NASA's current focus on the International Space Station will require sufficient numbers of astronauts to sustain the orbital science lab through at least 2020. Photo Credit/NASA Photo
NASA’s shrinking astronaut corps is headed toward a post shuttle era shortfall because of the demands of long duration missions aboard the International Space Station, uncertainties over the role the fliers will play in nurturing commercial space transportation services and developing new spacecraft for deep space exploration, according to a new report from the National Research Council.
In a 102-page report released Wednesday, Preparing for the High Frontier — the Role and Training of NASA Astronauts in the Post-Space Shuttle Era, a panel of 13 experts also warns of unexpected changes in an already dynamic attrition rate or surprises brought on by the health risks associated with long missions aboard the orbiting science laboratory.
NASA should ensure that it has enough highly qualified astronauts to meet the station’s training requirements as well as fill the traditional role of influencing the design and operational standards of new spacecraft, the panel said. The 25 percent margin in personnel that NASA strives for should be higher, though the report does not recommend how much higher.
At its peak, NASA’s astronaut core numbered nearly 150 people a little over a decade ago. At the time, NASA was launching four to five space shuttle missions annually and preparing for the full time staffing of the space station. This year, as construction of the station’s U. S.segment came to a close and the shuttle program was retired, the space agency counted 61 astronauts.
Projected attrition rates could bring that total closer to 50 personnel within five years, a total that may not be adequate to meet the station’s six person staffing requirements nor the demands of emerging commercial service providers or missions aboard the Orion/Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle that NASA is developing for human deep space missions.
The agency’s most recent recruiting class, in 2009, included nine candidates, who are accounted for in the estimates.
“With the retirement of the shuttle program and the uncertainty during the transition to a fully operational ISS, it’s even more important that the talent level, diversity and capabilities of the astronaut office be sustained,” said Joe Rothenberg, a former NASA associate administrator of space operations who chaired the NRC’s 13-member study panel. “Making sure NASA maintains adequate training facilities is also essential to ensure a robust astronaut corps.”
The Orion/Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is under development by NASA for astronaut missions to a range of deep space destinations. Photo Credit/NASA photo
The committee included five former astronauts, among them co-chair Fred Gregory, who retired from NASA as the deputy administrator.
“Viewed as a supply chain, astronaut selection and training is very sensitive to critical shortfalls,” said Gregory. “Astronauts are trained for specific roles, and missions cannot be easily interchanged.”
The space agency struggled twice in the past year, for example, to overcome surprises on its final shuttle missions. The crew for Discovery’s final flight in February and March took on a substitute for Tim Kopra, when the veteran flier was injured in a bicycle accident. Steve Bowen, a veteran astronaut with the right spacewalking skills, was able to fill in for Kopra.
Mark Kelly, the commander of Endeavour’s final mission, faced unprecedented adversity when his wife, Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was severely wounded during a shooting spree at a Tucson political rally. Kelly remained at Endeavour’s helm for the demanding May-June shuttle mission, though NASA at one point looked at an astronaut turned manager as a possible substitute.
According to the study, NASA can find even normal mission preparations daunting.
Newly selected astronauts require four to six years of training before they are prepared for their first space station assignment. Any one mission may need an astronaut with strong science skills, or engineering skills or even experience as a spacewalker. Finding all of that in one person is not always possible.
Timed for about six months, each station voyage tests the muscles and bones of all astronauts. A 1-2 year recovery period is typical before an astronaut is considered ready to launch again.
And with the shuttle in retirement, NASA is relying on the Russian Soyuz for transportation to and from the station. There are restrictions for flying in the cozy capsule that restrict the tallest and shortest astronauts.
Recently, some astronauts have reported vision problems that can also slow their post mission recovery. Then, there are career limitations on the exposure of astronauts to solar and cosmic radiation that can be mission limiting.
The report also urges NASA to continue its training of astronauts at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, rather than look to an outside organization to shoulder the responsibility.
Astronauts in training will continue to benefit from flying in NASA’s fleet of T-38 supersonic jet trainers based at Ellington Field in Houston, the panel reported. Fliers, especially those without military experience, benefit from time in the high performance aircraft, where they learn how to perform efficiently when they are under pressure to respond to sometimes fast changing conditions.
The number of T-38’s, aircraft first acquired by NASA in 1964, is expected to fall from the 31 the agency maintained a decade ago to about 16 within five years.