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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12903.
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Capabilities for the Future

An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research

Committee on the Assessment of NASA Laboratory Capabilities

Laboratory Assessments Board

Space Studies Board

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. 2010. Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12903.
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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 was supported by Contract No. NNH06CE15B 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: 978-0-309-15351-5

International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-15351-4

Copies of this report are available from:

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Additional copies of this report are available from the

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12903.
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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. 2010. Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12903.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12903.
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COMMITTEE ON THE ASSESSMENT OF NASA LABORATORY CAPABILITIES

JOHN T. BEST,

U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center,

Co-Chair

JOSEPH B. REAGAN,

Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired),

Co-Chair

WILLIAM F. BALLHAUS, JR.,

The Aerospace Corporation (retired)

PETER M. BANKS,

Astrolabe Ventures

RAMON L. CHASE,

Booz Allen Hamilton

RAVI B. DEO,

EMBR Technical Services

NEIL A. DUFFIE,

University of Wisconsin, Madison

MICHAEL G. DUNN,

Ohio State University

BLAIR B. GLOSS,

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (retired)

MARVINE PAULA HAMNER,

LeaTech, LLC, George Washington University, Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute

WESLEY L. HARRIS,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

BASIL HASSAN,

Sandia National Laboratories

JOAN HOOPES,

Orbital Technologies Corporation

WILLIAM E. McCLINTOCK,

University of Colorado

EDWARD D. McCULLOUGH,

The Boeing Company (retired)

TODD J. MOSHER,

Sierra Nevada Corporation

ELI RESHOTKO,

Case Western Reserve University

JAMES M. TIEN,

University of Miami

CANDACE E. WARK,

Illinois Institute of Technology

Staff

JOHN F. WENDT, Senior Program Officer, Study Director

JAMES P. McGEE, Board Director

ARUL MOZHI, Senior Program Officer

LIZA R. HAMILTON, Administrative Coordinator

EVA LABRE, Program Associate

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12903.
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LABORATORY ASSESSMENTS BOARD

JOHN W. LYONS,

National Defense University,

Chair

CLAUDE R. CANIZARES,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

ROSS B. COROTIS,

University of Colorado, Boulder

JOSEPH S. FRANCISCO,

Purdue University

C. WILLIAM GEAR, NEC

Research Institute, Inc. (retired)

HENRY J. HATCH,

U.S. Army (retired)

LOUIS J. LANZEROTTI,

New Jersey Institute of Technology

ELSA REICHMANIS,

Georgia Institute of Technology

LYLE H. SCHWARTZ,

Air Force Office of Scientific Research (retired)

CHARLES V. SHANK,

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

DWIGHT C. STREIT,

Northrop Grumman Space Technology

JAMES P. McGEE, Director

CYRUS BUTNER, Senior Program Officer

ARUL MOZHI, Senior Program Officer

LIZA R. HAMILTON, Administrative Coordinator

EVA LABRE, Program Associate

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12903.
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SPACE STUDIES BOARD

CHARLES F. KENNEL,

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego,

Chair

A. THOMAS YOUNG,

Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired),

Vice Chair

DANIEL N. BAKER,

University of Colorado

STEVEN J. BATTEL,

Battel Engineering

CHARLES L. BENNETT,

Johns Hopkins University

YVONNE C. BRILL,

Aerospace Consultant

ELIZABETH R. CANTWELL,

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ANDREW B. CHRISTENSEN,

Dixie State College and Aerospace Corporation

ALAN DRESSLER,

The Observatories of the Carnegie Institution

JACK D. FELLOWS,

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

FIONA A. HARRISON,

California Institute of Technology

JOAN JOHNSON-FREESE,

Naval War College

KLAUS KEIL,

University of Hawaii

MOLLY K. MACAULEY,

Resources for the Future

BERRIEN MOORE III,

University of New Hampshire

ROBERT T. PAPPALARDO,

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

JAMES PAWELCZYK,

Pennsylvania State University

SOROOSH SOROOSHIAN,

University of California, Irvine

JOAN VERNIKOS,

Thirdage LLC

JOSEPH F. VEVERKA,

Cornell University

WARREN M. WASHINGTON,

National Center for Atmospheric Research

CHARLES E. WOODWARD,

University of Minnesota

ELLEN G. ZWEIBEL,

University of Wisconsin

MICHAEL MOLONEY, Director (from April 1, 2010)

RICHARD E. ROWBERG, Interim Director (from March 2, 2009-March 31, 2010)

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12903.
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AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ENGINEERING BOARD

RAYMOND S. COLLADAY,

Lockheed Martin Astronautics (retired),

Chair

KYLE T. ALFRIEND,

Texas A&M University

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,

Northrop Grumman Corporation (retired)

MICA R. ENDSLEY, SA

Technologies

DAVID GOLDSTON,

Harvard University

R. JOHN HANSMAN,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

JOHN B. HAYHURST,

Boeing Company (retired)

PRESTON HENNE,

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

RICHARD KOHRS,

Independent Consultant

IVETT LEYVA,

Air Force Research Laboratory

ELAINE S. ORAN,

Naval Research Laboratory

ELI RESHOTKO,

Case Western Reserve University

EDMOND SOLIDAY,

United Airlines (retired)

MICHAEL MOLONEY, Director (from April 1, 2010)

RICHARD E. ROWBERG, Interim Director (March 2, 2009-March 31, 2010)

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12903.
×

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 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:

Paul M. Bevilaqua, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company,

Thomas C. Corke, University of Notre Dame,

David E. Crow, University of Connecticut,

John B. Hayhurst, The Boeing Company,

Louis J. Lanzerotti, New Jersey Institute of Technology,

Neil E. Paton, Liquidmetal Technologies,

Richard H. Petersen, NASA Langley Research Center, and

David M. Van Wie, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Raymond S. Colladay, Lockheed Martin Astronautics. Appointed by the National Research Council, 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. ix

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12903.
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Over the past 5 years or more, there has been a steady and significant decrease in NASA's laboratory capabilities, including equipment, maintenance, and facility upgrades. This adversely affects the support of NASA's scientists, who rely on these capabilities, as well as NASA's ability to make the basic scientific and technical contributions that others depend on for programs of national importance. The fundamental research community at NASA has been severely impacted by the budget reductions that are responsible for this decrease in laboratory capabilities, and as a result NASA's ability to support even NASA's future goals is in serious jeopardy.

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