PREPARED STATEMENT OF ADELBERT O. TISCHLER, DIRECTOR, SHUTTLE TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE, OFFICE OF ADVANCED RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

INTRODUCTION

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:

The advancements in many technological areas over the past decade, most notably in high-pressure hydrogen-oxygen rocket engines, entry vehicle flight technology, high temperature materials and insulation, and electronics, have provided the basic technological foundation for the space shuttle concept. To meet the requirements of a low-cost reusable space transportation system a continuing technology effort, concentrated on the most critical problems and geared to produce timely results, has been undertaken by OART, in cooperation with OMSF, to establish the technology base required to develop a fully reusable space transportation system. This program was motivated by the requirements of the shuttle for high performance engines, very low inert vehicle weight, and low-cost operations calling for reusability over many flights with minimum maintenance. This multidisciplinary attack was implemented during FY 1970 and will continue in FY 1972.

The purpose of this program is to develop a body of technical information to serve as a basis for design definition, configuration selection, materials and methodology choices, operating decisions, and the like, and to assess the state of preparedness. It also will provide a cadre of consulting experts to guide the development efforts.

Because the low-cost space transportation concept embodies the technologies of both space vehicles and aircraft and requires well-conceived development and operational procedures, it was recognized from the outset that it would be essential to bring together the talented people from NASA's research centers, with their strong background in aeronautical and space research, and the people from our space centers, expert in space system development and operations, to meet the technical requirements of the shuttle vehicle. It was recognized also that the technology effort would have to be concentrated on the most critical needs, would have to be geared to produce results on schedule to support the Agency's plans and decisions, and would have to be intensely coordinated among the NASA Centers and between NASA and industry to insure the maximum efficiency and economy of the activity.

To accomplish these things OART was requested by OMSF to assume responsibility for organizing and directing the overall technology program. OART in turn would be responsive to shuttle requirements as developed by OMSF through its planning and contracted preliminary design studies.

In addition to undertaking the overall direction of the shuttle technology effort OART also supports the technology program through the use of its unique facilities and assignment of appropriate portions of its R & D funds in those areas in which special technical capabilities exist. OART thus has a dual function in support of the space shutt e program which will continue through FY 1972. As the technology matures and the shuttle program moves into new phases the OART role will naturally diminish, but support in the solution of particular problems will continue as necessary.

Funding for shuttle technology is derived from OART and OMSF. The OART commitment of $25.17 million is created by the dedication of certain portions of the funds from the four OART Divisions whose disciplines are required and who are directly involved in the management of the project activities.

These Divisions are Materials and Structures, Entry Technology, Space Propulsion and Power, and Guidance, Control and Information Systems. In FY 1972 the OMSF funds total $22.6 million. The tota! shuttle technologies effort therefore is $47.77 million.

TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

The shuttle technologies program is organized to bring the technically expert people in our research and space centers to bear on the most critical technological problems. This concentrated effort is conducted in concert with design studies and supporting technical investigations conducted by industry and by universities.

Key responsibilities rest with the NASA Centers, who both generate and execute the work done both in-house and with the aerospace industry. An ad hoc shuttle technology management organization was brought into action in FY 1970. It was further refined during FY 1971 and formalized by establishing a Shuttle Technologies Office in OART.

The main elements of this organization are illustrated by the simplified functional diagram depicted in Figure 1 (RS71-3603). Seven Working Groups, each with associated speciality panels and subpanels are assigned specific areas of technology of importance to the shuttle.

The seven disciplinary Working Group areas are identified in Figure 2 (RS713613).

The membership of the Working Groups comprises experts from all NASA Centers working in the particular area involved. With one exception Working Groups are chaired by Center individuals who are leaders in their fields. Also represented are appropriate OART and OMSF Headquarters Offices and Divisions and various DOD/USAF installations doing related work.

The projects necessary to resolve the most critical technological problems are first proposed by Center representatives to the disciplinary Working Groups. The criticality of a technological problem is gaged with regard to both its technological capability of fulfilling the shuttle requirement and/or the time required to make the result available for design purposes.

The Working Groups screen these proposals and recommend a coherent nonduplicating series of projects to be conducted both in-house and under contract. They receive overall direction from the OART Shuttle Technologies Office and make their recommendations to that office.

A Technical Steering Group, comprised of the Chairman of the seven Working Groups, other key Center and Headquarters managers, and Department of Defense representatives, serves as a senior advisory forum to assist in gaging the balance and adequacy of the overall program, in resolving interface questions, and in detecting technology program deficiencies. The Director for Development of the European Launcher Vehicle Development Organization (ELDO) also attends these meetings to keep currently informed.

The resulting program is further compressed and refined by a Program Review Panel, an executive interface group comprised of both OMSF and OART representatives, whose function is to maximize results while staying within fund resources available from both organizations. This group formulates a plan in consonance with overall program priorities and Program office functional responsibilities.

This plan is recommended to the Associate Administrators for Advance Research and Technology and Manned Space Flight who act jointly in this program. On approval of the plan, specific work guidelines are sent through the existing line organization channels back to the NASA Centers. The OART Divisions are responsible for negotiating agreements with the Centers on accomplishing the needed result and for administering the efforts.

The technology tasks and projects within the approved program are managed by the NASA Centers and are conducted both in-house using NASA facilities and by contracts with industry and universities. Seven NASA Centers, the four Research Centers and the three Manned Space Flight Centers, conduct the bulk of the effort, with responsibilities assigned in accordance with each Center's technical competence and facilities.

The Shuttle Technologies Office, through its special technical organization, and with the aid of the Center management and representatives of the Headquarters elements involved, integrates the multidisciplinary work ad

ministered by the OART Divisions, serves as the formal interface with OMSF, and through the line organizations, directs and coordinates the program effort among the several Centers involved. This involves commitment of personnel and facilities insuring logical continuity of effort, and assignment of the direct administrative management to the Headquarters Divisions.

The shuttle technologies program is being conducted with tight controls on program (1) content, (2) funding, and (3) schedule of accomplishment. A formal reporting and review system has been instigated to "track" the progress of each project. These projects are reviewed monthly and detailed narrative reports, along with schedule-event and fiscal data plans are submitted by each Center participating in the program quarterly. An indirect benefit of this coordination is the improved communication between centers, and between center and contractors. This is perhaps the first instance where the technical expertise of all NASA Centers has been brought to focus in one project. With such concentration remarkable progress on some difficult problems is already apparent.

PROGRAM ELEMENTS, ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND FY 1972 OBJECTIVES

In last year's testimony the main elements of OART's on-going and planned efforts to meet the technological challenge of the shuttle were discussed in some detail. This program is moving ahead as scheduled.

The FY 1972 program is basically a continuation of the current program, with adjustments in specific areas that result from the technological progress already made, and from new insights into shuttle requirements generated by the OMSF study efforts.

Work supported directly by OART resources is contained within the four OART disciplinary programs shown in Figure 3 (RS 71-3610). The testimonies of the Entry Technology Office and the three Divisions, namely, Materials and Structures, Propulsion and Power, and Guidance, Control, and Information Systems, refer to projects that support the shuttle.