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Space Exploration S. HRG. 108–977 SPACE EXPLORATION HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SPACE OF THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JULY 30, 2003 Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 88–583 PDF WASHINGTON : 2014 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Nov 24 2008 10:31 Jul 09, 2014 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\GPO\DOCS\88583.TXT JACKIE SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona, Chairman TED STEVENS, Alaska ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina, CONRAD BURNS, Montana Ranking TRENT LOTT, Mississippi DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas JOHN B. BREAUX, Louisiana GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota PETER G. FITZGERALD, Illinois RON WYDEN, Oregon JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada BARBARA BOXER, California GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia BILL NELSON, Florida JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire MARIA CANTWELL, Washington FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey JEANNE BUMPUS, Republican Staff Director and General Counsel ROBERT W. CHAMBERLIN, Republican Chief Counsel KEVIN D. KAYES, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel GREGG ELIAS, Democratic General Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SPACE SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas, Chairman TED STEVENS, Alaska JOHN B. BREAUX, Louisiana, Ranking CONRAD BURNS, Montana JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia TRENT LOTT, Mississippi JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada RON WYDEN, Oregon GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia BILL NELSON, Florida JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 10:31 Jul 09, 2014 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\88583.TXT JACKIE C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on July 30, 2003 ............................................................................... 1 Statement of Senator Brownback ........................................................................... 1 Statement of Senator Nelson .................................................................................. 2 WITNESSES Belton, Ph.D., Michael J. S., Chairman, NRC Solar System Exploration (Decadal) Survey; Emeritus Astronomer, National Optical Astronomy Ob- servatory, and President, Belton Space Exploration Initiatives, LLC ............. 17 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 19 Figueroa, Orlando, Director, Mars Exploration Program Office, Office of Space Science, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters ....... 7 Lanzerotti, Louis J., Distinguished Research Professor, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Consulting Physicist, Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, and Chairman, Solar and Space Physics Survey Committee, National Re- search Council ...................................................................................................... 23 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 25 Withee, Gregory W., Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce .................................................................................... 10 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 12 Zilmer, Brigadier General Richard C., Director, Strategy and Plans Division, Plans, Policies, and Operations Department, Headquarters, Marine Corps ... 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 5 APPENDIX Article entitled ‘‘Setting Priorities in U.S. Space Science’’ by Joseph K. Alex- ander, Space Studies Board, National Research Council ................................. 55 Lautenberg, Hon. Frank R., U.S. Senator from New Jersey, prepared state- ment ...................................................................................................................... 53 Letter dated April 4, 2003 to Gary L. Martin, NASA Space Architect from Michael J. S. Belton, Ph.D., Belton Space Exploration Initiatives, LLC ........ 53 Response to written question submitted by Hon. Frank R. Lautenberg to: Michael J. S. Belton, Ph.D. .............................................................................. 61 Gregory W. Withee ........................................................................................... 61 Richard C. Zilmer ............................................................................................. 61 (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 10:31 Jul 09, 2014 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\88583.TXT JACKIE VerDate Nov 24 2008 10:31 Jul 09, 2014 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\88583.TXT JACKIE SPACE EXPLORATION WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2003 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SPACE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, Washington, DC. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:35 p.m. in room SR–253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Sam Brownback, Chairman of the Subcommittee, presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SAM BROWNBACK, U.S. SENATOR FROM KANSAS Senator BROWNBACK. Well, thank you all for joining us here today. I’m sorry for being late. I was over on the floor and had an amendment on the floor, and so I was unfortunately detained. I do appreciate you being here today, and I look forward to your presen- tation. Since becoming Chairman of this Subcommittee, I’ve been fortu- nate to meet with people from all across the board in the realm of space science, and I’ve always been drawn toward the big ideas and the vision of visionaries. And I thought that working with the space exploration field would give me the opportunity to work closely with those big dreamers. In many cases, I have been able to; although, in others, unfortunately, I’ve been experiencing the opposite. I hope that today’s hearing will bring a little more creativity to the issue of space exploration as we look forward. With activities and responsibilities in space being spread across several govern- mental agencies, I think it’s important that we take a comprehen- sive look at the totality of U.S. involvement in space exploration. Throughout meetings with NASA and other space industry rep- resentatives, I’ve become aware of the burden of bureaucracy that, in some cases, plagues American science and space programs. I hope that our witnesses here today will be able to break out of this bureaucracy and will share with us a unifying vision for America in space exploration, utilization, and development. The U.S. must dominate the Earth-moon orbit for exploration, discovery, scientific research, commercialization, environmental reasons, and national security purposes. This Subcommittee is in the unique position to help shape the American space program and increase the number and purposes of U.S. entrants into space science. But to do that, we need to have an accurate assessment of where we are currently in space exploration and determine where we need to go in the future. NASA is a key agency. But so, (1) VerDate Nov 24 2008 10:31 Jul 09, 2014 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 S:\GPO\DOCS\88583.TXT JACKIE 2 too, will be other agencies, such as the Department of Defense, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Federal Aviation Administration. As we move forward in this Committee with the reauthorization of NASA, I want to involve all govern- mental agencies involved in space exploration. Today, we’re joined by representatives from DOD, NOAA, and NASA. Each of these agencies are involved in space exploration, and each of these agencies plays a unique role. Federal Aviation Administration’s Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation was invited today, but, unfortunately, is unable to join us. That office will be submitting testimony to the record, which I look forward to seeing. I’m excited to hear from each of you, from a group such as the Marine Corps and what it’s currently doing in space exploration. I understand they have some creative potential uses for space travel. Additionally, we are joined by NOAA, who will speak with us about their involvement with weather satellites and other ventures in space exploration. With us, also, is a representative from NASA, who will speak with us about the goal of exploring the solar system and the universe beyond. And we have been joined, as well, by two private sector individuals, Drs. Belton and Lanzerotti, who will share with us some of their findings and research in the space ex- ploration field. What I hope to get out of this hearing, gentlemen, is really that broad cross-section and the vision of visionaries to steer where the United States and all of its various agencies should be going in the area of space exploration. I don’t think it’s any secret that right now we’re really in the middle of reassessing our involvement and our activity in space exploration—where we should
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