Fri, Feb 03, 2012
Document Will Help NASA Define Technology Developments Going
Forward
NASA has received the National Research Council (NRC) report
"NASA Space Technology Roadmaps and Priorities," which provides the
agency with findings and recommendations on where best to invest in
technologies needed to enable NASA's future missions in space. The
NRC report will help define NASA's technology development
priorities in the years to come.
One year ago, NASA provided 14 draft space technology area
roadmaps to the NRC and asked the council to examine and prioritize
technologies for the agency. The technologies were prioritized in
each of the 14 areas and then across all categories. The report
finalizes the NRC's review and identifies 16 top-priority
technologies necessary for NASA's future missions, which also could
benefit American aerospace industries and the nation. The 16 were
chosen by the NRC from its own ranking of 83 high-priority
technologies out of approximately 300 identified in the
roadmaps.
"The report strongly reaffirms the vital importance of
technology development to enable the agency's future missions and
grow the nation's new technology economy," said Mason Peck, chief
technologist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The report
confirms the value of our technology development strategy to date.
NASA currently invests in all of the highest-priority technologies
and will study the report and adjust its investment portfolio as
needed."
The technology priorities the report identifies are aligned with
NASA missions to extend and sustain human activities beyond low
Earth orbit, explore the evolution of the solar system and the
potential for life elsewhere, and expand our understanding of
Earth and the universe in which we live. The report observes that
"technological breakthroughs have been the foundation of virtually
every NASA success. In addition, technological advances have
yielded benefits far beyond space itself in down-to-Earth
applications." It also states "future U.S. leadership in space
requires a foundation of sustained technology advances."
During the coming months, NASA's Office of the Chief
Technologist will lead an agency-wide analysis and coordination
effort to update the 14 technology area roadmaps with the NRC
report's findings and recommendations.
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