December 29, 2010 Vol. 3, Issue 12
The Office of the Chief Technologist has released new draft technology roadmaps that highlight where significant advances in technologies of interest to NASA and the nation are needed.
On December 2, 2010, NASA provided the National Research Council (NRC) with 14 draft roadmaps that lay out areas of research and technology development to enable future NASA science and exploration mission needs. They serve as a departure point for a national dialogue with industry, academia and other government agencies about possible future space technologies and capabilities. When finalized, the roadmaps will help guide NASA’s technology research and development efforts during the coming decades and inform the National Space Technology Policy called for in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010.
“We’re posting the draft roadmaps to the web and providing them to the NRC to study and collect public comment early on, to encourage community participation in developing NASA’s technology and innovation portfolio of tomorrow,” NASA’s Chief Technologist Bobby Braun said. “Identifying and prioritizing key technology areas that will enable the new knowledge and capabilities NASA needs for the future is vitally important. These draft roadmaps describe the seed corn investments required for tomorrow’s great discoveries.”
In developing the draft roadmaps, teams of NASA experts identified technology challenges that push the boundaries of aeroscience. The NRC will collect public comment about the drafts and hold workshops to discuss content. An NRC committee will identify gaps and critical investment targets in each roadmap area. They also will prioritize the technologies and capabilities in each of the 14 areas, as they pertain to the needs of NASA and the nation.
