Transition of NASA's Physical Sciences Program to Exploration Systems-Driven Research

Abstract

A new Vision for Space Exploration was announced a year ago by President George W. Bush. NASA has evaluated on-going programs for strategic alignment with this vision. The evaluation proceeded at a rapid pace and is resulting in changes to the scope and focus of experimental research that will be conducted in support of the new vision. The existing network of researchers in the physical sciences ‐ a highly capable, independent, and loosely knitted community ‐ typically have shared conclusions derived from their work within appropriate discipline-specific peer reviewed journals and publications. The initial result of introducing this Vision for Space Exploration has been to shift research focus from a broad coverage of numerous, widely varying topics into a research program focused on a nearly-singular set of supporting research objectives to enable advances in space exploration. Three traditional physical science research disciplines, Combustion Science, Fluid Physics and Materials Science, are targeting product driven research from a portfolio dominated by “Fundamental Science Research” to one focused nearly exclusively on supporting the Exploration Vision. Underlying scientific and engineering competencies and infrastructure of these Physical Sciences disciplines do provide essential research capabilities to support the contemporary thrusts of human life support, radiation countermeasures, human health, low gravity research for propulsion and materials and, ultimately, research conducted on the Moon and Mars. A perspective on how these research disciplines responded to the course change will be presented. The relevance to the new NASA direction is provided, while demonstrating through examples how the prior investment in fundamental research is being brought to bear on solving the issues confronting the successful implementation of the exploration goals.