[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 112 (Friday, August 1, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1622-E1623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1622]]
                   NASA LEWIS RESEARCH CENTER: PART 4

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 1997

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to make note for the Record 
of the future of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 
[NASA's] Lewis Research Center [Lewis].
  Throughout the 1990's, Lewis, along with many other NASA field 
centers suffered due to downsizing and budget cutbacks. However, the 
future appears to be full of promise.
  In NASA's most recent strategic plan, published in February 1996, the 
overall agency mission provides for near-, mid-, and long-term goals. 
Within these time parameters there are various missions which will be 
carried out. Comparing Lewis' current roles and missions, they could 
feasibly be involved in all of the missions in each of the time 
periods. Contributing to such things as research on the international 
space station, developing technologies that will enable human missions 
beyond Earth orbit and advancing the implementation of routine, 
affordable space travel are just some of the programs in which Lewis 
has the relevant expertise.
  As the Center of Excellence in Turbomachinery and NASA's No. 1 
aeropropulsion research facility, Lewis is set to play an important 
role in all of NASA's future planned missions through the year 2025. 
This unique expertise would be difficult to find elsewhere and NASA 
would not be able to meet its goals without Lewis.
  The backing of both Congress and the White House in NASA is evident 
from the fiscal year 1998 budget recommendation. In turn, NASA's faith 
in Lewis is seen from the fact that their 1998 funding level is likely 
to be increased by $50 million. As long as the Nation continues to 
benefit from the important work that NASA conducts, they will receive 
the necessary funding, their near-, mid-, and long-term goals will be 
met and Lewis' position as an important and central component to this 
success will be secured.
  I recommend the following report, which has been prepared by the 
Congressional Research Service, commenting on the promising future of 
Lewis Research Center.

                   NASA Lewis Research Center--Part 4


                          The Future of Lewis

       When the potential for closing NASA centers is discussed 
     within the space community, some mention Lewis as a center 
     likely to be closed. The reductions at Lewis over the past 
     four years may have furthered the impression that the center 
     is a candidate for closure. One way of gauging the potential 
     for closing LeRC is by comparing NASA's future plans with the 
     current roles and missions of Lewis. If future NASA plans 
     require the resources and facilities of Lewis, that lessens 
     the likelihood that LeRC will close. The following two 
     sections look at how Lewis' roles and missions compare with 
     NASA's current strategic plan. The first section looks at 
     NASA's overall goals and whether Lewis would be involved with 
     fulfilling those goals, and the second section compares 
     Lewis' main role in aeropropulsion and turbomachinery with 
     the strategic plan.


              NASA's Strategic Plan--Overall Agency Goals

       NASA's future plans are portrayed in its strategic plan, 
     the most recent of which was published in February 1996. The 
     plan provides the overall agency mission and defines the 
     near-, mid-, and long-term goals that NASA wants to achieve 
     over the next 25 years and beyond. NASA has determined that 
     it has 3 mission areas: To advance and communicate scientific 
     knowledge and understanding of Earth, the solar system, and 
     the universe and use the environment of space for research; 
     to explore, use, and enable the development of space for 
     human enterprise; and to research, develop, verify, and 
     transfer advanced aeronautics, space, and related 
     technologies.
       Each of these mission areas has 3 main goals for the near-, 
     the mid-, and the long-term periods for a total of 9 main 
     goals per period. In comparing Lewis' current roles and 
     missions, the center could contribute to at least one goal 
     over each time period in each of the 3 missions. The 
     following lists the goals in which Lewis could have a role.

                      Near-term Goals (1997-2002)

       Explore nature's processes in space; assemble and conduct 
     research on the International Space Station and enable a 
     long-term U.S. presence in space; develop new technologies 
     and processes to enhance research and make space programs 
     more affordable; and develop affordable technologies for 
     U.S. leadership in the aviation growth markets of the 21st 
     century.

                       Mid-term Goals (2003-2009)

       Expand long-duration research to understand nature's 
     processes in space; live and work in space to develop and 
     demonstrate critical capabilities and systems to prepare for 
     expanded human exploration; lead the activities of industry, 
     DOD, and others to develop advanced technologies that will 
     enable human missions beyond Earth orbit; dramatically 
     improve aeronautics and space system design cycles, 
     technologies and applications to enhance research and foster 
     new products and industries; and apply knowledge gained from 
     space-based experimentation to ground-based research, 
     development, and manufacturing.

                 Long-term Goals (2010-2025 and beyond)

       Expand our understanding and use of nature's processes in 
     space; achieve affordable, routine space travel to enable 
     research and human enterprise; enable advances to aeronautics 
     and space systems to support ``highways in the sky,'' ``smart 
     aircraft,'' and revolutionary space endeavors; and support 
     the maturation of established aerospace industries and the 
     development of new high-tech industries such as space-based 
     commerce.
       At this level of analysis, it appears that Lewis could have 
     a significant role in achieving the agency's goals over the 
     next 25 years and beyond. As the Center of Excellence in 
     turbomachinery, Lewis is attempting to position itself as a 
     world-class center whose expertise and facilities are not 
     matched by any other U.S. facilities. As such, the closure of 
     Lewis would appear to inhibit the agency's ability to achieve 
     the goals that have been set forth.


        Aeropropulsion and Turbomachinery and the Strategic Plan

       A more detailed analysis of Lewis' future can be achieved 
     by examining how the center's main mission as the Lead Center 
     for Aeropropulsion and the Center of Excellence for 
     Turbomachinery coincides with the agency's strategic plan. 
     This main mission of Lewis maintains a FTE level of 
     approximately 970, representing almost half of the total 
     Lewis FTE level. The future of Lewis is more closely tied to 
     this mission area than any other Lewis mission.
       NASA has divided the work it undertakes in its strategic 
     plan into 4 main areas which are known as ``enterprises.'' 
     Each center undertakes activities in one or more enterprises, 
     but each is associated with one primary enterprise. Lewis is 
     associated with the Aeronautics and Space Transportation 
     Technology Enterprise.
       This enterprise divides its strategic plan goals into three 
     areas known as ``pillars'': Global Civil Aviation, 
     Revoluntary Technology Leaps, and Access to Space. The future 
     plans of these three areas are stated in 10 goals. Lewis 
     could have significant involvement in 7 of these 10 goals. A 
     listing of the 7 goals that could involve Lewis participation 
     follows. With each goal, a brief description of how Lewis 
     could be involved is included.
       Reduce the emissions of future aircraft by a factor of 
     three within ten years, and by a factor of five within 20 
     years. This is a goal related to aeropropulsion. It involves 
     the pursuit of engine technologies that lead to cleaner-
     burning and higher-efficiency engines.
       Reduce the perceived noise levels of future aircraft by a 
     factor of two from today's subsonic aircraft within 10 years, 
     and by a factor of four within 20 years. This goal includes 
     the development of engine configurations that would reduce 
     engine noise.
       Reduce the cost of air travel by 25% within 10 years, and 
     by 50% within 20 years. Research efforts to meet this goal 
     will include the development of new design techniques and 
     concepts to advance today's state-of-the-art for engines.
       Reduce the travel time to the Far East and Europe by 50% 
     within 20 years, and do so at today's subsonic ticket prices. 
     This goal includes the development of technologies for 
     supersonic engines that are cleaner and quieter than today's 
     subsonic engines.
       Invigorate the general aviation industry, with U.S. 
     industry delivering 10,000 aircraft annually within 10 years, 
     and 20,000 aircraft annually within 20 years. This goal 
     includes the development of general aviation aircraft engines 
     that are ultra-reliable, maintainable, and affordable, and 
     allow for faster flight.
       Provide next-generation design tools and experimental 
     aircraft to increase design confidence, and cut the 
     development cycle time for aircraft in half. This goal 
     includes the testing of air-breathing engines and engine 
     design concepts on experimental aircraft.
       Reduce the payload cost to low-Earth orbit by an additional 
     order of magnitude, from $1000s to $100s per pound, by 2020. 
     This goal includes the development of air-breathing 
     propulsion for use in space launch vehicles. Aeronautical 
     air-breathing engine concepts will be applied to space launch 
     vehicles.
       One could argue that Lewis' expertise in aeropropulsion and 
     turbomachinery and its unique facilities allow the center to 
     have a significant role in fulfilling the strategic goals of 
     the Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology 
     enterprise over at least the next 25 years. The expertise 
     could be portable, but the unique facilities would be 
     difficult to replicate elsewhere, making it difficult to 
     achieve the strategic goals without, Lewis.


                               Conclusion

       During the 1990s, NASA Lewis has undergone significant 
     reductions in its budget and FTE levels, and its areas of 
     work responsibility have been reduced. When compared to other 
     NASA centers, Lewis has had the highest percentage reduction 
     in budget of all NASA centers; has had the second highest FTE 
     percentage reduction; and has a total

[[Page E1623]]

     planned FTE percentage reduction through FY2000 that is 
     surpassed by KSC and MSFC.
       During discussion in the space community, Lewis often makes 
     the list of potential NASA centers that could be closed in 
     the future. The reductions at Lewis over the past four years 
     may have furthered the impression that the center is a 
     candidate for closure. Based on the current strategic plan, 
     however, the near-term closure of Lewis appears unlikely. 
     Recent statements of NASA Administrator Dan Goldin support 
     that supposition. In an April 24, 1997 hearing before the 
     Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space, Mr. 
     Goldin was asked if the agency had any future plans for the 
     closure of some of its centers. He responded that NASA's 
     future requires all of its centers and that there were no 
     plans for closing any centers. He did assert that his 
     response was predicated on the assumption that NASA's outyear 
     budget plans would be met.
       That caveat is important to note. NASA's strategic plan 
     assumes that the agency will have stable budgets over the 
     next few years. If NASA were to undergo significant 
     reductions in its budget, the possibility of center closures 
     might become more likely. The future of Lewis would then be 
     tied to what priority the nation gives to NASA's Aeronautics 
     and Space Transportation Technology enterprise versus the 
     other three NASA enterprises. If budget constraints 
     precipitated the decision to reduce or eliminate NASA's 
     aeronautics mission, the future of Lewis would be in doubt. 
     However, such a scenario appears unlikely in the near-term.

     

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