NASA at a Crossroads: Maintaining Workforce, Infrastructure, and Technology Preeminence in the Coming Decades
2024

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Since its formation more than 60 years ago, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has served as a global leader in science, aeronautics, and exploration, propelled technological innovation, and inspired youth to pursue careers in science and engineering, while often accomplishing the seemingly impossible. However, despite its critical and transformative role, NASA faces an uncertain future due to declining national investment as a percentage of gross domestic product and systemic issues that compromise its infrastructure, workforce, and capacity for technological innovation.

As requested by Congress in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened an independent expert committee to evaluate whether NASA's current workforce, infrastructure, technological capabilities, and their interfaces can meet its strategic goals. NASA at a Crossroads: Maintaining Workforce, Infrastructure, and Technology Preeminence in the Coming Decades considers the critical facilities and emerging technologies necessary to fulfill NASA's mission, as well as the workforce skills and organizational structure required to perform and support the work of the mission directorates, both now and in the future.

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204 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71631-4
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71632-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27519

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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. NASA at a Crossroads: Maintaining Workforce, Infrastructure, and Technology Preeminence in the Coming Decades. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Front Matter i-xiv
Executive Summary 1-10
1 Introduction 11-13
2 Systemic Issues 14-29
3 Technology Issues 30-47
4 Infrastructure Issues 48-59
5 Workforce Issues 60-80
6 Summary List of Findings 81-84
7 Summary List of Recommendations 85-88
Appendixes 89-90
Appendix A: Legislative Direction for This Report 91-92
Appendix B: Statement of Task 93-93
Appendix C: Acronyms and Abbreviations 94-96
Appendix D: Committee and Staff Biographical Information 97-101
Appendix E: Disclosure of Unavoidable Conflict of Interest 102-102
Appendix F: Information Gathering 103-109
Appendix G: NASA 20-Year Critical Missions 110-117
Appendix H: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education in the United States and Abroad 118-129
Appendix I: NASA Employment Data 130-133
Appendix J: Technology Survey Papers 134-168
Appendix K: The Transition from Engineer to Manager: The Roles of Cognitive and Affective Qualities at the Individual and Social Levels 169-190

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NASA at a Crossroads: Maintaining Workforce, Infrastructure, and Technology Preeminence in the Coming Decades (2024)

Chapter: 1 Introduction

Publication information

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NASA at a Crossroads: Maintaining Workforce, Infrastructure, and Technology Preeminence in the Coming Decades (2024)

Chapter: 1 Introduction