#NASA SPACE SHUTTLE DEVELOPMENT UPGRADE#

The office funds the study and implementation of Phase II upgrades out of its annual budget of approximately $100 million. Proposed Phase II upgrades are coordinated by the Space Shuttle Program Development Office and prioritized by their projected cost and potential to meet program goals.

Phase II upgrades typically cost $10 to $50 million each, including development and production. Phase II upgrades are defined as high value, low impact, incremental improvements, primarily to combat obsolescence. Since these upgrades have already been approved, developed, and in many cases completed, they are outside the scope of this report. Funding for Phase I upgrades accounts for most of the S&PU budget in FY98 and FY99. Phase I upgrades include ongoing modifications initiated in the early 1990s to improve shuttle safety (e.g., modifications to the main engine), as well as upgrades (such as the super lightweight tank) to increase the shuttle's ability to support the ISS. In addition to the phased upgrades, the Space Flight Operations Contract (SFOC) between NASA and the USA corporation contains limited incentives for USA corporation to initiate and implement (with NASA's approval) cost-savings upgrades. Proposed upgrades are categorized as either Phase I, Phase II, Phase III, or Phase IV, depending on when they were approved, their anticipated costs, and their effects on the space shuttle design. The program manager has the authority to spend these reserves-approximately $190 million per year in FY98 and FY99-on any problem areas and, since FY97, has dedicated about $100 million per year to the development of new shuttle upgrades.ДЄccording to NASA's FY99 budget request, space shuttle upgrades will be developed and implemented in вЂњa phased manner supporting one or more of the program goals.вЂќ The phasing strategy вЂњwill be coordinated with the reusable launch vehicle (RLV) project and other development projects to capture common technology developmentsвЂќ (NASA, 1998a). The funding for upgrades managed by the Space Shuttle Program Development Office comes from Space Shuttle Program reserves, although the funding is considered to be in the S&PU budget for bookkeeping purposes. Figure 2-2 shows how the S&PU budget compared to the total shuttle budget during four different years since 1985, including the projected budget for FY99.

The vast majority of S&PU funding is dedicated to modifications and improvements to the flight and ground elements of the program, including the expansion of safety and operating margins and the enhancement of space shuttle capabilities, as well as the replacement of obsolescent systems (and systems that are noncompliant with anticipated changes to environmental regulations). In fiscal year (FY) 1998, about $650 million was spent on S&PU, out of a total shuttle budget of $2.9 billion. Historically, most space shuttle upgrades have been funded through the S&PU line. The two major components of the shuttle program budget are вЂњShuttle Operations,вЂќ and вЂњSafety and Performance UpgradesвЂќ (S&PU). Space Shuttle Upgrades Program's location in the NASA hierarchy.ДЄnd ground operations (excluding civil service salaries). Figure 2-1 shows how the upgrades program fits into the NASA organization. The manager of the Space Shuttle Program Development Office chairs the Space Shuttle Upgrades Program Requirements Control Board (SSUPRCB), which has the authority to fund upgrades for which development and production will cost less than $5 million and to review and forward proposals for more expensive candidate upgrades to shuttle program management for disposition.

#NASA SPACE SHUTTLE DEVELOPMENT UPGRADE#

This office is responsible to the program manager for collecting, organizing, and prioritizing all upgrade concepts proposed by NASA organizations and shuttle contractors. Potential upgrades to the shuttle are coordinated by the Space Shuttle Program Development Office, which was created in 1997 and reports to the Space Shuttle Program manager. The program manager reports to the director of the lead center for the Space Shuttle Program, the Johnson Space Center (JSC), who reports to the associate administrator for the Office of Space Flight at NASA headquarters, who in turn reports to the NASA administrator. The Space Shuttle Program is part of NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) enterprise, under the authority of the Office of Space Flight.

Nasa space shuttle development