Deputy Director-Public Policy

1. Deputy Director-Public Policy • Areas of Responsibility – Liaison between SMG and AIAA Public Policy Committee (PPC) • Major Initiatives: • CVD March 16-17, 2010 • Coordinating input on white papers • Other Duties • Communication from PPC to SMG TC PP point of contacts • Matrix (crying uncle on this.)

2. CVD—Key Issues (TAC responsible party) • Development of technologies for the generation and production of Biofuels/Renewable fuel (Gupta) • Emissions (Gupta) • Technology Development for high efficiency engines with low pollution (Gupta) • General Aviation (Pfeiffer) • NextGen Air Transportation System (Pfeiffer) • Environmental Regulation(Pfeiffer) • Commercial Spaceflight for Human Access to Orbit (Hassan) • Explaining the Benefits of Space (Hassan) • STEM Education (Hassan) • Green Technologies and Aerospace (Hassan) • NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) (Hassan): • Strategic Planning of Government Insourcing (Hassan) • Requirements Definition for Aerospace Program Acquisitions (Hassan – John Day, SETC)

3. Key SMG Issues Explanation Commercial Spaceflight for Human Access to Orbit Discuss issues related to using commercial entities to provide Americans with human access to space. Are any of the players in this emerging private industry really ready to shoulder this burden? If so, how does NASA (1) ensure the safety of these vehicles while keeping the schedule/cost benefits associated with using these new private enterprises, and (2) transition its existing human spaceflight workforce from low-Earth orbit operations to development of future systems and capabilities? Many suggest that by relinquishing the development of human access to low-Earth orbit to commercial companies, NASA may transition its focus to the next generation of capability (e.g. heavy-lift launch vehicles, missions to the Moon, missions to Mars, etc.).

4. Key SMG Issues Explanation Explaining the Benefits of Space NASA does excellent work in the areas of both exploration and research, but the benefits of these activities are poorly communicated to the public. The public tends to be uninformed about the value of the science, the usefulness of the technologies developed for space exploration in terrestrial applications, and the relative cost of achieving these goals. People often ask why the United States spends so much money on space projects when we have many pressing problems on the ground. This problem is a symptom of a lack of understanding of the benefits that our investment in the space program produces. How can NASA and other government agencies better inform the public about the benefits of space exploration, space science, and space operations?

5. Key SMG Issues Explanation STEM Education How can the United States encourage more students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related areas? Congress authorizes funds for universities and for fellowships, but these funds primarily go to groups and people who are already interested in STEM. What programs can the government sponsor/set up that will attract middle school and high school students to pursue these fields? It seems that outreach is entirely a voluntary effort.

6. Key SMG Issues Explanation Green Technologies and Aerospace (Hassan) President John F. Kennedy often spoke about "survival." In his day, he was speaking in terms of a world made more extreme through the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Today, we need to speak about survival again, and with the same gravity that JFK did. The Earth is becoming more extreme because of climate change, sea level rise, worsening storms, decline side of oil, increasing population, and a world rapidly becoming more advanced industrialized that needs energy to run and resources to provide more people higher standards of living. What is needed is innovation to adapt to and mitigate these challenges, the type of sweepingly creative innovation that comes from dealing with space, the most extreme of environments in which humans have ventured. It is no wonder that those on the adapt-and-mitigate side of the environmental policymaking debate refer to the Apollo program. The Apollo program typified the kind of innovation that invented ways for humans to live in space, to walk on the Moon, and whose technological and materiel spin-offs and latent gifts we enjoy to this day. New energy sources and systems are to be found out there, new construction materials are to be found out there, new insights on how to survive on a more extreme Earth are to be found out there. Space technology and green technology are two sides of the same coin. To get out of the space enterprise is to cut the legs out from under the green industry and our ability to survive on Earth.

7. Key SMG Issues Explanation NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) The NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC), charged to think 20-50 years out, was recently defunded after 9 years. It was not a very expensive program – only $6-9 million each year. Perhaps NIAC was not focused enough on things that NASA could likely use. Regardless of the reason for dissolving NIAC, an institution like that is needed if we are to prepare for more ambitious missions in the future. If NASA eventually hopes to have outposts on the Moon, send humans to Mars, or perform more exciting robotic exploration missions, the technological foundations need to be developed now. We have a long way to go before these types of missions can be accomplished affordably and safely, and an institution such as NIAC is critical in making them possible.

8. Key SMG Issues Explanation Strategic Planning of Government Insourcing One of the issue for consideration is the strategic planning (or lack thereof) in the government's insourcing activities as they relate to the aerospace industry.  I support the intent of strengthening the government's organic expertise in field related to our industry and for strengthening their procurement teams.  Ensuring there is a strategic plan to be followed and guidelines to work from could help maximize value and minimize entropy caused by the transitions.

9. Key SMG Issues Explanation Requirements Definition for Aerospace Program Acquisitions Historically, government aerospace programs have been driven by the performance dimension.  This contributes to acquisition cost growth and schedule slippage, and can be exasperated when performance requirements are excessive, immature, over-specified, change with time, and not explicitly traded with cost and schedule.  (The problem is made all the worse when programs are initiated with an unrealistic budget and/or schedule.)  Requirements definition should be performed by the government (with the assistance of industry to the extent possible) prior to program initiation and updated as necessary for each program phase.  Performance requirements should be actively traded with cost, schedule, and risk throughout the acquisition program; appropriate activities should focus on technology, manufacturing, and integration maturity; and cost, performance, and schedule should be actively and equally managed.  This should apply to all government aerospace procurements

10. Current White Papers Key Aspects & Figures of Merit for a Healthy Human Space Exploration Program American ISS Servicing Obligations Both of these items are in a holding pattern. There seems to be some procedural issues. Could the responsible person from the STTC please work with me off line.

11. Action Items and Issues TC/PC matrix I am crying uncle on this. I have been too optimistic in my ability to execute this. Can some else take it on. (Sorry, Trevor) Key Issues responses to Laura McGill Please in October for additional issues went unheaded.