MARS FLYBY 2021: THE FIRST DEEP SPACE MISSION FOR THE ORION AND SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM? HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION FEBRUARY 27, 2014 Serial No. 113–66 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 PRINTING OFFICE 88–136PDF 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 COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HON. LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas, Chair DANA ROHRABACHER, California EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas RALPH M. HALL, Texas ZOE LOFGREN, California F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR., DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois Wisconsin DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma FREDERICA S. WILSON, Florida RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas ERIC SWALWELL, California PAUL C. BROUN, Georgia DAN MAFFEI, New York STEVEN M. PALAZZO, Mississippi ALAN GRAYSON, Florida MO BROOKS, Alabama JOSEPH KENNEDY III, Massachusetts RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois SCOTT PETERS, California LARRY BUCSHON, Indiana DEREK KILMER, Washington STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas AMI BERA, California BILL POSEY, Florida ELIZABETH ESTY, Connecticut CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming MARC VEASEY, Texas DAVID SCHWEIKERT, Arizona JULIA BROWNLEY, California THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky MARK TAKANO, California KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota ROBIN KELLY, Illinois JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma RANDY WEBER, Texas CHRIS COLLINS, New York VACANCY (II) C O N T E N T S February 27, 2014 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 ..................... 8 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 9 Statement by Representative Steven M. Palazzo, Chairman, Subcommittee on Space, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .................................................................................................... 9 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 10 Statement by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking Member, Com- mittee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .... 10 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 11 Witnesses: Dr. Scott Pace, Director of the Space Policy Institute, George Washington University Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 13 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 15 General Lester Lyles (ret.), Independent Aerospace Consultant and former Chairman of the Committee on ″Rationale and Goals of the U.S. Civil Space Program″ established by the National Academies Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 24 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 26 Mr. Doug Cooke, Owner, Cooke Concepts and Solutions and former NASA Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Mission Directorate Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 34 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 36 Dr. Sandra Magnus, Executive Director, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 48 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 50 Discussion ................................................................................................................. 58 Appendix I: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions Dr. Scott Pace, Director of the Space Policy Institute, George Washington University ............................................................................................................. 80 General Lester Lyles (ret.), Independent Aerospace Consultant and former Chairman of the Committee on ‘‘Rationale and Goals of the U.S. Civil Space Program’’ established by the National Academies ................................. 91 Mr. Doug Cooke, Owner, Cooke Concepts and Solutions and former NASA Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Mission Directorate .......... 100 Dr. Sandra Magnus, Executive Director, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics .................................................................................................. 117 (III) IV Page Appendix II: Additional Material for the Record Submitted statement by Representative Donna F. Edwards, Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Space, Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- nology, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................................... 128 Letter from Explore Mars expressing their support for a short-term flyby mission to Mars, submitted by Representative Lamar S. Smith, Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology .................................................. 130 MARS FLYBY 2021: THE FIRST DEEP SPACE MISSION FOR THE ORION AND SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM? THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2014 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY, Washington, D.C. The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:02 a.m., in Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Lamar Smith [Chairman of the Committee] presiding. (1) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Chairman SMITH. The Committee on Science, Space, and Tech- nology will come to order. Welcome to today’s hearing titled ‘‘Mars Flyby 2021: The First Deep Space Mission for the Orion and Space Launch System.’’ I will recognize myself for an opening statement and then the Rank- ing Member for an opening statement. At a fundamental level, space exploration—the mission of NASA—is about inspiration. This inspiration fuels our desire to push the boundaries of the possible and reach beyond our own pale blue dot. For years, I have heard countless stories of how NASA inspired students to study math, chemistry and physics and adults to be- come scientists and engineers. However, some of these same people now feel that NASA no longer inspires them, their children or grandchildren. Mankind’s first steps to the Moon are a distant memory, and, with the retirement of the Space Shuttle, NASA now is paying Rus- sia $70 million per seat to transport American astronauts to the International Space Station. There is a sense that America is fall- ing behind, with our best days behind us. Today, America’s finest spaceships and largest rockets are found in museums rather than on launch pads. Regrettably, the Obama administration has contributed to this situation. Within a few months of taking office, the President can- celed NASA’s plans to return astronauts to the Moon, and in its place, the President proposed a robotic and human mission to an unnamed asteroid. NASA’s own advisory group on asteroids de- rided this plan and said, ‘‘It was not considered to be a serious pro- posal.’’ At a hearing before this Committee, all of the witnesses ques- tioned the merits of the proposed mission. While consensus on Cap- itol Hill might be hard to find, there is general agreement that the President’s asteroid retrieval mission inspires neither the scientific community nor the public, who would foot the bill. So what is an inspiring mission? Maybe a journey to Mars. The red planet has long intrigued mankind. A Mars flyby with two as- tronauts onboard NASA’s Orion crew vehicle could use the Space Launch System that NASA is developing. This flyby would take ad- vantage of a unique alignment between Earth and Mars in 2021 that would include a flyby of the planet Venus. This alignment minimizes the time and energy necessary for a flyby. Under the 2021 proposal, a trip to Mars would take roughly a year and a half instead of two to three years. We are not the only Nation interested in extending humanity’s reach into the Solar System. One of the three major space-faring nations will reach Mars first. The question is whether it will be the United States or China or Russia. Great nations do great things. President Kennedy’s call to the Nation wasn’t just about reaching the Moon, it was a reminder that we are an exceptional nation. We must rekindle within NASA the fire that blazed that trail to the Moon. The future of this Nation’s exploration efforts lead to Mars. The first flag to fly on another planet in our solar system should be that of the United States. 9 NASA, the White House, and Congress should consider this Mars flyby mission proposal. It will focus NASA’s energy and talent over the next decade, and most importantly, it will inspire our Nation. [The prepared statement of Mr. Smith follows:] PREPARED STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN LAMAR S. SMITH