NASA Reorganizes Center Work for Post-Constellation Era

NASA BUDGET UPDATE

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Deputy Administrator Lori Garver presented an outline for new and extended program assignments across the agency Thursday in support of the president’s fiscal year 2011 budget request.

Pending congressional approval, NASA will create new program offices that include activities in exploration technology and development, heavy lift rockets and rocket propulsion technology, exploration precursor robotic missions, human research, and commercial spaceflight opportunities.

In addition, the new budget has increases for NASA’s Science and Aeronautics directorates that will improve the agency’s Earth observation capabilities and help create a Next Generation air transportation system that is safe, efficient and friendlier to the environment. The work assignments expand on the strengths of NASA’s 10 centers while allowing the agency to safely fly out the space shuttle manifest and establish a firm foothold in space by extending the International Space Station, likely to 2020 or beyond.

“These assignments build on the deep knowledge and expertise that NASA has developed during five decades,” Bolden said. “They recognize our work force’s wealth of experience and commitment, and the specialties already existing at the NASA field centers.”

Bolden said the work assignments represent a bold new approach to exploring space that will enable NASA to get beyond low-Earth orbit and create robust near-Earth space flight capabilities. In addition, several of the technology development efforts will focus on innovative approaches to spaceflight and other technologies.

Highlights

Johnson Space Center (Texas)

• Flagship Technology Demonstrations: New Program Office to manage $424 million in FY 2011 and $6 billion over five years, with the Deputy Program Office at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), to demonstrate transformational technologies for next‐generation space flight capabilities.
• Commercial Crew Development: New Deputy Program Manager to manage, with KSC’s Program Office, $500 million in FY 2011 and $5.8 billion over five years to foster private‐sector transportation services to Earth orbit.
• Commercial Cargo: The FY 2011 Budget provides a one‐time increase of $312 million to add new capabilities and demonstrations to this program, and to ensure commercial cargo servicing of the ISS through 2020.
• Human Research Program: Augmentation of this JSC program of $63 million in FY 2011 (42% increase) for a total of $317 million over five years to further research on human habitation in space.
• International Space Station: An addition of over $3 billion over five years to augment ISS functionalities, enable maximum utilization of the ISS, and extend ISS, likely to 2020 or beyond.
• Constellation Transition: Funding of $1.9 billion in FY 2011, and $600 million in FY 2012, is provided to transition and closeout the Constellation Program.

Kennedy Space Center (Florida)

• Commercial Crew Development: New Program Office at KSC, in partnership with a Deputy Program Manager at JSC, will manage $500 million in FY 2011 and $5.8 billion over five years, to foster private‐sector transportation services to Earth orbit.
• 21st Century Launch Complex: New Program Office to manage $429 million in FY 2011 and $1.9 billion over five years to modernize KSC ‘s facilities to reduce launch costs not only for NASA, but for other users.
• Flagship Technology Demonstrations: New Deputy Program Manager to manage, with JSC’s Program Office, $424 million in FY 2011 and $6 billion over five years to demonstrate transformational technologies for next‐generation space flight capabilities.
• Additional Three Months of Shuttle Funding: The funding will be provided to the Shuttle program. A portion of the $600 million augmentation will be used at KSC to ensure flight and processing of all remaining Shuttle payloads and vehicles to outfit the International Space Station.

Marshall Space Flight Center (Alabama)

• Heavy Lift and Propulsion Research and Development Program: New Program Office to manage $559 million in FY 2011 and $3.1 billion over five years to develop next‐generation engines and propulsion technologies.
• Exploration Precursor Robotic Program: New Program Office to manage approximately $105 million in FY 2011 and $2.6 billion over five years allocated to scout locations for eventual human visits.
• Space Technology Demonstrations: New Program Office to manage $75 million in FY 2011 and $1.4 billion over five years to oversee flight testing of crosscutting aerospace technologies.
• Centennial Challenges Program: New Program Office to manage $10 million in FY 2011 and $50 million over five years for this innovative prize program.

Stennis Space Center (Mississippi)

• Heavy Lift and Propulsion Technology: SSC’s unique capabilities and rocket engine test facilities for first stage and upper stage engine testing will be used extensively as part of this $3.1 billion program.
• Commercial Crew Development: SSC will increase partnerships with commercial market customers as part of this program, building upon current engine testing planned for
  commercial vehicles as part of NASA’s CRS and COTS program.

Langley Research Center (Virginia)

• Game Changing Development: New Program Office to manage $124 million in FY 2011 and $1.5 billion over five years to foster innovate research and development projects that have the potential to revolutionize spaceflight.
• Earth Science Missions: Augmentation and acceleration of Earth Science missions, including SAGE III on the ISS (climate continuity measures), CLARREO (Decadal Survey Tier 1 mission), and NASA’s Venture Class activities.
• Aeronautics Research: The FY 2011 funding augmentation will be used to increase research activities into green aviation and Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) capabilities

NASA Ames (California)

• Exploration Scouts: New Program Office as part of Exploration’s Precursor Robotic Missions effort to manage approximately $20 million in FY 2011 and $400 million over five years allocated to scout locations for eventual human visits with a focus on small, competed robotic missions.
• Small Satellite Subsystem Technology: New Program Office to manage $6 million in FY 2011 and $126 million over five years in research and development in this important technology area.
• Edison Small Satellite Demonstrations: New Program Office to manage $10 million in FY 2011 and $90 million over five years to demonstrate key small satellite capabilities.
• Aeronautics Research: The FY 2011 funding augmentation will be used to increase research activities into green aviation and Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) capabilities.

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (California)

• Flight Opportunities: New Program Office to manage $17 million in FY 2011 and $85 million over five years to provide flight opportunities for cutting‐edge research.
• Aeronautics Research: The FY 2011 funding augmentation will be used to increase research activities into green aviation and Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) capabilities.

NASA Glenn (Ohio)

• Exploration Technology Development and Demonstration Program: New Program Office to manage $223 million in FY 2011 and $1.8 billion over five years to mature key exploration technologies through laboratory, ground and flight tests.
• Space Technology Research Grants: New Program Office to manage $70 million in FY 2011 and $350 million over five years to support foundational research and graduate studies in key aerospace‐related disciplines.
• Aeronautics Research: The FY 2011 funding augmentation will be used to increase research activities into green aviation and Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) capabilities.

Goddard Space Flight Center (Maryland)

• Joint Polar Satellite System: New NASA‐NOAA partnership to procure several of the nation’s polar orbiting weather satellites.
• Decadal Survey Tier 1 Missions: The FY 2011 President’s Budget enables all four of the Tier 1 missions recommended by the National Research Council. GSFC will lead ICESat‐2, and participates in portions of both CLARREO and DESDynI. GSFC also manages the Earth Systematic Missions Program, which contains the Decadal Survey missions.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (California)

Earth Science Mission accelerations:

• Rapid Development and Launch of Orbiting Carbon Observatory‐2: Funds also enable a second set of instrument hardware to help ensure continuity of the measurements.
• Decadal Survey Tier 1 Missions: The FY 2011 President’s Budget enables all four of the Tier 1 missions recommended by the National Research Council. JPL will lead the SMAP and DESDynI mission development.
• Augmented Climate Continuity Missions: Development of a GRACE Follow‐On (GRACE‐FO) mission to meet an important scientific need for continuity of key climate observations.