A critical component to advancing our future in space is the rapid development and infusion of new space technologies that can enable new missions for NASA, benefit the overall aerospace industry and other government agencies. The recently released, National Research Council Report, NASA Space Technology Roadmaps and Priorities noted Future U.S. leadership in space requires a foundation of sustained technology advances that can enable the development of more capable, reliable, and lower- cost spacecraft and launch vehicles to achieve space program goals. A strong advanced technology development foundation is needed also to enhance technology readiness of new missions, mitigate their technological risks, improve the quality of cost estimates, and thereby contribute to better overall mission cost management...
Space Technology investments enable future human and scientific exploration of near-Earth asteroids, the Moon, and Mars, just as current and past mission successes were supported by previous technology investments. This budget request funds the development of pioneering technologies that will increase our nation's capability to operate in space and enable deep space exploration. Significant progress in technology areas such as space power systems, entry, descent, and landing systems, propulsion, radiation protection, and cryogenic fluid handling are essential for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. By investing in high-payoff transformative technology, Space Technology will mature the capabilities required for NASAs future, provide new capabilities, and lower the cost for other government agencies and private industry. Developing these solutions will stimulate the growth of the Nations innovation economy, creating high-tech jobs.
The Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) coordinates the Agencys overall technology portfolio to identify development needs and reduce duplication. In managing Space Technology investments, NASA employs a portfolio approach that spans a range of discipline areas and technology readiness levels (TRL) from concept study to flight demonstration. By funding a mixture of early stage conceptual studies (TRL 1-3), ground-based and laboratory testing aimed at demonstrating technical feasibility (TRL 3-5), and relevant environment flight demonstrations (TRL 5-7), Space Technology helps NASA attain a balance between mission-driven technology investments and the long-range, transformational technology and capability investments that are required to meet our Nations far-reaching goals. By coordinating technology programs within NASA, OCT facilitates integration of available and new technology into operational systems that support specific human-exploration missions, science missions, and aeronautics. OCT also engages the larger aerospace community including other Government agencies, and, where there are mutual interests, develops partnerships to efficiently develop breakthrough capabilities. OCT leads NASAs efforts in transferring and commercializing technology to a wide range of users to ensure that the full value of these development efforts is realized.
Space Technology development takes place within NASA Centers, in academia and industry, and through partnerships with other Government agencies and international partners. NASA also participates in national technology development initiatives such as the National Robotics Initiative to increase opportunities for collaborative technology development. Investments include both competitively awarded and strategically-guided activities to address long-term Agency technology priorities and technology gaps identified within the Agencys space technology roadmaps. This roadmapping effort, initiated in late 2010 and externally reviewed by the National Research Council (NRC), aids NASA in formulating a balanced, cross-agency, technology investment perspective by identifying technology needs and overlaps, which will better ensure infusion of technologies into future missions conducted by NASA, industry or other Government users. The NRCs final report, released in February 2012, provides guidance for future competitive and guided technology investments. NASA is investing, at some level, in all 16 high priority research technologies referenced in the report.
Investments in space technology stimulate the economy and contribute to the Nation's global competitiveness through the creation of new products and services, new business and industries, and high- quality, sustainable jobs. Those same advanced technologies developed for space exploration and the aerospace industry also advance products and services available everyday to the public. Knowledge provided by weather and navigational spacecraft, efficiency improvements in ground and air transportation, supercomputers, solar- and wind-generated energy, battery and fuel cell energy storage, the cameras found in many of todays cell phones, improved biomedical applications including advanced medical imaging and even more nutritious infant formula, as well as the protective gear that keeps our military, firefighters and police safe, have all benefitted from our nations investments in aerospace technology. According to the 2011 Aerospace Industries Association Year End Review, the U.S. aerospace industry experienced its eighth consecutive year of growth and maintained the largest trade surplus of any manufacturing industry. A technology-driven NASA will maintain the Nation's aerospace community as a global technological leader for many years to come. NASA innovation also serves as an inspiration for young people to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and career paths.
Reaching our future exploration objectives will require these advanced technology and innovation commitments by NASA and the Nation. American technological leadership is vital to our national security, our economic prosperity and our global standing. The U.S. is as strong as it is today because of the technological investments made in earlier decades, because of the engineers, scientists and elected officials who had the wisdom and foresight to make the investments required for our country to emerge as a global technological leader. That commitment accelerated our economy with the creation of new industries, products and services that yielded lasting benefits.
Space Technology will move forward with the nine high-priority investments initiated in FY 2011. Each of these projects has major testing, demonstration, and/or launch milestones in FY 2013. Designed to deliver data rates that will enable new class of deep-space exploration missions, the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration project will begin ground validation activities of advanced laser communication systems. Enabling precise landing of higher-mass payloads to the surface of planets, the Low Density Supersonic Decelerators effort will complete three critical full-scale tests to demonstrate parachute and inflatable decelerator performance required prior to supersonic-speed flight demonstration. The Composite Cryogenic Propellant Tank project will design and build a five meter diameter composite cryogenic propellant tank that will yield lower mass and lower cost rocket propellant tanks. The Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer demonstration mission will conduct ground tests of the critical technologies required to enable long-term storage and handling of cryogenic fluids in space in preparation for a flight demonstration. While these projects will make visible individual steps, they are part of a broader portfolio of activities Space Technology will pursue in order to generate new technologies for use by NASA, other government agencies, and U.S. industry.