International Space Station
The Government Accountability Office has found that after spending a quarter century planning and building the International Space Station, NASA may not be able to fully use the facility for space research because of a lack of transportation, funding and organization.
In a report titled, International Space Station: Significant Challenges May Limit Onboard Research, GAO concluded:
NASA faces several significant challenges that may impede efforts to maximize utilization of all ISS research facilities, including:
- the impending retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2010 and reduced launch capabilities for transporting ISS research cargo once the shuttle retires;
- high costs for launches and no dedicated funding to support research;
- limited time available for research due to the fixed size of crew and competing demands for the crew’s time; and
- an uncertain future for the ISS beyond 2015.
GAO reviewed NASA’s existing approach to conducting research aboard ISS, which has been designated a national laboratory. The agency found a number of areas where NASA could improve.
NASA is researching the possibility of developing a management body–including internal and external elements–to manage ISS research, which would make the ISS National Laboratory similar to other national laboratories. Though there is no existing direct analogue to the ISS, GAO studied two national laboratories and several other large science institutions and identified three common practices that these institutions employ that could benefit the management of ISS research.
- Centralized management body: At each of the institutions GAO studied, there is a central body responsible for prioritizing and selecting research, even if there are different funding agencies. NASA’s ISS managers are currently not responsible for evaluating and selecting all research that will be conducted on the ISS, leaving this to the research sponsor.
- In-house scientific and technical expertise: The institutions GAO studied have large staffs of in-house experts that can provide technical and engineering support to users. NASA’s staff members in ISS fundamental science research areas have been decentralized or reassigned, limiting its capability to provide user support.
- Robust user outreach: The laboratories and institutes GAO studied place a high priority on user outreach and are actively involved in educating and recruiting users. NASA has conducted outreach to potential users in the public and private sectors, but its outreach is limited in comparison.
GAO also made a series of recommendations that NASA should pursue to get the most out of the science done on the station.
Recommendations
Our recommendations from this work are listed below. Status will change from “In process” to “Open,” “Closed – implemented,” or “Closed – not implemented” based on our follow up work.
Recommendations for Executive Action
Recommendation: If the Administration and NASA decide to retire the station in 2015 and to continue utilizing the ISS without increasing resources, the NASA Administrator should develop and implement a plan to broaden and enhance ongoing outreach to potential users, including those in the commercial sector, with consideration given to the tight time frames for the ISS.
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: If the Administration and NASA decide to retire the station in 2015 and to continue utilizing the ISS without increasing resources, the NASA Administrator should further develop online ISS information materials to provide easy access to details about laboratory facilities, opportunities presented by microgravity, available research hardware, resource constraints, and the results of all past ISS research, including successes and failures.
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: If the Administration and NASA decide to retire the station in 2015 and to continue utilizing the ISS without increasing resources, the NASA Administrator should, as information develops, inform users on how launch capabilities will be provided to users of the ISS, including how regular these launches will be and what the cost will be (if any) to the users.
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: If the Administration and NASA decide to retire the station in 2015 and to continue utilizing the ISS without increasing resources, the NASA Administrator should, if full utilization of available USOS facilities on board the ISS is not possible, consider sharing excess research capacity with the international partners on a quid pro quo basis.
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: If the administration and NASA decide to extend ISS operations beyond 2015 and to provide the resources required for enhanced utilization of the ISS research facilities, the NASA Administrator should implement the first three steps recommended above.
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: If the administration and NASA decide to extend ISS operations beyond 2015 and to provide the resources required for enhanced utilization of the ISS research facilities, the NASA Administrator should establish a body that centrally oversees U.S. ISS research decision making, including the selection of all U.S. research to be conducted on board and ensuring that all U.S. ISS research is meritorious and valid. This body should also be able to strategically prioritize research proposed by many potential sponsors.Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: If the administration and NASA decide to extend ISS operations beyond 2015 and to provide the resources required for enhanced utilization of the ISS research facilities, the NASA Administrator should ensure that potential and actual ISS users have access to scientific or technical expertise, either in-house or external, in the areas of research relevant to the ISS that can provide assistance to users as required.
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Similar Posts:
- NASA: There’s an App for That…
- IG: NASA Boards Riddled With Conflicts of Interest
- GAO: FAA Facing Oversight Challenges as Commercial Space Sector Grows
- NASA OIG: ZERO G Provides NASA With “Inconsistent” Levels of Microgravity Flight Services
- eSpace Announces First 3 Startups for Space Incubator
