Space Studies Board Annual Report 1991 (1992) / Chapter Skim
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5 Congressional Testimony
5 Congressional Testimony
Pages 73-108
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From page 73... ...
These committees and task groups have addressed, over the years, a broad sweep of space science and applications disciplines, including astronomy and astrophysics, space biology and medicine, microgravity research, solar and space physics, earth studies, and planetary and lunar exploration. We have been asked today to provide our assessment of the Augustine Report and to comment on its implementation.
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From page 74... ...
Giving space research top priority in the civil space program has the important ramification that its financial support must be assured. To address this concern, the Augustine Committee's Recommendation #1 provides that space science should be assured a fixed minimum percentage of NASA's total budget to ensure stable funding.
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century, while acknowledging a "special relationship" between the proposed station and space biological and medical research. In its report Toward a New Era in Space, the NRC recommended a shift away from microgravity research and "space manufacturing" and toward space biology and medicine as drivers for the space station program.
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5.2 Testimony on the Space Station Freedom Program Space Studies Board Chair Louis J Lanzerotti delivered the following file:///C|/SSB_old_web/an91ch5.htm (4 of 36)
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. The beginning of this dialogue occurred at a meeting on April 8, when several members of the Board and of the Committee on Space Biology and Medicine met with Bill Lenoir, Associate Administrator for Space Flight, Dick Kohrs, Director of Space Station Freedom, Len Fisk, Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications, Bob Rhome, Director of Microgravity Sciences and Applications, and Arnauld Nicogossian, Director of Life Sciences.
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From page 78... ...
and concluded that most of these goals could be met using other means, with the exception of those activities lying within the realm of space biology and human adaptability and survival in spaceflight. Concerning this latter research area, the Board unequivocally stated that, A commitment by the nation to long duration human space flight, whether in Earth orbit or beyond, calls for the establishment of a facility for space biological and medical research on the effects on individuals of very long exposure to the "low g" environment.
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To the contrary, in the March statement, the Board declared, "The Space Studies Board strongly endorses the position that a space-based laboratory is required to study the physiological consequences of long-term spaceflight." SPACE STUDIES BOARD MARCH 1991 POSITION ON SPACE STATION FREEDOM UTILIZATION The following is a summary of the major issues and conclusions from the Board's March 1991 statement and a general description of the nature of life sciences and microgravity research. The Board's statement is restricted to an assessment of the Station's role in fulfilling the national goals for long-duration human spaceflight.
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Space Program.8 Space Biology and Medicine Research The Augustine Committee concluded that the primary objective of a space station should be life sciences research in order to ascertain the feasibility of long duration human spaceflight. The Board endorses this position.
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Dedicated Life Sciences Laboratory The empirical nature of space biology and medicine research requires continuous access to space as well as the opportunity for manned intervention. Based on these key requirements, the strategy report recommended the following.
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Maximizing research return for the investment is the underlying rationale behind the recommendation for a dedicated Life Sciences Laboratory. Neither the Board nor the Committee on Space Biology and Medicine suggests that nothing of research value could be done on the proposed station, but rather that the limited amount of data that could be obtained that would improve our understanding of the human response to a low-gravity environment would be worth neither the time nor the money expended.
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If such a strategy is adopted, space biology and medicine can become a mature science within one to two decades.
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Variable Force Centrifuge For over twenty years, virtually every internal and external life sciences advisory group to NASA has emphasized the absolutely critical need for a centrifuge in space.10 A variable force centrifuge (VFC) is the single most important facility for space biology and medicine research.
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Advances in biology have often been based on the use of comparative methods, and space biology would benefit similarly from the availability of a wide range of animals. The individual units of the RAHF should be easily mated to the VFC and to other equipment.
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is not scheduled, including, during the man-tended phase, utilization flights and periods between shuttle flights. Further, the Board recommended that beginning with the permanently occupied phase, the pressure should be maintained at 14.7 psi/21% oxygen.12 Inadequacy of Space Station Freedom for Space Biology and Medicine Research Requirements in Support of Mission from Planet Earth The Board's March 1991 statement concerning SSF described the reasons why the proposed station will be inadequate to support the biological and medical research that have been recommended.
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4. The absence of a dedicated Life Sciences Laboratory will prohibit some experiments and will severely restrict most others, prolonging the acquisition of data required to answer fundamental questions related to the feasibility of long duration human space exploration.
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Similar to the field of space biology and medicine, this is a field at its earliest stage of development and involves investigators from a widely diverse scientific community. To date, no examples have been found of materials that are worthy of manufacture in space.
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Relationship of Microgravity Research to a Space Station The Committee on Microgravity Research has advised the Board that, unlike the field of space biology and medicine, only a limited amount of the desired research in microgravity, at least over the next decade, can best be accomplished with a space station. The use of crew-tended free flyers, drop towers, extended duration Spacelabs, and so forth offer adequate-and, the committee states, in fact more viable-opportunities for the research needs in many cases.
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From page 90... ...
In 1989, the NRC performed an assessment of a Commercially Developed Space Facility, a less capable system, but one that is in many ways analogous to the crew-tended configuration of Space Station Freedom.14 This assessment expressed reservations about operation of Spacelab-derived equipment on an unattended spacecraft: The present generation of microgravity experiments is largely designed to file:///C|/SSB_old_web/an91ch5.htm (18 of 36)
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From page 91... ...
Space Station Freedom offers the potential of serving as a major national resource for years to come. If the station is to fulfill its potential as a research base for establishing the feasibility of long-duration human space flight, then the scientific research community must play a central role in establishing the research requirements for space biology and medicine.
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, page 3. 5.3 Summary Testimony on the Space Station Freedom Program Space Studies Board Chair Louis J
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The Board's recommendations are based on focused discussions among prominent researchers organized by discipline areas in the Board's standing committees and task groups. These committees and task groups have addressed, over the years, a broad sweep of space science and applications disciplines, including astronomy and astrophysics, space biology and medicine, microgravity research, solar and space physics, earth studies, and planetary and lunar exploration.
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life sciences research necessary to support the national objective of long-term human exploration of space and (2) microgravity research and applications." In the context of the national goal of Mission from Planet Earth, the Board emphasizes that the driving force for life sciences research is not based on abstract scientific merit, but rather on its critical role in determining the feasibility of the Administration's vision of long-duration human space exploration.
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There are a number of absolutely critical requirements that a space station must meet to support an effective and efficient program of space biology and medicine research. These are described in detail in my written testimony as well as in the 1987 research strategy published by the Board.
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NASA and the Board have agreed to continue discussing these matters. Microgravity Research As is true with space biology and medicine, the field of microgravity research is at a very immature stage.
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It would be difficult to adapt existing Spacelab experiments for teleoperation, and microgravity research conducted to date has required substantial unscheduled human intervention. CONCLUSION While Space Station Freedom, if built according to the present restructured plan, is potentially capable, over the long term, of contributing to space biology and medicine, serious issues remain with respect to its timeliness, cost-effectiveness, and evolutionary planning for establishing the feasibility of a long-duration human space exploration.
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These committees and task groups have addressed, over the years, a broad sweep of space science and applications disciplines, including astronomy and astrophysics, space biology and medicine, microgravity research, solar and space physics, earth studies, and planetary and lunar exploration.
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and suborbital research programs are essential to the overall vitality of the national space research agenda.17 The Augustine Committee also emphasized the importance of these programs.18 NASA should take steps to ensure healthy file:///C|/SSB_old_web/an91ch5.htm (27 of 36)
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long duration spaceflight."21 I cite these examples of the Board's comments on a space station to illustrate that, contrary to some current accounts, the Board has never taken a position "against" a space station either in the past or in its March 1991 statement. On the contrary, in the March statement, the Board declared, "The Space Studies Board strongly endorses the position that a space-based laboratory is required to study the physiological consequences of long-term space flight." In the context of Mission from Planet Earth as a national goal, the Board emphasizes that the driving force for space station life sciences research is not based on abstract scientific merit, but rather on its role as a, if not the, critical factor in determining the feasibility of the Administration's vision of human space exploration.
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From page 101... ...
A Dedicated Life Sciences Laboratory-because of the need for continuous access and human intervention; 2. Focused Missions-which would allow sufficient flight time to collect reliable results, to replicate experiments when necessary, and to change protocols as data are gathered and interpreted; 3.
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There are some areas of concern, however, particularly in technology support for unmanned missions and in a perceived serious mismatch between space station development plans and objectives. The members of the Space Studies Board and of its discipline committees are committed to working with NASA and the national space policy community to help bring about the most productive, cost-effective, and exciting space program the taxpayers' investment can deliver.
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From page 103... ...
Board recommendations are based on focused discussions among the prominent researchers who constitute its standing committees and task groups. These committees and task groups have addressed, over the years, a broad sweep of space science and applications disciplines, including astronomy and astrophysics, space biology and medicine, microgravity research, solar and space physics, earth studies, and planetary and lunar exploration.
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From page 104... ...
The costs of Hubble repairs and upgrades subsequently undertaken should be closely monitored and controlled to minimize effects on other OSSA programs. Space Robotics Technology Second, advances in robotics capability are essential to NASA's space science and applications programs.
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From page 105... ...
I would like to take this opportunity to state clearly, for the record, that the Space Studies Board is not now, and has never been in the past, opposed to the concept of a space station or to a national goal of long-duration human spaceflight. A 1983 position of the Board on the scientific value of a space station, written in response to a request from NASA, assessed the possible utility of a space station for accomplishment of the major scientific objectives of all space research disciplines (except microgravity research)
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There are, however, several absolutely critical requirements for an effective and efficient program of the necessary space biology and medicine research. The Board notes particularly that investigation and solution of many of the fundamental problems in space life sciences will require long periods of time.
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The members of the Space Studies Board and of its discipline committees are committed to working with NASA and the national space policy community to help bring about the most productive, cost effective, and exciting space program the taxpayers' investment can deliver. 23Report of the Advisory Committee on the Future of the U.S.
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From page 108... ...
Annual Report 1991: Congressional Testimony Last update 3/3/00 at 9:45 am Site managed by Anne Simmons, Space Studies Board The National Academies Current Projects Publications Directories Search Site Map Feedback file:///C|/SSB_old_web/an91ch5.htm (36 of 36)
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