Review of NASA's Aerospace Technology Enterprise

The Committee for the Review of NASA's Pioneering Revolutionary Technology (PRT) Program and its three supporting panels were charged by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with assessing the overall scientific and technical quality of the PRT program and its component programs, along with their associated elements and individual research tasks. Major issues addressed in the review include (1) research portfolios, (2) research plans, (3) technical community connections, (4) methodologies, and (5) overall capabilities. As reflected in the organization of the report, a two-pronged assessment was developed. Each panel provided a detailed assessment of the program under its purview, which was refined and updated over the course of the review. The committee, composed mainly of representatives from each panel, integrated and evaluated the panel results and provided top-level advice on issues cutting across the entire PRT program. Table of Contents Front Matter Executive Summary 1. Introduction 2. Overall Assessment of the Pioneering Revolutionary Technology Program 3. Report of the Panel on Computing, Information, and Communications Technology 4. Report of the Panel on Engineering for Complex Systems 5. Report of the Panel on Enabling Concepts and Technologies Appendix A: Statement of Task Appendix B: Committee and Panel Members Biographies Appendix C: PRT Program Organization Appendix D: Committee and Panel Activities Appendix E: Task Questionnaires Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations