Pressing Needs in Aeronautics Research

Abstract : The National Research Council (NRC), in Securing the Future of U.S. Air Transportation: A System in Peril, recommended that the U.S. government create a comprehensive, widely accepted long-term vision and a coherent set of requirements for all federal agencies with a major stake in the air transportation system. As the nation's leading aeronautics research organization, NASA features prominently in the NRC report, and many of its findings and recommendations directly affect NASA. in addition to that report, other external reviews dating back to 1997 have addressed issues relevant to NASA aeronautics research. NASA asked LMI to conduct an independent review of 11 recent reports to identify findings related to NASA's recent role and activities in aeronautics research. We also identified recommendations that could affect NASA's future leadership in aeronautical research. in general, the 11 reports we analyzed consistently emphasize the importance of U.S. air transportation to our national interests. Reduced technological advantage and declining economic strength are among the problems with high-priority recommendations attached to them. Most of the reports also stress the importance of federal support for aeronautics research, in both financial and leadership terms.