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Space Facilities Meeting Future Needs for Research, Development, and Operations (1994) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Pages 1-4

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From page 1...
... , the National Research Council's Committee on Space Facilities has reviewed the space related findings of the NFS.~ Given the relatively short time available for the NFS task team and working groups to pull together much information and analysis about the current space facilities infrastructure, the National Research Council committee believes that many aspects of the study were performed very well. The inventory of more than 2,800 facilities will be an important resource, especially if it continues to be updated and maintained as the NFS report recommends.
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From page 2...
... For instance, opportunities to consolidate activities of the NASA centers, to consolidate Shuttle hardware activities at Kennedy Space Center, and to streamline Air Force launch operations are not sufficiently evaluated in the NFS. The NFS also pays inadequate attention to areas in which management practices have detrimental effects on operational efficiency.
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From page 3...
... Because a broad revision of roles and missions could result in extensive changes in facilities requirements and workloads, and would likely raise political concerns, consideration should be given to establishing a presidential commission, analogous to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, to help generate the political consensus necessary to close and consolidate some facilities. Conclusion While, in today's budget-conscious environment, it is natural that the NFS focused on cost reduction and consolidations, such a study is most useful to future planning if it gives equal weight to guiding the direction of future facilities needed to satisfy legitimate national aspirations.
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Key Terms

  • future facilities
  • national space
  • facilities infrastructure
  • task team
  • international competition

  • facilities requirements
  • facilities aspects
  • aerospace industry
  • innovative approaches
  • nfs task

  • nfs space
  • space activities
  • requirements models
  • facilities recommendations
  • national aspirations

  • national facilities
  • related findings
  • capabilities relative
  • current market
  • facilities inventory

  • industrial participation
  • broad revision
  • government aerospace
  • serious analysis
  • consolidate shuttle

  • provide little
  • meet current
  • aeronautics facilities
  • including potential
  • models described


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