NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 19930007672: Strategies for broadening public involvement in space developments

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by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

93- 1 861
Strategies for Broadening Public
Involvement in Space Developments
Philip R. Harris et al.
Rationale (3) A stock investment plan
(4) Limited partnership
There is widespread public interest opportunities for space
in and goodwill toward the space
technology
program. For NASA's plans for the
next 25 years to be achieved, this (5) Joint ventures by NASA
public reservoir of support needs to with other national
be tapped and channeled. NASA space agencies or with
endeavors have to reach out multinational corporations
beyond the scientific, technological,
and aerospace communities to
Political
foster wider participation in space
exploration and exploitation. To
broaden NASA support and spread To create a national consensus and
out the financing of space activities, ethos for space development in the
we offer these recommendations next 25 years, NASA should
for consideration. exercise vigorous leadership on
behalf of its intended missions. For
this purpose, the following program
Economic is recommended to educate
politicians, as well as the public, in
For anticipated space missions to the scope, necessity, and value of
be carried out, new sources of space plans.
income and financial participation
should be sought. NASA can no NASA needs to decide among the
longer operate merely on the basis alternative scenarios for space
of annual Federal appropriations. development up to 2010. A plan
A national commission of financial with specific goals, time targets,
experts and venture capitalists and estimated costs, including
might be established to analyze locations in space and required
the alternatives, recommend to technology, should be summarized
the President and Congress in a case for investment, which is
policies and procedures for the then communicated to all NASA
public sector, and propose space constituencies through a variety
investments for the private sector. of modern media. Using the
These are a few of the options to journalistic who, what, when,
be analyzed: where, why, and how as a
framework, this case could be put
{1) A national or international
forth in publications, films, videos,
lottery
and public presentations. To carry
(2) A national bond issue this message to the point where
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public support is transformed into workshops might be held for the
financial contributions, we members of the House and Senate
recommend that NASA focus on and their staffs, the media, and
the space station, a lunar base, business leaders. Emphasis
and unmanned explorations, should be on the commercial
especially of Mars, for the next promise of space. Mars Rover Sample Return
quarter century. Special briefing Justas the Apollo lunar samples have
been the cornerstones of our knowledge
base forplanning human habitation and
exploitation of the Moon, so martian
samples should greatly enhance our
ability toplan for exploration of Mars.
Analysis of martian rocks and soils would
help determine what chemical resources
(water-bearing minerals?) are available
and what scientific questions human
explorers should be prepared to
investigate. Plans are currently being
made to send robotic sample collectors
to several spots on Mars. /nthisconcept,
a six-wheeled rover collects and
packages samples and derivers them to
the launch vehicle in the background
which will return them to Earth. Each
rover/launcher combination could
probably provide about 5 N/ograms
(11 pounds) of samples. Sample returns
from various sites on Mars could help
select the sites that could be explored
withthe greatest benefit. Inparticular,
knowledge about martian rocks and soils
could help usprepare the tools and
techniques to search for evidence of past
fife on Mars.
Artist: Ken Hodges
155
The following means or sources of their support for the
assistance should be examined: NASA plan and to obtain
recommendations for private
(1) A White House conference sector involvement in space
on space enterprise, called developments. In addition
by the President at the to gathering their delegates
request of Congress, to (for example, in conjunction
consider how to implement with a Shuttle launch), there
the 1986 recommendations might be a teleconference to
of the National Commission include their memberships.
on Space. The provisions of
the Space Settlements Act (3) An artists' and writers' tour
(H.R. 4218) might be added of space opportunities.
to the agenda for discussion. Artists, dramatists, and film
The proceedings could be and television producers
televised by the Public would be invited to visit key
Broadcasting System and NASA installations and
later published in book form projects to examine the
for wider dissemination. possibilities for collaboration
on media projects about
(2) A national convocation space themes, especially
by NASA of all space those dealing with human
organizations, associations, migration and communities
and societies to enlist on the high frontier.
156
BLACK AND WHITE FHOTOGRAPh
An Artists' and Writers' Tour of Space
Opportunities
Robert McCall, NASA-commissioned artist,
touches up the middle of a giant mural at
the Johnson Space Center's Teague
Auditorium. That mural is seen inthe
background as tourists consider the lunar
module test article. Perhaps other artists
and writers, including film and video
producers, could tour NASA installations
toget content for their visualizations of fife
on the "high frontier." indeed, Dennis
Davidson, art director for the LaJo//a
summer study and this publication, has
made such a tour of the Johnson Space
Center with his co/leagues in the
International Association of Astronomical
Artists.
157
(4)A global space congress on as a replacement for the
the future of humankind in summer study approach,
space, possibly under the NASA might provide grants
auspices of the United for specific research it needs
Nations or an appropriate to have undertaken on space
international agency. The technology, management,
International Space Year culture, health, and
1992 might be a good community development.
opportunity to focus papers The purpose of this new
and discussions on the kind grant or contract program
of space culture we wish to would be to involve more
create on the high frontier academic disciplines, such
and whether aglobal space as behavioral and health
agency should be formed by sciences, in space planning
the end of this century. and to foster doctoral level
studies and publications that
We assume that the proceedings of focus on space systems and
all the above events would be communities as well as on
recorded and published for wider space technology. Schools
distribution, especially by satellite of education and human
video. services, for example,
might be asked to analyze
curriculum changes related
Institutional to space age developments.
In order to widen institutional (2) NASA should also reach out
support beyond space scientists to international and national
and engineers, these steps trade associations and
might be considered to enlist professional societies to
professionals and academics in involve them in space
the process of planning space planning. They could be
communities: encouraged to conduct
conferences, field trips,
(1) A university presidents' and even action research
conference might be held on the applications of their
to announce new NASA fields to space development.
strategies to strengthen For example, medical
the synergy between the organizations could examine
agency andthe academic space health technology
community. For example, and needs.
158
Similarlya,rchitecturaalnd elementarayndsecondary
constructiofnirms,hotel schools.Withimagination,
groups,andtravelagents wholenewconstituencies
couldundertakestudiesof couldbecreatedinthis
spacetourism.Teachers' mannerr,angingfromlawto
organizationmsightfocus dentistry.
onspacestudiesfor
Action Research on Space Health
Technology
Slo/lab astronaut Joseph P. Kerwin, M.D.,
serves as a test subject for the Lower
Body Negative Pressure Experiment.
Astronaut Paul J. Weit-z, Skylab 2 pilot and
experiment monitor, assists with the
blood pressure cuff while Kerwin is in
the lower body negative pressure device.
Thepurpose of the experiment, which
measures blood pressure, heart rate,
the heart's electrical activity, body
temperature, leg volume changes, and
body weight as well as the pressure
produced by the device, is to determine
cardiovascular adaptation during a
mission in weightlessness, to predict the
degree of orthostatic intolerance to be
expected upon return to Earth's gravib/,
and to estimate the amefiorative effect of
the device. Such action research is
supported by health experts and
technology producers on the ground.
ORI,3; N,'.",,EF",'-SI E
BLACK AND WHITE FH.OTOGRAPH
159
Theater
Museum
Observation tower
Recreation center
Artemis, a Senior Architectural Design
Project Lunar garden:
/
Thehub of alunar settlement is laid out in
Shakespeare Crater. Vera Rodriguez
/ Administration
designed this part of a 21st century
Commercial
community for 3000 inhabitants. She and
/
five other students (Carol Haywood, Ruby
f
Macias, Jorge Maldonado, Larry Ratcliff,
and Kerry Steen) in the architecture
program at the University of Texas at School 1
San Antonio researched, developed, and
designed the lunar community as a senior
design project under the direction of
Dr. Richard Tangum. They were assisted
in their research by NASA employees at
the Johnson Space Center. Ca_eter]a _/
\ ,
Although designed for the well-being,
comfort, and enjoyment of lunar
inhabitants, many facifities, such as the
observation tower, museum (featuring the To housing -_
history of the lunar settlement), library (in
the center of the school), and theater
would be of interest to visitors staying in J
the lO0-room hotel, which is expected to Crater
be one of the largest profit-making parts Shakespeare/_
of the lunar establishment.
160
BLACK ArqD W'HITE p_,.OTOGRAP_
I
Space Studies
Ateacher helps students try on space
helmets at anexhibit atthe Johnson
Space Center. Teacher organizations
might be involved in the planning of
space communities, thereby enlarging
NASA's constituency beyond scientists
and engineers. Indeed, Pat Sumi, a
teacher in the Gifted and Talented
Program of the San Diego Unified School
District, involved herself in the 1984
summer study of space resources.
161
International Managerial
To build on those results of the To meet the challenge of a
foregoing efforts that have postindustrial society and work
international dimensions, NASA culture, NASA needs to plan
should seek specific joint change in its structure,
endeavor agreements with organizational models, and
counterpart space agencies and management policies. We
their governments in Japan, recommend that a task force be
Europe, the U.S.S.R., and such established to examine the matters
Third World countries as China of organizational renewal and
and India. Regional economic development of a metaindustrial
associations or multinational work culture. Examples of the
corporations (some of which are issues that might be addressed by
headquartered in the Third World) this group, with the counsel of
might prove suitable for such external consultants, are
partnerships. To proceed with this
globalization of the space program (1) Modernizing and
might require some changes decentralizing operational
within NASA, such as centers and mission control
(1) Creating in NASA (2) Developing a
headquarters a structure for macromanagement approach
this purpose with to large-scale programs,
representation in all NASA such as building a space
centers station or a lunar base
(2) Recruiting and training (3) Fostering a more
specialists with cross- autonomous, innovative, and
cultural negotiation and entrepreneurial spirit or
communication skills who culture within NASA
can effectively manage
such international projects Thus can NASA and its
management transform itselfl
(3) Identifying ventures in
which the complexity of the
technology or financing
makes an international
partner desirable
162
NASA Transformed
In 1975 the official symbol of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration
changed from the insignia on the left to
the logo on the right. Though many NASA
employees feel affection for the old
"meatball" and its symbofism (and the
official seal of the agency still bears a
resemblance to it), even the most
conservative can recognize in the new
"worm" a positive change of image. The
serif type and boundedness of the old
circular symbol have changed to the
uniform lines of the new, more open
symbol and the vertical thrust of its
NI A uncrossed A's. This new image
represents a streamlined purposefulness
in NASA, an organization in the vertical
business of launching space enterprises.
Many of the participants in the 1984
summer study at LaJolla advocated more
than symbolic renewal for NASA, to
energize the organization as itmoves out
into the solar system.
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