AIAA Career Enhancement

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A CRISIS IN AERONAUTICS The NASA
Landscape Aerospace Sciences Meeting January 8,
2001
Carol A. Cash, Chair Aeronautics
Subcommittee AIAA Public Policy Committee
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Overview
Our topics today

• Historical RT Trends
• Competitive Forces
• Technological and Societal Impacts
• Cause for Optimism
• What Needs to be Done

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Historical RT trends
NASAs Aeronautics Budget Trend
M in FY 98 Constant Year Dollars

• FY 00 budget has declined 37 since 1994
• No FY 01 data aeronautics has disappeared as
  a line item

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Historical RT trends
Current situation

• OMB feels 600M right budget historically for
• NASA aeronautics
• DOD aeronautics budgets also declining
• Commercial needs now drive the aviation business
• Perception is that aeronautics is a mature
  industry
• - not revolutionary technology

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Historical RT trends
Validation critical for technology insertion

• Current budget
• cannot support
• demo programs
• Industry cannot depend on NASA technology for
  critical path

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Historical RT trends
Funding limits Technology Readiness Levels

• NASA has expertise which Industry needs, but
  TRLs are too low
• NASA and Industry must partner to close the
  technology gap

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Competitive forces
Foreign competition increasing

• Aeronautics major positive factor in trade
  balance,
• but U.S. companies are losing ground
• EC investing heavily in aeronautics research
• with two full scale engine demonstration
• programs planned

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Technological and societal impacts
NASA goals on-target but . . .

• Funding constraints push out milestones
• and change scope
• Technology roadmaps to achieve objectives remain
  unfunded

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Technological and societal impacts
Aero-space RD bears fruit if

• There is a strong, stable RD budget
• National core competencies are protected
• Intellectual capital is nurtured

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Technological and societal impacts
Future challenges require technology

• Transportation in the 21st Century will be
  driven by
• the desire to travel further, get there faster
  and
• explore new frontiers.

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Cause for optimism
Agencies must work together

• Declining aeronautics research budgets are
• a threat but also an opportunity for leverage
• NASA, DOD and DOE identifying program synergies
• Requires executive level commitment
• and stable budgets

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Cause for optimism
Professional organizations mobilize

• AIAA PPC Subcommittee on Aeronautics
• Aeronautics Coalition targeting new
  Administration
• AIA successful in championing Presidential
• Commission on Aerospace

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Cause for optimism
Awakening Aeronautics Awareness
Aeronautics is an RT-intensive enterprisethe
committee is greatly concerned that ongoing
reductions in RT, which seem to be motivated
primarily by the desire to reduce expenditures in
the near term, are taking place without an
adequate understanding of the long-term
consequencesIn addition, for the United States
to succeed in the globalized world aviation
market, the nation requires clearly defined
national objectives for aeronautics RT.
(Committee on Strategic Assessment of U.S.
Aeronautics, National Research Council)
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Cause for optimism
Congress concerned by declining budget

• Congress remedied deficiencies for noise and
• emissions research in 00 budget
• 01 Conference Bill restored and increased
  vital
• programs
• NASA Authorization Bill provided additional
  funding
• authorization and supportive language for
  aeronautics

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What needs to be done?
The Federal Government must

• Recognize the importance of aeronautics to this
  Nation
• Ensure that RTD is balanced
• Foster and encourage partnerships with NASA,
  DOD,
• DOE, FAA, Industry, and Academia
• Provide strong, stable budgets for aeronautics
  research
• Make appropriate investments in research
  facilities

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What needs to be done?
AIAA Aeronautics Issues for 01

• Develop and implement a National Aviation
  Research
• and Technology Plan
• Provide for the design and development of a safe
  and
• efficient air transportation system
• Maintain a skilled workforce through increased
  funding
• of innovative academic research

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What needs to be done?
What can YOU do to help?

• Contact your legislators to voice your concerns
• Educate Congress on the importance of
  aeronautics
• Create public awareness of the issues
• Join us for Congressional Visits Days 3-21 and
  3-22
• Get involved become part of the solution