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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.