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Last Updated ( Monday, 30 August 2010 23:32 )
What is the National Research Council?
Decadal Surveys and Other On-Going NRC Studies About Space
Recent Reports from the Space Studies Board
Recent Reports from the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
Classic NRC Reports
What is the National Research Council?
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) was created by a law signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. In 1916, the NAS established the NRC as its “operating arm” to conduct studies requested by and paid for by the federal government or other sponsors. The NAS created the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 1964, and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1970.
The National Academies (referred to as one entity though it is comprised of four), is non-profit organization and are not part of the U.S. Government. However, because the original institution, the NAS, was created by law, some operations are subject to certain conditions. For example, the NRC is not permitted to compete for federal contracts (so all contracts must be sole-sourced) and NRC studies are subject to Section 15 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).
NRC reports are written by committees of expert volunteers from academia, industry, the government, and other organizations. Most NRC reports are managed by one of the more than 60 “Boards” into which the NRC is administratively divided. Most reports about the space program are issued by the Space Studies Board (SSB) or the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB). Other Boards also may be involved in space-related studies, including the Board on Physics and Astronomy, the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, the Ocean Studies Board, and the Air Force Studies Board.
Thus, an NRC "Board" is composed of the members of the Board (which provides strategic direction for a Board's activities), a varying number of ad hoc study committees that are created specifically to write a report on a specific topic and terminate once the study is complete, and the staff. In some cases, such as the SSB, there also may be standing committees on a particular topic or discipline. SSB has five standing commitees, while ASEB has none. If available, we post presentations made at meetings of the Boards and the SSB standing committees.
Presentations to the July 2010 SSB Committee on Earth Studies Meeting
Decadal Surveys and Other On-Going NRC Studies About Space
The SSB and ASEB typically have 6-10 studies underway at any given time, of which roughly 80% are space-related. The following list shows the on-going NRC space-related studies with links to NRC websites where further information can be obtained, including who is on each committee and past and future meeting dates and agendas. These websites are part of the NRC's Current Projects System, which can be searched for any on-going NRC study.
Decadal Surveys
What is a Decadal Survey?
One of the signature products of the SSB (and other NRC boards) are "Decadal Surveys." The term Decadal Survey is derived from the fact that these studies look forward to the next 10 years (a decade) of research in a particular discipline and are performed about every 10 years. They use a community-based consensus-building process for determining priorities for research. The first Decadal Survey was for ground-based astronomy and astrophysics in 1964. Today, the astronomy and astrophysics Decadal Survey sets priorities for both ground-based and space-based research in that field. The NRC's Board on Physics and Astronomy (BPA) and the SSB jointly conduct that survey. More recently, the SSB has produced Decadal Surveys in planetary science, solar and space physics, and earth science and applications from space. The first Decadal Survey for biological and physical sciences in space is now underway.
Decadal Surveys are highly valued by NASA (and NSF for astronomy and astrophysics) because they represent a consensus of the researchers in a particular discipline (the "community") as to what are the most important areas of research and, for NASA, the order in which specific missions should be built and launched. The priorities identified in a Decadal Survey are usually strictly followed. Congress also finds these studies useful. In the 2008 NASA Authorization Act (P.L. 110-422), Congress directed NASA to request such studies from the NRC on a periodic basis and to require that they include independent cost estimates of recommended missions and "trip-wires" - conditions under which the priority given to a mission might be reexamined.
Current Versions of Decadal Surveys
The current versions of the space-related Decadal Surveys are as follows:
While not a space-related study, ASEB performed a Decadal Survey for civil aeronautics research that is available here. BPA has undertaken Decadal Surveys for other disciplines under its purview that are available on its website.
"Performance Assessments" for the Decadal Surveys
In Sec. 301 of the 2005 NASA Authorization Act (P.L.109-155), Congress directed NASA to obtain external "performance assessments" for each of the NASA science divisions at 5-year intervals. In practice, these have become NRC reviews of progress towards achieving the recommendations of the respective Decadal Survey. Three have been completed.
A fourth, on earth science and applications from space, is expected to begin in late 2010 or early 2011.
Ongoing Decadal Surveys
As noted, Decadal Surveys are repeated at approximately 10-year intervals. The latest Decadal Survey for astronomy and astrophysics was released on August 13, 2010 so is not listed here since it is not ongoing. The planetary science Decadal Survey is currently being updated. For the first time a Decadal Survey for biological and physical sciences in space (microgravity and partial gravity) is being undertaken. The next Decadal Survey for solar and space physics (heliophysics) is expected to begin soon. See below for links to those studies.
Planetary Science Decadal Survey - SSB
The main website for the Planetary Science Decadal Survey provides information about the survey, including "letters to the community" from survey chair Steve Squyres (Cornell University) and white papers submitted from the community, for example.
The survey is being conducted by the Survey Committee and five panels, each of which have their own websites for announcing meetings, etc.
Read a SpacePolicyOnline.com summary of the survey committee's first meeting, July 6-8, 2009
Download the Powerpoint presentations from the first survey committee meeting
Download the Powerpoint presentations from the second survey committee meeting, Nov. 16-18, 2009
Download the Powerpoint presentations from the third survey committee meeting, Feb. 22-24, 2010
An update on the status of the survey was provided at the December 2009 meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Representatives of each of the five panels made presentations, provided below. Some of the files are large and may take a moment to load -- please be patient.
- December 2009 Update, Panel on Primitive Bodies (Joe Veverka, Cornell)
- December 2009 Update, Panel on Inner Planets (Ellen Stofan, Proxemy Research)
- December 2009 Update, Panel on Satellites (John Spencer, Southwest Research Institute)
- December 2009 Update, Panel on Mars (Philip Christensen, Arizona State University and Wendy Calvin, University of Nevada-Reno)
- December 2009 Update, Panel on Giant Planets (Mark Marley, NASA-Ames)
Information on the panels is provided below.
Biological and Physical Sciences in Space Decadal Survey - SSB/ASEB
The main website for the Biological and Physical Sciences in Space Decadal Survey provides information about the survey including instructions for submitting white papers. The survey is being conducted by the Steering Committee, co-chaired by Betsy Cantwell (Oak Ridge National Lab) and Wendy Kohrt (University of Colorado, Denver) and seven panels, each of which have their own websites for announcing meetings, etc. The committee released an interim report (see below) in the summer of 2010; the final report is expected in 2011.
Download the Powerpoint presentations from the joint meeting of six of the seven panels held on Aug. 19-20, 2009.
Read a SpacePolicyOnline.com article and download Powerpoint presentations from the public sessions of the October 14, 2009 steering committee meeting.
DOWNLOAD THE INTERIM REPORT
Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics - SSB
The Space Studies Board is initiating a Decadal Survey for solar and space physics (heliophysics). For more information visit the SSB's website for this decadal survey. The inaugural meeting of the steering committee is scheduled for September 1-3, 2010.
Other Ongoing Studies
SSB reports can be obtained for free as long as supplies last by contacting the Board at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or by downloading a free PDF version from the National Academies Press website (follow link below). Look for the blue “Sign In” box on the left menu and follow the instructions to download the free PDF version.
ASEB reports can be obtained for free as long as supplies last by contacting the Board at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or by downloading a free PDF version from the National Academies Press website (follow link below).
Look for the blue “Sign In” box on the left menu and follow the instructions to download the PDF version.
Other Classic NRC Reports
In addition to the Decadal Surveys, other NRC reports become classics that are widely cited. Some that appear to be of most interest to the space community that are not listed above are shown here.
Beyond Fortress America: National Security Controls on Science and Technology in a Globalized World (2009, Policy and Global Affairs)
NASA's Beyond Einstein Program: An Architecture for Implementation (2007, SSB and BPA)
Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2007, Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy)
The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon: Final Report (2007, SSB)
The Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems (2007, SSB)
Building a Better NASA Workforce: Meeting the Workforce Needs for the National Vision for Space Exploration (2007, SSB and ASEB)
An Assessment of Balance in NASA's Science Programs (2006, SSB)
Assessment of Options for Extending the Life of the Hubble Space Telescope: Final Report (2004, SSB and ASEB)
A Strategy for Research in Space Biology and Medicine into the Next Century (1998, SSB)
U.S.-European Collaboration in Space Science (1998, SSB)
The Human Exploration of Space (1997, SSB)
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National Research Council
