Office of Space Access and Technology (OSAT) (Code X)
Associate Administrator:  Dr. John E. Mansfield
Public Affairs Contact:  Jim Cast 358-1779

The goal of the Space Access and Technology enterprise is to 
pursue, in partnership with industry, government, and NASA's 
other Enterprises, new and innovative technologies that will 
meet the challenges and lower the costs of future space 
missions.  The Space Access and Technology program stimulates 
the development of advanced space technologies to improve the 
international competitiveness of U.S. aerospace and non-
aerospace industries.  The ability of the U.S. to compete in 
the global market mandates that it develop new and innovative 
technologies that will dramatically lower the cost to 
develop, build and launch new spacecraft.  The budget request 
of $725.0 million in FY 1997 supports these new technologies 
and brings us closer to meeting the overall goal.  Highlights 
of the program are listed below.

Advanced Space Transportation $324.7 million

The goal of the Advanced Transportation program is to develop 
new technologies aimed at revitalizing access to space.  
These new technologies are targeted to reduce launch costs 
dramatically over the next decade, to increase the safety and 
reliability of current and next generation launch vehicles, 
and to establish new plateaus of performance for in-space 
propulsion while reducing cost and weight.

In accordance with National Space Policy, NASA is taking the 
lead in developing the technology for the next generation 
reusable space transportation system.  The FY 1997 program 
will include concept analysis, ground-based technology 
development, and a series of flight demonstrators (the DC-XA, 
the X-34 Small Reusable Demonstrator, and the X-33 large-
scale Advanced Technology Demonstrator.)  Each portion of 
this program contributes to the process of validating key 
component technologies, proving that the technologies can be 
integrated into a functional vehicle, and demonstrating the 
required operability to make low-cost access to space a 
reality.

Spacecraft and Remote Sensing $151.0 million

The Spacecraft and Remote Sensing Program has the primary 
goal of providing innovative technologies to enable ambitious 
future space missions and to support development of the 
required space technology base in the U.S. space industry 
through focused, joint space technology efforts.

The future of NASA space science missions will largely be 
determined by the ability of NASA to reduce mission costs 
without reducing performance and payoffs.  The spacecraft 
systems program will address this challenge by working to 
develop technology products for future planetary, 
astrophysics, astronomy, Earth observing, and human 
exploration spacecraft systems.  These products will 
dramatically reduce costs and increase performance to enable 
new and more flexible missions.  The program will also work 
with industry to enhance the U.S. Leadership in commercial 
communications, and to stimulate development of commercial 
space remote sensing.

To assure maximum efficiency of resource utilization, the 
Spacecraft Systems program is structured around cross-cutting 
technology areas that address all current and future 
missions. This structure enables identification of 
technologies that can best meet the requirements of NASA 
missions across all program areas (space science, earth 
science, commercial communications, etc.).  The key cross-
cutting areas are spacecraft systems technology, instrument 
and sensing technology (including commercial remote sensing), 
autonomy and operations, telerobotics and communications.

Advanced Smallsat Technology $30.0 million

The goals of the Small Spacecraft Technology program are: to 
initiate new technology demonstrations that emphasize 
advancements in components, instruments technology and 
operations; to reduce the cost and development time of space 
missions for science and commercial applications; to 
demonstrate new design and qualification methods for small 
spacecraft, including the use of commercial and performance-
based specifications; and to promote actively commercial 
technology applications.

This program is designed to work in partnership with industry 
to infuse new technology rapidly in science and commercial 
missions.  The program will capitalize on advanced light-
weight satellite concepts, critical subsystem and component 
technologies and design methodologies that have demonstrated 
the potential to reduce the cost of NASA and commercial 
spacecraft greatly.  In particular, this major effort will 
allow both NASA and U.S. industry to exploit the next 
generation of miniaturization for spacecraft components, 
advanced instrumentation, and sensors, and to integrate them 
into advanced design concepts.

Space Processing $41.8 million

The Space Processing program has two elements: Space Product 
Development and Space Station Utilization.  The Space Product 
Development facilitates the use of space for commercial 
products and services produced in space, derived from 
knowledge acquired in space, or the result of new approaches 
to ground-based commercial activities using insights gained 
from space flight.  The Space Product Development program 
seeks to increase U.S. business participation and investment 
in space-linked commercial goods and services in order to 
benefit the U.S. industries involved and the economy as a 
whole.  The program also seeks to provide the opportunity for 
students to engage with industry in space program activities, 
in order to help provide individuals with new insights and 
qualifications for exploiting the benefits of space 
activities.

The Space Station Utilization program enables the development 
and operation of space processing and technology research 
payloads using the space station as a long-duration orbital 
facility.  These payloads will facilitate the development of 
new products, services, capabilities, and technologies, for 
commercial and government use.  The Space Station Utilization 
program provides for special-use hardware, such as the 
Express Rack and thermal containers, payload integration and 
operations not provided by the Space Station program.  The 
Phase I Space Station experiments activity is designed to 
reduce risk for follow-on Phase II/III Station activities.

Commercial Technology Program $24.2 million

The Commercial Technology program goal is to share the 
harvest of NASA's technology with the U.S. industrial 
community.  The scope of the commercialization effort 
includes technologies created at NASA centers by civil 
servants and innovations from NASA contractors.  The 
commercial technology program assures that NASA's technology 
developments, in past as well as current programs, contribute 
to a significant improvement in the quality of American life 
and an increase in America's international competitiveness.

Changes in National R&D investment guidelines have elevated 
the commercial technology mission to a fundamental NASA 
mission.  NASA Agenda for Change is the agency's blueprint 
for achieving this mission.  The Agenda for Change is 
organized into six sections, each reflecting an important 
aspect of this new way of doing business.  The six sections 
are:  Commercial Technology Policy; Commercial Technology 
Business Practices; Marketing NASA's Capabilities; Commercial 
Technology Metrics; Culture Change Through Training and 
Education; and the Commercial Technology Electronic Network.  
Each section implements components of the national and agency 
policies in order to reinvent the way that NASA transfers 
technology to and from the national economy.

Advanced Concepts $3.8 million

The Advanced concepts activity will identify, develop and 
bring forward new, unconventional, and far-reaching ideas and 
concepts that may later be applied in advanced technology 
programs.  These fresh, new ideas and concepts will be 
harvested from outside of NASA as well as from NASA's most 
promising innovators.  Advanced concepts activities will 
predominantly address NASA strategic objectives requiring 
technology readiness 10-20 years into the future, as well as 
highly innovative space applications and commercially 
enabling space opportunities.

Small Business Innovation Research Programs $142.2 million

Established by Congress, the Small Business Innovation 
Research (SBIR) program helps NASA develop innovative 
technologies by providing competitive research contracts to 
U.S.-owned small businesses.  SBIR program objectives 
established by law include stimulating technological 
innovation in the private sector, strengthening the role of 
small business concern in meeting Federal research and 
development needs, increasing the commercial application of 
federally supported research results, and fostering and 
encouraging participation by socially and economically 
disadvantaged persons and women-owned small businesses in 
technological innovation.

Several innovations have been implemented in the small 
business programs in the last year.  A detailed, external 
peer review of each proposal's ultimate commercial potential 
is now included in the selection process.  In addition, a 
comprehensive, systematic review of past SBIR projects' post-
Phase II, commercial and or mission applications has been 
initiated.  The information from the review will be used to 
identify critical predictors of commercial viability and, 
therefore, to increase the effectiveness of the programs.  
Finally, a new approach is being implemented to focus several 
subtopics into specific NASA mission applications.  The 
intent is to more closely tie the SBIR activity to the 
primary mission needs of each NASA Enterprise.

Technology Transfer Agents $7.3 million

Technology Transfer Agent activities utilize technology 
transfer agents such as the National Technology Transfer 
Center (NTTC) to facilitate the transfer and commercial use 
of Federally-sponsored research and technology (and 
associated capabilities). The increased use of this research 
and technology will enhance U.S. economic growth and 
industrial competitiveness.

March 1996