A REVIEW OF NASA’S EXPLORATION PROGRAM IN TRANSITION: ISSUES FOR CONGRESS AND INDUSTRY HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION MARCH 30, 2011 Serial No. 112–8 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 65–305PDF WASHINGTON : 2011 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. RALPH M. HALL, Texas, Chair F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR., EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas Wisconsin JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California DANA ROHRABACHER, California ZOE LOFGREN, California ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland DAVID WU, Oregon FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma BRAD MILLER, North Carolina JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois W. TODD AKIN, Missouri GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas MARCIA L. FUDGE, Ohio PAUL C. BROUN, Georgia BEN R. LUJA´ N, New Mexico SANDY ADAMS, Florida PAUL D. TONKO, New York BENJAMIN QUAYLE, Arizona JERRY MCNERNEY, California CHARLES J. ‘‘CHUCK’’ FLEISCHMANN, JOHN P. SARBANES, Maryland Tennessee TERRI A. SEWELL, Alabama E. SCOTT RIGELL, Virginia FREDERICA S. WILSON, Florida STEVEN M. PALAZZO, Mississippi HANSEN CLARKE, Michigan MO BROOKS, Alabama ANDY HARRIS, Maryland RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois CHIP CRAVAACK, Minnesota LARRY BUCSHON, Indiana DAN BENISHEK, Michigan VACANCY SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS HON. STEVEN M. PALAZZO, Mississippi, Chair F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER JR., GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona Wisconsin MARCIA L. FUDGE, Ohio LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois DANA ROHRABACHER, California TERRI A. SEWELL, Alabama FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma DAVID WU, Oregon W. TODD AKIN, Missouri DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas FREDERICA S. WILSON, Florida SANDY ADAMS, Florida E. SCOTT RIGELL, Virginia MO BROOKS, Alabama RALPH M. HALL, Texas EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas (II) C O N T E N T S Date of Hearing Page Witness List ............................................................................................................. 2 Hearing Charter ...................................................................................................... 3 Opening Statements Statement by Representative Steven M. Palazzo, Chair, Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .................................................................................... 13 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 14 Statement by Representative Ralph M. Hall, Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ..................... 14 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 16 Statement by Representative Jerry F. Costello, Acting Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .................................... 17 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 18 Witnesses: Mr. Douglas Cooke, Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 19 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 21 Dr. Scott Pace, Director, Space Policy Institute, George Washington Univer- sity Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 34 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 36 Mr. James Maser, Chairman, Corporate Membership Committee, The Amer- ican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 43 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 45 Discussion Appendix: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions Mr. Douglas Cooke, Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration ......................... 68 Dr. Scott Pace, Director, Space Policy Institute, George Washington Univer- sity ......................................................................................................................... 81 Mr. James Maser, Chairman, Corporate Membership Committee, The Amer- ican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics ................................................. 85 (III) A REVIEW OF NASA’S EXPLORATION PRO- GRAM IN TRANSITION: ISSUES FOR CON- GRESS AND INDUSTRY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY, Washington, DC. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:00 a.m., in Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Steven Palazzo [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding. (1) 2 3 HEARING CHARTER COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES A Review of NASA’s Exploration Program in Transition: Issues for Congress and Industry WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 10:00 A.M.–12:00 P.M. 2318 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING Purpose The subcommittee will examine 1) the accomplishments of the Constellation pro- gram, 2) NASA’s transition toward development of the Space Launch System (SLS) and Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), and compliance with the FY2011 con- tinuing resolution and the NASA Authorization Act, 3) the status of the 90-day SLS/ MPCV report to Congress, and 4) examine the key challenges and risks in imple- menting the proposed changes including outstanding questions and issues for Con- gress from delays or other disruptions to the workforce or aerospace industrial base. Witnesses • Mr. Douglas Cooke, Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration • Dr. Scott Pace, Director, Space Policy Institute, George Washington Univer- sity • Mr. James Maser, Chairman, Corporate Membership Committee, The Amer- ican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 4 Issues Exploration Capabilities in Transition; Issues for Congress and Industry At issue is NASA’s compliance with Congressional direction on extending and modifying the Constellation contracts, and the implications of NASA’s actions for the continued, uninterrupted progress on the Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and Space Launch System (SLS). Congressional intent, as reflected in authorization and appropriation language seek to utilize the existing workforce and assets in order to limit the damage to the nation’s industrial base and workforce. As the budget comparison above indicates, the FY2012 budget request does not adhere to the funding guidance in last year’s authorization bill (PL 111-267). The administration’s FY2012 budget request for Exploration systems is $1.24 billion below the amount specified in the Act. Exploration systems is $2.5 billion below when comparing both FY2012 and FY2013. In FY2013, the administration does not identify the funding specified for the two main components; the MPCV and the SLS. In spite of the $2.5 billion reduction over two years in proposed funding for Explo- ration Capabilities, Administrator Bolden said, ‘‘I am committed to try to make sure that the funding levels remain about the same, and one of the things is beginning in 2013 I have asked and I have been granted that we put human exploration in one budget line so that we can move the funds around as necessary in each successive year so that we marry those programs up when we need them, you know, that being the 2020 timeframe . ’’ Yet, section 302 of the NASA Authorization Act directs the agency to develop the heavy lift system in a way that permits early flight testing of the ‘‘core’’ stage ele- ments with a goal of an operational capability to orbit by December 31, 2016. The U.S. space industrial base that has supported the Constellation - now MPCV and SLS effort - has waited while the agency settles on a plan for human spaceflight, and unless the uncertainty is eliminated in the near future, there could be serious disruptions to the aerospace workforce and industrial base as key sup- pliers begin to exit the market. Report due to Congress The Authorization Act directed NASA to report back in 90 days on the design of the vehicle envisioned, and to provide the assumptions and cost analysis to justify the systems selected. On January 10th NASA provided a preliminary report con- taining no detailed cost or schedule assessments, yet concluding nevertheless that, ‘‘to date our studies have shown that none of those options thus far appear to be af- fordable in our present fiscal conditions, based upon existing cost models, historical data, and traditional acquisition approaches.’’ According to NASA