Advantages and disadvantages of prizes in a portfolio of financial incentives for space activities

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has proposed to use financial prizes to encourage innovation in space technology. Public debate about the use of prizes questions their effectiveness, the role of government compared with the private sector in administering prizes—for example, the Ansari X-Prize for human suborbital flight was privately funded and administered—and other issues that are likely to influence the success of this approach.     

NASA Human Health and Performance Center: Open innovation successes and collaborative projects

In May 2007, what was then the Space Life Sciences Directorate published the 2007 Space Life Sciences Strategy for Human Space Exploration, setting the course for development and implementation of new business models and significant advances in external collaboration over the next five years. The strategy was updated on the basis of these accomplishments and reissued as the NASA Human Health and Performance Strategy in 2012, and continues to drive new approaches to innovation for the directorate. This short paper describes the successful execution of the strategy, driving organizational change through open innovation efforts and collaborative projects, including efforts of the NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC).     

Promotion and Application Prospects of Disruptive Technology in Future Development of Space Industry

Space is a high-tech field integrating materials,electronic information,manufacture,energy,medicine and other disciplines.A number of disruptive technologies in various fields will have an important influence in areas such as space industry,scientific research on space and even military space.This article focuses on disruptive technologies exerting enormous influence in the space field based on the qualitative and quantitative research of disruptive technologies.The research and application for disruptive space technology is expected to greatly improve the efficiency of space system,significantly reducing research cost,and to promote a great improvement of space technology level.     

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute's education and public outreach program: Working toward a global 21st century space exploration society

Space Exploration educators worldwide are confronting challenges and embracing opportunities to prepare students for the global 21st century workforce. The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), established in 1997 through a NASA competition, is a 12-university consortium dedicated to space life science research and education. NSBRI's Education and Public Outreach Program (EPOP) is advancing the Institute's mission by responding to global educational challenges through activities that: provide teacher professional development; develop curricula that teach students to communicate with their peers across the globe; provide women and minority US populations with greater access to, and awareness of science careers; and promote international science education partnerships.A recent National Research Council (NRC) Space Studies Board Report, America's Future in Space: Aligning the Civil Program with National Needs, acknowledges that “a capable workforce for the 21st century is a key strategic objective for the US space program… (and that) US problems requiring best efforts to understand and resolve…are global in nature and must be addressed through mutual worldwide action”. [1] This sentiment has gained new momentum through a recent National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) report, which recommends that the life of the International Space Station be extended beyond the planned 2016 termination. [2] The two principles of globalization and ISS utility have elevated NSBRI EPOP efforts to design and disseminate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educational materials that prepare students for full participation in a globalized, high technology society; promote and provide teacher professional development; create research opportunities for women and underserved populations; and build international educational partnerships.This paper describes select EPOP projects and makes the case for using innovative, emerging information technologies to transfer space exploration knowledge to students, engage educators from across the globe in discourse about science curricula, and foster multimedia collaborations that inform citizens about the benefits of space exploration for life on Earth. Special references are made to educational activities conducted at professional meetings in Austria, Canada, France, China, Greece, Italy, Russia, Scotland and Spain.     

The US national space transportation policy: issues for congress

Below is a summary of what was to be the first in a series of reports produced by the Office of Technology Assessment (now defunct) on policy for the USA's future space transportation technology and industrial base. It examines the Clinton Administration's 1994 National Space Transportation Policy and supporting implementation plans and raises and analyses such issues as conflicts and redundancies within NASA and DoD space transportation development programs; competition and cooperation with foreign launch vehicle and component providers; US government limits on the conversion of long-range missiles to space launchers in the face of Russian activity in this area; and the effectiveness of Administration efforts to include the private sector in space transportation decision making. Some issues not covered in the Policy are also discussed.     

Inflatable composite habitat structures for lunar and mars exploration

Recent advances in materials technology have improved the performance capabilities of inflatable, flexible composite structures, which have increased their potential for use in numerous space applications. Space suits, which are comprised of flexible composite components, are a good example of the successful use of inflatable composite structures in space. Space suits employ inflatables technology to provide a stand alone spacecraft for astronauts during extra-vehicular activity. A natural extension of this application of inflatables technology is in orbital or planetary habitat structures. NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is currently investigating flexible composite structures deployed via inflation for use as habitats, transfer vehicles and depots for continued exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Inflatable composite structures are being investigated because they offer significant benefits over conventional structures for aerospace applications. Inflatable structures are flexible and can be packaged in smaller and more complex shaped volumes, which result in the selection of smaller launch vehicles which dramatically reduce launch costs. Inflatable composite structures are typically manufactured from materials that have higher strength to weight ratios than conventional systems and are therefore lower in mass. Mass reductions are further realized because of the tailorability of inflatable composite structures, which allow the strength of the system to be concentrated where needed. Flexible composite structures also tend to be more damage tolerant due to their “forgiveness” as compared to rigid mechanical systems. In addition, inflatables have consistently proven to be lower in both development and manufacturing costs.

Several inflatable habitat development programs are discussed with their increasing maturation toward use on a flight mission. Selected development programs being discussed include several NASA Langley Research Center habitat programs that were conducted in the 1960s, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory inflatable space station study, the NASA JSC deployable inflatable Lunar habitat study, and the inflatable Mars TransHab study and test program currently ongoing at NASA JSC. Relevant technology developments made by ILC Dover are also presented.     

Advanced flight computing technologies for validation by NASA's new millennium program

The New Millennium Program (NMP) consists of a series of Deep-Space and Earth Orbiting missions that are technology-driven, in contrast to the more traditional science-driven space exploration missions of the past. These flights are designed to validate technologies that will enable a new era of low-cost highly miniaturized and highly capable spacebome applications in the new millennium. In addition to the series of flight projects managed by separate flight teams, the NMP technology initiatives are managed by the following six focused technology programs: Microelectronics Systems, Autonomy, Telecommunications, Instrument Technologies and Architectures, In-Situ Instruments and Micro-electromechanical Systems, and Modular and Multifunctional Systems. Each technology program is managed as an Integrated Product Development Team (IPDT) of government, academic, and industry partners. In this paper, we will describe elements of the technology roadmap proposed by the NMP Microelectronics IPDT. Moreover, we will relate the proposed technology roadmap to existing NASA technology development programs, such as the Advanced Flight Computing (AFC) program, and the Remote Exploration and Experimentation (REE) program, which constitute part of the on-going NASA technology development pipeline. We will also describe the Microelectronics Systems technologies that have been accepted as part of the first New Millennium Deep-Space One spacecraft, which is an asteroid fly-by mission scheduled for launched in July 1998.     

Conference round-up: Space,defence and trips to the Moon

What are the trends in missile defence, the perceptions of space and defence in society and the now emergent commercial human spaceflight industry? Europe seems stuck in a financial rut and unable to fashion a united approach, the USA and Russia have not acknowledged the need to understand the issues in a context broader than that of a bilateral debate over the intentions of Iran, and a growing number of companies is getting serious about taking paying customers into space. This report covers the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Missile Defence Conference 2012; the RUSI Defence, Industries and Society Conference 2012 and the third European Space Tourism Conference held at the Royal Aeronautical Society in July, all in London.     

Promoting UK involvement in the ISS: a space station lifeboat?

The Space Development Council, an organisation of UK space interest groups, is calling for Britain to become re-involved in manned spaceflight. NASA previously offered UK astronaut training in return for participation in the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle, now postponed. A one-person return vehicle might provide an effective and useful alternative. Two designs have been put forward based on Waverider, at one time proposed to be the man-carrying payload for Blue Streak. The more sophisticated of the two is a flex-wing Waverider carrying a one-person escape capsule, designed for long-term on-orbit storage.     

Space financing in the aftermath of the financial crisis

The International Institute of Space Commerce (IISC) held a workshop on the influence of the financial crisis on the space sector in Douglas, Isle of Man from 18 to 19 November 2009. A number of experts presented their views on this topic. A summary of their generally upbeat findings are presented below.     

Redefining safety in commercial space: Understanding debates over the safety of private human spaceflight initiatives in the United States

In 2009 President Obama proposed a budget for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that canceled the Constellation program and included the development of commercial crew transportation systems into low Earth orbit. This significant move to shift human spaceflight into the private sector sparked political debate, but much of the discourse has focused on impacts to “safety.” Although no one disputes the importance of keeping astronauts safe, strategies for defining safety reveal contrasting visions for the space program and opposing values regarding the privatization of U.S. space exploration. In other words, the debate over commercial control has largely become encoded in arguments over safety. Specifically, proponents of using commercial options for transporting astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) argue that commercial vehicles would be safe for astronauts, while proponents of NASA control argue that commercial vehicles would be unsafe, or at least not as safe as NASA vehicles. The cost of the spaceflight program, the technical requirements for designing a vehicle, the track record of the launch vehicle, and the experience of the launch provider are all incorporated into what defines safety in human spaceflight. This paper analyzes these contested criteria through conceptual lenses provided by fields of science and technology policy (STP) and science, technology, and society (STS). We ultimately contend that these differences in definition result not merely from ambiguous understandings of safety, but from intentional and strategic choices guided by normative positions on the commercialization of human spaceflight. The debate over safety is better considered a proxy debate for the partisan preferences embedded within the dispute over public or private spaceflight.     

The decision to build the space station too weak a commitment?

The decision to build the Space Station illustrates the way in which the incremental nature of policy making in the US government favours short-term flexibility over long-term commitments. In making the moves necessary to win approval for the Space, Station NASA officials and their allies took actions which gave policy makers frequent opportunities to re-examine the programme once approved, and may have made likely the continuing uncertainty over the future of the station. Difficulty in securing long-term commitments for large and complex science and technology programmes has been a central feature of US space policy ever since the landing on the Moon.     

Aerospace technology transfer to breast cancer imaging

In the United States in 1996, an estimated 44,560 women died of breast cancer, and 184,300 new cases were diagnosed. Advances in space technology are now making significant improvements in the imaging technologies used in managing this important foe. The first of these spinoffs, a digital spot mammography system used to perform stereotactic fine-needle breast biopsy, uses a backside-thinned CCD developed originally for the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrometer. This paper describes several successful biomedical applications which have resulted from collaborative technology transfer programs between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health (OWH). These programs have accelerated the introduction of direct digital mammography by two years. In follow-on work, RTI is now assisting the HHS Office on Women's Health to identify additional opportunities for transfer of aerospace, defense, and intelligence technologies to image-guided detection, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. The technology identification and evaluation effort culminated in a May 1997 workshop, and the formative technology development partnerships are discussed.     

The NASA astrobiology program

The new discipline of astrobiology addresses fundamental questions about life in the universe: "Where did we come from?" "Are we alone in the universe?" "What is our future beyond the Earth?" Developing capabilities in biotechnology, informatics, and space exploration provide new tools to address these old questions. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has encouraged this new discipline by organizing workshops and technical meetings, establishing a NASA Astrobiology Institute, providing research funds to individual investigators, ensuring that astrobiology goals are incorporated in NASA flight missions, and initiating a program of public outreach and education. Much of the initial effort by NASA and the research community was focused on determining the technical content of astrobiology. This paper discusses the initial answer to the question "What is astrobiology?" as described in the NASA Astrobiology Roadmap.     

Communicating bioastronautics research to students, families and the nation

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) is supporting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) education mission through a comprehensive Education and Public Outreach Program (EPOP) that communicates the excitement and significance of space biology to schools, families, and lay audiences. The EPOP is comprised of eight academic institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, Rice University, and the University of Washington. This paper describes the programs and products created by the EPOP to promote space life science education in schools and among the general public. To date, these activities have reached thousands of teachers and students around the US and have been rated very highly.     

The transition from research to operations in Earth observation: the case of NASA and NOAA in the US

That basic scientific research often leads to new insights, concepts, and inventions that can have important practical applications and benefits is an established element of the rationale for federal government investment in research and technology. The way in which scientific studies of the Earth from space make their way into practical approaches to environmental measurements and management presents an enlightening case study of the research-to-applications transfer process. This article discusses how fundamental concepts of technology transfer and diffusion are illustrated in the process of transitioning Earth science research into operations at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), particularly as it is presented in the National Research Council study, Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. The authors assert that successful and efficient transitions of this type require not only a detailed understanding of the technologies involved but an appropriately developed social structure to better facilitate those transitions.     

归因于空间环境的航天器故障与异常

天然空间环境对航天器设计、研制和运行的影响是NASA马歇尔空间飞行中心系统分析和集成实验室电磁与航空宇宙环境部组织编写的一系列NASA RP报告的主题.其中,NASA RP-1390详细概述了天然空间环境7个主要环境因素,包括它们的简单定义、相关的型号计划事项以及对各种航天器分系统的影响.该报告提供100多个从1974...     

NASA's integrated space transportation plan

Improvements in the safety, reliability and affordability of current and future space transportation systems must be achieved if NASA is to perform its mission and if the U.S. space industry is to reach its full potential. In response to Presidential Policy in 1994, NASA, working with our industrial partners, initiated several efforts including the X-33, X-34, X-37 and Advanced Space Transportation programs with the goal of demonstrating the technologies that could enable these goals. We have learned that emerging technologies will enable the needed advancements but that more development along multiple, competing paths is needed. We have learned that developing requirements diligently and in partnership with industry will allow us to better converge with commercial capabilities. We have learned that commercial markets are not growing as fast as projected earlier, but there are still possibilities in the near-term to pursue alternate paths that can make access to space more robust. The goal of transitioning NASA's space transportation needs to commercial launch vehicles remains the key aim of our efforts and will require additional investment to reduce business and technical risks to acceptable levels.     

归因于空间环境的航天器故障与异常

天然空间环境对航天器设计、研制和运行的影响是NASA马歇尔空间飞行中心系统分析和集成实验室电磁与航空宇宙环境部组织编写的一系列NASA RP报告的主题。其中,NASA RP-1390详细概述了天然空间环境7个主要环境因素,包括它们的简单定义、相关的型号计划事项以及对各种航天器分系统的影响。该报告提供100多个从1974～1994年间发生的归因于天然空间环境的航天器故障和异常的案例,统计分析天然空间环境及其对航天器的影响。文章是对这篇报告的介绍与点评。     

Space for defence: A European vision

A common European defence policy is still at a very preliminary stage, and although some limited progress has recently been made, it is a politically sensitive issue. In contrast to scientific research or large industrial ventures such as aircraft development, where Europe has moved forward rather well, obstacles to further integration in defence and security matters are numerous. Space systems could be used to facilitate such integration as their duplication is costly and so much remains to be done in Europe in this field. A common European ‘vision’ for the role of space systems in security and defence thus needs to be developed. This article reviews the role of space in security and defence missions, the technology and industrial base Europe needs, and its capability and autonomy in achieving access to space. Space system vulnerability and the means of minimizing it are addressed, including measures to prevent the weaponization of space. The possible role of ESA in support of the European Defence Agency for defence space systems development is identified, along with the need for ad hoc organizations for operational exploitation. Ten recommendations are made that would permit progress at the European level, following the path already successfully achieved in the civilian domain.