Revitalizing NASA's suborbital program : advancing science, driving innovation, and developing workforce / Committee on NASA's Suborbital Research Capabilities ; Space Studies Board ; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences ; National Research Council of the National Academies.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

National Research Council (U.S.) Committee on NASA's Suborbital Research Capabilities., Corporate Author.

Contributor:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on NASA's Suborbital Research Capabilities.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration--Planning.

United States.

Astrophysics--Research--United States--Planning.

Astrophysics.

Aeronautics--United States--Planning.

Aeronautics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (99 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academies Press, 2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Suborbital flight activities, including the use of sounding rockets, aircraft, high-altitude balloons, and suborbital reusable launch vehicles, offer valuable opportunities to advance science, train the next generation of scientists and engineers, and provide opportunities for participants in the programs to acquire skills in systems engineering and systems integration that are critical to maintaining the nation's leadership in space programs. Furthermore, the NASA Authorization Act of 2008 finds it in the national interest to expand the size of NASA's suborbital research program and to consider increased funding. Revitalizing NASA's Suborbital Program is an assessment of the current state and potential of NASA's suborbital research programs and a review of NASA's capabilities in this area. The scope of this review includes: existing programs that make use of suborbital flights; the status, capability, and availability of suborbital platforms; the existing or planned launch facilities for suborbital missions (including the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy); and opportunities for scientific research, training, and educational collaboration in the conduct of suborbital missions by NASA. The findings illustrate that suborbital program elements-airborne, balloon, and sounding rockets-play vital and necessary strategic roles in NASA's research, innovation, education, employee development, and spaceflight mission success, thus providing the foundation for achievement of agency goals.

Contents:

""Front Matter""; ""Preface""; ""Acknowledgment of Reviewers""; ""Contents""; ""Executive Summary""; ""1 Introduction""; ""2 NASA's Airborne Research Capabilities""; ""3 NASA's Balloon Research Capabilities""; ""4 NASA's Sounding Rocket Capabilities""; ""5 The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy""; ""6 Progressing from Education to Training to Workforce Development""; ""7 Potential Opportunities for Commercial Suborbital Capabilities""; ""8 An Overview of NASA's Suborbital Research Capabilities: Assessment, Findings, and Recommendations""; ""Bibliography""; ""Appendixes""

""Appendix A: NASA Request and NASA Authorization Act of 2008 Section 505""""Appendix B: Statement of Task""; ""Appendix C: Public Agendas for Meetings""; ""Appendix D: Biographies of Committee Members and Staff""; ""Appendix E: Acronyms and Abbreviations""; ""Appendix F: NASA Sounding Rocket Budget History""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786612554360

9780309152037

0309152038

9781282554368

1282554360

9780309150842

0309150841

OCLC:

923281643