NASA: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION FEBRUARY 16, 2017 Serial No. 115–04 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 24–669PDF WASHINGTON : 2017 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing 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 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 ALAN GRAYSON, Florida THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky AMI BERA, California JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma ELIZABETH H. ESTY, Connecticut RANDY K. WEBER, Texas MARC A. VEASEY, Texas STEPHEN KNIGHT, California DONALD S. BEYER, JR., Virginia BRIAN BABIN, Texas JACKY ROSEN, Nevada BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia JERRY MCNERNEY, California GARY PALMER, Alabama 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 (II) C O N T E N T S February 16, 2017 Page Witness List ............................................................................................................. 2 Hearing Charter ...................................................................................................... 3 Opening Statements Statement by Representative Lamar S. Smith, Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ..................... 4 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 5 Statement by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking Member, Com- mittee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .... 7 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 9 Statement by Representative Babin, Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- nology, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................................... 11 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 12 Statement by Representative Bera, Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- nology, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................................... 14 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 16 Witnesses: Hon. Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut, Former United States Senator Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 19 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 22 Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, Gemini VI, Gemini IX, Apollo 10, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project Astronaut; Chairman, NASA International Space Station Advi- sory Committee Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 38 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 40 Dr. Ellen Stofan, Former NASA Chief Scientist Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 45 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 47 Mr. Tom Young, Past Director, Goddard Spaceflight Center; Past President/ COO, Martin Marietta; Past Chairman, SAIC Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 56 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 59 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 66 Appendix I: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions Hon. Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut, Former United States Senator ... 100 Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, Gemini VI, Gemini IX, Apollo 10, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project Astronaut; Chairman, NASA International Space Station Advi- sory Committee .................................................................................................... 109 Dr. Ellen Stofan, Former NASA Chief Scientist ................................................... 118 Mr. Tom Young, Past Director, Goddard Spaceflight Center; Past President/ COO, Martin Marietta; Past Chairman, SAIC .................................................. 125 (III) IV Page Appendix II: Additional Material for the Record Statement submitted by Representative Neal P. Dunn, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .................................... 132 Document submitted by Representative Gary Palmer, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .................................... 134 NASA: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY, Washington, D.C. The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:08 a.m., in Room 2318, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Lamar Smith [Chair- man of the Committee] presiding. (1) 2 LAMAR S" SM~TH, T(\xl!s EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, 7<'i"Xan CHAIRMAN RANKING MEMBER Q:ongrcss of tile 'Bnitcd ~tatcs '!r'louse of 1Rcptmntatiucs COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY 2321 RAYBURN HOUSE 0FFlCE BU!LOJNG WASHINGTON, DC 20515-6301 NASA: Past, Present, and Future Thursday, February 16,2017 !O:OOa.m. 2318 Rayburn House Office Building Witnesses Hon. Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut, Former United States Senator Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, Gemini VI, Gemini IX, Apollo 10, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project Astronaut; Chairman, NASA International Space Station Advisory Committee Dr. Ellen Stofan, Former NASA Chief Scientist Mr. Tom Young, Past Director, Goddard Spaceflight Center; Past President/COO, Martin Marietta; Past Chairman, SAIC 3 U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY Charter TO: Members, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology FROM: Majority Staff, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology DATE: February 16'h, 2017 SUBJECT: Full Committee Hearing: "NASA: Past, Present, and Future" On Thursday, February 161\2017 at 10:00 a.m. irl Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology will hold a hearing titled, "NASA: Past, Present, and Future." Hearing Purpose This hearing will review NASA's past portfolio of missions, evaluate existing exploration programs, and provide a venue for consideration of potential bold and innovative missions going forward. Witnesses Bon. Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut, Former United States Senator • Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, Gemini VI, Gemini IX, Apollo 10, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project Astronaut; Chairman, NASA International Space Station Advisory Committee • Mr. Tom Young, Past Director, Goddard Spaceflight Center; Past President/COO, Martin Marietta; Past Chairman, SAIC • Dr. Ellen Stofan, Former NASA Chief Scientist Staff Contact For questions related to the hearing, please contact Mr. Tom Hammond, Staff Director, Space Subcommittee, Mr. G. Ryan Faith, Professional Staff Member, Space Subcommittee, or Mr. Jonathan Charlton, Policy Assistant, Space Subcommittee, at 202-225-6371. 4 Chairman SMITH. The Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- nology will come to order. Without objection, the Chair is author- ized to declare recesses of the Committee at any time. Welcome to today’s hearing entitled ‘‘NASA: Past, Present, and Future.’’ I’ll recognize myself for an opening statement and then the Minority Member. NASA has a storied past. The witnesses before us today are proof of that. They personify the accomplishments of our American space program. Joining us today, we have two legendary astronauts, two accomplished scientists, two preeminent engineers, three space ad- visory body members, leaders from both the private and public sec- tor, and accomplished managers. We have the only scientist to walk on another celestial body, a test pilot that has flown 120 dif- ferent types of aircraft and three different space vehicles, a revolu- tionary leader in stealth technology development, a former Senator, a former Lieutenant General, a former NASA Center Director, the Mission Director for the first robotic landing on Mars, and NASA’s former Chief Scientist, all in four people. Their impressive accom- plishments give them the credibility to discuss the future of our space program. We stand at a crossroads. Sir Isaac Newton said, ‘‘I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than or- dinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.’’ Today, as we consider the next