Interim Report of NRC Review of NASA's Pioneering Revolutionary Technology Program (2003) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Letter Report
Letter Report
Pages 1-11
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 1... ...
NASA researchers submitted completed questionnaires describing individual research tasks fundect within the program. A total of 379 tasks were reviewed and 13 site visits macle.
|
From page 2... ...
Projects marked for transition were typically of high quality but involved technologies ready to be funded by a NASA mission or external partners. Projects marked for discontinuation were iclentified primarily based on a judgment about the quality of the work, although some of the tasks themselves appeared to be of little value to NASA or were poorly Signed with the stated goals of the PRT program.
|
From page 3... ...
were emphasized by the committee as being worIct-ciass: autonomous robots; planning and scheduling; software validation and verification; and space communications hardware. The committee also identified nine tasks that, for various reasons, were ready for transition out of the research ant!
|
From page 4... ...
For example, parallel programming tools and benchmark test cases for problems on the scale of a NASA mission are not made available outside NASA. The committee recommends that CICT streamline its process for distribution of research reports, benchmark data, and software in a manner that accommodates export control and other restrictions.
|
From page 5... ...
Three of the tasks within the ECS program are examples of outstanding or exceptional work: Organizational Risk Perception and Management in KESS; Virtual Iron Birds in KESS; and Advanced Software Verification and Testing Tools in RSO. The ECS program appears to address the right problems through a multi(lisciplinary research approach; however, there are also gaps that weaken the ECS portfolio.
|
From page 6... ...
that several projects within the ECT program should be considered for discontinuation. In the AMD element, the All Aluminum Lightweight Optics and Structures task has developed a mature technology that should be transitionec3 into a missionorientect code at NASA.
|
From page 7... ...
. While the committee views this type of competitive solicitation as a valuable incubator for technology clevelopment, the rules in the NRA solicitation prevented quality opportunities for teaming between NASA researchers and the NRA winners.
|
From page 8... ...
Yet, pockets of systems analysis were found within the program, typically in the areas of excellence. For example, the Energetics project within the ECT program has effectively used high-quality systems analysis for much of its work to guicle research efforts toward the critical highest-payoff technical challenges on the system level.
|
From page 9... ...
Before research is initiated, external peer reviews are used fairly effectively in the competitively selected external portion of the PRT program, but apparently not at all in competitively selecting in-house research projects. Furthermore, as inhouse research is being conducted, there is limited involvement of external peers in evaluating the content and output of projects.
|
From page 10... ...
The Advanced Measurement ant} Detection element within ECT is exemplary in its well-structurect process for selecting and maturing technology through instrument development ant} transition to application. This process has led to the successful integration of instruments in NASA missions despite the management and organizational change endured by the element.
|
From page 11... ...
~ ~ . _ _ _ _ _ 11 now baselines tor the tuture James Webb telescope and the m~crothermopile array for the Mars Climate Sounder instrument on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.