Background Between the 4 October 1957 launching by the Soviet Union of the first artificial earth satellite, Sputnik I, and the successful American landing and return from the moon in July 1969, the United States sponsored five human-spaceflight programs. The author examines the NASA-DOD relationship in human-spaceflight programs by looking at three issues. — First, what was the attitude of presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson toward the use of space exploration as a tool to secure international prestige and national pride as part of the Cold War struggle? — Second, what institutional relationship existed…
Author: John Greenewald
Background The Commission was directed to assess the organization and management of space activities in support of U.S. national security. Members of the Commission were appointed by the chairmen and ranking minority members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and by the Secretary of Defense in consultation with the Director of Central Intelligence. The Commission unanimously concluded that the security and well being of the United States, its allies and friends depend on the nation’s ability to operate in space. Document Archive Report to the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization, January 11,…
Background The importance of space and space-related activities to support global military operations has expanded significantly over the past 50 years–and is still evolving. Today, the U.S. Navy is perhaps the most reliant of all the Services on space for communications, navigation, surveillance, weather, and oceanographic support. Document Archive From the Sea to the Stars: A Chronicle of the U.S. Navy’s Space and Space-related Activities, 1944-2009 (2010 Edition) [262 Pages, 8.8MB]
Background This report summarizes the results of an evaluation of a variety of advanced low thrust propulsion options for the cargo-delivery portion of a split-mission piloted Mars exploration scenario. The propulsion options considered were solar sails. 100-MWe class nuclear electric propulsion (NEP), 100-WEe class solar electric propulsion (SEP), magnetic sails (magsails), mass drivers, rail guns, solar thermal rockets. beamed-energy (laser and microwave) propulsion systems, and tethers. The requirement was to transport 400 metric tons (MT) of cargo from a 500-km altitude low Earth orbit (LEO) to a 6000-km altitude Mars orbit (e.g., Phobos’ orbit) for the 2014 opportunity. The primary…
Background According to 48 CFR 42.203 – Contract administration services directory: The Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) maintains the Federal Directory of Contract Administration Services Components. The directory lists the names and telephone numbers of those DCMA and other agency offices that offer contract administration services within designated geographic areas and at specified contractor plants. Federal agencies may access it on the Internet at https://pubapp.dcma.mil/CASD/main.jsp. For additional information contact – Defense Contract Management Agency, 3901 A Avenue, Building 10500, Ft. Lee, VA 23801-1809. Document Archive Click on the image below to enlarge. FOIA Response Letter Mr. Greenwald, This email is…