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Date: May 11, 2010
Contacts: Molly Galvin, Senior Media Relations Officer
Luwam Yeibio, Media Relations Assistant
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail <news@nas.edu>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NASA's Declining Research Facilities Could Prevent Agency From Meeting Important
WASHINGTON -- NASA's abilities to meet major mission goals such as advancing aeronautics, exploring the outer planets, and understanding the beginnings of the universe are being seriously jeopardized by a steady and significant decrease in the agency's basic research capabilities, says a new report from the National Research Council. Congress and NASA should provide the support necessary for needed equipment and services to conduct fundamental high-quality research.
"Solid basic research has always been a critical component for advancing NASA's missions," said
The report examines laboratories at Goddard Space Flight Center,
"These research capabilities have taken years to develop and depend on highly competent and experienced personnel and infrastructure," said Joseph B. Reagan, co-chair of the committee and retired corporate vice president, Lockheed Martin Corp.,
NASA's deferred maintenance budget has grown from $1.77 billion in 2004 to $2.46 billion in 2009, presenting a "staggering" repair and maintenance bill for the future, the report says. Facilities typically require more maintenance than current funding permits, and NASA is spending well below accepted industry guidelines on annual maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. The lack of timely maintenance presents safety issues, particularly with large, high-powered equipment. NASA should find a solution to these issues before any catastrophic failures occur that could seriously impact missions and research operations, the report says.
To restore these laboratories, NASA should strike a better balance of funding and leadership between long-term research and development and short-term mission programs, the report says. These areas would be improved if they were managed separately. In recent years, administrative and budgeting changes have led to a substantial reduction of long-term investment in fundamental technology.
NASA should improve the quality and equipment of its basic research laboratories to make them at least comparable with those at the
The study was funded by NASA. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering,
Copies of Capabilities for the Future – An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research are available from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at http://www.nap.edu. Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above).
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[ This news release and report are available at http://national-academies.org ]
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
Space Studies Board
Committee on the Assessment of NASA Laboratory Capabilities
John T. Best (co-chair)
Technical Director
Plans and Programs Directorate
Vice President and General Manager
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Co. (retired)
President and CEO
The Aerospace Corp. (retired)
Partner and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board
Astrolabe Ventures Partners
Ramon L. Chase
DARPA Consultant
ANSER (Analytic Services Inc.)
Exploration Systems Research and Technology Program Manager
Northrop Grumman Corp. (retired)
Neil A. Duffie
Professor
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
Professor and Director
Gas Turbine Laboratory
Blair B. Gloss
Independent Consultant
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (retired)
Professorial Lecturer
Wesley L. Harris *
Charles Stark Draper Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and
Associate Provost for Faculty Equity
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Manager
Aerosciences and Compressible Fluid Mechanics Department
Senior Propulsion Test Engineer
Orbital Technologies Corp.
William E. McClintock
Senior Research Associate
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space
Physics
Edward D. McCullough
Principal Scientist
Boeing Co. (retired)
Director of Spacecraft Business Development
Sierra Nevada Corp.
Eli Reshotko *
Kent H. Smith Professor Emeritus of
Engineering
James M. Tien *
Distinguished Professor and Dean
Candace E. Wark
Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and
Associate Dean
Illinois Institute of Technology
RESEARCH COUNCIL STAFF
John Wendt
Study Director