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Nasa's Next Four Large Telescopes Hearing Committee on Science, Space, and Technology House of Representatives NASA’S NEXT FOUR LARGE TELESCOPES HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION DECEMBER 6, 2017 Serial No. 115–41 Printed for the use of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://science.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 27–680PDF WASHINGTON : 2018 COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HON. LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas, Chair FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas DANA ROHRABACHER, California ZOE LOFGREN, California MO BROOKS, Alabama DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon BILL POSEY, Florida AMI BERA, California THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky ELIZABETH H. ESTY, Connecticut JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma MARC A. VEASEY, Texas RANDY K. WEBER, Texas DONALD S. BEYER, JR., Virginia STEPHEN KNIGHT, California JACKY ROSEN, Nevada BRIAN BABIN, Texas JERRY MCNERNEY, California BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia PAUL TONKO, New York RALPH LEE ABRAHAM, Louisiana BILL FOSTER, Illinois DRAIN LAHOOD, Illinois MARK TAKANO, California DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida COLLEEN HANABUSA, Hawaii JIM BANKS, Indiana CHARLIE CRIST, Florida ANDY BIGGS, Arizona ROGER W. MARSHALL, Kansas NEAL P. DUNN, Florida CLAY HIGGINS, Louisiana RALPH NORMAN, South Carolina SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE HON. BRIAN BABIN, Texas, Chair DANA ROHRABACHER, California AMI BERA, California, Ranking Member FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma ZOE LOFGREN, California MO BROOKS, Alabama DONALD S. BEYER, JR., Virginia BILL POSEY, Florida MARC A. VEASEY, Texas JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois STEPHEN KNIGHT, California ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia CHARLIE CRIST, Florida RALPH LEE ABRAHAM, Louisiana BILL FOSTER, Illinois DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas JIM BANKS, Indiana ANDY BIGGS, Arizona NEAL P. DUNN, Florida CLAY HIGGINS, Louisiana LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas (II) C O N T E N T S December 6, 2017 Page Witness List ............................................................................................................. 2 Hearing Charter ...................................................................................................... 3 Opening Statements Statement by Representative Brian Babin, Chairman, Subcommittee on Space, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Rep- resentatives ........................................................................................................... 4 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 6 Statement by Representative Ami Bera, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Space, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Rep- resentatives ........................................................................................................... 8 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 10 Statement by Representative Lamar S. Smith, Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ..................... 12 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 14 Statement by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking Member, Com- mittee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .... 17 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 18 Witnesses: Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 19 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 22 Ms. Cristina Chaplain, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, U.S. Government Accountability Office Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 33 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 35 Mr. A. Thomas Young, Former Director, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA; Former President and Chief Operating Officer, Martin Marietta Corpora- tion Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 55 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 57 Dr. Matt Mountain, President, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 64 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 66 Dr. Chris McKee, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy, Physics, University of California, Berkeley, on behalf of the National Academies of Sciences, Engi- neering and Medicine Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 79 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 82 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 86 Appendix I: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration .............................................. 102 (III) IV Page Ms. Cristina Chaplain, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, U.S. Government Accountability Office ...................................................................... 111 Mr. A. Thomas Young, Former Director, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA; Former President and Chief Operating Officer, Martin Marietta Corpora- tion ........................................................................................................................ 113 Dr. Chris McKee, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy, Physics, University of California, Berkeley, on behalf of the National Academies of Sciences, Engi- neering and Medicine ........................................................................................... 114 Appendix II: Additional Materials Submitted for the Record Hearing responses submitted by National Aeronautics and Space Administra- tion ........................................................................................................................ 118 NASA’S NEXT FOUR LARGE TELESCOPES Wednesday, December 6, 2017 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY, Washington, D.C. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2:41 p.m., in Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Brian Babin [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding. (1) 2 LAMAR S. SMITH. Texas EDDIE fiERNICE JOHNSON, Texas CHAIRMAN RANKING MEMBER Q:ongrcss of thr ilnittd ~tarrs illousc of 'Rcprcscntatiocs COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY 2321 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUilDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515-6301 (202) 225-6371 www.ac!ence.house.gov NASA's Next Four Large Telescopes Wednesday, December 6, 2017 2:00p.m. 2318 Rayburn House Office Building Witnesses Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ms. Cristina Chaplain, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, U.S. Government Accountability Office Mr. A. Thomas Young, Former Director, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA; Former President and Chief Operating Officer, Martin Marietta Corporation Dr. Matt Mountain, President, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Dr. Chris McKee, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy, Physics, University of California, Berkeley, on behalf of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine 3 U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE Charter TO: Members, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology FROM: Majority Staff, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology DATE: December 6th, 2017 SUBJECT: Space Subcommittee Hearing: "NASA's Next Four Large Telescopes." On Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 2:00p.m. in Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Subcommittee on Space, will hold a hearing titled, "NASA's Next Four Large Telescopes." Hearing Purpose The purpose of this hearing is to examine the development of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) and the planning for a next generation space telescope. Witnesses • Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration • Ms. Cristina Chaplain, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, U.S. Government Accountability Office • Mr. A. Thomas Young, Former Director, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA; Former President and Chief Operating Officer, Martin Marietta Corporation • Dr. Matt Mountain, President, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy • Dr. Chris McKee, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy, Physics, University of California, Berkeley, on behalf of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine
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