AIA Issue Paper: A Comprehensive Strategy for Human Exploration

AIA RECOMMENDATIONS

AIA supports the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 (Sec. 204), which mandates an Independent Study on Human Exploration of Space conducted by the National Academies to recommend a path forward for the decade 2014 – 2023.

In this critical transition period following the Space Shuttle retirement, and the subsequent industry downsizing, it is important to stem the decline in capabilities by developing new human space exploration elements now to preserve the U.S. space industrial base and work force. In parallel, it is important to outline a comprehensive path forward for NASA exploration’s long term future. It is impossible to effectively prioritize future technology investments by government, to stimulate commercial development by industry, and to engage in meaningful international cooperation without a strategy and near term milestones that will enable eventual Mars exploration. Developing this recommended path forward will not be easy; to that end, AIA encourages this Independent Study on Human Exploration of Space to address in detail:

* Near term human exploration milestones including robotic precursors. The lack of proximate exploration activity now could severely hinder our future exploration capability.

* Mission-oriented technology priorities that tie development of needed enabling technologies to milestones on our track toward eventual Mars exploration.

* Integration of science and technology missions with a parallel human exploration strategy. Exploration, science, and technology must progress hand in hand.

* The implementation, within fiscal constraint guidance, of societal and national goals stated as Key Objectives in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010.

* Path forward options if fiscal constraints change.

BACKGROUND

The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 (Sec. 202) states that the long term goal of human space exploration is to expand permanent human presence beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO) and to do so, where practical, with international partners. It also identifies a broad set of Key Objectives that range from sustaining capability for long duration presence in LEO initially through full utilization of the International Space Station to identifying roles that space resources could play in meeting national and global needs and from determining if humans can live for extended periods in space to inspiring young people. Here is the “why” for human spaceflight needed to determine the “what, when, where, and how” that constitute not only a coherent path forward, but one that is relevant and compelling.

The National Academies in the Independent Study on Human Exploration of Space are to recommend a path forward by prioritizing these Key Objectives and their implementation for the decade 2014 – 2023.

KEY POINTS

AIA urges the human space exploration program to begin development now of new capabilities to ensure sustained U.S. leadership in space. AIA also urges the timely completion of a comprehensive Independent Study on Human Exploration of Space to inform policy makers, effectively support critical exploration decisions, and build a human exploration consensus.