National Academies Press: OpenBook
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

An Interim Report on NASA’s
Draft Space Technology Roadmaps

Steering Committee for the NASA Technology Roadmap
Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
                    OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.

www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS    500 Fifth Street, N.W.    Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study is based on work supported by Contract NNH10CD04B between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-21875-7
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-21875-6

Copies of this report are available free of charge from:

Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
National Research Council
500 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001

Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2011 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

Other Reports of the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board

Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft: An Assessment of NASA’s Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Programs [prepublication version] (Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board [ASEB], 2011)

Preparing for the High Frontier—the Role and Training of NASA Astronauts in the Post-Space Shuttle Era [prepublication version] (ASEB, 2011)

Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era [prepublication version] (Space Studies Board [SSB] with ASEB, 2011)

Summary of the Workshop to Identify Gaps and Possible Directions for NASA’s Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Programs (ASEB, 2011)

Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA’s Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs (ASEB, 2010)

Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research (Laboratory Assessments Board with ASEB, 2010)

Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth-Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies: Final Report (SSB with ASEB, 2010)

Final Report of the Committee to Review Proposals to the 2010 Ohio Third Frontier (OTF) Wright Projects Program (WPP) (ASEB, 2010)

America’s Future in Space: Aligning the Civil Space Program with National Needs (SSB with ASEB, 2009)

Approaches to Future Space Cooperation and Competition in a Globalizing World: Summary of a Workshop (SSB with ASEB, 2009)

An Assessment of NASA’s National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service (ASEB, 2009)

Final Report of the Committee for the Review of Proposals to the 2009 Engineering and Physical Science Research and Commercialization Program of the Ohio Third Frontier Program (ASEB, 2009)

Fostering Visions for the Future: A Review of the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (ASEB, 2009)

Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies: Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2009)

Radioisotope Power Systems: An Imperative for Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Space Exploration (SSB with ASEB, 2009)

Assessing the Research and Development Plan for the Next Generation Air Transportation System: Summary of a Workshop (ASEB, 2008)

A Constrained Space Exploration Technology Program: A Review of NASA’s Exploration Technology Development Program (ASEB, 2008)

Launching Science: Science Opportunities Provided by NASA’s Constellation System (SSB with ASEB, 2008)

Managing Space Radiation Risk in the New Era of Space Exploration (ASEB, 2008)

NASA Aeronautics Research: An Assessment (ASEB, 2008)

Review of NASA’s Exploration Technology Development Program: An Interim Report (ASEB, 2008)

Science Opportunities Enabled by NASA’s Constellation System: Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2008)

United States Civil Space Policy: Summary of a Workshop (SSB with ASEB, 2008)

Wake Turbulence: An Obstacle to Increased Air Traffic Capacity (ASEB, 2008)

Limited copies of ASEB reports are available free of charge from

Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
National Research Council
The Keck Center of the National Academies
500 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001
(202) 334-2858/aseb@nas.edu
www.nationalacademies.org/aseb

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

STEERING COMMITTEE ON THE NASA TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP

RAYMOND S. COLLADAY, RC Space Enterprises, Inc., Chair

JOHN D. ANDERSON, JR., Smithsonian Institution

JAMES B. ARMOR, JR., ATK, Spacecraft System & Services

EDWARD F. CRAWLEY, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

RAVI B. DEO, EMBR

WALT FAULCONER, Strategic Space Solutions, LLC

PHILIP D. HATTIS, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

TAMARA E. JERNIGAN, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

JOHN C. KARAS, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

JOHN M. KLINEBERG, Loral Space and Communications, Ltd. (retired)

IVETT A. LEYVA, Air Force Research Laboratory

LESTER L. LYLES, The Lyles Group

H. JAY MELOSH, Purdue University

DANIEL R. MULVILLE, Independent Consultant

DAVA J. NEWMAN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

RICHARD R. PAUL, Independent Consultant

LISELOTTE J. SCHIOLER, National Institute of Aerospace

GERALD SCHUBERT, University of California, Los Angeles

PROPULSION AND POWER PANEL

JOHN R. ROGACKI, Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Chair

DOUGLAS M. ALLEN, Independent Consultant

HENRY W. BRANDHORST, JR., Carbon-Free Energy, LLC

DAVID E. CROW, University of Connecticut

ALEC D. GALLIMORE, University of Michigan

MARK W. HENLEY, Boeing Research and Technology

ANTHONY K. HYDER, University of Notre Dame

IVETT A. LEYVA, Air Force Research Laboratory

PAULO LOZANO, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

JOYCE A. McDEVITT, Independent Consultant

ROGER M. MYERS, Aerojet General Corporation

LAWRENCE J. ROSS, Aerospace Engineering Associates, LLC

RAYMOND J. SEDWICK, University of Maryland

GEORGE F. SOWERS, United Launch Alliance

ROBOTICS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND NAVIGATION PANEL

STEPHEN P. GOREVAN, Honeybee Robotics, Ltd., Chair

JULIE A. ADAMS, Vanderbilt University

EDWARD J. GROTH III, Princeton University

PHILIP D. HATTIS, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

JONATHAN P. HOW, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

JAMES W. LOWRIE, Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control-Orlando

DAVID P. MILLER, University of Oklahoma

JONATHAN SALTON, Sandia National Laboratories

DONNA L. SHIRLEY, Managing Creativity

GEORGE W. SWENSON, JR. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

INSTRUMENTS AND COMPUTING PANEL

JAMES L. BURCH, Southwest Research Institute, Chair

PHILIP E. ARDANUY, Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems

WEBSTER CASH, University of Colorado, Boulder

JOHN A. HACKWELL, The Aerospace Corporation

ROBERT J. HANISCH, Space Telescope Science Institute

DAVID Y. KUSNIERKIEWICZ, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

JOEL R. PRIMACK, University of California, Santa Cruz

GERALD SCHUBERT, University of California, Los Angeles

DANIEL A. SCHWARTZ, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

ALAN M. TITLE, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center

DANIEL WINTERHALTER, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

CARL WUNSCH, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

HUMAN HEALTH AND SURFACE EXPLORATION PANEL

BONNIE J. DUNBAR, Independent Consultant, Chair

DAVID L. AKIN, University of Maryland, College Park

DALLAS G. BIENHOFF, The Boeing Company

ROBERT L. CURBEAM, JR., ARES Corporation

GREGORY J. HARBAUGH, Sigma Chi Foundation

TAMARA E. JERNIGAN, E.O. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

DANIEL R. MASYS, University of Washington, Seattle

ERIC E. RICE, Orbital Technologies Corporation

RONALD E. TURNER, ANSER

MATERIALS PANEL

MOOL C. GUPTA, University of Virginia, Chair

GREGORY R. BOGART, Sandia National Laboratories

DONALD M. CURRY, The Boeing Company

JOHN R. HOWELL, University of Texas, Austin

GEORGE A. LESIEUTRE, Pennsylvania State University

LISELOTTE J. SCHIOLER, National Institute of Aerospace

ROBERT E. SKELTON, University of California, San Diego

GEORGE W. SUTTON, SPARTA (retired)

ENTRY, DESCENT, AND LANDING PANEL

TODD J. MOSHER, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Chair

JOHN D. ANDERSON, JR., Smithsonian Institution

TYE M. BRADY, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

BASIL HASSAN, Sandia National Laboratories

STEPHEN RUFFIN, Georgia Institute of Technology

ROBERT J. SINCLAIR, Airborne Systems of North America

BYRON D. TAPLEY, University of Texas, Austin

BETH E. WAHL, Independent Consultant

GERALD D. WAHLBERG, North Carolina State University (retired)

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

Staff

ALAN C. ANGLEMAN, Senior Program Officer, Study Director

JOSEPH K. ALEXANDER, Senior Program Officer

IAN W. PRYKE, Senior Program Officer

ROBERT L. RIEMER, Senior Program Officer

JOHN WENDT, Senior Program Officer

MAUREEN MELLODY, Program Officer

CATHERINE A. GRUBER, Editor

DIONNA WILLIAMS, Program Associate

TERRI BAKER, Senior Project Assistant

RODNEY HOWARD, Senior Project Assistant

LINDA WALKER, Senior Project Assistant

MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ENGINEERING BOARD

RAYMOND S. COLLADAY, RC Space Enterprises, Inc., Chair

LESTER LYLES, The Lyles Group, Vice Chair

ELLA M. ATKINS, University of Michigan

AMY L. BUHRIG, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group

INDERJIT CHOPRA, University of Maryland, College Park

JOHN-PAUL B. CLARKE, Georgia Institute of Technology

RAVI B. DEO, EMBR

VIJAY DHIR, University of California, Los Angeles

EARL H. DOWELL, Duke University

MICA R. ENDSLEY, SA Technologies

DAVID GOLDSTON, Harvard University

R. JOHN HANSMAN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

JOHN B. HAYHURST, Boeing Company (retired)

WILLIAM L. JOHNSON, California Institute of Technology

RICHARD KOHRS, Independent Consultant

IVETT LEYVA, Air Force Research Laboratory, Edwards Air Force Base

ELAINE S. ORAN, Naval Research Laboratory

ALAN G. POINDEXTER, Naval Postgraduate School

HELEN R. REED, Texas A&M University

ELI RESHOTKO, Case Western Reserve University

EDMOND SOLIDAY, United Airlines (retired)

Staff

MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director

CARMELA J. CHAMBERLAIN, Administrative Coordinator

TANJA PILZAK, Manager, Program Operations

CELESTE A. NAYLOR, Information Management Associate

CHRISTINA O. SHIPMAN, Financial Officer

SANDRA WILSON, Financial Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

Preface

NASA has developed a set of 14 draft roadmaps to guide the development of space technologies under the leadership of the NASA Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT).1,2 Each of these roadmaps focuses on a particular technology area (TA). The roadmaps are intended to foster the development of advanced technologies and concepts that address NASA’s needs and contribute to other aerospace and national needs. OCT requested that the National Research Council conduct a study to review the draft roadmaps, gather and assess relevant community input, and make recommendations and suggest priorities to inform NASA’s decisions as it finalizes its roadmaps. The full statement of task appears in Appendix A of this report.

The statement of task states that “based on the results of the community input and its own deliberations, the steering committee will prepare a brief interim report that addresses high-level issues associated with the roadmaps, such as the advisability of modifying the number or technical focus of the draft NASA roadmaps.” This interim report, which does not include formal recommendations, addresses that one element of the study charge. NASA requested this interim report so that it would have the opportunity to make an early start in modifying the draft roadmaps based on feedback from the panels and steering committee. The final report will address all other tasks in the statement of task. In particular, the final report will include a prioritization of technologies, will describe in detail the prioritization process and criteria, and will include specific recommendations on a variety of topics, including many of the topics mentioned in this interim report.

In developing both this interim report and the final report to come, the steering committee draws on the work of six study panels organized by technical area, loosely following the organization of the 14 roadmaps, as follows:

  • Panel 1: Propulsion and Power

— TA01 Launch Propulsion Systems

— TA02 In-Space Propulsion Technologies

— TA03 Space Power and Energy Storage Systems

— TA13 Ground and Launch Systems Processing

 

  • Panel 2: Robotics, Communications, and Navigation

— TA04 Robotics, TeleRobotics, and Autonomous Systems

— TA05 Communication and Navigation Systems

 

  • Panel 3: Instruments and Computing

— TA08 Science Instruments, Observatories, and Sensor Systems

— TA11 Modeling, Simulation, Information Technology, and Data Processing

_________________________

1 The draft roadmaps are available at http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/home/roadmaps/index.html.

2 This study (and the 14 draft roadmaps) do not cover aeronautics technologies except to the extent that they are needed to achieve NASA and national needs in space. Guidance on the development of core aeronautics technologies is already available in the National Aeronautics Research and Development Plan, which was published in 2010 by the White House National Science and Technology Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy. It is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/aero-rdplan-2010.pdf.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
  • Panel 4: Human Health and Surface Exploration

— TA06 Human Health, Life Support, and Habitation Systems

— TA07 Human Exploration Destination Systems

 

  • Panel 5: Materials Panel

— TA10 Nanotechnology

— TA12 Materials, Structures, Mechanical Systems, and Manufacturing

— TA14 Thermal Management Systems

 

  • Panel 6: Entry, Descent, and Landing Panel

— TA09 Entry, Descent, and Landing Systems

In addition to drawing on the expertise represented on the steering committee and panels, the committee obtained input from each of 14 public workshops held on each of the 14 roadmaps. At these 1-day workshops, invited speakers, guests, and members of the public engaged in discussions on the different technology areas and their value to NASA. Broad community input was also solicited from a public website, where more than 240 public comments were received on the draft roadmaps in response to application of criteria (such as benefit, risk and reasonableness, and alignment with NASA and national goals) that the steering committee established. Appendix B lists the public workshops held, along with information on accessing the public comments database. A summary of each workshop will appear in the final report. This interim report reflects the results of deliberations by the steering committee in light of these public inputs as well as additional inputs from the six panels.

The steering committee’s final report will be completed early in 2012. That report will prioritize the technologies that span the entire scope of the 14 roadmaps and provide additional guidance on crosscutting themes and other relevant topics.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

Acknowledgment of Reviewers

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Steven J. Battel, Battel Engineering,

David C. Byers, TRW (retired),

Vijay K. Dhir, University of California, Los Angeles,

David Goodman, Polytechnic Institute of New York University (emeritus),

James E. Hubbard, Jr., University of Maryland,

Bruce D. Marcus, TRW (retired),

Richard H. Petersen, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (retired),

George H. Rieke, University of Arizona, and

Stephen M. Rock, Stanford University.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse any conclusions, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Peter M. Banks, Red Planet Capital Partners. Appointed by the NRC, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R1
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R2
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R3
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R4
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R5
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R6
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R7
Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R8
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R9
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R10
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R11
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R12
Page xiii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R13
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13228.
×
Page R14
Next: Executive Summary »
An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $29.00 Buy Ebook | $23.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

For the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to achieve many of its space science and exploration goals over the next several decades, dramatic advances in space technology will be necessary. NASA has developed a set of 14 draft roadmaps to guide the development of such technologies under the leadership of the NASA Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT). Each roadmap focuses on a particular technology area.

OCT requested that the National Research Council conduct a study to review the draft roadmaps, gather and assess relevant community input, and make recommendations and suggest priorities to inform NASA's decisions as it finalizes its roadmaps. The success of OCT's technology development program is essential, because technological breakthroughs have long been the foundation of NASA's successes, from its earliest days, to the Apollo program, to a vast array of space science missions and the International Space Station.

An Interim Report of NASA's Technology Roadmap identifies some gaps in the technologies included in the individual roadmaps. The report suggests that the effectiveness of the NASA space technology program can be enhanced by employing proven management practices and principles including increasing program stability, addressing facility issues, and supporting adequate flight tests of new technologies. This interim report provides several additional observations that will be expanded on in the final report to be released in 2012.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!