National Academies Press: OpenBook

Upgrading the Space Shuttle (1999)

Chapter: Appendix A: Statement of Task

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Statement of Task." National Research Council. 1999. Upgrading the Space Shuttle. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6384.
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Appendixes

Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Statement of Task." National Research Council. 1999. Upgrading the Space Shuttle. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6384.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Statement of Task." National Research Council. 1999. Upgrading the Space Shuttle. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6384.
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Appendix A Statement of Task.

The committee will examine NASA's plans to upgrade the space shuttle system. The assessment will be conducted with reference to the National Space Transportation Policy and NASA's 1988 strategic plan, which calls for the shuttle upgrade program to improve the reliability, performance, and longevity of space shuttle operations to meet International Space Station needs and human exploration goals beyond 2012.

NASA will present a set of proposed shuttle upgrades, approved as well as under study, and the rationale and criteria used to select the upgrades. The committee will assess NASA's approach to upgrading the space shuttle in a single final report. In that report, the committee will:

  • Assess NASA's method for evaluating and selecting upgrades. Modifications to NASA's approach for evaluating and selecting upgrades to the space shuttle may be recommended.
  • Conduct a top-level technical assessment of proposed shuttle upgrades that have not yet been implemented. Where appropriate, the report will include findings and recommendations about individual upgrades and address the potential of those upgrades to enhance operational safety, system effectiveness, and other program goals.
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Statement of Task." National Research Council. 1999. Upgrading the Space Shuttle. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6384.
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Page 57
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Statement of Task." National Research Council. 1999. Upgrading the Space Shuttle. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6384.
×
Page 58
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Statement of Task." National Research Council. 1999. Upgrading the Space Shuttle. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6384.
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Page 59
Next: Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members »
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The space shuttle is a unique national resource. One of only two operating vehicles that carries humans into space, the space shuttle functions as a scientific laboratory and as a base for construction, repair, and salvage missions in low Earth orbit. It is also a heavy-lift launch vehicle (able to deliver more than 18,000 kg of payload to low Earth orbit) and the only current means of returning large payloads to Earth. Designed in the 1970s, the shuttle has frequently been upgraded to improve safety, cut operational costs, and add capability. Additional upgrades have been proposed-and some are under way-to combat obsolescence, further reduce operational costs, improve safety, and increase the ability of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to support the space station and other missions.

In May 1998, NASA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to examine the agency's plans for further upgrades to the space shuttle system. The NRC was asked to assess NASA's method for evaluating and selecting upgrades and to conduct a top-level technical assessment of proposed upgrades.

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