SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT STUDY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87B01034R000700060016-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 25, 2005
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: November 20, 1978
• Content Type: MF

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i'uwonal Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Washington, D.C.
20546
Office of the Administrator
November 2.0, 1978
MEMORANDUM FOR: The-Secretary of State
The Secretary of the Interior
The Secretary of Agriculture
The Secretary of Commerce
The Director of Central I:ntell~--
SUBJECT: Space Transportation System Enhancement Study
Presidential Directive/NSC-42 calls for an interagency
task force to make recommendations by August. 1, 1979, on
what future space transportation system capabilities will
be needed. Dr. Press has asked the Department of Defense
and NASA to co-chair this Task Force; Dr. Hans Mark, Under
Secretary of the Air Force, and Dr. A. M. Lovelace, Deputy
Administrator of NASA, have agreed to lead this important
study of incremental improvements to the basic Shuttle
transportation system.
As a first step, DoD and NASA have identified-these areas
.as requiring early attention:
The basic Shuttle orbiter is limited by its on-
board electrical power system. This limitation
.placed operational constraints on Shuttle orbital
stay times .as well as-on the design of integral
Shuttle payloads. Preliminary studies have already
identified-a number of candidate approaches to
increase the electrical power available to Shuttle
and Shuttle payloads. It would be very helpful if
-interested agencies would outline their foreseeable
space power requirements over the next ten-.to
fifteen-years for integration into the study.
Declassified for NASA
Equities - per NASA Ltr.
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2.. The Shuttle system as presently configured will
require.some thrust augmentation capabilities in
order to meet its specified.performance envelope.
While the minimum thrust augmentation-required.is
established by currently programmed missions,.it
would be helpful to receive potential future payload
weight-and orbit. projections. from the interested
agencies to factor into the study.
3. The orbiter's integral Remote Manipulation System
provides only a limited capability for manipulation
of paylaods in space. A number of important on-orbit
activities are now being identified that may'require
an extension of these capabilities, such as remote
on-orbit maintenance, repair, or refueling. it
would. be useful to have the views of the interested
agencies on those on-orbit capabilities felt to be
needed over the next fifteen years.
4. At. present, the Shuttle system includes the IUS
and the.SSUS's as propulsive stages. Future
.missions may require additional capabilities for
propulsion and new operational flexibilities such
as reusability.
These initial study areas do not, of course, represent the
full spectrum.of.potential additional capabilities that could
be considered in the evolution of space transportation;
.interested.agencies-are invited to outline other specific
foreseen needs- that.the Task Force should study.
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It would be appreciated if the agencies desiring to partici-
pate would develop and document their views on these topics
and, at the same time, identify a senior agency representa-
tive.to-the Task Force. Communications on this matter should
be addressed to either Dr.. Lovelace or to Dr. Mark, with a
copy to. the other.
CC: .
The Secretary of Defense
Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs
Director,,Office of Science and
Technology Policy
Director,.. Office of Management and Budget
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