17226/18801 PY - 2014 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18801/pathways-to-exploration-rationales-and-approaches-for-a-us-program PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - The United States has publicly funded its human spaceflight program on a continuous basis for more than a half-century, through three wars and a half-dozen recessions, from the early Mercury and Gemini suborbital and Earth orbital missions, to the lunar landings, and thence to the first reusable winged crewed spaceplane that the United States operated for three decades. Today the United States is the major partner in a massive orbital facility - the International Space Station - that is becoming the focal point for the first tentative steps in commercial cargo and crewed orbital space flights. And yet, the long-term future of human spaceflight beyond this project is unclear. Pronouncements by multiple presidents of bold new ventures by Americans to the Moon, to Mars, and to an asteroid in its native orbit, have not been matched by the same commitment that accompanied President Kennedy's now fabled 1961 speech-namely, the substantial increase in NASA funding needed to make it happen. Are we still committed to advancing human spaceflight? What should a long-term goal be, and what does the United States need to do to achieve it? Pathways to Exploration explores the case for advancing this endeavor, drawing on the history of rationales for human spaceflight, examining the attitudes of stakeholders and the public, and carefully assessing the technical and fiscal realities. This report recommends maintaining the long-term focus on Mars as the horizon goal for human space exploration. With this goal in mind, the report considers funding levels necessary to maintain a robust tempo of execution, current research and exploration projects and the time/resources needed to continue them, and international cooperation that could contribute to the achievement of spaceflight to Mars. According to Pathways to Exploration, a successful U.S. program would require sustained national commitment and a budget that increases by more than the rate of inflation. In reviving a U.S. human exploration program capable of answering the enduring questions about humanity's destiny beyond our tiny blue planet, the nation will need to grapple with the attitudinal and fiscal realities of the nation today while staying true to a small but crucial set of fundamental principles for the conduct of exploration of the endless frontier. The recommendations of Pathways to Exploration provide a clear map toward a human spaceflight program that inspires students and citizens by furthering human exploration and discovery, while taking into account the long-term commitment necessary to achieve this goal. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - An Enabling Foundation for NASA's Earth and Space Science Missions SN - DO - 10.17226/12822 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12822/an-enabling-foundation-for-nasas-earth-and-space-science-missions PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - NASA's space and Earth science program is composed of two principal components: spaceflight projects and mission-enabling activities. Most of the budget of NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is applied to spaceflight missions, but NASA identifies nearly one quarter of the SMD budget as "mission enabling." The principal mission-enabling activities, which traditionally encompass much of NASA's research and analysis (R&A) programs, include support for basic research, theory, modeling, and data analysis; suborbital payloads and flights and complementary ground-based programs; advanced technology development; and advanced mission and instrumentation concept studies. While the R&A program is essential to the development and support of NASA's diverse set of space and Earth science missions, defining and articulating an appropriate scale for mission-enabling activities have posed a challenge throughout NASA's history. This volume identifies the appropriate roles for mission-enabling activities and metrics for assessing their effectiveness. Furthermore, the book evaluates how, from a strategic perspective, decisions should be made about balance between mission-related and mission-enabling elements of the overall program as well as balance between various elements within the mission-enabling component. Collectively, these efforts will help SMD to make a good program even better. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus SN - DO - 10.17226/18248 PY - 2012 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18248/nasas-strategic-direction-and-the-need-for-a-national-consensus PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is widely admired for astonishing accomplishments since its formation in 1958. Looking ahead over a comparable period of time, what can the nation and the world expect of NASA? What will be the agency's goals and objectives, and what will be the strategy for achieving them? More fundamentally, how will the goals, objectives, and strategy be established and by whom? How will they be modified to reflect changes in science, technology, national priorities, and available resources? In late 2011, the United States Congress directed the NASA Office of Inspector General to commission a "comprehensive independent assessment of NASA's strategic direction and agency management." Subsequently, NASA requested that the National Research Council (NRC) conduct this independent assessment. In the spring of 2012, the NRC Committee on NASA's Strategic Direction was formed and began work on its task. The committee determined that, only with a national consensus on the agency's future strategic direction—along the lines described in the full NRC report—can NASA continue to deliver the wonder, the knowledge, the national security and economic benefits, and the technology that have been typified by its earlier history. NASA's Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus summarizes the findings and recommendations of the committee. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Issues Affecting the Future of the U.S. Space Science and Engineering Workforce: Interim Report SN - DO - 10.17226/11642 PY - 2006 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11642/issues-affecting-the-future-of-the-us-space-science-and-engineering-workforce PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Education AB - In January 2006, the President announced a new civilian space policy focusing on exploration. As part of its preparations to implement that policy, NASA asked the NRC to explore long-range science and technology workforce needs to achieve the space exploration vision, identify obstacles to filling those needs, and put forward solutions to those obstacles. As part of the study, the NRC held a workshop to identify important factors affecting NASA’s future workforce and its capacity to implement the exploration vision. This interim report presents a summary of the highlights of that workshop and an initial set of findings. The report provides a review of the workforce implications of NASA’s plans, an assessment of science and technology workforce demographics, an analysis of factors affecting the aerospace workforce for both NASA and the relevant aerospace industry, and preliminary findings and recommendations. A final report is scheduled for completion in early 2007. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Science Management in the Human Exploration of Space SN - DO - 10.17226/5841 PY - 1997 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5841/science-management-in-the-human-exploration-of-space PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Supporting Research and Data Analysis in NASA's Science Programs: Engines for Innovation and Synthesis SN - DO - 10.17226/6311 PY - 1998 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6311/supporting-research-and-data-analysis-in-nasas-science-programs-engines PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - Effective science, clearly a mandate for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), involves asking significant questions about the physical and biological world and seeking definitive answers. Its product is new knowledge that has value to the nation. NASA's flight projects are highly visible and usually the most costly elements of this process, but they are only a part of the science enterprise. Flight projects are founded on research that defines clear scientific goals and questions, designs missions to address those questions, and develops the required technologies to accomplish the missions. This research is funded primarily by NASA's research and analysis (R&A) programs. Data from flight projects are transformed into knowledge through analysis and synthesis-research that is funded both by R&A and by the data analysis (DA) portion of mission operations and data analysis (MO&DA) programs. R&A and DA programs are the subject of this report and are grouped for convenience under the heading of research and data analysis (R&DA). ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Marcia Smith TI - Sharing the Adventure with the Public: The Value and Excitement of 'Grand Questions' of Space Science and Exploration: Summary of a Workshop SN - DO - 10.17226/13276 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13276/sharing-the-adventure-with-the-public-the-value-and-excitement PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - On November 8-10, 2010, the National Research Council's Space Studies Board (SSB) held a public workshop on how NASA and its associated science and exploration communities communicate with the public about major NASA activities and programs. The concept and planning of the workshop developed over a period of two years. In conjunction with the SSB, the workshop planning committee identified five "Grand Questions" in space science and exploration around which the event was organized. As outlined in the summary, the workshop concluded with sessions on communicating space research and exploration to the public. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council A2 - Lewis Groswald A2 - David H. Smith TI - Lessons Learned in Decadal Planning in Space Science: Summary of a Workshop SN - DO - 10.17226/18434 PY - 2013 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18434/lessons-learned-in-decadal-planning-in-space-science-summary-of PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - The National Research Council (NRC) has been conducting decadal surveys in the Earth and space sciences since 1964, and released the latest five surveys in the past 5 years, four of which were only completed in the past 3 years. Lessons Learned in Decadal Planning in Space Science is the summary of a workshop held in response to unforseen challenges that arose in the implementation of the recommendations of the decadal surveys. This report takes a closer look at the decadal survey process and how to improve this essential tool for strategic planning in the Earth and space sciences. Workshop moderators, panelists, and participants lifted up the hood on the decadal survey process and scrutinized every element of the decadal surveys to determine what lessons can be gleaned from recent experiences and applied to the design and execution of future decadal surveys. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Space Studies Board Annual Report 2016 DO - 10.17226/24748 PY - 2017 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24748/space-studies-board-annual-report-2016 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - The original charter of the Space Science Board was established in June 1958, 3 months before the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) opened its doors. The Space Science Board and its successor, the Space Studies Board (SSB), have provided expert external and independent scientific and programmatic advice to NASA on a continuous basis from NASA's inception until the present. The SSB has also provided such advice to other executive branch agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Defense, as well as to Congress. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2016 covers a message from the chair of the SSB, David N. Spergel. This report also explains the origins of the Space Science Board, how the Space Studies Board functions today, the SSB's collaboration with other National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine units, assures the quality of the SSB reports, acknowledges the audience and sponsors, and expresses the necessity to enhance the outreach and improve dissemination of SSB reports. This report will be relevant to a full range of government audiences in civilian space research - including NASA, NSF, NOAA, USGS, and the Department of Energy, as well members of the SSB, policy makers, and researchers. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Space Studies Board Annual Report 2014 DO - 10.17226/21671 PY - 2015 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21671/space-studies-board-annual-report-2014 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - The original charter of the Space Science Board was established in June 1958, 3 months before the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) opened its doors. The Space Science Board and its successor, the Space Studies Board (SSB), have provided expert external and independent scientific and programmatic advice to NASA on a continuous basis from NASA's inception until the present. The SSB has also provided such advice to other executive branch agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Defense, as well as to Congress. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2014 covers a message from the chair of the SSB, David N. Spergel. This report also explains the origins of the Space Science Board, how the Space Studies Board functions today, the SSB's collaboration with other National Research Council units, assures the quality of the SSB reports, acknowledges the audience and sponsors, and expresses the necessity to enhance the outreach and improve dissemination of SSB reports. This report will be relevant to a full range of government audiences in civilian space research - including NASA, NSF, NOAA, USGS, and the Department of Energy, as well members of the SSB, policy makers, and researchers. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Space Studies Board Annual Report 1998 DO - 10.17226/10075 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10075/space-studies-board-annual-report-1998 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Principal-Investigator-Led Missions in the Space Sciences SN - DO - 10.17226/11530 PY - 2006 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11530/principal-investigator-led-missions-in-the-space-sciences PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - Principal Investigator-Led (PI-led) missions are an important element of NASA's space science enterprise. While several NRC studies have considered aspects of PI-led missions in the course of other studies for NASA, issues facing the PI-led missions in general have not been subject to much analysis in those studies. Nevertheless, these issues are raising increasingly important questions for NASA, and it requested the NRC to explore them as they currently affect PI-led missions. Among the issues NASA asked to have examined were those concerning cost and scheduling, the selection process, relationships among PI-led team members, and opportunities for knowledge transfer to new PIs. This report provides a discussion of the evolution and current status of the PIled mission concept, the ways in which certain practices have affected its performance, and the steps that can carry it successfully into the future. The study was done in collaboration with the National Academy of Public Administration. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - The Human Exploration of Space SN - DO - 10.17226/6058 PY - 1997 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6058/the-human-exploration-of-space PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - During 1988, the National Research Council's Space Science Board reorganized itself to more effectively address NASA's advisory needs. The Board's scope was broadened: it was renamed the Space Studies Board and, among other new initiatives, the Committee on Human Exploration was created. The new committee was intended to focus on the scientific aspects of human exploration programs, rather than engineering issues. Their research led to three reports: Scientific Prerequisites for the Human Exploration of Space published in 1993, Scientific Opportunities in the Human Exploration of Space published in 1994, and Science Management in the Human Exploration of Space published in 1997. These three reports are collected and reprinted in this volume in their entirety as originally published. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Space Studies Board Annual Report 2007 DO - 10.17226/12096 PY - 2008 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12096/space-studies-board-annual-report-2007 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 SN - DO - 10.17226/13117 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13117/vision-and-voyages-for-planetary-science-in-the-decade-2013-2022 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - In recent years, planetary science has seen a tremendous growth in new knowledge. Deposits of water ice exist at the Moon's poles. Discoveries on the surface of Mars point to an early warm wet climate, and perhaps conditions under which life could have emerged. Liquid methane rain falls on Saturn's moon Titan, creating rivers, lakes, and geologic landscapes with uncanny resemblances to Earth's. Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 surveys the current state of knowledge of the solar system and recommends a suite of planetary science flagship missions for the decade 2013-2022 that could provide a steady stream of important new discoveries about the solar system. Research priorities defined in the report were selected through a rigorous review that included input from five expert panels. NASA's highest priority large mission should be the Mars Astrobiology Explorer Cacher (MAX-C), a mission to Mars that could help determine whether the planet ever supported life and could also help answer questions about its geologic and climatic history. Other projects should include a mission to Jupiter's icy moon Europa and its subsurface ocean, and the Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission to investigate that planet's interior structure, atmosphere, and composition. For medium-size missions, Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 recommends that NASA select two new missions to be included in its New Frontiers program, which explores the solar system with frequent, mid-size spacecraft missions. If NASA cannot stay within budget for any of these proposed flagship projects, it should focus on smaller, less expensive missions first. Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 suggests that the National Science Foundation expand its funding for existing laboratories and establish new facilities as needed. It also recommends that the program enlist the participation of international partners. This report is a vital resource for government agencies supporting space science, the planetary science community, and the public. ER -