An Interim Report on NASA’s
Draft Space Technology Roadmaps
Steering Committee for the NASA Technology Roadmap
Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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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 is based on work supported by Contract NNH10CD04B 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.
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Other Reports of the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft: An Assessment of NASA’s Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Programs [prepublication version] (Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board [ASEB], 2011)
Preparing for the High Frontier—the Role and Training of NASA Astronauts in the Post-Space Shuttle Era [prepublication version] (ASEB, 2011)
Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era [prepublication version] (Space Studies Board [SSB] with ASEB, 2011)
Summary of the Workshop to Identify Gaps and Possible Directions for NASA’s Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Programs (ASEB, 2011)
Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA’s Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs (ASEB, 2010)
Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research (Laboratory Assessments Board with ASEB, 2010)
Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth-Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies: Final Report (SSB with ASEB, 2010)
Final Report of the Committee to Review Proposals to the 2010 Ohio Third Frontier (OTF) Wright Projects Program (WPP) (ASEB, 2010)
America’s Future in Space: Aligning the Civil Space Program with National Needs (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
Approaches to Future Space Cooperation and Competition in a Globalizing World: Summary of a Workshop (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
An Assessment of NASA’s National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service (ASEB, 2009)
Final Report of the Committee for the Review of Proposals to the 2009 Engineering and Physical Science Research and Commercialization Program of the Ohio Third Frontier Program (ASEB, 2009)
Fostering Visions for the Future: A Review of the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (ASEB, 2009)
Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies: Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
Radioisotope Power Systems: An Imperative for Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Space Exploration (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
Assessing the Research and Development Plan for the Next Generation Air Transportation System: Summary of a Workshop (ASEB, 2008)
A Constrained Space Exploration Technology Program: A Review of NASA’s Exploration Technology Development Program (ASEB, 2008)
Launching Science: Science Opportunities Provided by NASA’s Constellation System (SSB with ASEB, 2008)
Managing Space Radiation Risk in the New Era of Space Exploration (ASEB, 2008)
NASA Aeronautics Research: An Assessment (ASEB, 2008)
Review of NASA’s Exploration Technology Development Program: An Interim Report (ASEB, 2008)
Science Opportunities Enabled by NASA’s Constellation System: Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2008)
United States Civil Space Policy: Summary of a Workshop (SSB with ASEB, 2008)
Wake Turbulence: An Obstacle to Increased Air Traffic Capacity (ASEB, 2008)
Limited copies of ASEB reports are available free of charge from
Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
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www.nationalacademies.org/aseb
STEERING COMMITTEE ON THE NASA TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP
RAYMOND S. COLLADAY, RC Space Enterprises, Inc., Chair
JOHN D. ANDERSON, JR., Smithsonian Institution
JAMES B. ARMOR, JR., ATK, Spacecraft System & Services
EDWARD F. CRAWLEY, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
RAVI B. DEO, EMBR
WALT FAULCONER, Strategic Space Solutions, LLC
PHILIP D. HATTIS, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
TAMARA E. JERNIGAN, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
JOHN C. KARAS, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company
JOHN M. KLINEBERG, Loral Space and Communications, Ltd. (retired)
IVETT A. LEYVA, Air Force Research Laboratory
LESTER L. LYLES, The Lyles Group
H. JAY MELOSH, Purdue University
DANIEL R. MULVILLE, Independent Consultant
DAVA J. NEWMAN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
RICHARD R. PAUL, Independent Consultant
LISELOTTE J. SCHIOLER, National Institute of Aerospace
GERALD SCHUBERT, University of California, Los Angeles
PROPULSION AND POWER PANEL
JOHN R. ROGACKI, Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Chair
DOUGLAS M. ALLEN, Independent Consultant
HENRY W. BRANDHORST, JR., Carbon-Free Energy, LLC
DAVID E. CROW, University of Connecticut
ALEC D. GALLIMORE, University of Michigan
MARK W. HENLEY, Boeing Research and Technology
ANTHONY K. HYDER, University of Notre Dame
IVETT A. LEYVA, Air Force Research Laboratory
PAULO LOZANO, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JOYCE A. McDEVITT, Independent Consultant
ROGER M. MYERS, Aerojet General Corporation
LAWRENCE J. ROSS, Aerospace Engineering Associates, LLC
RAYMOND J. SEDWICK, University of Maryland
GEORGE F. SOWERS, United Launch Alliance
ROBOTICS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND NAVIGATION PANEL
STEPHEN P. GOREVAN, Honeybee Robotics, Ltd., Chair
JULIE A. ADAMS, Vanderbilt University
EDWARD J. GROTH III, Princeton University
PHILIP D. HATTIS, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
JONATHAN P. HOW, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JAMES W. LOWRIE, Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control-Orlando
DAVID P. MILLER, University of Oklahoma
JONATHAN SALTON, Sandia National Laboratories
DONNA L. SHIRLEY, Managing Creativity
GEORGE W. SWENSON, JR. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
INSTRUMENTS AND COMPUTING PANEL
JAMES L. BURCH, Southwest Research Institute, Chair
PHILIP E. ARDANUY, Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems
WEBSTER CASH, University of Colorado, Boulder
JOHN A. HACKWELL, The Aerospace Corporation
ROBERT J. HANISCH, Space Telescope Science Institute
DAVID Y. KUSNIERKIEWICZ, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
JOEL R. PRIMACK, University of California, Santa Cruz
GERALD SCHUBERT, University of California, Los Angeles
DANIEL A. SCHWARTZ, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
ALAN M. TITLE, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center
DANIEL WINTERHALTER, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
CARL WUNSCH, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
HUMAN HEALTH AND SURFACE EXPLORATION PANEL
BONNIE J. DUNBAR, Independent Consultant, Chair
DAVID L. AKIN, University of Maryland, College Park
DALLAS G. BIENHOFF, The Boeing Company
ROBERT L. CURBEAM, JR., ARES Corporation
GREGORY J. HARBAUGH, Sigma Chi Foundation
TAMARA E. JERNIGAN, E.O. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
DANIEL R. MASYS, University of Washington, Seattle
ERIC E. RICE, Orbital Technologies Corporation
RONALD E. TURNER, ANSER
MATERIALS PANEL
MOOL C. GUPTA, University of Virginia, Chair
GREGORY R. BOGART, Sandia National Laboratories
DONALD M. CURRY, The Boeing Company
JOHN R. HOWELL, University of Texas, Austin
GEORGE A. LESIEUTRE, Pennsylvania State University
LISELOTTE J. SCHIOLER, National Institute of Aerospace
ROBERT E. SKELTON, University of California, San Diego
GEORGE W. SUTTON, SPARTA (retired)
ENTRY, DESCENT, AND LANDING PANEL
TODD J. MOSHER, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Chair
JOHN D. ANDERSON, JR., Smithsonian Institution
TYE M. BRADY, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
BASIL HASSAN, Sandia National Laboratories
STEPHEN RUFFIN, Georgia Institute of Technology
ROBERT J. SINCLAIR, Airborne Systems of North America
BYRON D. TAPLEY, University of Texas, Austin
BETH E. WAHL, Independent Consultant
GERALD D. WAHLBERG, North Carolina State University (retired)
Staff
ALAN C. ANGLEMAN, Senior Program Officer, Study Director
JOSEPH K. ALEXANDER, Senior Program Officer
IAN W. PRYKE, Senior Program Officer
ROBERT L. RIEMER, Senior Program Officer
JOHN WENDT, Senior Program Officer
MAUREEN MELLODY, Program Officer
CATHERINE A. GRUBER, Editor
DIONNA WILLIAMS, Program Associate
TERRI BAKER, Senior Project Assistant
RODNEY HOWARD, Senior Project Assistant
LINDA WALKER, Senior Project Assistant
MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ENGINEERING BOARD
RAYMOND S. COLLADAY, RC Space Enterprises, Inc., Chair
LESTER LYLES, The Lyles Group, Vice Chair
ELLA M. ATKINS, University of Michigan
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, EMBR
VIJAY DHIR, University of California, Los Angeles
EARL H. DOWELL, Duke University
MICA R. ENDSLEY, SA Technologies
DAVID GOLDSTON, Harvard University
R. JOHN HANSMAN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JOHN B. HAYHURST, Boeing Company (retired)
WILLIAM L. JOHNSON, California Institute of Technology
RICHARD KOHRS, Independent Consultant
IVETT LEYVA, Air Force Research Laboratory, Edwards Air Force Base
ELAINE S. ORAN, Naval Research Laboratory
ALAN G. POINDEXTER, Naval Postgraduate School
HELEN R. REED, Texas A&M University
ELI RESHOTKO, Case Western Reserve University
EDMOND SOLIDAY, United Airlines (retired)
Staff
MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director
CARMELA J. CHAMBERLAIN, Administrative Coordinator
TANJA PILZAK, Manager, Program Operations
CELESTE A. NAYLOR, Information Management Associate
CHRISTINA O. SHIPMAN, Financial Officer
SANDRA WILSON, Financial Assistant
Preface
NASA has developed a set of 14 draft roadmaps to guide the development of space technologies under the leadership of the NASA Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT).1,2 Each of these roadmaps focuses on a particular technology area (TA). The roadmaps are intended to foster the development of advanced technologies and concepts that address NASA’s needs and contribute to other aerospace and national needs. OCT requested that the National Research Council conduct a study to review the draft roadmaps, gather and assess relevant community input, and make recommendations and suggest priorities to inform NASA’s decisions as it finalizes its roadmaps. The full statement of task appears in Appendix A of this report.
The statement of task states that “based on the results of the community input and its own deliberations, the steering committee will prepare a brief interim report that addresses high-level issues associated with the roadmaps, such as the advisability of modifying the number or technical focus of the draft NASA roadmaps.” This interim report, which does not include formal recommendations, addresses that one element of the study charge. NASA requested this interim report so that it would have the opportunity to make an early start in modifying the draft roadmaps based on feedback from the panels and steering committee. The final report will address all other tasks in the statement of task. In particular, the final report will include a prioritization of technologies, will describe in detail the prioritization process and criteria, and will include specific recommendations on a variety of topics, including many of the topics mentioned in this interim report.
In developing both this interim report and the final report to come, the steering committee draws on the work of six study panels organized by technical area, loosely following the organization of the 14 roadmaps, as follows:
- Panel 1: Propulsion and Power
— TA01 Launch Propulsion Systems
— TA02 In-Space Propulsion Technologies
— TA03 Space Power and Energy Storage Systems
— TA13 Ground and Launch Systems Processing
- Panel 2: Robotics, Communications, and Navigation
— TA04 Robotics, TeleRobotics, and Autonomous Systems
— TA05 Communication and Navigation Systems
- Panel 3: Instruments and Computing
— TA08 Science Instruments, Observatories, and Sensor Systems
— TA11 Modeling, Simulation, Information Technology, and Data Processing
_________________________
1 The draft roadmaps are available at http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/home/roadmaps/index.html.
2 This study (and the 14 draft roadmaps) do not cover aeronautics technologies except to the extent that they are needed to achieve NASA and national needs in space. Guidance on the development of core aeronautics technologies is already available in the National Aeronautics Research and Development Plan, which was published in 2010 by the White House National Science and Technology Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy. It is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/aero-rdplan-2010.pdf.
- Panel 4: Human Health and Surface Exploration
— TA06 Human Health, Life Support, and Habitation Systems
— TA07 Human Exploration Destination Systems
- Panel 5: Materials Panel
— TA10 Nanotechnology
— TA12 Materials, Structures, Mechanical Systems, and Manufacturing
— TA14 Thermal Management Systems
- Panel 6: Entry, Descent, and Landing Panel
— TA09 Entry, Descent, and Landing Systems
In addition to drawing on the expertise represented on the steering committee and panels, the committee obtained input from each of 14 public workshops held on each of the 14 roadmaps. At these 1-day workshops, invited speakers, guests, and members of the public engaged in discussions on the different technology areas and their value to NASA. Broad community input was also solicited from a public website, where more than 240 public comments were received on the draft roadmaps in response to application of criteria (such as benefit, risk and reasonableness, and alignment with NASA and national goals) that the steering committee established. Appendix B lists the public workshops held, along with information on accessing the public comments database. A summary of each workshop will appear in the final report. This interim report reflects the results of deliberations by the steering committee in light of these public inputs as well as additional inputs from the six panels.
The steering committee’s final report will be completed early in 2012. That report will prioritize the technologies that span the entire scope of the 14 roadmaps and provide additional guidance on crosscutting themes and other relevant topics.
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 (NRC’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:
Steven J. Battel, Battel Engineering,
David C. Byers, TRW (retired),
Vijay K. Dhir, University of California, Los Angeles,
David Goodman, Polytechnic Institute of New York University (emeritus),
James E. Hubbard, Jr., University of Maryland,
Bruce D. Marcus, TRW (retired),
Richard H. Petersen, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (retired),
George H. Rieke, University of Arizona, and
Stephen M. Rock, Stanford University.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse any conclusions, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Peter M. Banks, Red Planet Capital Partners. Appointed by the NRC, 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.
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Contents
Recommendations from Recent Decadal Surveys
Integrated Approach to Technology Development
Validation Testing of Models and Simulations
Human Factors and Knowledge Integration
Space Weather Beyond Radiation Effects
Revised Technology Area Breakdown Structure