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Strategic Objective
Develop evolving exploration systems and capabilities.
Strategic Objective
Overview
Over the next decades, NASA intends to erase the boundaries to human exploration of space. We want to open new frontiers beyond low Earth orbit to humankind. NASA is expanding human exploration by developing the capability to transport humans to and from deep space, enabling the exploration of other planets and asteroids within our solar system using innovative, advanced technologies.
As a starting point, exploring deep space requires the capability to transport cargo and crew beyond low Earth orbit, or farther than 2,000 kilometers beyond Earth. NASA is developing a new transportation system that includes a crew capsule, a heavy-lift launch vehicle, and supporting ground facilities and systems.
NASA is developing technologies to enable the additional capabilities that will be required the farther away from Earth we travel. These include the capabilities for in-space propulsion, in-space operations, long-duration habitation, and other systems to support humans in hostile environments. Precursor robotics, robotic missions that investigate candidate destinations and provide vital information to prepare for human explorers, will lay the groundwork for humans to achieve new milestones in deep space.
The capability to transport humans to and from deep space will leverage incremental development of exploration capabilities that seed future discoveries and innovation, and eventually lead to creation of a permanent, long-term human space presence in the solar system. Our exploration of deep space will reward us with new knowledge. While new knowledge increases our understanding of our planet, our solar system, our universe, and ourselves, Americans expect tangible benefits and applications that we can use on Earth. If the past is prologue, scientists and entrepreneurs will generate new uses for the knowledge and technology resulting from NASA’s investments in exploration systems, and this in turn will grow the U.S. economy.
Read Less...Progress Update
Through the Strategic Review and NASA’s other performance management processes, NASA reviews recent accomplishments and near-term plans for the Agency’s strategic objectives and programs. Under Strategic Objective 1.1, NASA is developing a new human deep-space exploration architecture, consisting of the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion spacecraft, and Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) programs, as well as the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program. Under Strategic Objective 1.1, an extremely significant recent accomplishment was the successful Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 in December 2014. This was the first test flight of the Orion spacecraft, which is designed to take humans on deep-space missions in the future. Orion did not carry any people into space on this flight, but it became the first human-rated spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission. Over the next several years, NASA’s critical next steps include making progress towards Exploration Mission (EM)-1, an uncrewed test flight to distant retrograde lunar orbit (and the first pairing of Orion with SLS). AES continues to mature enabling technologies critical for exploration missions in areas, such as habitation (life support), crew mobility systems (extra-vehicular activity), and vehicle systems (lander technology). Moreover, AES is developing secondary payloads for the EM-1 mission to address Strategic Knowledge Gaps for future missions. AES is also jointly developing payloads with the Space Technology Mission Directorate to demonstrate in-situ resource utilization on the upcoming Mars 2020 mission. Specific performance measures for the next two years can be found in NASA’s FY 2016 and FY 2017 Annual Performance Plans.
The Strategic Review also addresses long-term strategic outcomes, alignment, and key management challenges for each strategic objective, as well as across NASA’s portfolio of activities. A current indicator of challenges for this strategic objective is that NASA did not fully achieve the Agency Priority Goal associated with this strategic objective in FY 2015. In 10 years, NASA plans to have a new human deep-space exploration architecture with SLS, Orion, and other high-priority capabilities needed for human exploration/pioneering. However, NASA has limited strategic indicators beyond Exploration Mission (EM) 2 (in the post-2022 timeframe). To address this, NASA is currently developing an integrated exploration strategy, and these indicators are under development.
For more information, please see http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/index.html and http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/aes/index.html. Highlighted achievements during FY 2015 are detailed in the FY 2015 Agency Financial Report. Additional details on the FY 2015 performance for supporting Performance Goals and Annual Performance Indicators are provided in NASA’s FY 2015 Annual Performance Report. Information on the strategies for achieving this strategic objective can be found in the 2014 NASA Strategic Plan.
Agency Priority Goals
FY 14-15 Agency Priority Goal:
Achieve critical milestones in development of new systems for the human exploration of deep space.
