NASA is preparing to launch a multi-month effort to revamp its so-called space-technology-area roadmaps to better jibe with new recommendations in an independent report.
NASA proposed creating 14 such roadmaps a year ago, and the new National Research Council (NRC) report identifies 16 top-priority technologies within those roadmaps that it dubbed necessary for NASA’s future missions and, potentially, the American aerospace industry.
The 16 areas relate to NASA missions involving human activity beyond low-Earth
orbit, exploration of the solar system and potential life elsewhere, and humans’ understanding of Earth and the
universe.
The report states “future U.S. leadership in space requires a foundation of sustained technology
advances.”
NASA said its Office of the Chief Technologist will lead an agency-wide “analysis and coordination effort” to update its existing 14 technology-area roadmaps with the technologies identified by the NRC.
“The NRC report will help define NASA’s technology development priorities in the years to come,” NASA said in a statement.
NASA asked the NRC to examine its 14 draft technology-area roadmaps last year and prioritize technologies for the space agency.
NRC chose the 16 technologies it identified from its own ranking of 83 technologies found in the NASA roadmaps, which contained roughly 300 technologies.
“The report strongly reaffirms the vital importance of technology development to enable the agency’s future missions and grow the nation’s new technology economy,” said Mason Peck, NASA Headquarters’ chief technologist. “The report confirms the value of our technology development strategy to date. NASA currently invests in all of the highest-priority technologies and will study the report and adjust its investment portfolio as needed.”