Capabilities for the Future
An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
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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
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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.
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
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
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)
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)
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