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Letters from NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Office of the Administrator
Washington, DC 20546-0001
July 12, 2004
The Honorable Bruce Alberts
President
National Academy of Sciences
500 Fifth St., NW
Washington, DC 20001
Dear Dr. Alberts:
The recently completed Report of the President’s Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy “… recommends that NASA ask the National Academy of Sciences to engage its constituent scientific community in a re-evaluation of priorities to exploit opportunities created by the space exploration vision. In particular, the community should consider how machines and humans, used separately and in combination, can maximize scientific returns.” NASA believes that such engagement would be beneficial and continue a rich tradition of cooperative endeavor between our Agency and the Academy.
As a consequence, I propose that a NASA senior leadership team meet with the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering to consider how we might collectively address the Commission’s recommendations. Dr. Charles Elachi, Director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will lead the team for NASA.
I look forward to our discussions regarding this exciting aspect of implementing the President’s Vision.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546-0001
Science Mission Directorate
December 21, 2004
Dr. Lennard Fisk
Chair
Space Studies Board
National Research Council
500 5th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Dear Dr. Fisk:
In January 2004, President Bush directed NASA to pursue a broad but focused program of space exploration. In response to this direction, and subsequent guidance frome the Aldridge Commission, NASA has laid out a planning framework that will culminate in an agency-wide Integrated Space Architecture implementing this Vision for Space Exploration. This Architecture will be constructed from Strategic Roadmaps and Capability Roadmaps prepared over the next six months. The Architecture will be used to guide agency-wide programmatic and budget decisions.
The Strategic Roadmaps to be developed in support of this integrated planning process will refine top-level Agency Objectives flowing from the Vision for Space Exploration and propose implementation options, pathways, and decision processes for achieving these strategic objectives. Thirteen advisory committees have been chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to develop these Roadmaps. Each committee includes representatives from industry, academia, NASA, and other Government agencies. The schedule for completion of these roadmaps varies, but most are projected for completion by the end of July.
Because of the critical importance of the Architecture, and, therefore, of the Roadmaps upon which it is based, NASA would like to request that the Space Studies Board, working together with the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board as appropriate, conduct a critical review of drafts of eleven of these roadmaps as they reach a mature state. A review of the other two roadmaps, on aeronautical technologies and space shuttle, will be undertaken separately. The schedule and terms of reference of the review requested here are delineated in the enclosed Statement of Work.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Office of the Administrator
Washington, DC 20546-0001
April 28, 2005
The Honorable Shenvood L. Boehlert
Chairman
Committee on Science
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
As NASA implements the Vision for Space Exploration, we recognize the magnitude of the task ahead and the importance of engaging the best and the brightest the country has to offer in developing the requisite details for an effective implementation.
In two letters dated December 10, 2004 and December 23, 2004, NASA notified the Committee of the establishment of 13 Strategic Roadmap Committees chartered to advise the NASA Administrator on a range of areas related to the Vision for Space Exploration and the Mission of the Agency. These Committees were chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. App.). NASA also established 15 Capability Roadmap Teams that have worked to identify key capabilities needed to support the Agency’s investment portfolio as we strive to reach our science and exploration goals.
For many months, teams of outstanding individuals have played an important role in helping craft roadmaps for NASA. Recognizing that broad participation in the process that informs critical space program decision-making is extremely improtant, NASA structured the roadmap teams to include individuals who are considered experts in their fields from within NASA, other government agencies, academia, and the private sector. We appreciate their hard work and support and value their contributions to this critical endeavor.
To best use these roadmaps to inform our fiscal year 2005 Operating Plans, fiscal year 2006 budget plans, and fiscal year 2007 budget development, NASA is accelerating the completion of roadmap development and creating a strategic architecture. This decision-making framework must be available to NASA leadership by mid-summer 2005 to influence major programmatic decisions as part of the fiscal year 2007 budget development and ensure that current budget plans are aligned with the new direction.
The roadmaps developed by these experts will provide an excellent foundation for NASA integration of these roadmaps into a decision-making framework. We will give full consideration to their thoughtful contributions as we finalize the NASA architecture to support our future missions, programs, and budget requests.
Given our decision to accelerate the schedule, NASA will complete all roadmap effort – strategic and capability – by May 22, 2005. This revised schedule, with an architecture development effort beginning immediately, impacts the National Research Council (NRC) review of individual roadmaps, which will not take place as originally planned. The NRC, in response to separate congressional direction to review NASA science, will receive the science strategic roadmaps and will provide a report or other input to NASA by August 1, 2005. We look forward to receiving the NRC’s recommendations on the science roadmaps and to a continuing dialogue on science priorities and related issues.
To support immediate decision-making, NASA is initiating an internal Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS) to determine how to accelerate development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and reduce the gap between Shuttle retirement and CEV operations. NASA will select a preferred architecture approach this summer for lunar exploration, including CEV launch, in-space transportation, and surface operations, and develop associated requirements and budgets for implementation. This architecture study is to support the Agency’s science and exploration objectives.
We would be pleased to discuss these planning efforts and the new schedule in more detail at your convenience. Questions may be directed to the Acting Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs, Angela Phillips Diaz, at (202) 358–1948.