OPENING MINI CASE STUDY JW NASA FORGOT HOW TO SEND A MAN TO THE MOON: HOW COULD THE WORLD'S BEST NOWLEDGE FACTORY LOSE KNOWLEDGE? e USA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established in 1958, partially response to the Soviet Union's launch of the first artificial satellite the previous year. NASA grew It of the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) which had been researching flight ichnology for more than 40 years. NASA's vision: We reach for new heights and reveal the unknown for the benefit of humankind. NASA headquarters, in Washington, DC, provides overall guidance and direction to the agency, icer the leadership of the administrator. Ten field centres and a variety of installations conduct the 8y-to-day work, in laboratories, on air fields, in wind tunnels and in control rooms. 'NASA conducts its work in four principal organizations, called mission directorates: Aeronautics: manages research focused on meeting global demand for air mobility in ways that are more environmentally friendly and sustainable, while also embracing revolutionary technol- ogy from outside aviation. Human Exploration and Operations: focuses on International Space Station operations, the development of commercial spaceflight capabilities and human exploration beyond low- Earth orbit. Science: explores the Earth, solar system, and universe beyond: charts the best route of discov- ery; and reaps the benefits of Earth and space exploration for society. Space Technology: rapidly develops, innovates, demonstrates, and infuses revolutionary, high- payoff technologies that enable NASA's future missions while providing economic benefit to the nation. \\oA's work today: In the early 21st century, NASA is extending our senses to see the farthest aches of the universe, while pushing the boundaries of human spaceflight farther from Earth than er before. Since its inception in 1958, NASA has accomplished many great scientific and technological 3is in air and space. Its technology has also been adapted for many non-aerospace uses by the vate sector. NASA remains a leading force in scientific research and in stimulating public interest aerospace exploration, as well as in science and technology in general. Perhaps more importantly, exploration of space has taught us to view Earth, ourselves, and the universe in a new way. While } tremendous technical and scientific accomplishments of NASA demonstrate vividly that humans achieve previously inconceivable feats, we are also humbled by the realization that Earth is just ny 'blue marble' in the cosmos. Check out our 'Thinking about NASA History' folder online as an ion to how history can help you. Source: From an article by former NASA chief historian Roger Launius on the accomplishments of the NASA History Division, www.nasa.gov (Continued) (Continued) The following scenario at NASA is loosely based on an idea from Delong (2004). Roberta Jackson was sitting in her office at NASA Headquarters. She was a senior scientist in NASA's Science Directorate. She had just finished talking with her boss, Alison Blunt. Alison had told Roberta that the new Federal Administration had given NASA a directive to land a person on Mars by 2025. There was a perception in the public that NASA was spending too much money o space exploration. The new administration felt it was time for a public relations exercise. Growing awareness of the negative impact of our species on the planet had led to increasing interest in colonizing a new planet. While NASA was focusing on finding new planets in the universe which seemed to resemble Earth's conditions and, therefore, be suitable for life, these were too far away to colonise with existing technology. While NASA had sent spacecraft to Mars, no one had yet set foot on Mars. The new administration wanted this to happen. Alison told Roberta that she had to make it happen. Roberta began thinking about the Apollo 11 mission which led to Mission Commander Ne Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin landing the lunar module Eagle on the surface of the moon on 20 July 1969. Armstrong became the first to step onto the lunar surface six hours later on 21 July 1969 There were a total of six manned US landings between 1969 and 1972. No one had landed on the moon for 45 years. Roberta called John Olson, director of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorat Integration Office. She explained her discussion with Alison. John asked her if she knew muc about Project Constellation. She said no. He told her to call Jeff Hanley, NASA's Constellatic programme manager. At the end of her conversation with John, she asked him why NASA ha stopped landing people on the moon. John replied: 'We no longer needed to. We had achieved goal set by President Kennedy. It was expensive. There was no point to further missions.' Roberta called Jeff Hanley. She explained her brief and asked Jeft to tell her about F Constellation. He said the project was launched in 2004 and planned to return humans to the by 2020. Roberta asked why it will have taken 16 years to do this. The initial moon landing took h that time. Jeff explained that there were a few important differences. First, the scope of the proje was bigger. 'This is much more than filming footsteps in the lunar dust', said Jeff. 'We're going fo sustained human presence in space.' Jeff explained that rather than visit the moon for hours or da at most, Constellation astronauts will embark on missions that could last months. They will need n tools and technologies for living on the moon, and must construct semi-permanent habitats on lunar surface. Besides the challenge of designing these systems, NASA must build a spaceship t can transport all the extra supplies. This led Jeff to the second problem: lack of rocket science. He explained that NASA's rockets and space shuttles are not capable of surpassing low-Earth orbit to reach the moon the amount of gear required for a manned expedition. 'The amount of rocket energy it takes accelerate those kinds of payloads away from Earth doesn't exist anymore', said Jeff Hanle existed in the Apollo era with the Saturn V. Since that time this nation has retired that capabil 'Do you mean we have lost the knowledge to land a human on the moon?' asked Robe B was shocked. 'Yes', replied Jeff. 'But we are working on it. The Chinese say they know how d will sell it to us for a billion dollars. But we can't afford the public relations disaster. After all, vented this. We can't buy it from someone else.' Roberta couldn't tell if he was serious or 3. 'But how could this happen?' she asked. 'How did we lose that knowledge? We have the est people in the world working for us. Can't they figure it out? Surely they know more than scientists working in the 1960s?" 'Well, we can't ask those guys to help because they are all i, replied Jeff. 'It was a long time ago. In terms of how smart our current people are - well, arder than it sounds there is a particular problem with the thrusters that get us off the surface. It is actually harder to ensure we can get our people off the moon and back home it is to get them there in the first place." "Well, | have only got half the time you had with your 8ct to get people on Mars', replied Roberta. 'Do you have any information that can help me arted?' 'Talk to Frank Peri', replied Jeff. erfa was sitting in the office of Frank Peri, director of NASA's Exploration Technology ent Program at Langley Research Center in Virginia. Frank was sympathetic. He explained ject Constellation could help her project. 'We had always planned to go farther than the , said Frank. 'The lunar voyages were to be a staging ground to prepare humans to joumey to 'But', he added, 'there are problems. The complexity of leaving Earth's orbit, we understand But getting back to the moon is not trivial, staying on the moon is not trivial, and going on to even beyond that.' perta was stunned. 'Can you tell me how to land a person on Mars?' she asked. 'No', Frank. 'Do we have any information on NASA's intranet that can help me?' she asked. eplied Frank. 'Is there anyone who still works here that knows anything about what we did e Apollo missions?' she asked. 'No', replied Frank. 'Surely someone knows something', A sighed. 'What exactly did we lose that we have to rediscover?' she asked. 'It was a Dlueprints', Frank said. 'Apparently the secrets were found in these blueprints. You have erstand that this was before NASA had personal computers, or intranets, or could scan s like blueprints into electronic form. We lost the blueprints. We know they once existed are gone now. Someone probably threw them in the rubbish.' 'Can we talk to someone those blueprints?' she asked. 'No', replied Frank. ''Why didn't we at least interview those e they retired to capture what they knew?' she asked. 'We never thought we would at capability again', replied Frank. irta walked out of Frank's office and thought to herself, '| will have to start again from DY QUESTIONS 1 knowledge is necessary for NASA to land a person on Mars? (See Chapter 1) did NASA forget how to land a person on the moon? (See Chapter 2) did NASA lose the capability to land a person on the moon? (See Chapter 5) should NASA do to ensure they do not lose this capability again