NASA administrator shares his thoughts on one of the most challenging enterprises of our time.

This past October, the world marked the dawn of the Space Age with the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik. Soon after that momentous event, NASA was created to “pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.” Times have changed dramatically since then. Technology, international relationships and the global economy are very different, and these differences have consequences for how NASA conducts its missions today.

First, there are many more players in the space game. In the 1950s, NASA competed with just the Soviet Union. But in 2008 there are numerous space-faring countries, including China and India. Today’s space programs are not fueled by a Cold War, but there is still competition for technological leadership and the international prestige of demonstrating capabilities that few countries have—space flight.

Second, there is much more international collaboration in space. In the 1950s, NASA was a U.S.-only effort. Today, NASA cannot and does not attempt to complete its missions alone. We collaborate with Russia, Europe, Japan, India and many other countries in space exploration and science. In fact, more than half of NASA’s robotic science missions, ranging from Earth science and planetary missions, to astrophysical observatories, involve international partnerships. European and Japanese elements of the International Space Station will be launched on the Shuttle in 2008.

Third, there continues to be a convergence of science and exploration. NASA has developed a Global Exploration Strategy, a common vision for robotic and human space exploration that has been signed by 14 space agencies. Past debates over whether robots or humans were more suited to space exploration have given way to strategies that use both. For example, the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory mission carries an automated hypersonic aerodynamics package that will gather critical information necessary for larger payloads capable of carrying humans to the Martian surface.

A fourth, and perhaps most obvious, difference from the past is budgetary constraints. NASA was not as well funded in the 1960s as people like to believe. Nonetheless, NASA spending during the Cold War was a priority supported by several Administrations and Congresses. NASA’s budget has been essentially flat for decades. Thus, hard decisions are needed to decide what activities NASA will stop doing in order to free up resources for new initiatives.

By Presidential and Congressional direction, NASA has been tasked “to advance U.S. scientific, security and economic interests through a robust space exploration program.” This means taking human exploration beyond the low Earth orbit of the International Space Station, returning to the Moon in the next decade, and then venturing further into the solar system, ultimately sending humans to Mars and beyond. Today’s efforts are “a journey, not a race” which is being planned from the beginning with commercial and international partnerships in mind.

NASA’s greatest current challenge is safely flying the Space Shuttle to assemble the International Space Station prior to retiring the Shuttle in 2010 while bringing new human spaceflight capabilities on-line no later than 2014. These steps are necessary to meet our commitments to our international partners on the Space Station and provide for continued human access to space for the United States.

Despite these differences, the systems engineering challenges today are similar to those first faced 50 years ago. Developing the next generation of spacecraft will require excellence in every technical field offered by Harvey Mudd College: Engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, computer science and mathematics. NASA’s Associate Administrator Chris Scolese discussed some of these challenges at the HMC workshop “Design and Engineering Education for Space Exploration in a Flat World” last May.

Space exploration is truly one of the most demanding interdisciplinary endeavors undertaken by humans. For America to continue to be a leader in the world economy, to be a global competitor in innovation, science and technology, and to stay on the frontiers of space exploration and aeronautics research, NASA will need the best ideas, hard work and dedication from all who would like to be involved in one of the most challenging enterprises of our time. Alumni of HMC are part of this adventure now, and today’s students will have the opportunity to take us even further on an exciting adventure.

For more information on NASA’s next challenges, see www.nasa.gov.

Scott Pace heads the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation at NASA, where he examines issues of strategic importance to NASA and assists Administrator Michael Griffin in making well-informed, timely decisions. The office independently assesses program performance, makes programmatic and institutional recommendations, performs cost analysis and conducts strategic planning activities as NASA continues to pursue the Vision for Space Exploration.