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Evaluation of the National Aerospace Initiative (2004) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Pages 1-8

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From page 1...
... · Space access. Demonstrate technologies that will dramatically increase space access and reliability while decreasing costs.2 1DDR&E.
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From page 2...
... The NAI phased approach to space access with rocket propulsion envisions that technology investments will result in increasingly ambitious potential system payoffs by 2008 and 2015. The quantified payoffs include short turnaround time; high sortie numbers for airframe, propulsion, and systems; low marginal sortie cost; high reliability; and improved payload performance.
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From page 3...
... THE NATIONAL AEROSPACE INITIATIVE The National Aerospace Initiative is a joint technology initiative begun in 2001 by the DoD and NASA. The goals of NAI are to renew American aerospace leadership; push the space frontier with breakthrough aerospace technologies; revitalize the U.S.
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From page 4...
... The committee recommends that, starting with a defined and articulated vision, DoD and NASA use a top-down process based on sound system engineering principles to determine the objectives, technical challenges, and enabling technologies and to plan the fundamental research, technology development, ground testing, and flight demonstrations required to mature the enabling technologies to levels sufficient for application. The result should be a comprehensive, integrated roadmap that ensures all technologies are sufficiently matured to support the multitude of decision milestones scheduled during the NAI time frame of interest.
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From page 5...
... The committee believes that the progress NAI has made in facilitating coordination of activities among participants would benefit from periodic oversight by independent groups of experts. HYPERSONICS TECHNOLOGIES The committee identified four critical enabling technologies for air-breathing hypersonic flight that must be matured: air-breathing propulsion and flight test; materials, thermal protection systems, and structures; integrated vehicle design and multidisciplinary optimization; and integrated ground test and numerical simulation and analysis.
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From page 6...
... As for combined research in ground testing and computation, the committee believes that the DoD and NASA NAI roadmap should include benchmarking experiments at different facilities; external flow testing at the correct enthalpy and covering the parameter space in combination with application of validated tools; ground testing of missile-scale engines at all designed-for operational speeds; subscale testing of engines for hypersonic vehicles larger than missiles; and a 10-year research program on hypersonic flows, emphasizing high-enthalpy effects. ACCESS-TO-SPACE TECHNOLOGIES The committee studied a variety of inputs and reference sources pertaining to the NAI accessto-space pillar.
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From page 7...
... Although these technologies are often considered outside the core of traditional aerospace research, their advancement is a legitimate goal and should receive appropriate attention from NAI. The committee recommends that DoD and NASA develop time-phased, reusable, rocket-based flight demonstration programs to move near-term, unproven technologies through flight test; specify and disseminate the technology readiness levels and specific exit criteria necessary to support operational decision points; ensure that research is directed toward obtaining the specified data and that the demonstrations -- both flight and ground -- are structured to obtain the required information/ data; and concentrate on technologies that contribute to reusability.
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From page 8...
... The committee believes that efforts to achieve NAI technical objectives can help the aerospace workforce by providing the most important component -- stable and predictable funding. Despite finding several drawbacks to the current URETI model that should be addressed, the committee believes that the NAI URETIs are stimulating aerospace education and the workforce.
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Key Terms

  • aerospace initiative
  • thermal protection
  • national aerospace
  • space technology
  • ground test

  • critical technologies
  • aerospace workforce
  • enabling technologies
  • reusable launch
  • ground testing

  • dramatically increase
  • demonstration programs
  • technically feasible
  • aerospace leadership
  • flight demonstration

  • aerospace technologies
  • launch vehicles
  • nai goals
  • highly integrated
  • increase space

  • test facilities
  • american aerospace
  • operationally responsive
  • achieve nai
  • hypersonic flight

  • exit criteria
  • aerospace education
  • technology advances
  • flight trajectory
  • demonstrate technologies


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