The report points to outdated infrastructure, a need for better alignment between funding and programmatic goals, and inefficient management practices as key obstacles. "NASA should rebalance its priorities and increase investments in its facilities, expert workforce, and cutting-edge technology development, even if it means postponing new missions," the report says.
"NASA has overcome incredible, unique challenges over its 66-year history, becoming a fount of innovation and a source of national pride, but its biggest problem now is more mundane and all too common - the tendency to focus on near-term accomplishments at the expense of long-term viability," said Norman Augustine, former undersecretary of the Army and retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin, who chaired the report committee. "This isn't happening in a vacuum - NASA has been operating with a mismatch of work and funding - and now our space agency, Congress, and the nation need to make some difficult decisions about priorities in order to rebuild the foundations for NASA's continued success."
Challenges and Complexities Facing NASA
The report outlines several factors complicating NASA's mission, including rapid technological advancements, competition for talent with other sectors, and insufficient federal funding. In addition, the lack of timely congressional authorization acts and increasing global competition, particularly from China, further complicates NASA's long-term planning.
Despite achieving ever-more complex and ambitious missions, NASA's current budget is insufficient for the scale and complexity of its future goals. The report stresses the need for Congress to provide adequate funding and for NASA to balance its budget between immediate mission needs and long-term infrastructure and workforce development.
Since 2017, only two NASA congressional authorization acts have been passed, limiting the agency's ability to plan for the future. This legislative gap has hindered NASA's ability to anticipate workforce and infrastructure requirements and has contributed to inefficiencies in contracting, budgeting, and research and development. However, NASA's newly initiated NASA 2040 review is seen as a positive step toward addressing some of these challenges.
Aging Infrastructure and Growing Concerns
NASA's infrastructure, essential for its projects and technology development, is aging and in need of significant upgrades. The report highlights that 83% of NASA's facilities are beyond their designed life span, with many dating back to the 1960s. This aging infrastructure presents challenges in maintaining operations, attracting talent, and advancing critical projects.
Examples of infrastructure concerns include high-end computing resources, which are overburdened by growing demand, and space communication capabilities, including the Deep Space Network, which are critical for both current and future missions. The report suggests that NASA work with Congress to establish a working capital fund to reduce the agency's maintenance backlog over the next decade. This fund could be supported by both government resources and fees from users of NASA's facilities.
Maintaining In-House Expertise and Technological Capabilities
NASA has helped cultivate a thriving U.S. commercial space industry, but the report warns of the risks of excessive reliance on commercial partners, particularly in highly specialized, early-stage work. The agency's increased outsourcing could erode its own internal expertise, affecting mission oversight and increasing risks if commercial partners fail to meet their commitments.
"Excessive use of certain contract types removes NASA employees from hands-on mission work and can deprive them of the ability to develop and maintain leading-edge technical expertise," the report states. To mitigate these risks, NASA should maintain a balance between benefiting from industry partnerships and investing in internal research and development for early-stage, mission-critical technologies that are not commercially available. The report also recommends that NASA develop a new human capital strategy and work with Congress to revise the NASA Flexibility Act of 2004 to expand hiring and appointment authorities.
The study, conducted by the Committee on NASA Mission Critical Workforce, Infrastructure, and Technology, was sponsored by NASA. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provide independent, objective analysis and advice to inform U.S. policy decisions related to science, engineering, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter granted by President Lincoln.
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