2011 NASA
www.nasa.gov
Strategic Plan
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The future of aeronautics and space exploration is built on sound strategic planning and the commitment of our employees and partners. The images on
the cover show activities that contribute to achieving our strategic goals, artist concepts of future missions or innovative ideas, and our education efforts.
On May 17, 2010, NASA Astronaut Steve Bowen, STS-132 mission specialist, participates in the mission’s first session of extravehicular
activity as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station.
Aerospace engineer Rod Chima works with the Large-Scale Low-Boom supersonic inlet model in the Glenn Research Center’s 8' x 6'
Supersonic Wind Tunnel. Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation and the University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign partnered with Glenn to test
the model with micro-array flow control to try to alleviate the thunder-like sonic booms produced by supersonic aircraft. (Credit: NASA/B.R.
Caswell)
Dr. Heather Oravec, a postdoctoral researcher at the Glenn Research Center, works with a new device developed there that tests lunar soil
strength. Called a vacuum bevameter, the device measures the characteristics of lunar soil simulants, or lunar regolith, in a vacuum chamber
at specific temperatures while accounting for lunar gravity. The system may be used to predict strength characteristics of lunar regolith in
previously unexplored regions of the Moon. (Credit: NASA/M.M. Murphy, Wyle Information Systems, LLC)
Leland Melvin, Associate Administrator for the Office of Education and former astronaut, high-fives fifth- through 12th-graders at the Minor-
ity Student Education Forum. The forum was part of our Summer of Innovation initiative and the Federal Educate to Innovate campaign to
increase the number of future scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. (Credit: NASA/C. Huston)
Our heavy-lift rover Tri-ATHLETE, or All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer, carries a logistics module mockup during the summer
2010 DesertRATS field test. The spider-like Tri-ATHLETE can roll or climb over uneven terrain to deliver a load to its destination. Desert-
RATS, or Research and Technology Studies, offers a chance for a team of engineers, astronauts, and scientists to conduct technology
development research in the Arizona desert, a good stand-in for destinations for future planetary exploration missions. (Credit: NASA)
An engineer works with the fully functional, one-sixth scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope mirror in the optics testbed. This
large, infrared-optimized telescope will search for the first galaxies that formed in the early universe. It will peer through dusty clouds to see
the birth of stars and planetary systems. (Credit: NASA)
A crew member from STS-132 photographed the International Space Station on May 23, 2010, after the Space Shuttle undocked and
began separation. (Credit: NASA)
An artist’s concept of the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity (left), compares it with the much-smaller Spirit, one of the twin Mars
Exploration Rovers. Mars Science Laboratory, in development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still
today, an environment able to support microbial life. (Credit: NASA/JPL–Caltech)
Solar Probe Plus, its primary solar panels retracted into the shadows of its protective solar shield, approaches the Sun in this artist’s con-
cept. Managed by the Goddard Space Flight Center, Solar Probe Plus will repeatedly sample the near-Sun environment, revolutionizing our
knowledge and understanding of coronal heating and the origin and evolution of the solar wind. (Credit: NASA/JHU–APL)
Kenneth Silberman, an engineer at the Goddard Space Flight Center (right), guides a student from the Maryland School for the Blind through
an exploration of one of several tactile, scale models. During the visit to NASA Headquarters, one of several events sponsored by the Equal
Opportunity and Diversity Management Division during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, students from the school met with
representatives from each Mission Directorate. (Credit: NASA/P.E. Alers)
The SUGAR Volt is a twin-engine ultra-fuel efficient aircraft concept with a hybrid propulsion system that combines gas turbine and battery
technology, a tube-shaped body and a truss-braced wing mounted to the top of the aircraft. This aircraft is designed to fly at Mach 0.79
carrying 154 passengers 3,500 nautical miles. This concept was one of four designs presented to us in April 2010 for our NASA Research
Announcement-funded studies into advanced subsonic aircraft that could enter service in the 2030 to 2035 time frame. (Credit: NASA/The
Boeing Company)
Life aboard the International Space Station always requires the crew members to put our core values—safety, integrity, teamwork, and
excellence—into action. The International Space Station brings together people from many backgrounds and nations in a relatively small
working and living environment to achieve a wide variety of science and engineering goals. In this photo Naoko Yamazaki, Japan Aero-
space Exploration astronaut (center), joins NASA astronauts T.J Creamer (back left), Alan Poindexter (STS-131 commander, back right), and
Stephanie Wilson (lower right) in the busy Destiny Laboratory. (Credit: NASA)
A last quarter crescent Moon above Earth’s horizon is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 24 crew member on the Inter-
national Space Station on September 5, 2010. (Credit: NASA)
Two seventh grade boys conduct an experiment in the Ames Research Laboratory’s Fluid Mechanics Laboratory on the effects of airflow
resistance (or drag) on automobiles. They have placed a toy truck in the tank on the right and added a dye to the water to show the flow
around the vehicle. The boys were preparing for the Santa Clara Valley [California] Science Engineering Fair–2010 Synopsys Championship.
(Credit: NASA/E. James)
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In 2010, the President and Congress unveiled an ambitious new direction
for NASA, laying the groundwork for a sustainable program of exploration and
innovation. This new direction extends the life of the International Space Sta-
tion, supports the growing commercial space industry, and addresses important
scientific challenges while continuing our commitment to robust human space
exploration, science, and aeronautics programs. The strong bipartisan support
for the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 confirms our essential role in addressing
the Nation’s priorities.
This is a year that will see additional discoveries from our premiere science
missions and advances in aviation technology. It is a year that will see the end
of the Space Shuttle Program, the completed construction of the International
Space Station, and progress in developing a new space transportation system.
It also is a year that we are certain will see continued success in commercial
space efforts to bridge the gap in U.S. human space flight to low Earth orbit.
This Strategic Plan outlines our long-term goals as an agency and describes how we will accomplish these goals
over the next decade or more. Our goals cover more than flagship missions and cutting-edge technology develop-
ment. We are committed to working smarter, doing business differently, and being transparent in our operations.
Continuous improvement in our program management, in particular, is essential to our future success, and we will
keep the public’s trust through transparency and accountability for our actions. We will continue to adhere to our core
values of safety, integrity, teamwork, and excellence while we foster the pioneering, innovative, and partnering spirit
that drives us and continues to advance our Nation.
We will continue to reach out to our international partners, educators, industry, the public, and other stakehold-
ers. NASA will be a leader in research and development and in innovative business and communications practices.
Overall, NASA is a multi-mission agency that addresses complex national challenges, enables new markets, performs
cutting-edge research, inspires and educates, and opens new frontiers.
The Nation has high expectations of NASA—as it should. That expectation is cast in the legacy of those who built,
tested, and flew the missions of yesterday and is a sign of confidence in each of us here now. I am proud of what we
have accomplished throughout our history as an agency, and I believe that the future holds many good things. With
our past accomplishments in mind, we shift our focus forward on the bold new direction set by the President. We
embrace the challenge, and we look forward to sharing this adventure with the American people.
Strategic Plan
Message From the Administrator
Photo above: Administrator Charles Bolden speaks during a ceremony for winners and participants of NASA’s 2009 Centennial Challenges,
held on February 26, 2010, at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The competition addresses a range of technical challenges that support
our missions in aeronautics and space, with a goal of encouraging novel solutions from non-traditional sources like individual inventors, student
groups, and small, private companies. (Credit: NASA/P.E. Alers)
Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
Administrator
February 14, 2011
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Table of Contents
NASA: Vision, Mission, and Values 1
Strategic Plan: Overarching Strategies 3
Strategic Goals: 2011 Through 2021 and Beyond 4
Strategic Goals and Outcomes 5
Strategy for Success: A Performance Focus 35
Appendix: NASA’s Performance Framework 36
Strategic Goals, Outcomes, and Objectives 36
The NASA Hubble Space Telescope image captures the
chaotic activity atop a three-light-year-tall pillar of gas and
dust that is being eaten away by the brilliant light from
nearby bright stars. The pillar also is being assaulted from
within, as infant stars buried inside it fire off jets of gas
that can be seen streaming from towering peaks. This
turbulent cosmic pinnacle lies within a tempestuous stel-
lar nursery called the Carina Nebula, located 7,500 light-
years away in the southern constellation Carina. Taken
in April 2010, the image celebrates the 20th anniversary
of Hubble’s launch and deployment into an orbit around
Earth. (Credit: NASA/European Space Agency/M. Livio/
Hubble 20th Anniversary Team, Space Telescope Science
Institute)
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Since its establishment, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has helped to spur profound
changes in our knowledge, culture, and expectations. Congress enacted the National Aeronautics and Space Act of
1958 “to provide for research into problems of flight within and outside Earth’s atmosphere” and to ensure that the
United States conducts activities in space devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of humanity. We have since
been instrumental in numerous scientific discoveries and technological advances that have advanced humankind,
while inspiring the Nation and the world to imagine that much more is possible.
Congress and the Administration continue their support of NASA through legislation and policies that recognize
the importance of U.S. leadership in the areas of our Mission.1 In 2006, the Administration published the National
Aeronautics Research and Development Policy, guiding the Nation’s goals in aeronautics technology research and
development. In 2010, the Administration updated the U.S. National Space Policy (National Space Policy), which rec-
ognizes the essential nature of space for our national and global wel -being, including our roles in space science,
exploration, and discovery. In the same year, Congress passed, and the President signed, the NASA Authorization
Act providing the Agency important guidance in program content and conduct. We embrace the spirit, principles,
and objectives of these key policies and legislation in our Vision, Mission, and core values.
The NASA Vision
To reach for new heights and reveal the unknown,
so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind.
The NASA Mission
Drive advances in science, technology, and exploration
to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality,
and stewardship of Earth.
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NASA uses the term “mission” in two ways. When used as “Mission,” it refers to NASA’s core functions and responsibilities. When used as
“mission,” it refers to a special task given to an entity within NASA, such as a program or project, or a single flight of an aircraft or voyage of a
spacecraft.
An Expedition 24 crew member photo-
graphed a last quarter Moon setting behind
the thin line of Earth’s atmosphere as the
International Space Station passed over
central Asia on September 4, 2010. (Credit:
NASA)
NASA
Vision, Mission, and Values
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Core Values
Governance at NASA begins with shared core values guiding individual and organizational behavior as we exe-
cute our tasks. These core values are essential to our success.
• Safety: NASA’s constant attention to safety is the cornerstone upon which we build mission success. We are
committed, individual y and as a team, to protecting the safety and health of the public, our team members, and
those assets that the Nation entrusts to the Agency.
• Integrity: NASA is committed to maintaining an environment of trust, built upon honesty, ethical behavior,
respect, and candor. Our leaders enable this environment by encouraging and rewarding a vigorous, open flow
of communication on all issues, in all directions, and among all employees without fear of reprisal. Building trust
through ethical conduct as individuals and as an organization is a necessary component of mission success.
• Teamwork: NASA’s most powerful tool for achieving mission success is a multidisciplinary team of diverse,
competent people across all NASA Centers. Our approach to teamwork is based on a philosophy that each
team member brings unique experience and important expertise to project issues. Recognition of, and open-
ness to, that insight improves the likelihood of identifying and resolving chal enges to safety and mission suc-
cess. We are committed to creating an environment that fosters teamwork and processes that support equal
opportunity, collaboration, continuous learning, and openness to innovation and new ideas.
• Excellence: To achieve the highest standards in engineering, research, operations, and management in sup-
port of mission success, NASA is committed to nurturing an organizational culture in which individuals make full
use of their time, talent, and opportunities in pursuit of excel ence in both the ordinary and the extraordinary.
Mission success requires uncompromising commitment to
Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, and Excellence.
Bobby Braun, NASA’s Chief Technologist, talks with
participants at a NASA town hall meeting, one of many
forums he has used to renew interest in technology
development. Later in the year, Braun participated
in the TEDxNASA event. TEDx events bring together
people from technology, engineering, and design (or
TED) to exchange new ideas and discuss old ideas
from a new perspective. In his talks, Braun empha-
sizes that the Nation needs to pursue big dreams,
invest in technology, and seek innovative solutions to
difficult chal enges. At TEDx Braun stated, “Through
a renewed focus on innovation and technology, I
believe NASA can be an important catalyst for eco-
nomic expansion in this Nation, increasing the societal
impact of our space program.” (Credit: NASA)
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The Johnson Space Center’s Life Support Systems
and Environmental Control organization helps devel-
op spacesuits for future human space flight. In one
of the Center’s laboratories, engineers test a suit’s
mobility during a basic task. (Credit: NASA)
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NASA uses the term “government” in two ways. When used as “Government,” it refers to the Federal Government only. When used as “gov-
ernment,” it includes Federal, state, and local governments.
The fol owing overarching strategies govern the management and conduct of our aeronautics and space pro-
grams. These are standard practices that each organization within NASA employs in developing and executing
their plans to achieve our strategic goals. They also provide a framework that guides our support for other areas of
national and Administration policy: government transparency;2 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) education; energy and climate change; innovation; and increased citizen and partnership participation to
help address the multitude of chal enges faced by our Nation. The fol owing overarching strategies help strengthen
the Agency and support U.S. competitiveness on a global scale:
• Investing in next-generation technologies and approaches to spur innovation;
• Inspiring students
to be our future scientists, engineers, explorers, and educators through interactions with
NASA’s people, missions, research, and facilities;
• Expanding partnerships
with international, intergovernmental, academic, industrial, and entrepreneurial com-
munities and recognizing their role as important contributors of skill and creativity to our missions and for the
propagation of our results;
• Committing to environmental stewardship
through Earth observation and science, and the development and
use of green technologies and capabilities in NASA missions and facilities; and
• Securing the public trust
through transparency and accountability in our programmatic and financial manage-
ment, procurement, and reporting practices.
Strategic Plan
Overarching Strategies
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NASA has taken humans to the Moon, visited other planets in the solar system, gazed into the vast cosmos, and
looked back to the earliest moments of the universe’s beginnings. We have powered scramjet aircraft to 10 times
the speed of sound, built the International Space Station (ISS), and launched satel ites that study our ever changing
Earth. These achievements were made possible by thorough planning set against ambitious but achievable goals.
We look forward to continuing this tradition of achievement through our updated strategic goals for exploration, sci-
ence, and technology development.
New in this 2011 Strategic Plan is a strategic goal that emphasizes the importance of supporting the underlying
capabilities that enable NASA’s missions. This addition ensures that our resource decisions directly address the bal-
ance of funding priorities between our missions and the requirements of institutional and program capabilities that
enable our missions.
We actively focus our planning decisions by using a tiered set of statements that describe a desired state during
a relative time frame. The fol owing six strategic goals are long-term, spanning the next decade and beyond. For
each strategic goal, we present an introduction that discusses why we are investing in this goal, fol owed by outcome
statements that set targets for that goal over the next 10 years and beyond. We describe how each outcome con-
tributes to the goal and include a highlight titled “Strategy@Work,” which represents a current activity that embodies
how we will achieve the outcome. Final y, we summarize potential chal enges we are likely to encounter while pursu-
ing each strategic goal and our current strategies for mitigating these chal enges.
Our strategic goals and outcomes are the basis of our per-
formance framework. They are in turn supported by objectives,
performance goals, and annual performance goals. The objectives,
included as an Appendix to this Strategic Plan, identify actions within
a 10-year time frame that support progress toward their respec-
tive outcome. Additional performance goals, written to support the
objectives, are published in NASA’s budget request as our annual
performance plan. They describe Agency activities that span the next
five years and include a set of specific, measurable, annual perfor-
mance goals that must align with our budget.
We depend on our valuable workforce to achieve the goals
included in this Strategic Plan. Using our core values and overarching
strategies as our guide, we empower and rely on our employees to
innovate and excel in their efforts to achieve our goals and to deliver
greater scientific and engineering return for the American people they
are entrusted to serve.
At the Kennedy Space Center, electricians rewire the Launch
Control Center’s Young–Crippen Firing Room in preparation for
launches of future human space flight vehicles. (Credit: NASA/K.
Shiflett)
Strategic Goals
2011 Through 2021 and Beyond
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Strategic Goals and Outcomes
Strategic Goal 1: Extend and sustain human activities across the solar system.
1.1 Sustain the operation and full use of the International Space Station (ISS) and expand efforts to utilize the ISS
as a National Laboratory for scientific, technological, diplomatic, and educational purposes and for support-
ing future objectives in human space exploration.
1.2 Develop competitive opportunities for the commercial community to provide best value products and ser-
vices to low Earth orbit and beyond.
1.3 Develop an integrated architecture and capabilities for safe crewed and cargo missions beyond low Earth
orbit.
Strategic Goal 2: Expand scientific understanding of the
Earth and the universe in which we live.
2.1 Advance Earth system science to meet the chal enges of
climate and environmental change.
2.2 Understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the
solar system.
2.3 Ascertain the content, origin, and evolution of the solar
system and the potential for life elsewhere.
2.4 Discover how the universe works, explore how it began and
evolved, and search for Earth-like planets.
Strategic Goal 3: Create the innovative new space
technologies for our exploration, science, and economic
future.
3.1 Sponsor early-stage innovation in space technologies in order to improve the future capabilities of NASA,
other government agencies, and the aerospace industry.
3.2 Infuse game-changing and crosscutting technologies throughout the Nation’s space enterprise to transform
the Nation’s space mission capabilities.
3.3 Develop and demonstrate the critical technologies that will make NASA’s exploration, science, and discovery
missions more affordable and more capable.
3.4 Facilitate the transfer of NASA technology and engage in partnerships with other government agencies,
industry, and international entities to generate U.S. commercial activity and other public benefits.
In January 2011, our Kepler mission, led by the Ames
Research Center, confirmed the discovery of its first
rocky planet, named Kepler-10b (shown in this artist’s
concept). Measuring 1.4 times the size of Earth, it is
the smallest planet ever discovered outside our solar
system. (Credit: NASA/Kepler Project/D. Berry)
A research team from Purdue University go weightless aboard a
Boeing 727 airplane during work conducted under our Facilitated
Access to the Space Environment for Technology (FAST) Pro-
gram. Sixteen research teams from small businesses, universi-
ties, and our Centers were selected competitively based on the
value of their technology to NASA and the potential to increase
the maturity of the technology through testing in reduced grav-
ity conditions. During the 2010 FAST Flight Week, Purdue tested
the a biochip as part of an advanced technology for fundamental
space biology research. (Credit: NASA)
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Children learn while they play in an exhibit about
the Sun at a Bring Our Children to Work Day
at NASA. The Centers and Headquarters hold
presentations and provide activities focusing on
our Mission and the hosting location’s primary
capabilities. (Credit: NASA)
Strategic Goal 4: Advance aeronautics research for societal benefit.
4.1 Develop innovative solutions and advanced technologies through a balanced research portfolio to improve
current and future air transportation.
4.2 Conduct systems-level research on innovative and promising aeronautics concepts and technologies to
demonstrate integrated capabilities and benefits in a relevant flight and/or ground environment.
Strategic Goal 5: Enable program and institutional capabilities to conduct NASA’s aeronautics and
space activities.
5.1 Identify, cultivate, and sustain a diverse workforce and inclusive work environment that is needed to conduct
NASA missions.
5.2 Ensure vital assets are ready, available, and appropriately sized to conduct NASA’s missions.
5.3 Ensure the availability to the Nation of NASA-owned, strategical y important test capabilities.
5.4 Implement and provide space communications and launch capabilities responsive to existing and future sci-
ence and space exploration missions.
5.5 Establish partnerships, including innovative arrangements, with commercial, international, and other govern-
ment entities to maximize mission success.
Strategic Goal 6: Share NASA with the public, educators, and students to provide opportunities to
participate in our Mission, foster innovation, and contribute to a strong national economy.
6.1 Improve retention of students in STEM disciplines by providing opportunities and activities along the full
length of the education pipeline.
6.2 Promote STEM literacy through strategic partnerships with formal and informal organizations.
6.3 Engage the public in NASA’s missions by providing new pathways for participation.
6.4 Inform, engage, and inspire the public by sharing NASA’s missions, chal enges, and results.
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NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson,
Expedition 24 flight engineer, looks through
a window in the ISS Cupola at the blue and
white of Earth. The Cupola is the largest
window ever flown in space. Resembling a
circular bay window, it al ows the crew to
monitor spacewalks and docking opera-
tions, as well as provides a spectacular view
of Earth and other celestial objects. (Credit:
NASA)
Humanity’s interest in the heavens has been universal and enduring. Humans are driven to explore the unknown,
discover new worlds, push the boundaries of our scientific and technical limits, and then push further. NASA is
tasked with developing the capabilities that will support our country’s long-term human space flight and explora-
tion efforts. We have learned much in the last 50 years, having embarked on a steady progression of activities and
milestones with both domestic and international partners to prepare us for more difficult chal enges to come. Our
operations have increased in complexity, and crewed space journeys have increased in duration. The focus of these
efforts is toward expanding permanent human presence beyond low Earth orbit.
We will pursue this goal through strategic investments and partnerships to drive advances in science and tech-
nology and deliver benefits to all humankind. To be successful, we will need equal and full participation from interna-
tional partners and the commercial sector. We seek their partnership and mission-enabling contributions, as well as
support capabilities and technologies. Additional y, we must develop a new space launch system and multi-purpose
crew vehicle to support exploration activities.
We will continue to invest in research and development activities here on Earth, and we will make extensive use
of our laboratory aboard ISS. With our international partners, we have sustained human presence in low Earth orbit
for over a decade, transcending individual nationalism to live, work, and make discoveries in space that benefit us
al . Mission by mission, these men and women are developing capabilities that will al ow us to expand human space
exploration across the solar system. In paral el, we will use the scientific data gathered by our robotic satel ites and
scouts to assess conditions in remote atmospheres and seek resources, like water- or oxygen-rich soil, that may be
used by human explorers as we continue our human forays into the solar system.
To realize a robust space exploration program, we must use the intel ectual and innovative wealth of the entire
Nation, not just the scientists, engineers, technologists, and managers of NASA. We will enlist the research capacity
of our col eges, universities, and aerospace partners to engage future generations of students. We also will encour-
age public contributions of innovation, and we will work with partners in the aerospace and other sectors to acceler-
ate, develop, and implement capabilities and services that support all aspects of our missions.
Strategic Goal 1
Extend and sustain human activities across the solar system.
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The ISS is a major stepping stone in achieving our exploration goals across the solar system. It provides a space-
based research and development (R&D) laboratory to safely perform multidisciplinary, cutting-edge research. The
international nature of ISS serves as a model for cooperation on future human space exploration missions beyond
low Earth orbit. In col aboration with our international partners, we will extend the life-span of ISS to 2020 or beyond
to maximize the potential of the Nation’s newest National Laboratory. This continuously crewed laboratory enables
the ongoing evolution of research and technology objectives and ensures that the benefits of this multinational
investment in ISS can be realized.
This orbiting research laboratory al ows us to develop, test, and validate the next generation of space technolo-
gies and operational processes needed to explore beyond low Earth orbit. It provides opportunities to address prac-
tical medical questions about astronaut health, including mitigating the effects of long journeys on space travelers,
and supports a broad array of biological and physical sciences research to advance our knowledge and space flight
capabilities. ISS also will host Earth and space observation instruments to expand our understanding of our home
planet and the solar system and will support advanced engineering research and technology development for space
exploration.
Under the auspices of an ISS National Laboratory non-profit management organization, we will continue to make
the ISS available as a national resource, to promote opportunities for advancing basic and applied research in sci-
ence and technology to other U.S. Government agencies, university-based scientists and engineers, and private
firms. The National Laboratory management entity will
be responsible for stimulating, developing, and manag-
ing a diversified R&D portfolio using the ISS to address
U.S. needs.
ISS is transitioning from a focus on assembly to long-
term operations and full utilization. A ful y operational
station al ows us to pursue our mission-driven R&D
goals, such as human biomedical research and space-
craft technology development, and support continued
science and technology leadership. We look further for-
ward, seeking to inspire the next generation of scien-
tists and explorers by igniting a passion for STEM study
and careers. ISS also provides a stable destination to
facilitate the growth and evolution of new commercial
opportunities, including crew and cargo transportation
to low Earth orbit and beyond.
1.1 Sustain the operation and full use of the International Space Station (ISS) and expand
efforts to utilize the ISS as a National Laboratory for scientific, technological, diplomatic,
and educational purposes and for supporting future objectives in human space exploration.
Earth’s horizon serves as a beautiful
backdrop for ISS in this photo taken
by an STS-131 crew member after
Space Shuttle Discovery began
to undock and separate from ISS.
During its first decade in operations,
over 200 explorers from 15 nations
have visited the orbiting complex,
and more than 600 experiments
have been conducted aboard this
amazing laboratory. (Credit: NASA)
Strategy
@Work
ISS is an unprecedented achievement in human
endeavors to conceive, build, operate, and utilize a
research platform in space. With our partners, we
will use this permanently crewed laboratory in low
Earth orbit to conduct multidisciplinary research and
technology development and as a basis for human
space exploration. Scientists from all over the world
are already using ISS, putting their talents to work in
many areas of science and technology and sharing
their knowledge to improve life on Earth. We expect
amazing discoveries from the activities aboard ISS.
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1.2 Develop competitive opportunities for the commercial community to provide best value
products and services to low Earth orbit and beyond.
Strategy
@Work
NASA’s commercial crew initiative
is designed to meet the objectives for
our ISS crew transportation needs and
enable the growth of a commercial
human space flight industry for use by
NASA and other customers. The com-
mercial crew initiative represents a new
way of doing business in human space
flight and is based upon knowledge
gained from prior NASA vehicle devel-
opment programs.
SpaceX and Orbital Space
Corporation are providing
space transportation servic-
es to NASA. In the photo on
the right, SpaceX launches
their Falcon 9 rocket on its
first flight to orbit from Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station,
next to the John F. Kenne-
dy Space Center in Florida.
In the photo below, Orbit-
al’s Taurus II stage one core
structure arrives safely at
the Wal ops Flight Facility on
December 3, 2010. The core
is the first stage of the Tau-
rus II vehicle. Orbital chose
the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Spaceport at Wal ops (which
is managed by the Goddard
Space Flight Center) as the
launch site for the Taurus II.
To transform human space flight and develop other potential space markets, we must partner with U.S. industry
to implement safe, reliable, and cost-effective access to and from low Earth orbit and ISS. Our programs are stim-
ulating efforts within the private sector to enable a U.S. commercial space transportation capability. By providing
expert advice, access to NASA facilities, and development funding, we foster entrepreneurial activity for developing
and demonstrating commercial space transportation capabilities, which stimulates employment growth in engineer-
ing, analysis, design, and research. We will build on these valuable partnerships to support and promote commer-
cial development as promising new markets arise.
A robust U.S. commercial space industry will reduce our reliance on non-U.S. human space flight systems and
potential y lower the cost of access to space. Purchasing safe, reliable, and cost-effective crew and cargo trans-
portation services will ensure that we satisfy our ISS obligations. This al ows us to focus our resources on develop-
ing systems that can safely reach beyond low Earth orbit. In the future, we will seek to expand our partnerships for
capabilities and services beyond low Earth orbit.
Credit: SpaceX
Credit: NASA
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The first step in embarking on a long and chal enging jour-
ney involves laying solid groundwork for a successful endeavor.
Experienced personnel from across the Agency are building a set
of “architectures,” or mission frameworks, for multiple destina-
tions in the solar system. These architectures include al aspects
of mission performance—technologies, partnerships, safety, risk,
schedule, and stakeholder priorities—that define the knowledge,
capabilities, and infrastructure necessary to successful y support
human space exploration. NASA, the President, and Congress
will use these architectures to develop the roadmap for affordable
and sustainable human space exploration. The core elements to a
successful implementation are a space launch system and a multi-
purpose crew vehicle to serve as our national capability to conduct
advanced missions beyond low Earth orbit. Developing this com-
bined system will enable us to reach cislunar space, near-Earth
asteroids, Mars, and other celestial bodies.
Radiation exposure, behavioral health, and fitness challenges
are important research program components for lowering risks
of future extended-duration human space missions. As we con-
tinue to conduct research on human health and performance risks,
we will be implementing an approach that has been endorsed by
the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine. This vital research,
using data from our astronauts, will support and expand the knowl-
edge base required for traveling at the frontiers of human space
flight, al ow us to develop effective countermeasures against the
adverse effects of the space environment on the human body, and
will spur technology development and innovation to protect crews.
1.3 Develop an integrated architecture and capabilities for safe crewed and cargo missions
beyond low Earth orbit.
Strategy
@Work
A critical part of developing a plan for
future human space exploration is finding
reliable ways to mitigate the potential health
risks. In September 2010, the ISS Expe-
dition 24 crew installed the Muscle Atro-
phy Resistive Exercise System (MARES),
a new facility available to support National
Laboratory operations. Developed by the
European Space Agency, MARES enables
scientists to study the detailed effects of
microgravity on the human muscle-skel-
etal system. It also provides a means to
evaluate countermeasures for mitigating
the negative effects of space flight, espe-
cially muscle atrophy.
Astronaut Shannon Walker, Expedition 24 flight engineer, works with MARES
hardware during its installation in the Columbus Laboratory aboard ISS.
(Credit: NASA)
Challenges
Advanced Technology Development.
Innovative and affordable technologies are fundamental building blocks
required to safely send humans beyond low Earth orbit and must be pursued over many years. These prioritized
investments act as an economic stimulus across a broad spectrum of industries. Critical early components of this
chal enge include focused utilization, leveraged applications, and technology demonstrations aboard ISS.
Availability of Commercial Cargo and Crew Services.
A key factor in sustaining and operating ISS is the ability
to provide crew transportation and ensure cargo resupply fol owing Shuttle retirement. We will continue to use the
vehicles of our international partners for crew transportation, rescue, and cargo resupply until commercial y provided
capabilities are available.
Affordability and Sustainability.
Exploration beyond low Earth orbit will span decades. While ideal y, NASA’s
funding levels would be sufficient and sustainable to secure long-term stability of programs that will extend human
presence into the solar system, that outcome is not guaranteed. We need to design an architecture that is affordable
and sustainable over a long budget horizon. We will develop a program that can accommodate external changes
by: employing innovative acquisition approaches; utilizing industry best practices; focusing on affordability, as well
as performance factors; and continuing to work with interagency and international partners to ensure the safe execu-
tion of exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit.
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2011 NASA Strategic Plan
NASA is expanding the scientific understanding of Earth and the universe by pursuing the answers to profound
science questions that touch us al : How and why are Earth’s climate and environment changing? How do planets
and life originate? Are we alone? Using the priorities set by the Nation’s best scientific minds through the National
Academies’ decadal surveys in Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, and astronomy and astrophysics, we
will develop, operate, and mine data from science missions that will have a global impact on humanity’s understand-
ing of our place in the universe and the sustainability of our home planet.
We are committed to appropriately balancing these four science areas to enable substantial progress on the pri-
orities and objectives identified in their decadal surveys and on national mandates over a 10-year time frame. We
manage a balanced portfolio of space missions and mission-enabling programs, including suborbital missions, tech-
nology development, research and analysis, and data archival and distribution to sustain progress toward these sci-
ence goals. We will make investment choices based on scientific merit through open competition and peer review
for both space mission development and research tasks.
We are operating more than 50 science missions and have more than 25 others in development. A key measure
of our success is our progress toward achieving the science recommendations identified in each of the National
Academies’ decadal surveys. In 2005, an interim report by the decadal survey Committee on Earth Science and
Applications from Space stated that the Nation’s system of environmental satel ites was “at risk of col apse,” and
their final report in 2007 noted that the situation had worsened. We are rectifying this and meeting national needs
by accelerating pioneering research missions, initiating new climate continuity missions, and revitalizing interagency
efforts. Through our interagency col aborations, we will lead the development and launch of the next generation of
civil operational environmental satel ites, including weather and climate satel ites for the National Oceanic and Atmo-
spheric Administration and successor Landsat satel ites for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Ultimately, the pace of scientific progress is enhanced by rapid, open access to data from our science missions.
We will establish and maintain effective international and interagency partnerships to leverage our resources and
extend the reach of our science results. We also will share the adventure of our science missions, and the story of
the science and research involved, with the public to engage them in scientific exploration and to improve STEM
education nationwide.
Strategic Goal 2
This artist concept shows one of the Radiation Belt
Storm Probes (RBSP) with its solar panels and booms
deployed. We are developing RBSP to help us under-
stand the Sun’s influence on Earth and near-Earth space
by studying our planet’s radiation belts on various scales
of space and time. It will explore fundamental processes
that operate throughout the solar system, in particular
those that generate hazardous space weather effects
near Earth and phenomena that could affect solar sys-
tem exploration. (Credit: NASA/JHU APL)
Expand scientific understanding of the Earth
and the universe in which we live.
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2.1 Advance Earth system science to meet the challenges of climate and environmental
change.
Strategy
@Work
Since the mid-1960s, the God-
dard Space Flight Center and USGS
have worked in concert to develop and
maintain the Landsat series of satellites.
Since the launch of Landsat 1 in 1972,
the Landsat satellites have provided
a continuous record of natural and
human-induced landscape changes.
The next Landsat satellite, the Land-
sat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM),
scheduled to launch in 2013, will pro-
vide valuable data and imagery with
broad applications in agriculture, edu-
cation, business, science, and gov-
ernment. NASA and USGS are jointly
planning the future of land imaging
beyond LDCM.
The effect of drought and the
increasing demand of a growing
population are evident in these
images taken by Landsat 5 of
Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in
the United States. The top image
shows the Colorado River and the
Gregg Basin (center) swollen with
water. In the bottom image, the
Colorado River is visible only as a
brown line snaking up and off to
the right. During 2010, Lake Mead
reached its lowest level since 1956,
holding just 37 percent of its poten-
tial capacity. Located east of Las
Vegas and west of the Grand Can-
yon, Lake Mead provides power
and water for Nevada, Arizona,
southern California, and northern
Mexico. (Credit: USGS)
2.2 Understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system.
Earth and the other planets of our solar system reside in the extended atmosphere of the Sun. This extended
atmosphere, called the heliosphere, comprises a plasma “soup” of electrified and magnetized matter entwined with
penetrating radiation and energetic particles. We experience space weather—disturbances in the plasma—from
solar magnetic activity such as flares. Space weather effects range from awe-inspiring aurorae to widespread power
and communication blackouts. Our heliophysics missions study the Sun, heliosphere, and planetary environments
as elements of a single interconnected system. By analyzing the connections among the Sun, solar wind, and plan-
etary space environments, we uncover fundamental physical processes that occur throughout the universe. Under-
standing the connections between the Sun and its planets al ows us to predict the impacts of solar variability on
human technological systems and to safeguard human and robotic space explorers outside the protective cocoon
of Earth’s atmosphere.
The Nation has never been so well prepared to monitor the onset of an upcoming solar cycle. NASA maintains
a fleet of heliophysics spacecraft to monitor the Sun, geospace, and the space environment between the Sun and
Earth, and we col aborate with other U.S. agencies and other nations’ space agencies to enhance this capability. To
August 1985
August 2010
NASA’s pioneering work in Earth system science—the interdisciplinary view of Earth that explores the interaction
among the atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, land surface interior, and life itself—has enabled scientists to measure
global and climate changes and to inform decisions by governments, organizations, and people in the United States
and around the world. We make the data col ected and results generated by our missions accessible to other agen-
cies and organizations to improve the products and services they provide, including air quality indices, disaster man-
agement, agricultural yield projections, and aviation safety.
In addition to the missions in formulation at the time of the 2007 Earth science decadal survey release, we are
now developing the first tier of missions the survey recommended, and we are conducting engineering studies and
technology development for the second tier. Furthermore, we are planning implementation of a set of climate con-
tinuity missions to assure availability of key data sets needed for climate science and policy needs. These include
a replacement for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, planned for launch in 2013. We continue to play a major role in
the U.S. Global Change Research Program, the U.S. Global Earth Observation working group, and their international
affiliates to assure the mutual leveraging of interagency and international capabilities to meet our common goals.
13
2011 NASA Strategic Plan
advance space weather prediction capabilities, we make our vast research data sets and models available online to
the public, industry, academia, and other civil and military interests. We also provide publicly available sites for citi-
zen science and space situational awareness through various cel phone and e-tablet applications. Scientific priori-
ties for future heliophysics missions are guided by decadal surveys produced by the National Academies. The next
decadal survey for heliophysics will be completed in 2012.
Strategy
@Work
The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) provides
nearly continuous observations of solar activity as part
of a program to understand the causes of solar variabil-
ity and its impacts on Earth. SDO employs three instru-
ments to measure the Sun’s magnetic field, the hot
plasma of the solar corona, and the irradiance that cre-
ates the ionospheres of the planets. The observations
enable researchers to predict the Sun’s activity.
This SDO image of the Sun shows ultraviolet wavelengths,
traces of hot plasma, and large eruptions on the Sun’s coro-
na. It is a composite of images taken on March 30, 2010,
by SDO during a period cal ed First Light, shortly after the
instruments first opened their doors and began imaging the
Sun. (Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO/
Aerospace Industries Association)
2.3 Ascertain the content, origin, and evolution of the solar system and the potential for life
elsewhere.
NASA’s planetary science missions have revolutionized our understanding of the origin and history of the solar
system. Our findings helped identify Pluto as one among many Kuiper Belt objects and led to new theories of the
origins of the asteroid belt. Other missions indicated that Mars was once a watery world and have observed watery
plumes and methane lakes on the moons of the giant planets. The launches of the New Horizons mission to Pluto
and the Kuiper Belt, the Dawn mission to the asteroids Ceres and Vesta, and MESSENGER to explore Mercury’s
previously unseen hemisphere continue our initial reconnaissance of the major accessible bodies in the solar system.
Closer to home, we are using ground-based assets in coordination with the National Science Foundation and
the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to survey the volume of near-Earth space to detect, track, catalog, and characterize near-
Earth objects that may either pose hazards to Earth or provide resources for future exploration. Mars, our closest
planetary neighbor, is a near-term target for in-depth scientific exploration. The initial data we are gathering from our
Mars rovers and orbiters is helping to inform planning and development of increasingly sophisticated Mars missions
to assess present and past habitability of the red planet. We are planning and implementing an integrated Mars
Exploration Program with the European Space Agency (ESA). Beyond Mars, New Horizons is on its way to the outer
solar system, with Juno fol owing in 2011, and we are jointly planning a flagship mission with ESA to the outer plan-
ets, targeting Jupiter’s system of moons.
Building on decades of success, we intend to continue the use of robotic spacecraft to provide critical informa-
tion to support safe, effective human space exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Our ongoing missions to the Moon
and the inner solar system will generate knowledge to facilitate advanced robotic exploration and eventual y prepare
us for a sustained human presence outside of low Earth orbit. In paral el, we will continue to strengthen our coordi-
nated implementation of international and interagency collaboration on robotic missions to meet the Agency’s broad-
est objectives in science and exploration.
Scientific priorities for future planetary science missions are guided by decadal surveys produced by the National
Academies. The next decadal survey for planetary science will be completed in 2011.
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Strategy
@Work
The Juno mission, scheduled to launch
in 2011, will probe Jupiter’s gravity, compo-
sition, and magnetic fields to search for the
origin of planets. Arriving at Jupiter in 2016,
Juno will determine how much water is in
the planet’s atmosphere. It will look deeply
into the atmosphere to measure composi-
tion, temperature, cloud motions, and other
properties. Juno’s instruments also will map
Jupiter’s magnetic and gravity fields and mag-
netosphere. This evidence will help us under-
stand planetary formation and how magnetic
force fields affect the atmospheres.
Juno approaches Jupiter in this artist’s concept. The Jet Propulsion
Laboratory manages the project. (Credit: NASA)
2.4 Discover how the universe works, explore how it began and evolved, and search for
Earth-like planets.
The 20th century marked a time of epic discoveries about the universe—the Big Bang theory, black holes, dark
matter and dark energy, and the interrelated nature of space and time. NASA proudly leads the Nation and the world
on the continual journey of scientific discovery to answer some of humanity’s most profound questions about the
solar system and universe: What are the origin and destiny of the universe? Does life exist elsewhere?
Having measured the age of the universe, we now seek to understand its birth, the edges of space and time near
black holes, and the dark energy that fil s the entire universe. We will explore the relationship between the smal est of
subatomic particles and the vast expanse of the cosmos. Our missions will reveal the diversity of planets and plan-
etary system architectures in our galaxy, pinpoint Earth-like, potential y life-supporting planets in other solar systems,
and study stel ar and planetary environments and what powers the most energetic galaxies. In conjunction with
ground and airborne telescopes, our strategy is to design and launch space telescopes that exploit the full range
of the electromagnetic spectrum to view the broad diversity of objects in the universe. Beyond the spectra of light
waves, we also will seek to detect and measure gravity waves to understand the growth of galaxies and black holes.
The National Academies released its new astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey, New Worlds, New Hori-
zons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, in summer 2010. In the decade ahead, we will work to implement the survey’s
recommendations and advance its science objectives.
Strategy
@Work
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was
the 2000 astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey
top priority and the foundation upon which the 2010
decadal survey built its recommendations for future
space astrophysics advances. Managed by the
Goddard Space Flight Center, JWST will feature a
6.5-meter-diameter primary mirror and unprecedented
sensitivity in the near- and mid-infrared wavelengths
for both imaging and spectroscopy. As the next major
general-user space facility, JWST will serve the world-
wide science community and investigate areas such
as the first stars and galaxies to form after the Big
Bang, the formation of stars and planets in our galaxy,
and the atmospheres of exoplanets.
This artist’s concept of JWST shows its primary mirror, com-
posed of 18 hexagonal beryl ium mirror segments. Beneath the
mirror is a five-layer sunshield, about the size of a tennis court,
which protects the four extremely sensitive instruments that
reside inside the telescope from the Sun’s heat. (Credit: NASA)
15
2011 NASA Strategic Plan
Challenges
Access to Space.
Science missions rely on expendable launch vehicles (ELVs) primarily acquired from commer-
cial vendors. The pending retirement of the Delta II after 2011 leaves our science missions without a certified alter-
native vehicle in the medium ELV class. We are working with competitively selected vendors on new ELV offerings,
but these are yet to be certified for our use. In the larger ELV class—those necessary for launch of nearly all our
planetary science missions and many others—both increasing cost and limited availability are chal enges. We are
working with the USAF to assure availability at a manageable cost for this larger class.
Program Management.
Over the last three years, we have fundamental y transformed how we manage our pro-
grams and projects, acquisition strategies, and procurements, particularly for our most complex science missions.
We have strengthened program and project management, elevated acquisition decisions to our highest levels, insti-
tuted targeted enhancements to project management training, established more rigorous cost estimation practices,
revamped the entire enterprise architecture for our acquisition systems, and revised procurement practices and
systems. Nevertheless, significant management chal enges remain as discussed, for example, in the report of the
James Webb Space Telescope Independent Comprehensive Review Panel (released in November 2010). Many of
the recommendations of that panel are being instituted Agency-wide. We also are working with the Government
Accountability Office and others to further improve our program management capabilities.
Availability of Plutonium 238.
Plutonium 238 activates and sustains the electrical power systems for space-
craft and planetary probes that cannot rely on solar energy, such as missions to the outer planets and large rovers
on planetary surfaces. The total amount of Plutonium 238 available to NASA will be exhausted between 2017 and
2020. We are working with the Department of Energy in their effort to re-establish a domestic production capability.
Three planetary missions already launched
by NASA are shown in these artist concepts.
The MESSENGER spacecraft (upper left) will
enter orbit around Mercury in March 2011.
The Dawn spacecraft (upper right) will arrive
at asteroid Vesta in July 2011 and then reach
asteroid Ceres in February 2015. Final y,
New Horizons (lower right) will arrive at Pluto
in July 2015 and then will journey on to visit
other Kuiper Belt objects beginning in 2016.
Credit: McREL
Credit: NASA/JHU–APL/CIW
Credit: JHU–APL/SwR
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Strategic Goal 3
Create the innovative new space technologies
for our exploration, science, and economic future.
Our Nation’s economic competitiveness is due in large part to decades of investment in technology and inno-
vation. Since NASA’s inception, we have used innovative technology development programs to generate new sci-
ence, exploration, and aeronautics capabilities. Our innovations have enabled our missions, contributed to other
government agencies’ needs, cultivated commercial aerospace enterprises, and fostered a technology-based U.S.
economy.
NASA will continue technology development programs that advance our missions’ capabilities and effectiveness,
and we will enable future scientific discovery and improved capabilities of other government agencies and the aero-
space industry. Aggressive technology investments for our exploration and discovery missions will create a vibrant
commercial space sector through the establishment of new markets in future technologies. We will transfer Agency-
developed technologies, processes, discoveries, and knowledge to the commercial sector through various means
including licenses, partnerships, and cooperative activities. These transferred technologies will be used to create
products, services, cascading innovations, and other discoveries to fuel the Nation’s economic engine and improve
our quality of life.
Achieving our ambitious science and exploration objectives requires development of capabilities that do not yet
exist or are currently too immature and too high-risk to use for current missions. The inclusion of an untried technol-
ogy poses risks to planned budgets and schedules due to the unknown and unpredictable issues that may arise. To
responsibly accelerate technologies for enabling future missions, we will create and sustain a portfolio that spans the
technology readiness level (TRL) spectrum and balances mission-focused (pul ) and transformational (push) technol-
ogy investments. We will prioritize this portfolio using the Space Technology Grand Chal enges, a set of important
space-related problems that must be solved to efficiently and economical y achieve our missions, and our Space
Technology Roadmap, an integrated set of 14 technology area roadmaps. The National Academies is conducting a
decadal-like survey based on our draft roadmap to identify and prioritize critical space technology investment areas.
This goal addresses three categories of technology investments that will expand the NASA portfolio across the
TRL spectrum. The first set of technology investments focuses on fostering early-stage innovation in which a multi-
tude of concept technologies are developed through a process of innovation, experimentation, idea generation, and
investigation. We learn valuable lessons from these early-stage activities even when some of the technologies do
not work as intended. Our technology efforts through student grants, fel owships, and other opportunities to inspire
innovators will help grow a future workforce and stimulate greater creativity in our Nation.
The second category focuses on taking the best low-TRL technologies (those studied under the first category)
and determining which of these “disruptive” innovations and technologies are viable through further technology
development, prototyping, experimentation, testing, and demonstrations. The goal of these technology activities is
to validate whether or not substantial improvements in affordability, capability, or reliability are truly achievable for
missions.
The third type of technology investment supports technology development targeting near-term unique NASA mis-
sion needs. Through focused studies, dialogue, and development activities across NASA, as well as with academia,
and industry, these technology activities will provide improved future technologies that are closely aligned with their
associated missions.
Building a comprehensive portfolio with both near-term and long-term development streams will al ow us to dis-
cover and advance high-payoff technologies that may fundamental y change the way we live and explore.
17
2011 NASA Strategic Plan
3.1 Sponsor early-stage innovation in space technologies in order to improve the future
capabilities of NASA, other government agencies, and the aerospace industry.
3.2 Infuse game-changing and crosscutting technologies throughout the Nation’s space
enterprise, to transform the Nation’s space mission capabilities.
NASA requires a faster, more aggressive strategy for acquiring and applying new technologies if we are to create
a sustainable set of affordable programs that achieve our longer-term goals. Without a robust effort that matures
technologies and establishes their feasibility, the ideas and transformational concepts developed at a low TRL may
not materialize into benefits for future NASA missions or our Nation’s economy. We will bridge the gap between idea
formulation and mission infusion to deliver improvements to our future missions. We will focus on maturing mid-TRL
technologies and proving the feasibility of advanced space concepts and technologies that may lead to entirely new
approaches to space system design and operations, exploration, and scientific research. Our technology develop-
ment processes will provide tangible products capable of infusion into our missions, as well as into the commercial
sector.
Through significant modeling, analysis, ground-based testing, and laboratory experimentation, we will mature
technologies in preparation for potential system-level flight demonstrations within NASA or by other government
agencies. Executing these chal enging laboratory and space flight demonstrations requires: creating technology
Strategy
@Work
The New Worlds Observer (NWO) is a
large in-space instrument designed to block
the light of nearby stars to observe their orbit-
ing planets.
NWO started as a concept study in the
NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Pro-
gram (formerly the NASA Institute for Advanced
Concepts), part of the Office of the Chief Tech-
nologist at NASA Headquarters. This mission
concept is one of several NASA has stud-
ied in recent years, including the Terrestrial
Planet Finder, that have defined new possi-
bilities for exoplanet detection and character-
ization. Findings from this futuristic concept
have since informed the National Academies’
astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey
and have helped identify priorities and objec-
tives for the next 10 years.
Left is an artist’s concept of the
New Worlds Observer. Above is
an artist’s concept of the Terres-
trial Planet Finder. (Credit: NASA)
We consider early-stage innovation (low-TRL technology) to
be the foundation of our development process. Investment in
low-TRL technology increases knowledge and capabilities in
response to new questions and requirements, and it stimulates
creative new solutions to the chal enges faced by NASA and
the larger aerospace community. Investments in low-TRL proj-
ects, through partnerships with the public and private sectors,
have historical y benefited the Nation on a broad basis, gener-
ating new industries and spin-off applications and providing a
cadre of new technology-savvy innovators to fuel the Nation’s
high-tech economy.
We will continue to engage the Nation’s “citizen inven-
tors” through prize-based chal enges in areas such as satel-
lite launch systems, advanced robotics, energy storage, green
aviation, advanced materials, and wireless power transmission.
We also will work to foster innovation within NASA, by provid-
ing Center R&D opportunities that capitalize on each Cen-
ter’s unique assets. To support studies and tests of visionary,
long-term concepts, architectures, systems, and missions, we
will continue to partner with other government agencies, aca-
demia, and the commercial sector.
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3.3 Develop and demonstrate the critical technologies that will make NASA’s exploration,
science, and discovery missions more affordable and more capable.
Mission-driven technology development is intended to meet unique near-term mission needs within technical,
cost, and schedule goals. We will use the Space Technology Grand Chal enges, the Space Technology Roadmap,
integrated architectures, and mission needs as resources to prioritize the desired set of future technologies that will
offer the most synergies and advancement of mission capabilities. Using present approaches with this new strat-
egy, we will enable advances and improved performance by furthering existing evolutionary technologies, as well as
developing revolutionary new technologies. We wil balance potential technology benefits with specific mission risks,
to establish the appropriate time frame to infuse each emerging technology.
Across NASA, scientists and engineers will continue to col aborate on technology development, focusing on iden-
tifying technologies for future research and development, and testing promising concepts that will help achieve our
mission objectives. We will draw from the creativity and innovation of our Nation’s scientists, engineers, and tech-
nologists while advancing U.S. technological leadership by partnering with industry, academia, other government
agencies, and our international collaborators.
projects with wel -defined milestones and schedules; develop-
ing facilities, laboratories, and flight test opportunities; fabricat-
ing materials, hardware, and software; developing and integrating
technologies; and conducting demonstrations.
We will use an approach similar to the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the research and development
agency for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). DARPA eval-
uates their technology investments annual y for progress against
baseline milestones and provides continued development support
for promising investments. To ensure a col aborative environment
and maximize our resources, we will work with other government
agencies and share program management best practices. Recog-
nizing the need to effectively leverage our workforce, we will use an
optimized DARPA-like approach, in which we will rely on a combi-
nation of in-house and out-of-house workforce.
Strategy
@Work
Bloom Energy can trace its roots to
work performed at the Ames Research
Center and the University of Arizona as
part of our Mars space program. Origi-
nally, we charged a team with creating a
technology that could sustain life on Mars.
The team built a device capable of pro-
ducing air and fuel from electricity and,
conversely, electricity from air and fuel.
The technology quickly developed from
concept, to prototype, to product. Bloom
Energy has used the product to generate
millions of kilowatts of electricity and elimi-
nate millions of pounds of carbon dioxide,
a greenhouse gas, from the environment.
The three layers of the Bloom Energy sol-
id-oxide fuel cell combined steam and fos-
sil or renewable fuel to create “reformed
fuel.” Bloom Energy servers, shown left,
are each the equivalent size of one parking
spot. K.R. Sridhar (right) holds the fuel cell
technology that is equivalent to 25 watts of
power. A former researcher at the Ames
Research Center, Sridhar now is the Chief
Executive Officer of Bloom Energy. (Cred-
it: Bloom Energy)
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2011 NASA Strategic Plan
Strategy
@Work
The Thermal Protection System (TPS), Advanced
Development Project at the Ames Research Center
developed ablative TPS options for the Orion crew
capsule. The project advanced the mission plan-
ning options of our engineers by developing eight
different TPS materials. The project re-invigorated
an industry that was in danger of collapse and re-
established a NASA TPS workforce. Mature heat
shield technology and design options were trans-
ferred to the commercial space industry with impli-
cations for a wide variety of applications.
The team also discovered a potentially cata-
strophic heat shield problem with the Mars Science
Laboratory and matured an alternate material—
essentially avoiding mission cancellation.
3.4 Facilitate the transfer of NASA technology and engage in partnerships with other
government agencies, industry, and international entities to generate U.S. commercial
activity and other public benefits.
While technology and innovation are critical to successfully accomplishing our missions, an additional benefit
is the positive impact on the Nation’s economy. Recognizing a broader application of fundamental technology, we
make a determined effort to transfer technologies outside of NASA and to develop technology partnerships. Our
technology programs support our leadership in key research areas, fuel rapid improvements in mission capabilities,
foster a robust industrial base, improve our competitive position in the international marketplace, enable new indus-
tries, and contribute to economic growth.
We seek partnerships and cooperative activities to develop technology that is applicable to our mission needs
and contributes to the Nation’s commercial competitiveness in global markets. Three key themes underscore our
engagement with the emerging commercial space sector: considering the private sector as an investment partner,
sharing the cost of developing a capability; purchasing services rather than hardware when possible; and fostering
the creation of broader opportunities for innovation. Pursuing these partnership themes brings direct value to our
current and future missions, advances the interests of the partners, and encourages additional commercial space
development.
Beyond partnership strategies, we seek to transfer NASA technologies directly to other government agencies,
the national aerospace industry, and the broader U.S. commercial sector. NASA-spurred advances in energy, com-
munication, health, materials science, and other fields generate spinoff applications that benefit the Nation. We have
established a core team at each NASA Center charged with technology transfer, licensing, and new partnership
development, and we have tasked them to work closely with scientists and engineers to match our technologies with
the needs of organizations external to NASA. We actively coordinate with state and local governments and regional
economic development organizations to assess the market and develop strategies that will meet the emerging
needs of NASA and our partners. We will continue to identify non-traditional strategies and approaches to engaging
external partners, such as the use of auctions that highlight NASA patents available for licensing.
The Orion heat shield structure hovers above
its layup mold during removal at the Lockheed
Martin composite development facility. (Cred-
it: Lockheed Martin)
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@Work
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center collaborated with the Univer-
sity of Central Florida and GeoSyntec Consutants, Inc., to develop
Emulsified Zero-Valent Iron (EZVI), a groundwater treatment system
designed to eliminate chlorinated solvent pollution in impacted aqui-
fers. EZVI encapsulates nano-scale or micro-scale iron particles
in a water-in-oil emulsion. Both the water and iron particles react
with the contaminants that naturally diffuse into the emulsion drop-
let’s interior, rendering them non-toxic. EZVI was successfully devel-
oped, tested patented, and subsequently licensed for commercial
use throughout the United States. To date, EZVI has been deployed
in over 16 U.S. states and at one location in France and one in
Japan. A U.S. industrial site was successfully removed from the
U.S. Superfund National Priority List within one year after the appli-
cation of EZVI due to successful removal of the contaminants.
The EZVI sample above shows micro-scale iron in the interior of a water-in-oil
emulsion droplet, and the EZVI droplet left is on an individual sand grain. (Credit:
above—R. DeVor, Univ. of Central Florida; left—NASA/J. Quinn)
A ground crewman unplugs electrical connections dur-
ing pre-flight checks of NASA’s Ikhana research aircraft
at the Dryden Flight Research Center. From 2004 to
2006, we led a significant effort to assess the capabilities
of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for civil use. Today,
we use the Ikhana for Earth science research. We also
are col aborating with the U.S. Department of Agricul-
ture Forest Service to develop advanced fire surveil ance
technology. (Credit: NASA/T. Landis)
Challenge
Implementation of a New Approach.
Over the last decade, our technology development efforts have focused
on incremental advances that enabled specific capabilities or missions. The increasing complexity and variety of
chal enges presented by our science, exploration, and aeronautics missions renders the incremental technology
development model insufficient to meet our needs. Our emphasis on mission success requires a balance between
accepting technology development risk to realize greater benefits and maintaining high mission success rates. The
key strategy is to develop a diverse portfolio spanning the TRL spectrum, including near-term, mission-focused
technologies and longer-term, high-payoff transformational technologies that solve difficult space-related problems.
Through implementation of such a sustainable, strategic approach toward our technology development, we will
address the immediate needs of NASA’s missions, foster an innovative culture within the Agency to meet our long-
term strategic goals, and contribute to the Nation’s technological competitiveness.
21
2011 NASA Strategic Plan
Strategic Goal 4
Advance aeronautics research for societal benefit.
A key enabler for American commerce and mobility, U.S. commercial aviation is vital to the Nation’s economic
wel -being. NASA’s aeronautics research contributes significantly to air travel innovation and aligns with the prin-
ciples, goals, and objectives of the National Aeronautics Research and Development Policy and its related National
Aeronautics Research and Development Plan. We explore early-stage concepts and ideas, develop new technolo-
gies and operational procedures through foundational research, and demonstrate the potential of promising new
vehicles, operations, and safety technology in relevant environments. We are focused on the most appropriate cut-
ting-edge research and technologies to overcome a wide range of aeronautics chal enges for the Nation’s current
and future air transportation system.
NASA is addressing the research chal enges that must be overcome to achieve the goals of the Next Genera-
tion Air Transportation System (NextGen) and to enable the design of vehicles that can support NextGen. Our goals
are to expand airspace capacity, enable fuel-efficient flight planning, reduce the overall environmental footprint of
airplanes today and in the future, diminish delays on the ground and in the sky, and improve the ability of aircraft to
operate in all weather conditions while maintaining or exceeding exacting safety standards. Achieving NextGen’s
benefits will require contributions from all aeronautics research programs and continued col aboration with Govern-
ment partners, academia, and industry.
As we look to future chal enges in space exploration, we also are working to greatly advance fundamental under-
standing of the key aeronautics technologies that would make it possible to safely fly through any atmosphere of
Earth or that of another planet. By expanding the boundaries of aeronautical knowledge for the benefit of al , our
programs are helping to foster a col aborative research environment in which ideas and knowledge are readily
shared and communicated.
We continue to work with our partners in other Government agencies, pursuing national goals while achieving our
missions. Through the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) we col aborate with the Departments of Com-
merce, Defense, Homeland Security, and Transportation, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and
the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. We work closely with JPDO agency partners to imple-
ment a multi-agency vision and plan that will resolve the serious chal enges facing the U.S. air transportation system.
We also participate in industry working groups and technical interchange meetings at the program and project level
to solicit feedback from the broader community.
Through NASA Research Announcements, we support new and innovative ideas from industry and academia
while providing support for STEM instruction and learning. We fund undergraduate and graduate scholarships, issue
Innovation in Aeronautics Instruction grants to improve teaching programs at the university level, and sponsor stu-
dent design competitions at undergraduate and graduate levels for both U.S. and international entrants. By directly
connecting students with NASA researchers and our industrial
partners, we become a stronger research organization while
inspiring students to choose a career in the aerospace industry.
The Double Bubble D8 comes from a research team led by Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, which participated in an 18-month NASA research
effort to visualize the passenger airplanes of the future. Based on a modified
tube and wing with a very wide fuselage to provide extra lift, the low sweep
wing of the D8 reduces drag and weight and the embedded engines sit aft
of the wings. The D8 series aircraft would be used for domestic flights and is
designed to fly passengers in a coach cabin much roomier than that of cur-
rent single-aisle aircraft. (Credit: NASA/MIT)
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4.1 Develop innovative solutions and advanced technologies, through a balanced research
portfolio, to improve current and future air transportation.
Strategy
@Work
NASA is conducting long-term fundamental research
to understand the effects of various alternative fuels
on aircraft engine emissions. Alternative fuels offer the
potential for a significantly reduced carbon footprint over
the entire life cycle, from fuel production to utilization.
We have conducted ground tests using a NASA-owned
DC-8 plane to study emissions from engines burning
alternative fuel, which included two 100 percent syn-
thetic fuels and blends of regular jet fuel with the syn-
thetic fuels. The tests provided data that will improve
understanding of the evolution of particulate emission
and plume chemistry for engines burning alternative
fuel. We conducted these tests in partnership with 11
other organizations including the FAA, U.S. Air Force
Research Laboratory, Environmental Protection Agency,
Boeing, GE Aviation, and Pratt & Whitney.
By 2025, air traffic within American airspace is projected to at least double its current rate. Future needs will
exceed the limited solutions that aviation currently offers, requiring improvements in capacity, environmental com-
patibility, robustness, and freedom of mobility throughout the airspace while maintaining or increasing safety. From
foundational research to integrated system capabilities, a broad portfolio is required to meet this chal enge.
Our fundamental research programs take an integrated approach to address the critical long-term chal enges of
NextGen. These programs ensure a long-term focus on both traditional aeronautical disciplines and relevant emerg-
ing fields for integration into multidisciplinary system-level capabilities for broad application. This approach wil enable
revolutionary changes to both the airspace system and the aircraft that fly within it.
We continual y seek to improve technology that can be integrated into today’s state-of-the-art aircraft while
enabling game-changing concepts for future generations of aircraft. Technologies for significant reductions in drag
(thus improving fuel efficiency) and reduced fuel consumption compared to today’s aircraft are key areas of research.
We also are addressing the chal enges to enable new rotorcraft and supersonic aircraft and conducting foundational
research to realize sustained hypersonic flight. Research in the disciplines of materials and structures, propulsion
systems, and airframe systems contribute to reducing fuel consumption, noise, and emissions for subsonic fixed
wing aircraft and contribute to the development of revolutionary vehicle concepts and tools. Another key research
goal is to characterize and understand the effects of synthetic and biological fuel alternatives on conventional jet
aircraft systems using petroleum-based fuels and to develop technologies to enable fuel-flexible jet engines of
tomorrow.
Our safety research spans aircraft operations, air traffic procedures, and environmental hazards. We aim to
ensure that aircraft and operational procedures maintain the high level of safety that the American public has come
to count on. The full realization of NextGen requires research to meet additional safety goals such as the capability
for automated detection, diagnosis, and correction of adverse events that occur in flight and that crew workload and
situational awareness are both safely optimized and adapted to the NextGen operational environment.
In the area of airspace systems, we conduct research in air traffic management concepts and technologies cov-
ering gate-to-gate operations on the airport surface, on runways, in the dense terminal area, and in the many en
route sectors of the national airspace. As an example of its benefit, systems analysis results indicate that nearly 400
mil ion gal ons of fuel could be saved each year if aircraft could climb to and descend from their cruising altitude
without interruption. To achieve this improvement, safe and efficient flight operation procedures first must be devel-
oped, validated, and certified for operational use. Our work will improve efficiency and reduce the environmental
impact of aviation.
To stimulate new and innovative research in each
of these areas and to ensure effective knowledge
transfer from our work, we pursue strong teaming
arrangements with other Federal agencies, large
companies, smal businesses, and universities.
This NASA DC-8 aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Cen-
ter is outfitted for alternative fuels emissions testing and mea-
surement. (Credit: NASA)
23
2011 NASA Strategic Plan
4.2 Conduct systems-level research on innovative and promising aeronautic concepts and
technologies to demonstrate integrated capabilities and benefits in a relevant flight and/
or ground environment.
NASA evaluates and selects the most promising concepts emerging from our fundamental research programs
for integration at the systems level. We will test integrated systems in relevant environments to demonstrate that the
combined benefits of these new concepts are in fact greater than the sum of their individual parts. By focusing on
technologies that have already proven their merit at the fundamental level, we will help transition these technologies
more quickly to the aviation community, as well as inform future fundamental research needs. We also will advance
capabilities to design and integrate complex aviation systems. To date, the Integrated Systems Research Program
(ISRP) has focused on the development of technologies and operational procedures to decrease the significant
environmental impacts of the aviation system. We will focus on delivering validated data and technology that could
enable routine operations for unmanned aircraft systems of all sizes and capabilities in the national airspace system
and NextGen. In addition, we are integrating and evaluating new operational concepts through real-world tests and
virtual simulations.
Our research approach will facilitate the transition of new capabilities to manufacturers, airlines, and the FAA for
the ultimate benefit of the flying public. The integrated system-level research in this program will be coordinated with
our ongoing long-term, fundamental research, as well as with the efforts of other Federal agencies.
Strategy
@Work
The X-48B, an example of a blended wing
body (BWB) configuration, is a remotely piloted
aircraft with a hybrid shape that resembles a
flying wing. The Integrated Systems Research
Program develops and evaluates new inte-
grated technologies and configurations such
as the BWB aircraft to assess their potential to
enable cleaner, quieter, and higher-performance
air transportation. The X-48B was developed in
partnership with USAF, Boeing, and Cranfield
Aerospace Ltd.
The X-48B BWB subscale demonstra-
tor banks over desert scrub at Edwards
Air Force Base, near Dryden Flight
Research Center, during a flight test.
(Credit: NASA/C. Thomas)
Challenges
Inherent Risk.
We pursue chal enging, cutting-edge technology advances and aeronautics research goals that
are inherently high risk. In accepting this risk, we gain valuable knowledge and advance the capabilities of the
Agency, even when results fall short of expectations. By increasing our knowledge base and developing potential
new solutions, we are able to make better-informed decisions regarding committing future research resources and
pursuing promising high-return investments.
Partnership Influences.
Our aeronautics partnerships provide many benefits, but they also introduce external
dependencies that influence schedules and research output. We mitigate these risks through continual coordination
with our partners. In doing so, we ensure we are moving forward on the right chal enges and improving the transi-
tion of research results to users.
24
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Strategic Goal 5
Enable program and institutional capabilities to conduct
NASA’s aeronautic and space activities.
NASA relies on program capabilities and institutional capabilities to accomplish our Mission. Our program capa-
bilities, which are focused on meeting multiple complex programmatic objectives, encompass NASA-unique facilities,
management of our scientific and engineering workforce, and the equipment, tools, and other required resources.
Our institutional capabilities encompass a broad range of essential technical and non-technical corporate functions
for the entire Agency. Engineering, systems engineering, and safety and mission assurance capabilities underpin
the success for al our technical activities. Information, infrastructure, and security capabilities support the productiv-
ity of our scientists and engineers. Capabilities in human capital management, finance, procurement, occupational
health and safety, equal employment opportunity (EEO) and diversity, and small business programs contribute to the
strategic and operational planning and management that ensure resources are available when needed. Facilitating
communications with the broad range of external communities important to our missions are capabilities in inter-
national and interagency relations, legislative and intergovernmental affairs, and strategic communications. These
representative capabilities speak to the complexity of mission support, which in total consists of the program and
institutional capabilities, resources, and related processes that support our mission requirements and Agency and
Center operations.
Successful mission support requires integration of al elements across organizational and functional boundaries,
and application of an Agency-wide view in making investment decisions. The linkage between our mission portfolio
and our mission support elements must be understood through analyses to assess risks, opportunities and efficien-
cies, and then acted upon. Integration requires a strong governance structure to harmonize policies and business
practices, mitigate conflicting requirements, and enforce the internal controls that oversee the effectiveness, effi-
ciency, reliability, and compliance of our operations.
Our governance structure includes a decision-making process guided by short- and long-term considerations
to create a balanced and integrated mission support portfolio. We use an approach that is requirements-oriented
(aligned with missions and external requirements, e.g., legislation) to provide basic Center operations and an opti-
mal mission support environment.
We also are addressing strategic themes such as affordability and sustainability for longer-term planning of our
program and institutional capabilities. Components of these themes include green initiatives and energy efficiency,
workforce alignment and readiness, diversity, improved acquisition, and eliminating Center duplication of capabili-
ties. Our program and institutional capabilities must thus ensure, in the present and in the future, that core services
and resources are ready and available Agency wide for performing our Mission.
Fire and steam signal a successful test firing of Orbital Sciences Corpora-
tion’s Aerojet AJ26 rocket engine at the Stennis Space Center on December
17, 2010. Orbital will use AJ26 engines to power their Taurus II space vehicle
on commercial cargo flights to the International Space Station. In addition
to the Orbital partnership, Stennis also conducts testing on Pratt & Whitney
Rocketdyne’s RS-68 rocket engine. Stennis spent more than two years
modifying the E-1 test stand in preparation for the testing. Through these
kinds of modifications and upgrades, we ensure that our facilities meet our
program and partner needs. (Credit: NASA)
25
2011 NASA Strategic Plan
5.1 Identify, cultivate, and sustain a diverse workforce and inclusive work environment that is
needed to conduct NASA missions.
We have a workforce that is skil ed, competent, and dedicated to our missions. Our workforce also is passionate
about their work, and they bring many dimensions of diversity, including ideas and approaches, to make their teams
successful. To continue the successful conduct of our missions over the next 20 to 30 years, we must maintain and
sustain our diverse workforce with the right balance of skil s and talents. Our mission and institutional organizations
work col aboratively to identify future needs and to identify gaps and potential shortfal s in skil s. They also coopera-
tively plan Agency-level participation in new employee recruitment efforts.
We recruit talented people, seeking a workforce that is inclusive of al , regardless of race, color, national origin,
sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, status as a parent, or gender identity. We work
aggressively to identify and eliminate environmental factors that can diminish trust, impair teamwork, compromise
safety, and ultimately undermine excel ence. We conduct an annual self-evaluation as part of our Model EEO Plan,
which is designed to identify and remove barriers to individual and team success. This evaluation helps us build a
model workplace that promotes personal and professional growth, and respects and values the contributions of
every member on our team. We also have established a Diversity and Inclusion Framework to increase the diversity
of our workforce and the overall inclusiveness of our work environments. The framework takes us beyond a focus
on EEO compliance to policies and practices designed to enhance innovation, creativity, and employee retention.
To align human resources with our mission, goals, and objectives, we conduct workforce analysis and plan-
ning. These systematic processes are used to identify and address the gaps between our current workforce and
our future human capital needs. This enables us to determine the skill sets we need and identify which positions
will require additional strategies to fulfill them. Our workforce development and training initiatives help redirect our
employees in response to changing mission priorities. We provide leadership training and development programs to
help mature the potential of our high-performing employees, making certain that we have readied our future leader-
ship to pursue our long-range objectives. In conjunction with initiatives for our current workforce, we sponsor edu-
cation programs to provide highly specialized research and engineering experiences to students with an interest in
aeronautics and astronautics. By providing undergraduates and graduate students with hands-on opportunities to
contribute to our current missions, we are effectively providing on-the-job training to the next-generation workforce.
Strategy
@Work
As a learning organization, NASA pro-
vides robust leadership development pro-
grams and training for its employees. At
the core is a continuum of development
training and programs targeted to all levels
ranging from GS–11 emerging leaders to
senior executives. Change management is
a key feature throughout the leadership cur-
riculum, ensuring employees of today and
tomorrow are prepared to lead as we evolve
in a continually changing environment.
NASA Mid-Level Leader Program participants gather for
a photo during a meeting at the Johnson Space Center.
The program provides significant leadership develop-
ment opportunities for a diverse, Agency-wide group of
individuals who have high potential for assuming great-
er leadership responsibilities throughout the Agency. As
part of this program, participants learn to enhance their
leadership skil s and effectiveness in areas critical to our
success, including communication, team building, trust
building, influence, diversity and inclusion, decision mak-
ing, and leading and managing change. (Credit: NASA)
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5.2 Ensure vital assets are ready, available, and appropriately sized to conduct NASA’s
missions.
To safely and successful y conduct our many missions, we must ensure that we plan for, operate, and sustain the
infrastructure that provides our program and projects with the facilities, capabilities, tools, and services they require.
On an ongoing basis, we must ensure programmatic and institutional types of capabilities are available and effec-
tively sized to support our current and future missions.
Toward that end, we perform periodic Agency-level integrated assessments of the supply of technical capabilities
across all NASA Centers and integrated analyses of the demand for these capabilities across all NASA programs.
This provides us with core information needed to balance institutional supply with program and project demand to
ensure that capabilities are affordable and aligned with our long-term strategic goals.
In addition to periodic integrated assessments, we continuously work on planning, implementing, and evaluating
our institutional and program mission support capabilities through master planning efforts. Active management in
this arena helps us to assess institutional performance, identify and track resolution of identified issues, and coor-
dinate resources across the Agency. This coordination improves resource planning, centralizing operations where
appropriate, and balances cost, quality, and availability of our capabilities and assets to help minimize institutional
risk to our missions. With this systemic view, we are able to incorporate best practices and standard processes and
gain efficiencies by eliminating redundancies and assets that no longer benefit the Agency. Our integration of master
planning guides actions such as consolidating and renewing needed capabilities, developing comprehensive energy
and water conservation plans, planning budgets for repairs, and measuring progress and trends. Master planning
also al ows us to perform cross-Center assessments to examine further opportunities for consolidation of capabili-
ties. As we update our mission plans and translate them into specific programs and projects, the use of master plan-
ning links mission support elements with projected funding to support our programs and their strategic objectives.
Strategy
@Work
Our efforts to generate and use renewable
energy sources include the ability to form and
collaborate on effective public–private sector
partnerships. At the Kennedy Space Center,
we have teamed up with Florida Power & Light
to provide new sources of green energy to both
America’s space program and Florida’s resi-
dents. Continued collaboration on this joint
venture also will help us meet our goals for use
of power generated from renewable energy
sources.
Through an “enhanced use lease” agree-
ment, Florida Power & Light has built a 10
megawatt photovoltaic farm to generate
power for the Kennedy Space Center grid.
(Credit: NASA)
5.3 Ensure the availability to the Nation of NASA-owned strategically important test capabilities.
NASA has one of the largest, most versatile, and comprehensive sets of research and test facilities in the world.
Our programs, other Federal agencies, and the private sector use the facilities to test and evaluate items to mitigate
risk and optimize engineering designs. This work spans the engineering life cycle, from basic research to develop-
ing a discrete technology, to a full subsystem and system development. We manage our facilities and make stra-
tegic investments to ensure that ready access to comprehensive testing, with our flight research assets and in our
state-of-the-art ground test facilities, is available for our missions and to the public and private sectors. We provide
the vision and leadership for these national y important assets and sustained support for their workforce, capability
27
2011 NASA Strategic Plan
improvements, and new test technology development. By staying up to date on technological advances, industry
demand, and issues that concern the public, we are able to make decisions on facility investments and divestments.
Additional y, we are responsible for building and maintaining a wel -coordinated suite of national testing capabili-
ties in col aboration with DOD through the National Partnership for Aeronautical Testing. Looking to the future, we
will continue to develop and implement a facility investment and divestment plan that ful y supports the current and
long-term missions of NASA, DOD, and American industry.
Strategy
@Work
The collaboration between our Aeronautics Test Program and
Aviation Safety Program is providing a new testing capability in the
Propulsion Systems Laboratory (PSL) for addressing the threat
of high-altitude ice crystals to jet engine operability. The program
recently demonstrated, for the first time, the ability to generate ice
crystals at the very cold temperatures (–60 degrees Fahrenheit)
encountered at the cruise altitudes of commercial aircraft. The
PSL high-altitude ice crystal capability will become operational in
FY 2011 and available to our Government partners and industry.
The Aeronautics Test Program used American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act funds for the instal ation of its ice particle capability in PSL at the Glenn
Research Center. (Credit: NASA)
5.4 Implement and provide space communications and launch capabilities responsive to
existing and future science and space exploration missions.
An uninterrupted, reliable communications network is essential to receiving and transmitting the data that makes
our space missions safe, efficient, and successful. This communications network is critical to space missions, pro-
viding the telemetry, tracking, and command activities required by each spacecraft. Communications capabilities
enable us to transfer key data to ground systems, manage space operations, and maintain voice communications
with crews on human space flight missions. As new spacecraft with different objectives and advanced technology
are launched, communication needs change. In response, we modify and evolve our space communications capa-
bilities to ensure our mission needs are fulfilled.
Our Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program will continue its development of a unified space
communication and navigation network capable of meeting robotic and human space exploration needs. We wil
use a new architecture definition document to guide the design of an integrated network architecture and the stan-
dards for the next generation of space communications. We also will continue to use competitive sourcing to
acquire major modernization upgrades to the Space Network Ground Segment and to accomplish integration of
the SCaN networks to a single, comprehensive network. Through close and ongoing cooperation with our interna-
tional partners, we will work to develop cross-support network compatibility and interoperability for efficiency and
effectiveness.
Assuring reliable and cost-effective access to space for payload missions also is critical to achieving our goals.
Through our Launch Services Program (LSP), we are responsible for understanding the full range of civil space
launch needs and working closely with other Government agencies and the launch industry to ensure that the safest,
most reliable, on-time, and cost-effective commercial launch opportunities are available over a wide range of launch
systems. LSP personnel work with customers from universities, industry, Government agencies, and international
partners from the earliest phase of mission planning to purchase fixed-price launch services from domestic sup-
pliers. LSP personnel also seek opportunities to share unused payload capacity aboard non-NASA launches to
leverage launch funds. Most importantly, they provide oversight to ensure that our valuable, one-of-a-kind missions
achieve their space flight objectives.
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Strategy
@Work
Our SCaN architecture is designed to provide a scal-
able, integrated, mission-enabling infrastructure that can
readily evolve to accommodate new and changing tech-
nologies. SCaN enables our science, space operations,
and exploration missions by providing comprehensive,
robust, and cost-effective space communications ser-
vices at exponentially-high data transmission rates.
The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex 70-meter
antenna, glowing under an evening sky, serves as an integral part
of the Deep Space Network. One of three main components of
the SCaN communications infrastructure, the Deep Space Net-
work communicates with our assets beyond low Earth orbit and
throughout the solar system. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory
manages our Deep Space Network. (Credit: NASA)
5.5 Establish partnerships, including innovative arrangements, with commercial, international,
and other government entities to maximize mission success.
Across the Agency, we seek and maintain strategic partnerships that leverage resources and increase the impact
of our activities. Partnerships within the U.S. Government and with international, academic, and industrial organiza-
tions help us execute our missions more efficiently and effectively. We work cooperatively to identify common goals,
develop new technologies and applications, and leverage technical expertise to minimize risk. Partnerships al ow us
to optimize the use of our research and testing facilities, our laboratories, and the talents and skil s of our employees.
The National Space Policy includes direction to use inventive, nontraditional arrangements to acquire commer-
cial space goods. We are exploring mechanisms such as building public–private partnerships, hosting Government
capabilities on commercial spacecraft, and purchasing scientific or operational data products from commercial sat-
el ites. The ability to competitively procure technology or services when needed, rather than maintain a capability
that cannot be ful y used, will al ow us to focus our resources for institutional and program capabilities in areas of
evolving strategic importance. Greater varieties of partnerships within the Federal Government, and other innova-
tions and col aborations for shared business services, also will al ow us to focus on the activities essential for mis-
sion performance.
Strategy
@Work
The successes of ISS extend beyond
purely science and technology. The human
and global achievement cannot be measured
in dollars, rubles, yen, or any other monetary
unit. ISS construction and operation repre-
sents a model of unparalleled international
cooperation and collaboration in planning,
monitoring, and execution. This applies to ISS
itself and the knowledge and human benefit
it generates. The principal partnering space
agencies for ISS are from Canada, Europe,
Japan, Russia, and the United States.
ISS Expedition 23 crewmembers from bottom left to right are:
NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson (flight engineer); Russian
cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov (flight engineer); and Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi (flight
engineer). In the center is Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov (com-
mander). On the top row from left to right are: NASA astronaut
T.J. Creamer (flight engineer) and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail
Kornienko (flight engineer). (Credit: NASA)
29
2011 NASA Strategic Plan
Challenges
Meeting Changing Facilities Requirements.
The chal enges faced in managing the program and institutional
capabilities and assets of NASA are as diverse as the operational functions we perform. A common chal enge is
managing current resources and capabilities and anticipating needs when new discoveries are being made and
where technologies constantly are evolving. We maintain flexibility in our facilities management processes, support-
ing work that is critical to our programs, but al owing for changes in terms of size, number, type, or other require-
ments. An important subset of this is updating or replacing our aging or obsolete facilities. This is an area in which
we are developing multi-year Center plans and one that we must manage aggressively to reduce facility costs and
improve our overall capabilities. We seek optimal solutions in how we conduct our operations, often leveraging
resources and opportunities offered by our partners or seeking products and services from commercial sources.
Achieving and Sustaining State-of-the-Art Technologies for Institutional Capabilities.
To realize future cost,
schedule, and quality improvements, we must stay current with technological progress. We actively monitor the
R&D work of other Federal agencies, industry, academia, and other nations. We conduct studies and planning
activities across the Agency to determine the potential mission applicability of emerging and maturing technologies.
New tools, processes, and technologies improve our capabilities and scientific returns, but cannot be predicted in
advance. Our institutional management processes must be sufficiently robust to maintain our research, testing, and
operations capability, while al owing us to adopt and benefit from the latest technologies and innovations.
Managing a Distributed Infrastructure Base.
Our program management is distributed across numerous mission
areas and geographical y separated Centers and facilities. This presents chal enges in implementing a consistent
and cost-effective set of processes, systems, and tools. Differences in local and state policies, zoning and environ-
mental regulations, and even energy costs impact our ability to create and implement a consolidated approach. At
every Center and facility, we take a proactive and cooperative approach in working with local, state, and Federal reg-
ulatory entities to mitigate possible negative impacts before policies or rules are finalized. By adhering to a common
set of values and operating principles, but al owing for flexibility in implementation, we minimize risk to our missions
and position the Agency for success in our future endeavors.
Researchers test the Boeing Aerodynamic
Efficiency Improvement Joined Wing wind
tunnel model in the Langley Research Cen-
ter’s Transonic Dynamics Tunnel. They are
working with the Air Force Research Lab-
oratory to develop technologies for future
high-altitude, long-endurance uncrewed
aircraft. The joined wing model “flew” in the
wind tunnel so engineers could assess the
surfaces and sensors that help control the
aircraft. (Credit: NASA/S. Smith)
30
Nation
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Strategic Goal 6
Middle school students attending Hampton Univer-
sity’s Young Doctor’s Program work on the design
of a robotic arm. The K-12 Programs Manager at
the Langley Research Center chose them to partici-
pate in the chal enge, held as part of our Summer
of Innovation initiative to boost learning in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics. (Credit:
NASA/S. Smith)
Share NASA with the public, educators, and students to provide
opportunities to participate in our Mission, foster innovation,
and contribute to a strong national economy.
At NASA, sharing information is a mandate within our founding legislation. Throughout our history, it has been a
priority to make data from science missions, research, and other discoveries available for the benefit of the Nation.
Our missions are a natural means of interacting with the public and supporting students and teachers. Through the
excitement of missions and activities, we help stimulate student interest and achievement in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. STEM-focused teachers use their skil s to motivate student achieve-
ment and spur creative and critical thinking both in and out of the classroom. In developing student interest and
skil s, future workers will be prepared to solve technical chal enges that benefit our Nation and improve the quality
of life on Earth. An American public that is knowledgeable and interested in science, aeronautics, and exploration
will value the impact of advances in these fields that help maintain global competitiveness and a robust economy.
NASA offers structured programs for students and col ege faculty to engage in STEM learning activities such
as competing in technical design chal enges, launching student-built payloads, and participating in research and
hands-on engineering experiences using real-world platforms, including high-altitude balloons, sounding rockets,
aircraft, and space satel ites. Undergraduate and graduate students can contribute directly to our missions by work-
ing with scientists and engineers on their research and technology development programs. Workshops, courses,
and grant awards help teachers use NASA themes and materials to inspire their students in STEM topics.
As we continue our traditional means of outreach through print, television, and live events, we also have adopted
emerging technologies and media that al ow greater access and participation by the public, students, and teachers.
Virtual events, live streaming video, online chats, and social media are some of the tools we use to broadly share our
message and encourage active participation. Our online presence also has become an essential tool for fostering
transparency in our operations and management practices, and we will continue to share information with the public
on how we work.
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6.1 Attract and retain students in STEM disciplines along the full length of the education
pipeline.
Education and industry experts have long warned our national leaders of an impending crisis in STEM education.
Persistent cal s to action warn us that failure to build a future workforce proficient in STEM will have adverse impacts
on the economic growth and global competitiveness of the United States. International assessments consistently
show that the performance of American students is lagging behind that of other nations. As part of the national
imperative to encourage students to pursue STEM studies and the myriad career opportunities that could be open
to them, we will continue our efforts to help inspire the passion and creative potential of our students.
We employ education specialists at each NASA Center to work with local and regional constituents, customers,
and industry partners to best map resources and opportunities that meet the needs of the education community.
This distributed management system al ows us to be responsive to national priorities and initiatives, such as “Race
to the Top” and “Educate to Innovate,” while maintaining flexibility in delivering products and services to teachers and
students. Our specialists work directly with elementary and secondary educators through local and national educa-
tion organizations. In those interactions, elementary, secondary, and informal educators learn how to translate our
current research and technology advances into meaningful education experiences that inspire their students.
At the elementary and secondary school levels, we actively encourage students to think positively about STEM
as they develop their knowledge, skil s, and long-term career interests. At the undergraduate and graduate levels,
we work hand-in-hand with col eges and universities to provide student research and engineering experiences that
contribute to our missions. To ensure that beneficiaries of our Agency-funded educational programs are afforded
equal opportunities, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, or disability, we conduct compliance reviews and offer
support and strategies to improve access.
Strategy
@Work
The Internet expands the reach of our education
experiences to those who cannot easily access NASA
Centers and facilities. New technologies and delivery
media allow students and teachers to interact with our
scientists and engineers, regardless of distance in terms
of geography, time zones, or preferred communication
styles. Experimenting with how we deliver our education
programs and products keeps us current with the tools
preferred by a new generation of Americans.
These students are applying real-time NASA satel ite data to better
understand concepts in their elementary mathematics lessons. Activ-
ities that incorporate NASA themes, like meteorology, oceanography,
and technology, help to build analytical skil s and spur interest in sci-
ence, technology, engineering, and mathematics. (Credit: U.S. Satel-
lite Laboratory)
6.2 Build strategic partnerships that promote STEM literacy through formal and informal
means.
In the same way a complex mission takes mil ions of ideas, thousands of workers, and hundreds of companies
working toward specific objectives to be successful, it will take the same type of effort to improve STEM literacy.
The complexity of meeting formal and informal education needs and requirements demands a highly col aborative
approach. Through strategic partnerships, we leverage the resources and expertise of our partners, scale our own
investments to reach new audiences, and expand established networks. It is the magnitude of this effort and the
need for fresh and constantly renewing sources of innovative solutions and non-traditional approaches that make
strategic partnerships the key to supporting STEM education. Tapping into our partners’ creativity and innovation
will help disseminate our products and services in a broader and more systematic manner to reach new users more
effectively than what we can do alone.
Partnerships for formal education, particularly with higher education institutions and aerospace companies, focus
on engineering and research efforts under the supervision of practicing professionals. These partners are able to
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provide independent research projects for undergraduate and graduate students and multiply many times over
what we can host at our own facilities. Hands-on experiences are unparal eled in their ability to develop a student’s
advanced STEM skil s and prepare them for a career.
Partnerships with elementary and secondary schools help to meet the needs of students and educators in a
resource-scarce environment. We work with local, state, and Federal organizations to ensure that our services and
products provide information and opportunities that are appropriate, meet established needs, and support ongo-
ing STEM initiatives. Our teacher training experiences meet continuing education standards, al owing teachers to
gain necessary professional development credits. Students involved in NASA activities, including rocket launches
and other competitions, benefit from local partnerships that provide technical support and, even more importantly,
career role models.
NASA has only nine Centers and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,3 but every community in the Nation has a library,
museum, science center, or other informal education venue that can help to share our story. Space exploration,
robotics, and advanced technologies provide compel ing storylines for television, Web, print, and film. Through part-
nerships with organizations that develop content that is appealing to students and the general public, careers in
STEM can be portrayed as compel ing and rich in diversity.
Each year, we release announcements of opportunity, requests for entrepreneurial offers, and other solicitations
that encourage partners to collaborate with us. Through funded cooperative agreements or unfunded collabora-
tions, we seek organizations with paral el goals and complementary skil s to help us inspire, engage and educate the
public, and attract students into STEM studies and careers.
Strategy
@Work
The National Space Grant College
and Fellowship Program comprises 52
consortia, representing all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Each consortia includes academic insti-
tutions, industry groups, and educa-
tional organizations. Over 850 university
affiliates provide research and engineer-
ing internships, mentoring for compe-
titions, and formal NASA coursework.
State-based consortia are responsive to
specific needs of their regions, bringing
NASA content and education support to
K–12 school districts, and informal learn-
ing centers.
Our Student Launch Initiative offers annual competitions for middle school, high school, and university students to design, build, and
launch a reusable rocket with a scientific or engineering payload to one mile above ground level. The students gain technical, as well as
management, business, and communication skil s through this rewarding experience. NASA staff, Space Grant faculty, and other part-
ners provide guidance and expertise to help teams achieve success. Teams from around the country participate in the Student Launch
Initiative, which is managed through the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. (Credit: NASA)
6.3 Engage the public in NASA’s missions by providing new pathways for participation.
Opening pathways for the public to actively participate in NASA’s activities is a new focus consistent with the phi-
losophy of government transparency. Participatory engagement seeks to include the general public in the adven-
ture and excitement of our activities and tap into individual creativity and capabilities to enhance our work in science,
discovery, and exploration.
3
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a Federal y Funded Research and Development Center operated under a contract with the California Institute
of Technology.
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2011 NASA Strategic Plan
Our participatory engagement activities span the communications spectrum ranging from passive activities—like
watching online NASA videos—to highly interactive activities that use NASA-related social media tools or provide
hands-on experiences. We also use these activities to col aborate with the public on interpretation of data and dis-
coveries. We foster prize-based competitions, offering opportunities for organizations and private individuals to pro-
pose innovative solutions to specific chal enges we have identified. By increasing the mechanisms through which
the public can directly and specifical y contribute to our missions, we can bring additional creativity and capability to
some of our biggest chal enges, and leverage our resources to accomplish even more toward our goals.
Active engagement by the public also reflects an increased relevancy of Agency activities to these individuals.
What NASA does is exciting, and we want to encourage as many like-minded Americans as possible to join us in
our ventures.
Strategy
@Work
We are finding new ways to include the public directly
in our missions, including offering incentive prizes. Our
Centennial Challenges are designed to generate novel
solutions to problems of interest to NASA and the Nation.
We are seeking innovations from diverse and non-tra-
ditional sources, including private companies, student
teams, and independent inventors. The innovations that
are generated may also offer potential solutions in other
applications or benefit other national challenges.
Members of the LaserMotive team prepare their climber prior to
launching on the climb that won them the Centennial Challenges 2009
Power Beaming competition held at the Dryden Flight Research Cen-
ter. The Chal enge was a demonstration of wireless power transmis-
sion in which teams build and demonstrate systems to beam energy
from the ground to a robotic device that climbs a vertical cable. To be
successful, the climber had to reach the top of the cable at a height of
one kilometer (0.62 miles). (Credit: NASA)
6.4 Inform, engage, and inspire the public by sharing NASA’s mission, challenges, and results.
The opportunities and means for sharing information have increased tremendously with the Internet and other
new technologies. For scientific and programmatic announcements, we wil continue traditional communications
activities such as issuing press releases, hosting media events, and providing photographs and videos of our mis-
sions and events. We will continue to grow NASA Television and the www.nasa.gov Web site to offer a variety of
formats, content, and activities to communicate with specific audiences. The popularity of social media and net-
working offers new means of reaching and communicating with diverse audiences. Interactive experiences with
our astronauts, scientists, and engineers, through an online presence and other outreach events are wel -suited for
engaging the public and students.
We share the direct results of our missions by releasing our scientific data to researchers and other Government
agencies. We contribute our data to online portals such as www.data.gov, al owing its use by anyone with the capa-
bility to access the data. NASA Web sites host a wealth of mission and program information, and we participate ful y
in Administration initiatives for transparency by providing specific program and project information through informa-
tion-sharing portals.
We are continual y exploring new tools, techniques, and capabilities to reach the public and ways in which to
inform the media on the activities of the Agency. Our goal is to share the results and chal enges of our missions with
the public to inspire them and increase their knowledge and awareness of NASA’s work.
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Strategy
@Work
Each NASA program and project includes an outreach strat-
egy in its mission planning. At a media event held in April 2010
at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., representatives from the
Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) project introduced the sat-
ellite’s first images. Events like this involve disseminating press
releases, arranging for media and public interaction with the sci-
ence team, creating mission information for our Web sites, and
providing live coverage of the event on NASA Television.
Dean Pesnell (second from left), the SDO project
scientist, from the Goddard Space Flight Center,
presented new images from the SDO on Wednes-
day, April 21, 2010. (Credit: NASA)
Challenge
Attracting Students to STEM.
Through STEM, students have the potential to change the world. With the myriad
of opportunities that compete for the attention of students, our chal enge is to ignite a passion for STEM education.
Part of this chal enge is in reaching students, and the people who most influence them, with products and services
that will attract learners at all levels to STEM careers. We use the exciting content and results from our missions to
develop products and services that support students, educators, and national STEM initiatives. With our resources
we foster development of public–private partnerships—collaborations that build communities to support STEM edu-
cation and provide stability through times of economic growth or decline. We work cooperatively with universities,
professional education societies, national and state-based organizations, and states and school districts to ensure
that our products and services continue to meet the evolving needs of formal and informal educators and stu-
dents, both in and out of the classroom. We seek opportunities for early adoption of tools and techniques shown by
research to positively impact teaching, learning, and interest in STEM topics.
Reaching New Audiences.
We now have more channels for communication and public engagement than ever
before. Understanding the character of newer generations, their preferred technologies, modes, and styles of com-
municating will determine how successful we are in communicating NASA’s value. As an organization known for our
research and technology, we embrace new tools and work to understand and keep pace with new technology. We
must balance use of new media tools with traditional ones as we strive to communicate across all sections of the
public.
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2011 NASA Strategic Plan
Strategy for Success: A Performance Focus
NASA is privileged to take on missions of extraordinary risk, complexity, public visibility, and national importance.
To achieve the ambitious goals set forth in this Strategic Plan, we will continue to manage our missions and respon-
sibilities with a strong dedication to our core values, overarching strategies, and the desire to push the frontiers of
exploration, science, and aeronautics for the benefit of the Nation.
Our strategic goals and outcomes are the result of intense internal evaluation and external consultation with our
stakeholders. Reaching out to our external stakeholders for their input ensures that we have the Nation’s goals in
mind as we set our own. The strategic goals and outcomes form the top tier of our performance framework from
which more detailed measures are derived for the near-term goals articulated in our annual performance plans.
(Please see the Appendix regarding NASA’s performance framework.) We ensure our activities are conducted in
accordance with all statutory, regulatory, and fiduciary responsibilities by performing regular internal surveys, audits,
and reviews. We also work with independent and external entities for audits and studies that focus on the manage-
ment of our institution and programs, as our continued success is reliant on a commitment to quality in everything
we do.
Our strategic goals are chal enging, but with a strong performance focus, we believe we will accomplish much
toward this plan over the next decade. We embrace transparency and accountability and we commit ourselves to
being leaders and identifying best practices for communicating our performance—both our successes and our set-
backs—to our stakeholders and the public.
With help from NASA, future careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are a
reality for these students. Learning from real-world programs and projects, many also are con-
tributing to the results that help us reach our goals. Left: Two students from the Space Opera-
tions Institute at Capitol College maintain the on-campus backup mission control center for the
Tropical Rainforest Measurement Mission (TRMM). Many of the Institute’s students transition from
interns to Goddard Space Flight Center employees. Upper left: A NASA scientist shows middle
school students that temperature and light are important factors for algae growth. They were
participating in the Citizen Science Program at NASA Ames Research Center, where they could
benefit from interacting with real scientists in a stimulating environment. Upper right: Santa Clara
University students run mission operations for the Organism/Organic Exposure to Orbital Stress-
es (O/OREOS) nanosatel ite at Ames Research Center. The students will run O/OREOS for several
years for educational and engineering experiments. Below right: Errol Korn, lower left, explains
the dropsonde experiment to a University of Maryland Baltimore County graduate student (seat-
ed) inside NASA’s DC-8 airplane. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experi-
ment being flown in the DC-8 was a NASA Earth science field experiment conducted in 2010 to
better understand how tropical storms form and develop into major hurricanes. Below left: Rac-
ers from the University of Puerto Rico in Humacao won first place in the col ege division of NASA’s
17th annual Great Moonbuggy Race, organized by the Marshall Space Flight Center. The race
chal enges teams to design, build, and race lightweight, human-powered buggies, tackling some
of the same engineering chal enges dealt with by NASA engineers past and present.
Credit: NASA/E. James
Credit: NASA
Credit: Capitol College
Credit: NASA
Credit: NASA/P.E. Alers
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Appendix: NASA’s Performance Framework
Strategic Goal 1: Extend and sustain human activities across the solar system.
Outcome 1.1: Sustain the operation and full use of the International Space Station (ISS) and expand efforts to utilize the ISS
as a National Laboratory for scientific, technological, diplomatic, and educational purposes and for supporting
future objectives in human space exploration.
Objective 1.1.1: Maintain resources (on-orbit and on the ground) to operate and utilize the ISS.
Objective 1.1.2: Advance engineering, technology, and research capabilities on the ISS.
Outcome 1.2: Develop competitive opportunities for the commercial community to provide best value products and services
to low Earth orbit and beyond.
Objective 1.2.1: Enable the commercial sector to provide cargo and crew services to the International Space Station
(ISS).
Outcome 1.3: Develop an integrated architecture and capabilities for safe crewed and cargo missions beyond low Earth orbit.
Objective 1.3.1: Execute development of an integrated architecture to conduct human space exploration missions
beyond low Earth orbit.
Objective 1.3.2: Develop a robust biomedical research portfolio to mitigate space human health risks.
Objective 1.3.3: Identify hazards, opportunities, and potential destinations, to support future safe and successful
human space exploration missions.
Strategic Goal 2: Expand scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live.
Outcome 2.1: Advance Earth system science to meet the challenges of climate and environmental change.
Objective 2.1.1: Improve understanding of and improve the predictive capability for changes in the ozone layer, climate
forcing, and air quality associated with changes in atmospheric composition.
Objective 2.1.2: Enable improved predictive capability for weather and extreme weather events.
Objective 2.1.3: Quantify, understand, and predict changes in Earth’s ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles, includ-
ing the global carbon cycle, land cover, and biodiversity.
Objective 2.1.4: Quantify the key reservoirs and fluxes in the global water cycle and assess water cycle change and
water quality.
Objective 2.1.5: Improve understanding of the roles of the ocean, atmosphere, land and ice in the climate system and
improve predictive capability for its future evolution.
Objective 2.1.6: Characterize the dynamics of Earth’s surface and interior and form the scientific basis for the assess-
ment and mitigation of natural hazards and response to rare and extreme events.
Objective 2.1.7: Enable the broad use of Earth system science observations and results in decision-making activities for
societal benefits.
Outcome 2.2: Understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system.
Objective 2.2.1: Improve understanding of the fundamental physical processes of the space environment from the Sun
to Earth, to other planets, and beyond to the interstellar medium.
Objective 2.2.2: Improve understanding of how human society, technological systems, and the habitability of planets
are affected by solar variability interacting with planetary magnetic fields and atmospheres.
Objective 2.2.3: Maximize the safety and productivity of human and robotic explorers by developing the capability to
predict extreme and dynamic conditions in space.
Strategic Goals, Outcomes, and Objectives
NASA’s long-term planning is guided by the strategic goals and outcomes described in the body of this Strategic
Plan. The next level of performance detail is defined by the objective statements included below. Objectives iden-
tify targets within a 10-year time frame and form the framework for our annual performance plan (APP). The APP
outlines measureable performance goals for each objective in the next five years, with specific annual performance
goals (APGs) aligned to the annual budget request.
NASA regularly col ects and assesses performance information contributing to the APP measures and goals as
the basis for programmatic and institutional decision-making processes within the Agency. NASA reports progress
on the APP to Congress and the public in our annual Performance and Accountability Report, to support program-
matic decision-making at a government-wide level. Our performance framework is thus an important tool for com-
municating with our stakeholders and the public. Through this framework we are held accountable for the Nation’s
investment in NASA’s missions, reporting on achievements as well as shortfal s, and planning our performance goals
for the next year.
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2011 NASA Strategic Plan
Outcome 2.3: Ascertain the content, origin, and evolution of the solar system and the potential for life elsewhere.
Objective 2.3.1: Inventory solar system objects and identify the processes active in and among them.
Objective 2.3.2: Improve understanding of how the Sun’s family of planets, satellites, and minor bodies originated and
evolved.
Objective 2.3.3: Improve understanding of the processes that determine the history and future of habitability of environ-
ments on Mars and other solar system bodies.
Objective 2.3.4: Improve understanding of the origin and evolution of Earth’s life and biosphere to determine if there is
or ever has been life elsewhere in the universe.
Objective 2.3.5: Identify and characterize small bodies and the properties of planetary environments that pose a threat
to terrestrial life or exploration or provide potentially exploitable resources.
Outcome 2.4: Discover how the universe works, explore how it began and evolved, and search for Earth-like planets.
Objective 2.4.1: Improve understanding of the origin and destiny of the universe, and the nature of black holes, dark
energy, dark matter, and gravity.
Objective 2.4.2: Improve understanding of the many phenomena and processes associated with galaxy, stellar, and
planetary system formation and evolution from the earliest epochs to today.
Objective 2.4.3: Generate a census of extra-solar planets and measure their properties.
Strategic Goal 3: Create the innovative new space technologies for our exploration, science, and economic future.
Outcome 3.1: Sponsor early-stage innovation in space technologies in order to improve the future capabilities of NASA, other
government agencies, and the aerospace industry.
Objective 3.1.1: Create a pipeline of new low Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) innovative concepts and technologies
for future NASA missions and national needs.
Outcome 3.2: Infuse game-changing and crosscutting technologies throughout the Nation’s space enterprise to transform
the Nation’s space mission capabilities.
Objective 3.2.1: Prove the technical feasibility of potentially disruptive new space technologies for future missions.
Objective 3.2.2: Spur the development of routine, low-cost access to space through small payloads and satellites.
Objective 3.2.3: Demonstrate new space technologies and infuse them into future science and exploration small satel-
lite missions and/or commercial use.
Objective 3.2.4: Demonstrate new space technologies and infuse them into missions.
Objective 3.2.5: Provide flight opportunities and relevant environments to demonstrate new space technologies.
Outcome 3.3: Develop and demonstrate the critical technologies that will make NASA’s exploration, science, and discovery
missions more affordable and more capable.
Objective 3.3.1: Demonstrate in-space operations of robotic assistants working with crew.
Objective 3.3.2: Develop and demonstrate critical technologies for safe and affordable cargo and human space explo-
ration missions beyond low Earth orbit.
Outcome 3.4: Facilitate the transfer of NASA technology and engage in partnerships with other government agencies, indus-
try, and international entities to generate U.S. commercial activity and other public benefits.
Objective 3.4.1: Promote and develop innovative technology partnerships among NASA, U.S. industry, and other sec-
tors for the benefit of Agency programs and national interests.
Strategic Goal 4: Advance aeronautics research for societal benefit.
Outcome 4.1: Develop innovative solutions and advanced technologies through a balanced research portfolio to improve cur-
rent and future air transportation.
Objective 4.1.1: Develop advanced technologies to improve the overall safety of the future air transportation system.
Objective 4.1.2: Develop innovative solutions and technologies to meet future capacity and mobility requirements of the
Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).
Objective 4.1.3: Develop tools, technologies, and knowledge that enable significantly improved performance and new
capabilities for future air vehicles.
Outcome 4.2: Conduct systems-level research on innovative and promising aeronautics concepts and technologies to dem-
onstrate integrated capabilities and benefits in a relevant flight and/or ground environment.
Objective 4.2.1: Develop advanced tools and technologies that reduce the technical risk associated with system-level
integration of promising aeronautical concepts.
Strategic Goal 5: Enable program and institutional capabilities to conduct NASA’s aeronautics and space activities.
Outcome 5.1: Identify, cultivate, and sustain a diverse workforce and inclusive work environment that is needed to conduct
NASA missions.
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Objective 5.1.1: Establish and maintain a workforce that possesses state-of-the-art technical and business manage-
ment competencies.
Objective 5.1.2: Provide opportunities and support systems that recruit, retain, and develop undergraduate and gradu-
ate students in STEM-related disciplines.
Outcome 5.2: Ensure vital assets are ready, available, and appropriately sized to conduct NASA’s missions.
Objective 5.2.1: Achieve mission success by factoring safety, quality, risk, reliability, and maintainability as integral fea-
tures of programs, projects, technologies, operations, and facilities.
Objective 5.2.2: Provide information technology that advances NASA space and research program results and
promotes open dissemination through efficient, innovative, reliable, and responsive services that are
appropriately secure and valued by stakeholders and the public.
Objective 5.2.3: Develop and implement long-range infrastructure plans that address institutional capabilities and criti-
cal assets, directly link to mission needs, ensure the leveraging of external capabilities, and provide a
framework for Agency infrastructure decision-making.
Outcome 5.3: Ensure the availability to the Nation of NASA-owned, strategically important test capabilities.
Objective 5.3.1: Work with the National Rocket Propulsion Test Alliance to identify NASA, Department of Defense, and
commercial capabilities and requirements.
Objective 5.3.2: Ensure that NASA’s Aeronautics Test Program (ATP) facilities are available and capable of supporting
research, development, test, and evaluation goals and objectives for NASA and national aerospace
programs.
Outcome 5.4: Implement and provide space communications and launch capabilities responsive to existing and future sci-
ence and space exploration missions.
Objective 5.4.1: Ensure reliable and cost-effective access to space for missions critical to achieving the National Space
Policy of the United States of America.
Objective 5.4.2: Transform the Florida launch and range complex to provide a robust launch and range infrastructure
for future users.
Objective 5.4.3: Build and maintain a scalable, integrated, mission support infrastructure that can readily evolve to
accommodate new and changing technologies, while providing integrated, comprehensive, robust,
and cost-effective space communications services at order-of-magnitude higher data rates to enable
NASA’s science and exploration missions.
Outcome 5.5: Establish partnerships, including innovative arrangements, with commercial, international, and other govern-
ment entities to maximize mission success.
Objective 5.5.1: Facilitate the use of the ISS as a National Laboratory for cooperative research, technology develop-
ment, and education.
Objective 5.5.2: Enhance international and interagency partnerships through increased use of international and inter-
agency coordination mechanisms.
Strategic Goal 6: Share NASA with the public, educators, and students to provide opportunities to participate in our
Mission, foster innovation, and contribute to a strong national economy.
Outcome 6.1: Improve retention of students in STEM disciplines by providing opportunities and activities along the full length
of the education pipeline.
Objective 6.1.1: Provide quality STEM curricular support resources and materials.
Objective 6.1.2: Provide NASA experiences that inspire student interest and achievement in STEM disciplines.
Objective 6.1.3: Assess grant recipient institutions throughout the education pipeline to ensure that grant recipients
demonstrate a consistent commitment to civil rights compliance.
Outcome 6.2: Promote STEM literacy through strategic partnerships with formal and informal organizations.
Objective 6.2.1: Develop NASA’s leadership role in national STEM improvement efforts, as demonstrated by provision
of meaningful educator professional development and student experiences, adoption of education
technologies, and contributions to STEM education policies and strategies.
Outcome 6.3: Engage the public in NASA’s missions by providing new pathways for participation.
Objective 6.3.1: Extend the reach of participatory engagement across NASA.
Outcome 6.4: Inform, engage, and inspire the public by sharing NASA’s missions, challenges, and results.
Objective 6.4.1: Use strategic partnerships with formal and informal educational organizations to provide NASA content
to promote interest in STEM.
Objective 6.4.2: Provide clear, accurate, timely, and consistent information that is readily available and suitable for a
diverse audience.
Objective 6.4.3: Provide the communications infrastructure to enable NASA’s commitment to make government more
open, transparent, and participatory.
Gold-colored foam wedges shield test subjects from outside noises during an acoustics test at the Langley Research Center. Our research-
ers study people’s perception of aircraft sounds, especially the role of rattle noises and vibration. The researchers use this information to
help design quieter aircraft. (Credit: NASA/S. Smith)
The crew of STS-133 meet Robonaut 2, the latest generation of the Robonaut astronaut helpers, that will be launching with them to the
International Space Station. It will be the first humanoid robot in space, and although its primary job for now is teaching engineers how
dexterous robots behave in space, the hope is that through upgrades and advancements, it could one day venture outside the station to
help spacewalkers make repairs or additions to the station or perform scientific work. (Credit: NASA)
Goddard Space Flight Center technologist Stephanie Getty works on a platform, called ChemFET, that could be used to detect organic
molecules that may indicate the presence of past or current life on Mars, Titan, and other solar system objects. She also is developing
this technology to locate specific biomarkers linked to breast cancer. Some people have a greater chance of developing certain types of
cancer if a mutation occurs in specific genes. The presence of such a change is sometimes called a risk marker, indicating that cancer is
more likely to occur. ChemFET may provide a fully electronic and affordable method to identify risk markers and detect cancer early in its
development. (Credit: C. Gunn)
Dr. David Chao (left), Dr. Negli Zhang, and Dr. John Sankovic (not pictured) created the award-winning Multidimensional Contact Angle
Measurement Device, a technology that helps engineers understand how liquids spread on different surfaces. Understanding this phenom-
enon is critical to producing many commonly used liquids, including paints, coatings, and lubricants. In space applications, it is important
for determining the optimal performance of heat pipes and fuel tanks. The device can provide a 360-degree view of the liquid spreading
process, rather than only the side view available with previous devices. It also costs up to 15 times less than current, less-capable com-
mercial systems. (Credit: M. Smith, WYLE)
Students create paper rockets, which they will launch by jumping on empty two-liter soft drink bottles or using bicycle pumps, at the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory’s outdoor stomp rocket activity. Part of our Summer of Innovation, the activity helped teach the students about
motion, force, and design. (Credit: NASA/JPL–Caltech)
A weld technician monitors as the Universal Weld System completes the final friction stir weld on the Orion crew vehicle in May 2010 at our
Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. Nondestructive evaluations validated the strength and integrity of the weld before
the crew vehicle was prepped for ground testing in flight-like environments, including static vibration, acoustics, and water landing tests.
(Credit: NASA)
Astronaut Anna Fisher holds a three year old, dressed in her commander’s spacesuit, at Hampton, Virginia’s, 2010 Holly Days Parade.
Months earlier, the girl became frustrated when she could not take the Moon out of the sky and put it in her pocket. Her parents took her
interest as their cue to expose her to all things space, including—but definitely not limited to—meeting an astronaut. Fisher told girl that if
she wanted to be an astronaut, she would need to study hard and get good grades in school. (Credit: NASA/S. Smith)
Felisa Wolfe-Simon processes mud from Mono Lake, California, to inoculate media to grow microbes on arsenic. Researchers conducting
tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using
the toxic chemical arsenic. The microorganism substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components. This finding of an alternative bio-
chemistry makeup will alter biology textbooks and expand the scope of the search for life beyond Earth. (Credit: H. Bortman)
The 2011 NASA Strategic Plan is produced by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, NASA Headquarters.
National Aeronautics
and Space Administration
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546
NP-2011-01-699-HQ
Mission success requires uncompromising commitment to
Safety, Integrity, Teamwork, and Excellence.
