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[musical tones]
[electronic sounds data]

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- So welcome to the
2015 NASA Ames Summer Series.

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NASA, and in particular,
NASA Ames,

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changes the way we see
and interact with the world.

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As a research
and technology center,

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NASA Ames develops
novel concepts and approaches

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to advance NASA's missions.

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This cannot be achieved
without a great team

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balanced by a great leadership.

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Today's talk entitled
"NASA Ames' Role in the Future

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of Exploration, Science,
and Aeronautics"

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will be given by our NASA Ames
Deputy Center Director,

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Dr. Tom Edwards.

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Dr. Edwards is a graduate
of Princeton University

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with a Bachelor's in mechanical
and aerospace engineering.

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He also received a Master's
and a PhD degrees

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in aeronautics and astronautics

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from Stanford University.

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Also he has a Master's
of science and management

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from Stanford
Graduate School of Business

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and is a Sloan Fellow.

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He began his career at NASA
in 1983

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just after finishing
the Bachelor's.

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He has had experience both
on the technical

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and management ladder

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within the Center,

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and prior to becoming a deputy,

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he was the
Director of Aeronautics at Ames.

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Please join me in welcoming

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Dr. Thomas Edwards.

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[applause]

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- Thank you very much,

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and thank you all
for coming today.

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I know there's a lot of things
going on at the Center today

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and I appreciate
that you took the time

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to come and listen to me.

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I also want to thank Jacob
for this opportunity.

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If those of you
who have been coming to

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the colloquia
through the summer

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you've gotten to hear
from astronauts,

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scientists,
project managers,

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and authors.

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Fascinating people, and so
the grand finale is a manager.

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[laughter]

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- And so it took a fair bit
of courage on your part

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to come and hear,

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but I look forward to sharing
with you a little bit about

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how I view this lofty title
of the future

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of Ames' role
in the Agency's missions.

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As you probably know,
many of you probably know

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both me and the Center Director,
Dr. Eugene Tu,

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are relatively new
to our positions.

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We have been
in our positions for

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just a little over
three months now,

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both of us.

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And while we're fairly new
to those positions,

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we're fairly long
to the Center itself,

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so we have a general pretty good
idea of what's going on here.

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But we are in new roles,

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and it's somewhat audacious
to think that

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we've got the future
figured out already.

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So this is really just a preview
of what's to come,

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where we see things headed,

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and looking forward
to working with you

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on really defining the future

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and looking at how
Ames and our assets

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best fit into the future
of where the Agency is going.

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So with that,

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I'd like to give you
a little bit of an introduction

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to what Ames is doing,

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and you'll see
that my central thesis

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is that Ames
really is the future of science,

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exploration,
and aeronautics.

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And the reason
I say that is that

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here at Ames, more than
any other Center in the Agency,

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we conduct fundamental,
groundbreaking,

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innovative research.

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For that reason, sometimes
we're viewed as unconventional,

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possibly even controversial,

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and we're also looking at

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the next generation
of technologies

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that will enable or help us
understand things

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that are really beyond
the current day

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operational time horizons.

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So we are out there
really working in the future

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and the rest of the Agency
is catching up to us

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in many ways
and that's a heritage

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we've had
for a very long time

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and I think it's good for us
to proceed with in the future.

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So to start with,
let's think a little bit about

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what the Agency
espouses as its future.

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And there are these really
inspirational taglines here

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that the Agency has put out
as part of its vision.

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to "Reach new heights,"
"Reveal the unknown,"

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and "Benefit all humankind."

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That's really incredible,
and that's inspirational stuff.

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It's part of what
makes it really fun and cool

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to say that you work for NASA

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and to come through the gate
every day and be part of this.

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That said, those are
fairly lofty statements.

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What does it really mean?

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So that's what
I want to talk about here

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and get a little bit more
specific about it.

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We've got all these
very altruistic goals,

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but what does that mean?

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What do we do about that,
and where are we going?

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So the next level of vision
that the Agency has espoused

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are embodied
in these nice posters

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with sayings that
kind of capture the major areas

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of emphasis for the Agency.

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They're a little bit hard
to see,

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so I'll go around
and touch on each one

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and you'll see how
they kind of fit together

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and they also describe
those very nice statements

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on the previous chart.

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In the upper left is
"Aeronautics."

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That's the first "A" in NASA.

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It's where I spent
most of my career

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working as a researcher
and as a manager.

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And the tagline there is

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"With you when you fly."

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You'll hear a little bit
more about what that means

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in a minute,

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but, essentially, there is NASA
technology

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in every aspect
of air transportation

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and in aircraft,
and so when you are flying,

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you are benefitting
from NASA technology.

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The next one
in the middle says

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"Earth Right Now,"

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and the tagline there is
"Your planet is changing.

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We're on it."

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Nice little
double entendre there.

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I like that.

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And we have our own planet
to understand,

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just like we
want to understand planets

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in the rest of the universe,

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but we first should
understand our own planet,

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especially because
it pertains very directly to

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our quality of life
and our way of life here.

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And so a major emphasis
is to look at our own planet.

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Then on the upper right,

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there's the
"International Space Station.

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Off the Earth for the Earth."

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And you'll hear a little
bit more about the way

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that that research platform
in space

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is using
its unique environment

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to understand
the way humans evolve

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and how we adapt
to varying conditions

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and how life can survive
in microgravity

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and that will benefit
life on Earth

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as well as in our
exploration activities.

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Continuing around clockwise,

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we've got
"Solar System and Beyond,"

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and that one says,
"We're out there."

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And you can just think
of any number of missions

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that have been profiled recently

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that are understanding
the solar system,

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most recently New Horizons.

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We had a major event here
to celebrate the flyby

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that the "New Horizons"
spacecraft did of Pluto.

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Coming back around,
there's "Mars,"

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and this is really
the centerpiece

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in a lot of ways,
"NASA's Journey to Mars,"

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so I'm gonna come back
to that in just a minute.

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But that currently
is the driving focus

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for a lot of NASA's work
in technology

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and in exploration.

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And finally, we've got
"Space Technology."

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And the tagline there is,
"Technology Drives Exploration."

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So we are--we are
a technology organization.

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NASA thrives on technology.

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We need new technology
always to push the frontiers

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and to enable the capabilities
that we need

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to do evermore ambitious
space missions.

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So that's a quick profile.

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Now, what I'm going to do
in this talk is

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relate this back to the things
that Ames does

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and look at how we are
contributing to the future

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in each one of these areas

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as we conduct the research
here at the Center.

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Before I do that,

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I just want to zero in a little
bit on that Mars mission,

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The Journey to Mars.

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And in fact, it really doesn't
matter a whole lot

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whether our
ultimate destination is Mars.

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It sets a focus
for us that drives

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a lot of technology
that will be relevant

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to any destination
that we go to.

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And so it's--A lot of times we
use things called

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Design Reference Missions

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to really define requirements

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and to drive technology needs

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and this would be
an example of that

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where we're setting a goal
of putting humans on Mars

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in the 2030s,

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and seeing,
what is it going to take

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to make that all happen?

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And it starts on the far left.

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in a regime that we call
Earth Reliant.

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This is the regime

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that's within
the Earth's atmosphere

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as well as up to low Earth orbit

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where we can exist
in those environments,

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but we rely intrinsically
on regular

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and routine support
from Earth.

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So we see things
like the Space Station,

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obviously,
is an active area of research,

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and we are bringing up
astronauts and supplies

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on a continuing basis
multiple times per year

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to provide
them what they need,

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to set up the experiments,

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to bring the experiments
and the data back.

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And we are learning a lot
but we are completely reliant

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on regular launch access
to those areas.

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In addition to that, we've got
commercial cargo and crew.

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Now, we're trying to hand off
the domain

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of low Earth orbit
to the commercial sector

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where there are a lot of
commercial potential.

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There's also the ability
to commercialize

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the space transportation
business to low Earth orbit,

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and we are in the process
of doing that

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with companies like
Orbital Sciences and SpaceX

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that are now providing
launch capabilities to Station

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and they will also be able
to provide launch services

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to anyone who wants
to access low Earth orbit.

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So we've learned a lot
and we've accomplished a lot

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in the Earth Reliant.

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Now, we're starting to turn
our focus to that middle ground

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called a Proving Ground.

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Now,
this is where you're getting

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a little bit farther out there,

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where it's more challenging
to both send

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spacecraft, people, payloads,

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and also to exist out there.

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Outside of the radiation belts

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into the environment that
is characteristic of deep space

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with radiation,
the potential for solar flares,

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longer duration missions,

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and the--now, the first time
that the time delay

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of communications
starts to become

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an important impediment
to how you operate,

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from anywhere from seconds
of time delay

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communicating with the Moon

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to tens of minutes
if we are to look at scenarios

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approaching Mars.

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And in this regime,
we really need to have

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our spacecraft
and our astronauts

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be more independent.

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And yet,
in this Proving Ground,

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we can,
in extreme situations,

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turn control or reliance
back to Earth

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or we can get back to Earth

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in a relatively
short amount of time.

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In this regime, we can test out
the technologies

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00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:25,366
that will be necessary for us
to become Earth independent.

256
00:12:25,366 --> 00:12:28,733
So things like
novel propulsion systems

257
00:12:28,733 --> 00:12:32,633
and also the--the crew--

258
00:12:32,633 --> 00:12:37,200
crew cargo spacecraft
that are going to be necessary

259
00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,500
to exist for longer durations
in space.

260
00:12:40,500 --> 00:12:44,000
And finally, we get
to the Earth Independent regime

261
00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,966
where we really need
a self-sufficient capability

262
00:12:46,966 --> 00:12:49,400
to sustain astronauts,

263
00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,266
to be able to operate
effectively

264
00:12:52,266 --> 00:12:56,066
on planetary surfaces
as well as in orbit,

265
00:12:56,066 --> 00:13:00,166
to fix things
that break ourselves,

266
00:13:00,166 --> 00:13:04,333
rather than having to
go back home for spare parts.

267
00:13:04,333 --> 00:13:08,633
And looking at all
the various support systems,

268
00:13:08,633 --> 00:13:11,266
habitats,
transportation vehicles,

269
00:13:11,266 --> 00:13:13,400
communication systems,
and so forth,

270
00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,466
that will sustain life
in an independent manner.

271
00:13:16,466 --> 00:13:19,233
So I took a bit of time
to go through this,

272
00:13:19,233 --> 00:13:22,633
because this really does explain
many of the things that

273
00:13:22,633 --> 00:13:26,066
we are doing within NASA
and particularly here at Ames.

274
00:13:26,066 --> 00:13:30,200
So now, let's turn and look at,
what do we do here at Ames

275
00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:32,733
that we really take pride in

276
00:13:32,733 --> 00:13:34,600
and that we think
contributes strongly

277
00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:36,700
to the future of the Agency?

278
00:13:36,700 --> 00:13:39,833
And we've grouped them
into these eight areas.

279
00:13:39,833 --> 00:13:41,900
They're fairly broad,
but they do--

280
00:13:41,900 --> 00:13:44,666
They don't cover the spectrum
of everything NASA does,

281
00:13:44,666 --> 00:13:47,833
and they certainly exploit
the unique capabilities

282
00:13:47,833 --> 00:13:49,866
that we have here at Ames

283
00:13:49,866 --> 00:13:53,866
as well as by virtue
of the community that we live in

284
00:13:53,866 --> 00:13:55,333
here in Silicon Valley.

285
00:13:55,333 --> 00:13:57,566
And I'll have
a little bit more to say,

286
00:13:57,566 --> 00:13:59,900
so I won't take too long
on each one of these.

287
00:13:59,900 --> 00:14:02,000
Air Traffic Management
is one of our

288
00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,166
main heritages
here in aeronautics.

289
00:14:05,166 --> 00:14:07,733
We're making incredible
contributions there.

290
00:14:07,733 --> 00:14:09,700
In Entry Systems,

291
00:14:09,700 --> 00:14:13,133
we've been working
in Entry Systems for decades,

292
00:14:13,133 --> 00:14:16,333
and we are still
the Agency leader

293
00:14:16,333 --> 00:14:20,166
in developing and testing
new technologies.

294
00:14:20,166 --> 00:14:22,133
Obviously,
our location has given us

295
00:14:22,133 --> 00:14:25,000
a great advantage in developing
new computing systems

296
00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,900
and information technologies
that have been used to benefit

297
00:14:28,900 --> 00:14:30,866
all of NASA's missions.

298
00:14:30,866 --> 00:14:34,233
Intelligent and Adaptive Systems
is another area that--

299
00:14:34,233 --> 00:14:37,700
that really was an outgrowth
of our capabilities in computing

300
00:14:37,700 --> 00:14:39,833
and has been applied

301
00:14:39,833 --> 00:14:42,200
to building more
and more intelligence

302
00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:44,500
into the machines
that serve us,

303
00:14:44,500 --> 00:14:47,466
whether they are aircraft
or they're spacecraft

304
00:14:47,466 --> 00:14:52,000
or planetary
exploration vehicles.

305
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,900
Low-Cost Space Missions,

306
00:14:54,900 --> 00:14:56,333
and this is important.

307
00:14:56,333 --> 00:14:59,833
It leverages our--
the spirit of innovation

308
00:14:59,833 --> 00:15:02,166
that we have
here in Silicon Valley

309
00:15:02,166 --> 00:15:04,433
and asking the question,

310
00:15:04,433 --> 00:15:07,000
"Can we do the same thing
for less?"

311
00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,700
Now, in many cases,
space is expensive,

312
00:15:10,700 --> 00:15:12,900
sometimes very, very expensive,

313
00:15:12,900 --> 00:15:15,333
but through some creativity

314
00:15:15,333 --> 00:15:18,133
and through looking
at unique combinations

315
00:15:18,133 --> 00:15:20,833
of technology capabilities,
we can ask,

316
00:15:20,833 --> 00:15:24,066
"Well, couldn't we do the same
thing for a whole lot less?"

317
00:15:24,066 --> 00:15:26,500
And, of course,
when you do that,

318
00:15:26,500 --> 00:15:28,100
you're accepting more risk.

319
00:15:28,100 --> 00:15:32,333
And so what we are pioneering
for the Agency

320
00:15:32,333 --> 00:15:37,033
is developing low-cost
novel space missions,

321
00:15:37,033 --> 00:15:40,833
admittedly accepting
additional risk,

322
00:15:40,833 --> 00:15:42,533
but the payoff is there that

323
00:15:42,533 --> 00:15:44,433
we're willing to take the risk

324
00:15:44,433 --> 00:15:47,800
in order for a big payoff
that we can do science

325
00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:50,333
and exploration
more inexpensively,

326
00:15:50,333 --> 00:15:52,566
more quickly,
and we can take advantage

327
00:15:52,566 --> 00:15:55,633
of higher technology
because of the shorter cycles.

328
00:15:55,633 --> 00:15:58,566
So this is a new area
that's really taken root

329
00:15:58,566 --> 00:16:00,400
within the Agency.

330
00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,400
Aerosciences
is a very broad area

331
00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,800
that applies to using the--

332
00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:08,866
both the experimental
and computational capabilities

333
00:16:08,866 --> 00:16:10,333
that we have here at the Center

334
00:16:10,333 --> 00:16:14,100
to model and simulate
all types of vehicles

335
00:16:14,100 --> 00:16:16,300
from aircraft to spacecraft

336
00:16:16,300 --> 00:16:19,666
and to use the understanding
of physics

337
00:16:19,666 --> 00:16:23,366
and the capabilities
of digital computing

338
00:16:23,366 --> 00:16:27,066
to perform design trades
and optimize vehicles

339
00:16:27,066 --> 00:16:29,900
much better than we
ever used to be able to.

340
00:16:29,900 --> 00:16:32,066
Astrobiology and Life Science,

341
00:16:32,066 --> 00:16:34,633
another area that we
pioneered for the Agency,

342
00:16:34,633 --> 00:16:36,900
looking at the origins of life

343
00:16:36,900 --> 00:16:39,700
and the existence of life
elsewhere in the universe.

344
00:16:39,700 --> 00:16:43,000
And, finally,
in Space and Earth Sciences.

345
00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,066
We have astronomers,
we have Earth scientists

346
00:16:46,066 --> 00:16:49,300
who are Agency leaders

347
00:16:49,300 --> 00:16:51,200
in unique missions

348
00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,033
that help us
understand our planet

349
00:16:53,033 --> 00:16:55,933
and also the existence
of other planets

350
00:16:55,933 --> 00:16:59,633
and understanding the universe
in the broader context.

351
00:16:59,633 --> 00:17:03,033
So these are
the general eight areas

352
00:17:03,033 --> 00:17:05,033
that we put forward

353
00:17:05,033 --> 00:17:08,033
as where we can make
unique novel contributions

354
00:17:08,033 --> 00:17:11,033
to the Agency and really propel
the Agency forward

355
00:17:11,033 --> 00:17:12,966
in its missions.

356
00:17:12,966 --> 00:17:15,533
There's a relationship then
between these eight

357
00:17:15,533 --> 00:17:19,833
and the broad visions
that the Agency has put out,

358
00:17:19,833 --> 00:17:22,800
and so I want to kind of
step through some of those

359
00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,300
and give you
a little bit better idea

360
00:17:25,300 --> 00:17:28,533
of how we're contributing
in each of those areas.

361
00:17:28,533 --> 00:17:31,600
So let me start with
the aeronautics theme.

362
00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,233
We said, we're
"With you when you fly."

363
00:17:34,233 --> 00:17:37,333
And these--this is just a list

364
00:17:37,333 --> 00:17:39,766
along with some graphics
of some of the key areas.

365
00:17:39,766 --> 00:17:42,033
I'll just touch on each one
very briefly

366
00:17:42,033 --> 00:17:44,900
and then I'll go into a little
bit more detail on one of them

367
00:17:44,900 --> 00:17:47,600
to give you a flavor of
how we're contributing.

368
00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,666
In Transformative Aeronautics
Concepts we're looking

369
00:17:50,666 --> 00:17:53,666
at changing the paradigm
of air transportation.

370
00:17:53,666 --> 00:17:57,600
Right now, we get on
a large aircraft

371
00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,700
that looks essentially the same
as it did 40 years ago.

372
00:18:00,700 --> 00:18:02,600
It's an aluminum tube
with wings.

373
00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,266
A lot has changed since then,

374
00:18:05,266 --> 00:18:08,133
but the paradigm is very static.

375
00:18:08,133 --> 00:18:10,366
Now, we're at an age
where we're starting to look

376
00:18:10,366 --> 00:18:14,133
at whether things like personal
air transportation is possible,

377
00:18:14,133 --> 00:18:17,800
whether we can
stop using fossil fuels

378
00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,333
and make electric aircraft work.

379
00:18:20,333 --> 00:18:22,533
These are transformative,

380
00:18:22,533 --> 00:18:25,733
and so we are
looking at that here at Ames.

381
00:18:25,733 --> 00:18:28,833
We are also looking
at the Operations & Safety.

382
00:18:28,833 --> 00:18:30,233
I'll say a little bit more.

383
00:18:30,233 --> 00:18:32,666
This gets to the air
transportation system,

384
00:18:32,666 --> 00:18:36,466
but we also use
our data analysis capabilities

385
00:18:36,466 --> 00:18:38,533
to understand
the aviation system

386
00:18:38,533 --> 00:18:41,233
and where there might
be emergent safety concerns

387
00:18:41,233 --> 00:18:46,700
and solve those problems
before they result in accidents.

388
00:18:46,700 --> 00:18:50,166
UAS, Unmanned Aerial Systems,
Airspace Integration

389
00:18:50,166 --> 00:18:51,966
is a really big deal here.

390
00:18:51,966 --> 00:18:54,533
And any of you
who were here last week

391
00:18:54,533 --> 00:18:56,633
might have noticed
a major event we had

392
00:18:56,633 --> 00:18:58,500
down by Hangar One,

393
00:18:58,500 --> 00:19:00,733
which was a convention

394
00:19:00,733 --> 00:19:04,500
to address the very fascinating
and complex issues

395
00:19:04,500 --> 00:19:06,200
associated with this.

396
00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:10,500
Concerns not only about
how to fly and regulate drones,

397
00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:13,700
but also, what are the concerns
about insurance

398
00:19:13,700 --> 00:19:15,866
and privacy and security
and safety?

399
00:19:15,866 --> 00:19:18,300
It was a fantastic event,

400
00:19:18,300 --> 00:19:20,166
brought the community together,

401
00:19:20,166 --> 00:19:21,533
and I think
it's going to help us

402
00:19:21,533 --> 00:19:23,866
make a lot of progress there.

403
00:19:23,866 --> 00:19:28,200
I mentioned about High Fidelity
Modeling & Simulations.

404
00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,300
We continue
to have a heritage there,

405
00:19:30,300 --> 00:19:33,833
and really, the fundamental
understanding of fluid physics

406
00:19:33,833 --> 00:19:39,766
and acoustics to design
evermore capable aircraft.

407
00:19:39,766 --> 00:19:41,866
Wind tunnels, you can't drive
around the Center

408
00:19:41,866 --> 00:19:43,566
without seeing
a few wind tunnels,

409
00:19:43,566 --> 00:19:45,633
including the largest
wind tunnel in the world,

410
00:19:45,633 --> 00:19:49,533
and also one of the busiest
and most productive wind tunnels

411
00:19:49,533 --> 00:19:52,133
right across the street
from the largest wind tunnel.

412
00:19:52,133 --> 00:19:53,866
It's the one
with the white shell

413
00:19:53,866 --> 00:19:55,566
and the NASA meatball
on it.

414
00:19:55,566 --> 00:19:58,066
That's the most productive
transonic wind tunnel

415
00:19:58,066 --> 00:20:00,533
in the country,
and just about every aircraft

416
00:20:00,533 --> 00:20:02,533
that flies
in the transonic regime

417
00:20:02,533 --> 00:20:03,966
goes through that tunnel.

418
00:20:03,966 --> 00:20:05,533
Flight simulators,

419
00:20:05,533 --> 00:20:08,300
also to assess
pilot handling capabilities.

420
00:20:08,300 --> 00:20:11,700
We have three major
flight simulation assets here.

421
00:20:11,700 --> 00:20:13,200
And then we have

422
00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,500
the NASA Aeronautics
Research Institute.

423
00:20:15,500 --> 00:20:18,200
It's one of our
three virtual institutes

424
00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:19,933
here at the Center.

425
00:20:19,933 --> 00:20:21,700
Virtual institutes
are a novel construct,

426
00:20:21,700 --> 00:20:24,866
and I'll say a little bit more
about that in a minute.

427
00:20:24,866 --> 00:20:28,200
This is what enables us
to network and connect

428
00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,033
with the broader community,

429
00:20:30,033 --> 00:20:32,933
academia and industry,

430
00:20:32,933 --> 00:20:35,666
as well as partners
around the world,

431
00:20:35,666 --> 00:20:37,800
to bring
the best minds together

432
00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:39,966
to address problems.

433
00:20:39,966 --> 00:20:42,366
In the area of
Air Transportation,

434
00:20:42,366 --> 00:20:45,000
Air Traffic Management,
we've combined our knowledge

435
00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:47,333
of how aircraft fly.

436
00:20:47,333 --> 00:20:51,000
We had our heritage
in aircraft control,

437
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:52,466
so we have a detailed
understanding

438
00:20:52,466 --> 00:20:54,300
of how aircraft fly.

439
00:20:54,300 --> 00:20:56,600
Together with
a number of other disciplines

440
00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,400
including information technology

441
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,866
as well as human factors

442
00:21:01,866 --> 00:21:03,366
and operations research

443
00:21:03,366 --> 00:21:06,700
to look at when you have
multiple aircraft in the sky,

444
00:21:06,700 --> 00:21:09,500
what is the best way
to manage those flights

445
00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:11,200
so that everybody
gets where they want to

446
00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:14,166
safely in minimum time.

447
00:21:14,166 --> 00:21:17,233
And as a result of this work
over the past decades,

448
00:21:17,233 --> 00:21:20,933
we have developed
decision support tools

449
00:21:20,933 --> 00:21:24,066
for both pilots and for
air traffic controllers

450
00:21:24,066 --> 00:21:25,800
that help them manage

451
00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:27,400
the efficient
flow of the airspace.

452
00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,166
Now, looking to the future,

453
00:21:29,166 --> 00:21:32,000
we're looking to ever higher
levels of automation

454
00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,700
and that potentially
someday leading to autonomous

455
00:21:35,700 --> 00:21:37,366
flight management systems,

456
00:21:37,366 --> 00:21:41,700
both on aircraft as well as
sort of a central manager that--

457
00:21:41,700 --> 00:21:44,300
that handles all the traffic
going around

458
00:21:44,300 --> 00:21:47,100
the United States
and abroad.

459
00:21:47,100 --> 00:21:50,633
So this has been
an area of huge success for us.

460
00:21:50,633 --> 00:21:54,033
We have transferred
our technology to the FAA,

461
00:21:54,033 --> 00:21:56,733
who has deployed it,
and now when you fly

462
00:21:56,733 --> 00:21:59,000
anywhere in the United States,

463
00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,666
your flight is being aided
and controlled by technology

464
00:22:02,666 --> 00:22:04,700
developed right here
at Ames Research Center,

465
00:22:04,700 --> 00:22:08,366
helping you get to where
you're going with minimum delay.

466
00:22:08,366 --> 00:22:10,933
I'm not promising you
that you won't have delays,

467
00:22:10,933 --> 00:22:13,533
I'm just saying
it's less than it used to be.

468
00:22:13,533 --> 00:22:15,766
And the problem
is getting harder,

469
00:22:15,766 --> 00:22:18,100
because there's more and more
traffic in the air

470
00:22:18,100 --> 00:22:21,000
and there are also
new constraints

471
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,200
that we have to deal with,
like noise constraints

472
00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,733
and having to deal with
carbon emissions

473
00:22:27,733 --> 00:22:29,200
and minimizing that.

474
00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,833
So
it's an ever-growing problem

475
00:22:32,833 --> 00:22:35,266
but we've also got some
breakthrough technology

476
00:22:35,266 --> 00:22:37,800
that should help us
solve those.

477
00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,400
In the area of Earth Science,

478
00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:42,200
really, a lot of different
things going on.

479
00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:44,633
I'll highlight
the Earth Exchange

480
00:22:44,633 --> 00:22:46,933
as one of the major
contributions we make

481
00:22:46,933 --> 00:22:50,033
where we're using our
high-end computing capabilities

482
00:22:50,033 --> 00:22:52,333
and data storage and management

483
00:22:52,333 --> 00:22:55,566
to bring in the, literally,
terabytes of data

484
00:22:55,566 --> 00:22:58,600
coming from satellites
and airborne platforms

485
00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,966
on a daily basis
to bring it all together

486
00:23:01,966 --> 00:23:04,066
and put it
into a manageable format

487
00:23:04,066 --> 00:23:06,833
so that scientists
around the country

488
00:23:06,833 --> 00:23:09,733
can access it
and use it to analyze,

489
00:23:09,733 --> 00:23:11,633
to answer
scientific questions,

490
00:23:11,633 --> 00:23:15,166
and help us deal
with the challenging problems

491
00:23:15,166 --> 00:23:17,366
of Earth climate.

492
00:23:17,366 --> 00:23:20,633
Airborne Science
is particularly one that

493
00:23:20,633 --> 00:23:23,966
we have played a strong role
and will continue to.

494
00:23:23,966 --> 00:23:29,466
And the future is really looking
at novel unmanned platforms

495
00:23:29,466 --> 00:23:33,500
that we have a unique capability
here to look at those

496
00:23:33,500 --> 00:23:37,266
either as single platforms
that are doing surveys

497
00:23:37,266 --> 00:23:42,400
or to use swarms to really
understand the complexities

498
00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:45,566
of the system
that we're interested in,

499
00:23:45,566 --> 00:23:47,700
whether it's
a volcanic ash plume

500
00:23:47,700 --> 00:23:51,266
or sea temperatures
and things like that.

501
00:23:51,266 --> 00:23:55,300
Sustainability then feeds off
of these to look at,

502
00:23:55,300 --> 00:23:57,666
how do we manage
the Earth as an ecosystem,

503
00:23:57,666 --> 00:24:01,500
and how do we use that knowledge
to build a better ecosystem?

504
00:24:01,500 --> 00:24:05,100
And we're also pioneering
the use of small satellites

505
00:24:05,100 --> 00:24:07,500
and advanced computing

506
00:24:07,500 --> 00:24:10,633
to benefit the understanding
of our home planet.

507
00:24:10,633 --> 00:24:13,633
So this is one of our big UAS.

508
00:24:13,633 --> 00:24:15,333
This is actually down
at Armstrong.

509
00:24:15,333 --> 00:24:16,733
Armstrong Flight Research Center

510
00:24:16,733 --> 00:24:19,433
down in the desert
of Southern California

511
00:24:19,433 --> 00:24:20,766
operates the aircraft.

512
00:24:20,766 --> 00:24:23,333
We do a lot
of the science payloads

513
00:24:23,333 --> 00:24:26,266
and the definition
of the missions.

514
00:24:26,266 --> 00:24:28,933
So that's one of the big ones,
and then on the small end,

515
00:24:28,933 --> 00:24:32,633
we've got aircraft that are
no bigger than your arm span

516
00:24:32,633 --> 00:24:35,600
that can fly very easily
and carry small instruments

517
00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:38,766
to conduct novel missions.

518
00:24:38,766 --> 00:24:40,266
International Space Station.

519
00:24:40,266 --> 00:24:42,933
We have a large and growing
program in Life Science.

520
00:24:42,933 --> 00:24:45,333
This is,
as I said earlier,

521
00:24:45,333 --> 00:24:48,800
both about helping us
understand life here on Earth,

522
00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:54,233
but equally importantly,
understanding the life in space.

523
00:24:54,233 --> 00:24:58,700
the effects of radiation
and microgravity on life

524
00:24:58,700 --> 00:25:01,533
and what we might
need to be concerned about

525
00:25:01,533 --> 00:25:04,400
for longer term
deep space missions.

526
00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:08,633
And so we have developed
a capability

527
00:25:08,633 --> 00:25:11,100
to deliver life science
experiments

528
00:25:11,100 --> 00:25:12,300
to the Space Station,

529
00:25:12,300 --> 00:25:14,900
have them
conducted very efficiently,

530
00:25:14,900 --> 00:25:17,033
and bring down the results.

531
00:25:17,033 --> 00:25:18,533
That's a vibrant program.

532
00:25:18,533 --> 00:25:20,533
We've also got
Robotic Free-flyers.

533
00:25:20,533 --> 00:25:23,400
I'll say a little bit more
about it in a minute.

534
00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,366
Efficient Crew Operations
I'll just touch on briefly too.

535
00:25:26,366 --> 00:25:29,300
That builds off of our work

536
00:25:29,300 --> 00:25:32,800
in intelligent systems
and autonomy.

537
00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:36,366
And what we're doing here
is helping Johnson Space Center

538
00:25:36,366 --> 00:25:38,300
manage crew time,

539
00:25:38,300 --> 00:25:40,766
and it turns out
that on the Space Station,

540
00:25:40,766 --> 00:25:43,766
crew time is the limiting factor
in many cases

541
00:25:43,766 --> 00:25:47,233
for how much science can
get done on the Space Station,

542
00:25:47,233 --> 00:25:51,833
because the astronauts on board
are busy from dawn to dusk,

543
00:25:51,833 --> 00:25:54,233
and they have a lot of those
during a day,

544
00:25:54,233 --> 00:25:58,133
running experiments
and managing them

545
00:25:58,133 --> 00:26:00,200
and taking data,

546
00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:02,500
and so the scheduling
becomes a huge challenge.

547
00:26:02,500 --> 00:26:05,066
We've developed
some automation technology

548
00:26:05,066 --> 00:26:07,666
that is being used
by Johnson Space Center

549
00:26:07,666 --> 00:26:09,933
to optimize the crew time

550
00:26:09,933 --> 00:26:12,333
so that we can get as much
science through the Station

551
00:26:12,333 --> 00:26:16,133
as possible, and that's been
a big success story.

552
00:26:16,133 --> 00:26:20,400
SPHERES is the free-flyer
that I referred to a second ago

553
00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,633
and you can see
it's a very clever acronym

554
00:26:22,633 --> 00:26:26,400
for a little ball
that's a robot

555
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,100
and it helps the astronauts
on board the Station

556
00:26:29,100 --> 00:26:31,433
with routine tasks

557
00:26:31,433 --> 00:26:33,800
that can be performed
by a computer.

558
00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:38,333
But the computer actually drives
itself around the Station,

559
00:26:38,333 --> 00:26:40,966
gets where it needs to be,

560
00:26:40,966 --> 00:26:42,866
and does the function
that it needs to do

561
00:26:42,866 --> 00:26:44,200
all by itself.

562
00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:45,633
It's an autonomous system.

563
00:26:45,633 --> 00:26:48,566
It's driven
by little carbon dioxide

564
00:26:48,566 --> 00:26:51,633
pressure jets
to move it around

565
00:26:51,633 --> 00:26:54,633
and I think this guy
is actually trying to juggle,

566
00:26:54,633 --> 00:26:58,133
which is sort of a perplexing
concept in zero gravity,

567
00:26:58,133 --> 00:27:02,366
but in any event,
this idea was started here,

568
00:27:02,366 --> 00:27:03,833
and we actually
built these systems

569
00:27:03,833 --> 00:27:06,466
and the embedded computing
is actually

570
00:27:06,466 --> 00:27:09,200
right out of a very
high-end smartphone

571
00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:13,133
that drives
the whole assistant there.

572
00:27:13,133 --> 00:27:15,100
And so that's something
that the astronauts have

573
00:27:15,100 --> 00:27:17,300
come to know and love.

574
00:27:17,300 --> 00:27:19,900
In Space Technology,

575
00:27:19,900 --> 00:27:23,266
we're also looking at
how we can advance capabilities

576
00:27:23,266 --> 00:27:26,166
that are going to get us
to that Proving Ground

577
00:27:26,166 --> 00:27:28,333
and into Earth independent.

578
00:27:28,333 --> 00:27:31,366
We have partnered
with a company

579
00:27:31,366 --> 00:27:33,133
right out here
in the Research Park

580
00:27:33,133 --> 00:27:36,433
to put the first 3-D printer
on board the station.

581
00:27:36,433 --> 00:27:38,500
And we're starting
to look at how we could

582
00:27:38,500 --> 00:27:40,733
build spare parts and parts
that we need,

583
00:27:40,733 --> 00:27:42,900
unique parts,
in space rather than

584
00:27:42,900 --> 00:27:44,500
having to carry everything up.

585
00:27:44,500 --> 00:27:47,166
Heat Shields,
I'll say a little bit more.

586
00:27:47,166 --> 00:27:50,833
That's really one of our most
famous contributions

587
00:27:50,833 --> 00:27:53,366
in space technology,

588
00:27:53,366 --> 00:27:55,900
but we're also contributing--

589
00:27:55,900 --> 00:27:59,800
We've done a lot of autonomy
work for Mars Science Laboratory

590
00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:03,033
and the "Curiosity Rover"
to help it also

591
00:28:03,033 --> 00:28:05,066
be as productive as it can

592
00:28:05,066 --> 00:28:07,366
in collecting science.

593
00:28:07,366 --> 00:28:11,033
And then we're looking
at this intriguing area

594
00:28:11,033 --> 00:28:12,433
of Synthetic Biology.

595
00:28:12,433 --> 00:28:15,066
Can we use
our understanding of biology

596
00:28:15,066 --> 00:28:18,000
to serve our purposes better

597
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,500
in terms of producing elements

598
00:28:20,500 --> 00:28:22,766
and compounds that we need

599
00:28:22,766 --> 00:28:25,133
rather than having to synthesize
them here on Earth

600
00:28:25,133 --> 00:28:26,900
and take them with us,

601
00:28:26,900 --> 00:28:30,700
to use the best of biology
to further our sustainability

602
00:28:30,700 --> 00:28:33,266
and our needs in space.

603
00:28:33,266 --> 00:28:37,033
And then again, we've kind
of done the path-finding work

604
00:28:37,033 --> 00:28:40,633
on small satellites,
like the ones shown here.

605
00:28:40,633 --> 00:28:44,866
So in Heat Shields,
we have developed the materials

606
00:28:44,866 --> 00:28:48,900
on the heat shields used
for just about every spacecraft

607
00:28:48,900 --> 00:28:51,333
that has entered
an atmosphere.

608
00:28:51,333 --> 00:28:55,566
Every heat shield
has had its materials tested

609
00:28:55,566 --> 00:28:57,666
here in facilities that we have.

610
00:28:57,666 --> 00:29:00,533
This mass
of wires here is actually

611
00:29:00,533 --> 00:29:02,800
a facility called an arc jet

612
00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,966
testing materials at
the temperatures and speeds

613
00:29:06,966 --> 00:29:08,866
associated with entry from--

614
00:29:08,866 --> 00:29:10,933
either from return from the Moon

615
00:29:10,933 --> 00:29:13,533
or from deeper space.

616
00:29:13,533 --> 00:29:16,333
And we've invented
some of the materials

617
00:29:16,333 --> 00:29:18,400
that have proven
to be the most capable.

618
00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,666
This material called PICA

619
00:29:20,666 --> 00:29:23,466
enabled the Mars Science
Laboratory mission.

620
00:29:23,466 --> 00:29:26,633
It was the heat shield material
of choice.

621
00:29:26,633 --> 00:29:30,433
It was invented here and tested
and developed and proven.

622
00:29:30,433 --> 00:29:32,800
So we have a long heritage,

623
00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:36,100
and we're very proud
of what we contribute there.

624
00:29:36,100 --> 00:29:37,966
So Mars,
where we're headed.

625
00:29:37,966 --> 00:29:41,500
We've got
a long heritage of work

626
00:29:41,500 --> 00:29:44,700
looking at the climate
and the environment on Mars.

627
00:29:44,700 --> 00:29:47,233
Very important to life on Mars.

628
00:29:47,233 --> 00:29:48,633
A quick show of hands.

629
00:29:48,633 --> 00:29:51,533
How many of you have read
"The Martian"?

630
00:29:51,533 --> 00:29:53,100
Okay.

631
00:29:53,100 --> 00:29:54,766
How many of you are gonna
go see the movie?

632
00:29:54,766 --> 00:29:56,266
Probably all of you,
I hope so.

633
00:29:56,266 --> 00:29:58,300
I personally think that should
be required reading

634
00:29:58,300 --> 00:30:00,800
for everybody
who works at NASA.

635
00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:04,166
It is fiction,
but it is very good fiction.

636
00:30:04,166 --> 00:30:07,333
And it actually
helps you understand

637
00:30:07,333 --> 00:30:10,800
a lot about the challenges
of getting to Mars with people.

638
00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:13,966
And so understanding
the environment, obviously,

639
00:30:13,966 --> 00:30:18,066
the story starts with a story
about the environment.

640
00:30:18,066 --> 00:30:20,133
And so it's very important to
understand that

641
00:30:20,133 --> 00:30:23,666
so that we know what
we're going to deal with.

642
00:30:23,666 --> 00:30:27,100
Astrobiology,
understanding, what do we even

643
00:30:27,100 --> 00:30:29,100
look for if we're looking
for life?

644
00:30:29,100 --> 00:30:30,666
What are the markers?

645
00:30:30,666 --> 00:30:32,466
What are the precursors?

646
00:30:32,466 --> 00:30:34,766
What are the fossil records
going to look like

647
00:30:34,766 --> 00:30:36,766
in a completely different
environment?

648
00:30:36,766 --> 00:30:41,066
And so our understanding
of astrobiology will inform

649
00:30:41,066 --> 00:30:43,833
the types of activities
we want to conduct

650
00:30:43,833 --> 00:30:46,066
when we get there.

651
00:30:46,066 --> 00:30:48,600
Obviously, we're not going to do
it all with people,

652
00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,400
we're going to need
teams of robots

653
00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,800
and astronauts
working together.

654
00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:56,333
Right now, we've done
each one separately.

655
00:30:56,333 --> 00:30:58,000
What we really need
to figure out

656
00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:01,366
is how to deploy a team,
mixed initiative team,

657
00:31:01,366 --> 00:31:02,900
of humans and robots

658
00:31:02,900 --> 00:31:05,033
that can accomplish
a mission objective

659
00:31:05,033 --> 00:31:08,933
very efficiently and in
a very coordinated fashion.

660
00:31:08,933 --> 00:31:12,866
And of course, the heat shields
just need to keep getting better

661
00:31:12,866 --> 00:31:15,033
because the entry speeds
are higher

662
00:31:15,033 --> 00:31:17,733
and the payload masses
are higher.

663
00:31:17,733 --> 00:31:21,500
And so getting heavy payloads
to the surface of Mars

664
00:31:21,500 --> 00:31:23,500
is one of the pacing items

665
00:31:23,500 --> 00:31:27,166
in enabling
the manned Mars mission.

666
00:31:27,166 --> 00:31:29,433
It will require capabilities

667
00:31:29,433 --> 00:31:33,700
beyond anything
that we have now.

668
00:31:33,700 --> 00:31:37,033
And furthermore, so I mentioned
about the autonomy

669
00:31:37,033 --> 00:31:40,900
that we're contributing
to the Mars Science Laboratory

670
00:31:40,900 --> 00:31:44,500
and helping JPL schedule
the science operations

671
00:31:44,500 --> 00:31:46,100
of the Rover.

672
00:31:46,100 --> 00:31:47,566
Great success story there,

673
00:31:47,566 --> 00:31:50,066
and we'll certainly be using
that as we go forward

674
00:31:50,066 --> 00:31:52,866
with future missions,
like Mars 2020.

675
00:31:52,866 --> 00:31:56,300
In addition to that, we have
very creative scientists here

676
00:31:56,300 --> 00:32:00,133
who develop instruments
to meet unique requirements

677
00:32:00,133 --> 00:32:03,766
and one of them here
is the one we call CheMin,

678
00:32:03,766 --> 00:32:08,466
which is an X-ray diffraction
spectroscope.

679
00:32:08,466 --> 00:32:10,866
That alone is not unique.

680
00:32:10,866 --> 00:32:12,833
Those devices have existed,

681
00:32:12,833 --> 00:32:14,866
but all
the previously existing

682
00:32:14,866 --> 00:32:17,000
X-ray diffraction
spectroscopes

683
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:18,833
were far too big and heavy

684
00:32:18,833 --> 00:32:20,666
and required too much power

685
00:32:20,666 --> 00:32:22,933
to make it onto a payload.

686
00:32:22,933 --> 00:32:25,466
What our scientists
figured out is

687
00:32:25,466 --> 00:32:27,033
how to miniaturize that

688
00:32:27,033 --> 00:32:29,133
to the point that
we could put one of these

689
00:32:29,133 --> 00:32:31,966
on the Curiosity Rover.

690
00:32:31,966 --> 00:32:35,166
And we won that proposal,

691
00:32:35,166 --> 00:32:36,866
built the device,

692
00:32:36,866 --> 00:32:39,166
and it is up on Mars
working right now

693
00:32:39,166 --> 00:32:42,166
on determining
the chemical constituents

694
00:32:42,166 --> 00:32:44,833
of the Martian regolith

695
00:32:44,833 --> 00:32:47,233
to determine if
there are markers

696
00:32:47,233 --> 00:32:50,333
of things like the existence
of liquid water

697
00:32:50,333 --> 00:32:54,233
and any compounds that might be
associated with

698
00:32:54,233 --> 00:32:56,733
precursors of organic life.

699
00:32:56,733 --> 00:33:01,033
So that's a heritage that
we will also be continuing.

700
00:33:01,033 --> 00:33:04,800
Finally, getting in
to the Solar System and Beyond.

701
00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:06,200
We've got
a number of missions that

702
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,533
we're very proud
to have lead here

703
00:33:08,533 --> 00:33:10,333
and look forward to a future

704
00:33:10,333 --> 00:33:12,466
that continues to contribute.

705
00:33:12,466 --> 00:33:15,300
Kepler I'll say a little bit
more about in a minute,

706
00:33:15,300 --> 00:33:19,566
very exciting planet--
exoplanet hunting vehicle.

707
00:33:19,566 --> 00:33:22,033
SOFIA is the aircraft
shown here,

708
00:33:22,033 --> 00:33:25,800
the Stratospheric Observatory
for Infrared Astronomy.

709
00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:28,166
Cut a huge hole in a 747,

710
00:33:28,166 --> 00:33:29,733
hope nothing goes wrong.

711
00:33:29,733 --> 00:33:31,200
Actually,
we did the engineering

712
00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,033
to make sure
nothing would go wrong.

713
00:33:33,033 --> 00:33:36,000
Put a big telescope in there
and do infrared astronomy

714
00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,200
from the stratosphere,

715
00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:41,766
where you're above
99% of the Earth's water,

716
00:33:41,766 --> 00:33:43,666
which absorbs infrared,

717
00:33:43,666 --> 00:33:46,033
and so you can make observations

718
00:33:46,033 --> 00:33:48,933
that are space quality
observations

719
00:33:48,933 --> 00:33:51,833
from an aircraft
that can return home

720
00:33:51,833 --> 00:33:55,166
every morning
to be refurbished, resupplied,

721
00:33:55,166 --> 00:33:57,800
and we can bring on
new scientists.

722
00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:00,466
So this is a very active
and productive aircraft.

723
00:34:00,466 --> 00:34:01,833
It flies out of Armstrong.

724
00:34:01,833 --> 00:34:03,566
The science team is here,

725
00:34:03,566 --> 00:34:07,033
and just as of the beginning
of the next fiscal year,

726
00:34:07,033 --> 00:34:09,700
we will be operating
the entire program

727
00:34:09,700 --> 00:34:11,933
from Ames Research Center.

728
00:34:11,933 --> 00:34:15,700
And then the rest of the list
are things that have

729
00:34:15,700 --> 00:34:19,200
already mentioned that
impact all of our missions

730
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,733
and heat shields
and the robotics.

731
00:34:22,733 --> 00:34:25,233
And then down toward
the bottom of the list, there's

732
00:34:25,233 --> 00:34:30,333
the Solar System Exploration
and Research Virtual Institute

733
00:34:30,333 --> 00:34:32,933
and the NASA
Astrobiology Institute.

734
00:34:32,933 --> 00:34:36,366
Those are the other
two virtual institutes

735
00:34:36,366 --> 00:34:39,366
that are contributing
to our capability

736
00:34:39,366 --> 00:34:43,633
to bring the entire world
community together.

737
00:34:43,633 --> 00:34:45,066
Kepler,

738
00:34:45,066 --> 00:34:46,800
this is the exoplanet hunter.

739
00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:48,600
You may have heard
a lot about it already,

740
00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:52,133
so I won't belabor the point,
except to say that

741
00:34:52,133 --> 00:34:55,566
it's a tremendously successful
mission.

742
00:34:55,566 --> 00:34:57,700
Doing transit photometry,

743
00:34:57,700 --> 00:34:59,733
staring at one little region
of space

744
00:34:59,733 --> 00:35:03,300
to look for variations
in the brightness of stars

745
00:35:03,300 --> 00:35:05,833
that might be associated
with a planet

746
00:35:05,833 --> 00:35:07,633
transitting in front of
the star.

747
00:35:07,633 --> 00:35:10,333
And through a lot of
independent observation

748
00:35:10,333 --> 00:35:12,366
and data reduction,

749
00:35:12,366 --> 00:35:15,333
we can identify
and conclusively determine

750
00:35:15,333 --> 00:35:18,066
the size, the orbit,

751
00:35:18,066 --> 00:35:20,700
and composition of many of
those planets.

752
00:35:20,700 --> 00:35:24,700
Now, our creativity
came into play recently

753
00:35:24,700 --> 00:35:28,533
when the nominal Kepler mission
suffered a failure

754
00:35:28,533 --> 00:35:30,166
of two of its gyros.

755
00:35:30,166 --> 00:35:32,400
It has four gyros,
one was redundant,

756
00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:36,066
so we had three gyros to control
the three spin axes.

757
00:35:36,066 --> 00:35:40,933
And due to a defect,
two of the gyros failed early.

758
00:35:40,933 --> 00:35:42,966
Well, with only
two working gyros,

759
00:35:42,966 --> 00:35:46,166
you can't stabilize
all three axes

760
00:35:46,166 --> 00:35:48,266
of the spacecraft,

761
00:35:48,266 --> 00:35:51,266
and it looked like the mission
might be lost at that point,

762
00:35:51,266 --> 00:35:53,666
because it is
a critical requirement

763
00:35:53,666 --> 00:35:55,966
for extremely stabile pointing

764
00:35:55,966 --> 00:35:58,533
for this spacecraft to
achieve its mission.

765
00:35:58,533 --> 00:36:00,666
Through a lot of creativity,

766
00:36:00,666 --> 00:36:02,633
our engineers and scientists
here figured out

767
00:36:02,633 --> 00:36:05,266
how to do this with two gyros,

768
00:36:05,266 --> 00:36:07,633
still stabilize the spacecraft

769
00:36:07,633 --> 00:36:09,266
and continue its mission.

770
00:36:09,266 --> 00:36:11,166
That's why we call it K2 now,

771
00:36:11,166 --> 00:36:13,200
and it is continuing.

772
00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:16,600
It's lost just a little bit
of scientific productivity

773
00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:18,933
but the mission goes on.

774
00:36:18,933 --> 00:36:24,066
And K2 is now continuing to find
lots and lots of exoplanets

775
00:36:24,066 --> 00:36:27,400
that give us a lot
of inspiration about

776
00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:30,633
where we might go looking for
precursors of life elsewhere.

777
00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:34,233
Partnerships are a big deal.

778
00:36:34,233 --> 00:36:36,333
I've mentioned
the community here,

779
00:36:36,333 --> 00:36:39,200
and we really benefit from

780
00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,500
all kinds of near neighbors

781
00:36:41,500 --> 00:36:44,333
who have either
related interests

782
00:36:44,333 --> 00:36:46,933
or synergistic interests
with us,

783
00:36:46,933 --> 00:36:48,733
and you can see
many of them here.

784
00:36:48,733 --> 00:36:51,466
It includes the great
universities we have here,

785
00:36:51,466 --> 00:36:54,966
the large companies,
the nonconventional ones

786
00:36:54,966 --> 00:36:57,100
that are working in high tech,

787
00:36:57,100 --> 00:36:59,966
as well as government partners.

788
00:36:59,966 --> 00:37:02,266
So through this combination

789
00:37:02,266 --> 00:37:05,333
here within
just our neighborhood,

790
00:37:05,333 --> 00:37:08,100
we can work together
with lots of people

791
00:37:08,100 --> 00:37:10,400
who help us be creative
and innovative.

792
00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:11,800
In the Research Park,

793
00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:15,200
we've got over a hundred
entities represented,

794
00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,766
some of them here
that are working with us

795
00:37:17,766 --> 00:37:19,566
to accomplish our goals

796
00:37:19,566 --> 00:37:21,966
and also pursue their own goals.

797
00:37:21,966 --> 00:37:23,866
And looking more broadly,

798
00:37:23,866 --> 00:37:26,533
and I'll point out this one
virtual institute

799
00:37:26,533 --> 00:37:27,866
as a particular example,

800
00:37:27,866 --> 00:37:30,000
we can network internationally

801
00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:31,766
with these virtual institutes

802
00:37:31,766 --> 00:37:35,233
that really are not a physical,
large institution

803
00:37:35,233 --> 00:37:38,800
but rather networking
through social media

804
00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,733
and internet connections
and video connections

805
00:37:41,733 --> 00:37:44,300
to bring the greatest minds
together

806
00:37:44,300 --> 00:37:46,433
and build diverse teams
very quickly

807
00:37:46,433 --> 00:37:48,366
to address
fundamental problems.

808
00:37:48,366 --> 00:37:50,566
And in the case of
the Astrobiology Institute,

809
00:37:50,566 --> 00:37:52,833
how cool would it be to say

810
00:37:52,833 --> 00:37:54,766
you're working on questions
like these?

811
00:37:54,766 --> 00:37:57,266
What is the origin
and nature of life?

812
00:37:57,266 --> 00:37:59,800
Where else does it exist
in the universe?

813
00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:01,200
Where should we go look?

814
00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:04,633
What was the habitability
of early Earth?

815
00:38:04,633 --> 00:38:07,666
Profound questions
and the Astrobiology Institute

816
00:38:07,666 --> 00:38:09,433
is helping us with those.

817
00:38:09,433 --> 00:38:11,233
The other two virtual
institutes,

818
00:38:11,233 --> 00:38:13,966
Solar System Exploration
and Aeronautics

819
00:38:13,966 --> 00:38:16,933
are similarly approaching
profound questions

820
00:38:16,933 --> 00:38:20,500
in their areas
and using that same capability

821
00:38:20,500 --> 00:38:23,133
to bring
the entire community together.

822
00:38:23,133 --> 00:38:26,700
So now put your binoculars on

823
00:38:26,700 --> 00:38:28,533
and let's look
even farther ahead.

824
00:38:28,533 --> 00:38:31,433
I just brainstormed
a short list here

825
00:38:31,433 --> 00:38:35,633
of where I see
the major themes of Ames

826
00:38:35,633 --> 00:38:38,133
contributing to the future
of the Agency

827
00:38:38,133 --> 00:38:40,700
and where we might go
in the future.

828
00:38:40,700 --> 00:38:42,933
So I've said it
a few times already,

829
00:38:42,933 --> 00:38:45,066
autonomy is a big deal.

830
00:38:45,066 --> 00:38:47,833
It is one of the major enablers

831
00:38:47,833 --> 00:38:51,533
for aviation, aeronautics,
space exploration,

832
00:38:51,533 --> 00:38:53,033
life in space,

833
00:38:53,033 --> 00:38:55,100
and we have
a great capability here

834
00:38:55,100 --> 00:38:58,200
that it will be used
in greater focus

835
00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:00,333
to these--
all of these missions,

836
00:39:00,333 --> 00:39:04,400
and specifically
in the aeronautics arena,

837
00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:06,800
pilotless flight.

838
00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:09,533
Drones will be delivering
your Chinese food

839
00:39:09,533 --> 00:39:11,566
in years to come.

840
00:39:11,566 --> 00:39:13,333
I guarantee you that.

841
00:39:13,333 --> 00:39:16,133
We're gonna figure that out.
Everybody wants it, right?

842
00:39:16,133 --> 00:39:18,533
[laughter]

843
00:39:18,533 --> 00:39:19,966
So drones are the--

844
00:39:19,966 --> 00:39:22,233
one instantiation
of pilotless flight,

845
00:39:22,233 --> 00:39:25,400
but the next one
would be passenger aircraft

846
00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:27,033
or cargo aircraft.

847
00:39:27,033 --> 00:39:30,833
FedEx would like to experiment
with this with us.

848
00:39:30,833 --> 00:39:32,200
So they would be
a great partner.

849
00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:35,266
Looking at cargo applications
of pilotless flight,

850
00:39:35,266 --> 00:39:38,700
and eventually I do think
that we're gonna take a look

851
00:39:38,700 --> 00:39:41,600
at pilotless flight
for passenger aircraft.

852
00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:44,166
Using our Earth Science
capabilities,

853
00:39:44,166 --> 00:39:47,966
climate change impacts
are going to be very important,

854
00:39:47,966 --> 00:39:51,800
sea level rise,
temperature rise,

855
00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:54,133
drought, all of these things

856
00:39:54,133 --> 00:39:57,000
are very important
for us to understand

857
00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:00,133
so that we not only can
continue to live comfortably

858
00:40:00,133 --> 00:40:02,266
where we are,
but we can ensure

859
00:40:02,266 --> 00:40:06,066
that everyone on the planet
has a quality of life.

860
00:40:06,066 --> 00:40:09,266
Supporting the commercialization
of low Earth orbit.

861
00:40:09,266 --> 00:40:11,766
Had very good success stories
so far,

862
00:40:11,766 --> 00:40:13,866
and I think we're right
on the cusp

863
00:40:13,866 --> 00:40:16,366
of lots of commercial
opportunities.

864
00:40:16,366 --> 00:40:19,133
Not just tourism,
but commercial applications.

865
00:40:19,133 --> 00:40:22,466
If it's developing
unique materials

866
00:40:22,466 --> 00:40:25,866
and also potentially
pharmaceuticals

867
00:40:25,866 --> 00:40:28,133
in microgravity
that we can't really do here

868
00:40:28,133 --> 00:40:30,666
in the gravity environment.

869
00:40:30,666 --> 00:40:32,933
Robotic space science
and exploration.

870
00:40:32,933 --> 00:40:36,966
I think I've said enough about
that already to explain that.

871
00:40:36,966 --> 00:40:38,600
We're headed for Mars.

872
00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:40,800
Looking forward to it.
We want to help.

873
00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:43,566
Quantum computing
is an intriguing area

874
00:40:43,566 --> 00:40:45,166
that could be extremely
revolutionary

875
00:40:45,166 --> 00:40:47,633
and it might take
a hundred years to get there.

876
00:40:47,633 --> 00:40:52,566
But once we do, it could
change the way we do computing.

877
00:40:52,566 --> 00:40:54,933
I encourage you
to look into it more.

878
00:40:54,933 --> 00:40:57,966
I am highly under-qualified
to comment on it.

879
00:40:57,966 --> 00:41:00,933
It's physics that
I only briefly understood

880
00:41:00,933 --> 00:41:03,066
when I was in college,

881
00:41:03,066 --> 00:41:05,600
but it's a fascinating area.

882
00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:08,666
Data analytics
is a big growth area

883
00:41:08,666 --> 00:41:11,000
and that's where we can really
leverage our local community

884
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:13,733
to be the leader
for the Agency.

885
00:41:13,733 --> 00:41:17,466
Space biology,
a major importance to us

886
00:41:17,466 --> 00:41:19,466
in understanding where
to look for life

887
00:41:19,466 --> 00:41:21,400
as well as how to live.

888
00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:23,366
And, you know,
just finally,

889
00:41:23,366 --> 00:41:25,200
we want to be
the innovation Center.

890
00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:27,266
We are already,

891
00:41:27,266 --> 00:41:29,500
and we want to keep doing it.

892
00:41:29,500 --> 00:41:32,233
75 years, this is another
3-hours talk here

893
00:41:32,233 --> 00:41:34,300
that I could give.

894
00:41:34,300 --> 00:41:37,166
You can look back 50, 60 years
or more,

895
00:41:37,166 --> 00:41:39,900
and point
to examples where Ames

896
00:41:39,900 --> 00:41:42,966
has had the culture
of innovation

897
00:41:42,966 --> 00:41:46,000
that has enabled
all kinds of capabilities

898
00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:48,100
that have become
absolutely crucial

899
00:41:48,100 --> 00:41:50,400
to the success of the Agency.

900
00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:53,233
So I think that, you know,
this is our legacy.

901
00:41:53,233 --> 00:41:56,500
We've got a great future.
Let's go make it happen.

902
00:41:56,500 --> 00:41:59,200
Thanks very much
for your attention.

903
00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:02,266
[applause]

904
00:42:03,966 --> 00:42:06,366
- Thank you, Tom,
for an excellent talk.

905
00:42:06,366 --> 00:42:08,466
We have time for questions.

906
00:42:08,466 --> 00:42:10,433
If you have a question,
please raise your hand,

907
00:42:10,433 --> 00:42:13,500
wait for the microphone,
and ask just one question.

908
00:42:13,500 --> 00:42:15,566
Thank you.

909
00:42:15,566 --> 00:42:17,900
- Hi. Is it on?

910
00:42:17,900 --> 00:42:21,866
I was wondering, is it possible
they could commercialize

911
00:42:21,866 --> 00:42:25,000
the SPHERE that was floating
around in the--

912
00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:28,133
in the spacecraft?

913
00:42:28,133 --> 00:42:29,966
I mean, as much as I like
the Roomba,

914
00:42:29,966 --> 00:42:31,766
I would love to see
that SPHERE

915
00:42:31,766 --> 00:42:34,766
floating around my house
doing jobs.

916
00:42:34,766 --> 00:42:36,766
- We're gonna have to work
a little bit harder on

917
00:42:36,766 --> 00:42:39,666
how to levitate
in that situation.

918
00:42:39,666 --> 00:42:41,500
I mean, it's not
a pejorative thing.

919
00:42:41,500 --> 00:42:43,133
We could figure that out,

920
00:42:43,133 --> 00:42:45,300
and that would be
a nice personal assistant

921
00:42:45,300 --> 00:42:46,966
to have around your home.

922
00:42:46,966 --> 00:42:49,966
To have it float next to you
is either going to require it

923
00:42:49,966 --> 00:42:51,966
to be lighter than air,

924
00:42:51,966 --> 00:42:54,200
and we have a little bit
of experience in that,

925
00:42:54,200 --> 00:42:56,900
or figure out how to
repel the force of gravity,

926
00:42:56,900 --> 00:42:58,633
but absolutely,

927
00:42:58,633 --> 00:43:00,700
and we do look for
commercialization partners

928
00:43:00,700 --> 00:43:02,366
when these things come along

929
00:43:02,366 --> 00:43:04,166
so that we can take
what we've done

930
00:43:04,166 --> 00:43:07,866
and let life on Earth be
better as a result.

931
00:43:10,133 --> 00:43:12,300
- So it was
just announced that

932
00:43:12,300 --> 00:43:14,466
Mike Suffredini's
leaving, right?

933
00:43:14,466 --> 00:43:17,333
And it impacts
quite a few things

934
00:43:17,333 --> 00:43:18,966
that we're doing, right?

935
00:43:18,966 --> 00:43:21,733
But specifically, you know,
from my own knothole,

936
00:43:21,733 --> 00:43:24,800
the Human Systems Integration
work that we do.

937
00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:26,166
And you mentioned the--

938
00:43:26,166 --> 00:43:28,266
you know, we did the--

939
00:43:28,266 --> 00:43:32,400
the mission planning systems
for MSL and all the other ones

940
00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:37,933
and that got transitioned with
a lot of direct input from Mike

941
00:43:37,933 --> 00:43:41,300
to--first mission control
planning of correctivity,

942
00:43:41,300 --> 00:43:43,666
but now, just this week it got
radiated up to the Space Station

943
00:43:43,666 --> 00:43:45,833
for the first test
on Station to look,

944
00:43:45,833 --> 00:43:47,833
not only at crew efficiency,

945
00:43:47,833 --> 00:43:50,566
but at enabling
deep space missions

946
00:43:50,566 --> 00:43:51,733
where you can't
talk to Earth, right?

947
00:43:51,733 --> 00:43:53,366
"Can crew plan
their own time?"

948
00:43:53,366 --> 00:43:57,233
And I guess I do worry
a little bit about that change.

949
00:43:57,233 --> 00:43:59,033
So I don't know--It's sort of
a crystal ball question,

950
00:43:59,033 --> 00:44:00,733
but I don't know
anything about

951
00:44:00,733 --> 00:44:03,266
the person who's taking over.

952
00:44:03,266 --> 00:44:05,866
You know, what's the--
Do you guys have any intel?

953
00:44:05,866 --> 00:44:07,833
- I can't tell you too much.

954
00:44:07,833 --> 00:44:09,966
It's very new information.

955
00:44:09,966 --> 00:44:12,466
I have met the gentleman once.

956
00:44:12,466 --> 00:44:15,566
He was a Deputy Center Director
up until recently,

957
00:44:15,566 --> 00:44:18,533
and so he was part
of my peer community.

958
00:44:18,533 --> 00:44:22,033
And I--We just hope we have
good knowledge transfer

959
00:44:22,033 --> 00:44:24,966
from Suffredini to--to Kirk,

960
00:44:24,966 --> 00:44:28,800
and that they've recognized
our contribution.

961
00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:31,033
And we also have good
relationships,

962
00:44:31,033 --> 00:44:34,166
so I think it's time for us
to start talking to the new guy

963
00:44:34,166 --> 00:44:36,766
about all the great stuff
we have done and what we can do.

964
00:44:48,366 --> 00:44:51,366
Everybody knows there's
a free lunch, don't they?

965
00:44:51,366 --> 00:44:54,100
[laughter]

966
00:44:54,100 --> 00:44:55,100
- Okay, so--

967
00:44:55,100 --> 00:44:56,566
- There's one more up--

968
00:44:56,566 --> 00:44:58,000
- Right.

969
00:44:58,000 --> 00:44:59,766
- The question is about
partnerships,

970
00:44:59,766 --> 00:45:02,366
and from your experience
of doing partnerships

971
00:45:02,366 --> 00:45:04,033
with the commercial sector,

972
00:45:04,033 --> 00:45:05,633
I wonder if there are any
that stick out to you

973
00:45:05,633 --> 00:45:07,600
as really good,
strong partnerships,

974
00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:09,100
and what do you
think are the principles

975
00:45:09,100 --> 00:45:11,233
of a good partnership if
you're looking to do a new one?

976
00:45:11,233 --> 00:45:15,300
- Mm-hmm, good question.
Thank you.

977
00:45:15,300 --> 00:45:19,033
You know, we have a great
opportunity here to partner,

978
00:45:19,033 --> 00:45:21,466
because we have
the NASA Research Park,

979
00:45:21,466 --> 00:45:24,466
so not only can we
strike a deal,

980
00:45:24,466 --> 00:45:26,333
but we can collocate here

981
00:45:26,333 --> 00:45:29,633
and that's something that
we are somewhat unique

982
00:45:29,633 --> 00:45:32,666
within the Agency
in our ability to do.

983
00:45:32,666 --> 00:45:35,800
So we have used that
to good effect so far,

984
00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:39,333
and we really want
to focus now on the future

985
00:45:39,333 --> 00:45:42,533
on being very strategic
about who we bring

986
00:45:42,533 --> 00:45:46,033
this limited resource
in to do unique things

987
00:45:46,033 --> 00:45:48,033
that you could only do
with colocation.

988
00:45:48,033 --> 00:45:52,633
Clearly, any partnership
flourishes on mutual benefit.

989
00:45:52,633 --> 00:45:54,900
We know where we're going.

990
00:45:54,900 --> 00:45:58,133
We want to understand
where our partners are going

991
00:45:58,133 --> 00:46:00,133
and where that
intersection occurs.

992
00:46:00,133 --> 00:46:04,600
Sometimes it's a fortuitous
alignment of capabilities.

993
00:46:04,600 --> 00:46:07,566
For example, in high tech,

994
00:46:07,566 --> 00:46:10,933
data analytic capabilities
benefit commercial interests,

995
00:46:10,933 --> 00:46:13,200
they also benefit
NASA interests.

996
00:46:13,200 --> 00:46:15,833
And so we can work together
on things like

997
00:46:15,833 --> 00:46:19,300
self-driving cars
or autonomy technologies

998
00:46:19,300 --> 00:46:20,700
or data mining

999
00:46:20,700 --> 00:46:22,900
and we both come away
with something

1000
00:46:22,900 --> 00:46:24,666
that's very successful.

1001
00:46:24,666 --> 00:46:28,300
Others flourish based on
a technology transfer,

1002
00:46:28,300 --> 00:46:30,900
where we work together
to accomplish something

1003
00:46:30,900 --> 00:46:34,333
that's fairly focused
on the NASA mission,

1004
00:46:34,333 --> 00:46:36,966
but once that capability
is established,

1005
00:46:36,966 --> 00:46:39,633
it can be diversified
into commercial products.

1006
00:46:39,633 --> 00:46:42,266
And so those are really
two of the key attributes

1007
00:46:42,266 --> 00:46:44,066
that we're--we look for,

1008
00:46:44,066 --> 00:46:47,800
that we have a partner
who's willing to acknowledge

1009
00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:49,033
and work with us
on our mission,

1010
00:46:49,033 --> 00:46:51,500
and we will do the same
with them.

1011
00:46:51,500 --> 00:46:53,100
Kind of a generic answer,

1012
00:46:53,100 --> 00:46:56,000
but I think that all those
that I showed you there

1013
00:46:56,000 --> 00:46:58,966
are examples of
where we could explain

1014
00:46:58,966 --> 00:47:00,900
what we got and what they got,

1015
00:47:00,900 --> 00:47:03,900
and that's a pattern
we continue to follow.

1016
00:47:06,366 --> 00:47:07,466
- We have a question.

1017
00:47:07,466 --> 00:47:09,800
- Okay, so hi, Tom.

1018
00:47:09,800 --> 00:47:13,466
So thanks very much for--for
sharing your insights there.

1019
00:47:13,466 --> 00:47:16,800
My question is--
revolves around the idea

1020
00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:19,400
of how to be
an innovative Center

1021
00:47:19,400 --> 00:47:22,233
in a conservative Agency.

1022
00:47:22,233 --> 00:47:26,966
And so part of being
innovation means--

1023
00:47:26,966 --> 00:47:29,966
or having innovation means that
you've got to accept failures.

1024
00:47:29,966 --> 00:47:33,466
Accepting failures is not
something that NASA does well

1025
00:47:33,466 --> 00:47:34,933
as an Agency,

1026
00:47:34,933 --> 00:47:37,500
and so you have to end up
walking kind of a tightrope.

1027
00:47:37,500 --> 00:47:39,766
And I wondered
if you could tell us

1028
00:47:39,766 --> 00:47:43,133
a little bit about how you think
that's gonna work in the future.

1029
00:47:45,300 --> 00:47:47,200
- Thank you for that incredibly
difficult question, Tony.

1030
00:47:47,200 --> 00:47:50,200
[laughter]

1031
00:47:51,633 --> 00:47:53,700
- I think that there is--

1032
00:47:53,700 --> 00:47:55,666
It is possible

1033
00:47:55,666 --> 00:47:58,866
to be both
aligned and innovative.

1034
00:47:58,866 --> 00:48:02,466
That's--the discussion
that we had with Headquarters

1035
00:48:02,466 --> 00:48:05,233
when Eugene and I were kind of
coming on board is,

1036
00:48:05,233 --> 00:48:07,966
you know, what--
what do we do here?

1037
00:48:07,966 --> 00:48:11,966
Do we, you know--
do you want us to be more,

1038
00:48:11,966 --> 00:48:13,700
you know,
straight and narrow,

1039
00:48:13,700 --> 00:48:16,633
or do you want us to just
always be out there?

1040
00:48:16,633 --> 00:48:20,066
And the discussion lead to,
we want both.

1041
00:48:20,066 --> 00:48:21,666
We want alignment,

1042
00:48:21,666 --> 00:48:24,166
and alignment means that we are
clearly supportive

1043
00:48:24,166 --> 00:48:26,266
of NASA's overall direction,

1044
00:48:26,266 --> 00:48:28,333
but at the same time,
be innovative.

1045
00:48:28,333 --> 00:48:32,266
And I can share with you that
we both were implored

1046
00:48:32,266 --> 00:48:37,000
early on not to have
the pendulum swing too far back.

1047
00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:40,633
They--they really see Ames
as the innovation Center,

1048
00:48:40,633 --> 00:48:42,933
and they want us out there

1049
00:48:42,933 --> 00:48:46,500
and there is a more
vigorous dialogue these days

1050
00:48:46,500 --> 00:48:49,533
about what it means
to accept risk.

1051
00:48:49,533 --> 00:48:52,466
So we want to be responsible
in the way we accept risk.

1052
00:48:52,466 --> 00:48:55,100
We don't want to imperil
people's safety

1053
00:48:55,100 --> 00:48:59,100
and we don't want to spend
the taxpayers' money foolishly.

1054
00:48:59,100 --> 00:49:01,966
We want to
deliberately take risks

1055
00:49:01,966 --> 00:49:05,033
where they are warranted,
where they have a high payoff,

1056
00:49:05,033 --> 00:49:08,866
and that we would acknowledge
that when you take high risks

1057
00:49:08,866 --> 00:49:10,500
you're going to have failures.

1058
00:49:10,500 --> 00:49:11,900
So the dialogue is increasing,

1059
00:49:11,900 --> 00:49:14,400
and that's a little bit
promising

1060
00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:16,866
that we need
to test that premise

1061
00:49:16,866 --> 00:49:20,300
and know that we're gonna fail
once in a while

1062
00:49:20,300 --> 00:49:22,266
and that should not have
negative repercussions.

1063
00:49:22,266 --> 00:49:25,266
So how do we do that?

1064
00:49:25,266 --> 00:49:28,966
Eugene and I are working
with the Center leadership

1065
00:49:28,966 --> 00:49:31,533
to make sure
that we're aligned.

1066
00:49:31,533 --> 00:49:34,666
So we're kind of going through
all of our capability areas

1067
00:49:34,666 --> 00:49:36,633
that I went through
and the missions

1068
00:49:36,633 --> 00:49:39,600
and seeing that we have
a relevance

1069
00:49:39,600 --> 00:49:41,633
to those NASA missions.

1070
00:49:41,633 --> 00:49:43,833
That's gonna take care of
the alignment part.

1071
00:49:43,833 --> 00:49:46,866
Now, we need to keep the focus
on the innovation part

1072
00:49:46,866 --> 00:49:49,466
but be able to
trace that back to these

1073
00:49:49,466 --> 00:49:51,766
aligned missions
that we're going after.

1074
00:49:51,766 --> 00:49:53,833
So we're doing
a lot of things,

1075
00:49:53,833 --> 00:49:57,300
working with outreach
and education,

1076
00:49:57,300 --> 00:49:59,600
bringing interns
in to keep us, you know,

1077
00:49:59,600 --> 00:50:02,133
really refreshed
and energized,

1078
00:50:02,133 --> 00:50:05,333
and we're just going to be
looking at all the mechanisms

1079
00:50:05,333 --> 00:50:07,766
that we can pursue
to foster innovation.

1080
00:50:07,766 --> 00:50:10,200
Hopefully,
we'll bring those together,

1081
00:50:10,200 --> 00:50:12,566
and we need all of your help
to make that happen,

1082
00:50:12,566 --> 00:50:16,866
because any one person will tend
to get stuck in their ways.

1083
00:50:16,866 --> 00:50:20,900
So we've always been a little
controversial as a Center.

1084
00:50:20,900 --> 00:50:23,700
We're gonna keep doing that,

1085
00:50:23,700 --> 00:50:27,166
but we're just gonna show
how it matters to the Agency.

1086
00:50:27,166 --> 00:50:28,733
Mm-hmm?

1087
00:50:28,733 --> 00:50:31,333
- My question kind of--you kind
of answered a little bit of it

1088
00:50:31,333 --> 00:50:33,433
with the last question.

1089
00:50:33,433 --> 00:50:35,966
With--with the future
of the Center,

1090
00:50:35,966 --> 00:50:38,866
what kind of ways are you
kind of guaranteeing,

1091
00:50:38,866 --> 00:50:41,766
like, for bringing in new--

1092
00:50:41,766 --> 00:50:43,900
like, fresh minds out of,
like, the universities

1093
00:50:43,900 --> 00:50:45,133
and things like that

1094
00:50:45,133 --> 00:50:46,766
to kind of help promote
a more--

1095
00:50:46,766 --> 00:50:48,766
more innovativeness
on the Center?

1096
00:50:48,766 --> 00:50:51,066
I know that, you know,
a lot of times

1097
00:50:51,066 --> 00:50:54,366
whenever you go--whenever
we're exiting university,

1098
00:50:54,366 --> 00:50:56,933
like, three to five years
of experience, but where do--

1099
00:50:56,933 --> 00:50:59,900
Do you expect to offer
more opportunities

1100
00:50:59,900 --> 00:51:02,066
for people who maybe don't have
three to five years

1101
00:51:02,066 --> 00:51:03,900
of experience as well?

1102
00:51:03,900 --> 00:51:05,900
- Mm-hmm.

1103
00:51:05,900 --> 00:51:07,933
I'm very empathetic to that.

1104
00:51:07,933 --> 00:51:11,533
I have recent college grads
who apply for jobs

1105
00:51:11,533 --> 00:51:13,133
and the first question
often is,

1106
00:51:13,133 --> 00:51:14,633
well, what experience
do you have?

1107
00:51:14,633 --> 00:51:16,566
And you're kind of like,
"What do you expect?

1108
00:51:16,566 --> 00:51:19,000
I just got out of college.
How do I have experience?"

1109
00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:22,466
I would respond to that
first by saying

1110
00:51:22,466 --> 00:51:26,266
part of the--as we are working
to align the Center,

1111
00:51:26,266 --> 00:51:27,733
one of the areas
that we're looking at

1112
00:51:27,733 --> 00:51:31,366
is trying to envision
the workforce of the future.

1113
00:51:31,366 --> 00:51:34,033
So we're talking about
the future now.

1114
00:51:34,033 --> 00:51:37,300
And let's say we're talking
about the Mars mission,

1115
00:51:37,300 --> 00:51:40,466
that a lot of technology work
for that mission

1116
00:51:40,466 --> 00:51:42,700
is going to be done
in the 2020s.

1117
00:51:42,700 --> 00:51:46,100
We need a workforce
in ten years or so

1118
00:51:46,100 --> 00:51:48,100
that is going to have
the capabilities

1119
00:51:48,100 --> 00:51:49,766
and attributes we want

1120
00:51:49,766 --> 00:51:52,666
to make our contributions
to that Mars mission.

1121
00:51:52,666 --> 00:51:54,100
So we're first--

1122
00:51:54,100 --> 00:51:56,066
we're starting with
a little kind of envisioning.

1123
00:51:56,066 --> 00:51:57,666
What does that
workforce look like?

1124
00:51:57,666 --> 00:51:59,733
And then
looking at where we are,

1125
00:51:59,733 --> 00:52:01,766
and what does it take
to get there?

1126
00:52:01,766 --> 00:52:04,766
It's going to take
a lot of mentoring

1127
00:52:04,766 --> 00:52:06,166
and knowledge transfer

1128
00:52:06,166 --> 00:52:09,333
as we pass capabilities
from one generation to the next.

1129
00:52:09,333 --> 00:52:12,966
We're going to need to be
very deliberate

1130
00:52:12,966 --> 00:52:15,233
about the skill sets
and interests

1131
00:52:15,233 --> 00:52:17,566
that we're going after,

1132
00:52:17,566 --> 00:52:19,966
so that we reinforce
our capabilities

1133
00:52:19,966 --> 00:52:21,300
that we want to preserve,

1134
00:52:21,300 --> 00:52:23,400
where we establish
new capabilities

1135
00:52:23,400 --> 00:52:25,833
that we believe are needed
for the future,

1136
00:52:25,833 --> 00:52:28,600
and that will guide us
in our recruiting

1137
00:52:28,600 --> 00:52:31,200
and our hiring strategies
that we go forward with.

1138
00:52:31,200 --> 00:52:34,100
So that--that's sort of
the big picture philosophy

1139
00:52:34,100 --> 00:52:35,466
and logic behind it.

1140
00:52:35,466 --> 00:52:38,333
And with that information
in hand,

1141
00:52:38,333 --> 00:52:41,000
then we can very explicitly
figure out

1142
00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:43,166
where to go for recruiting.

1143
00:52:43,166 --> 00:52:46,133
We want a diverse
and capable workforce,

1144
00:52:46,133 --> 00:52:48,800
and so we're going to have
a better idea of

1145
00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:53,166
where to go to get the workforce
attributes we want.

1146
00:52:53,166 --> 00:52:55,933
The senior management
is going to be able

1147
00:52:55,933 --> 00:52:58,466
to evaluate the opportunities
better so that we--

1148
00:52:58,466 --> 00:53:00,933
We don't get to hire
all that much,

1149
00:53:00,933 --> 00:53:03,433
so when we do hire,
we want to be really confident

1150
00:53:03,433 --> 00:53:04,933
that it's going to work.

1151
00:53:04,933 --> 00:53:07,866
So we're gonna be able to match
the overall strategy

1152
00:53:07,866 --> 00:53:09,700
with the approach
that we're taking

1153
00:53:09,700 --> 00:53:12,333
on any specific situation.

1154
00:53:12,333 --> 00:53:14,733
In addition to that,

1155
00:53:14,733 --> 00:53:18,200
we are delighted to host
800 to 1,000 students

1156
00:53:18,200 --> 00:53:19,966
here every summer,

1157
00:53:19,966 --> 00:53:23,166
and that's something
that has created opportunities

1158
00:53:23,166 --> 00:53:25,900
for the students in the future,
and also for us,

1159
00:53:25,900 --> 00:53:29,333
to see what's that workforce
going to look like

1160
00:53:29,333 --> 00:53:31,800
and understand
how we get ready for it.

1161
00:53:31,800 --> 00:53:33,933
And so we definitely will
continue doing that

1162
00:53:33,933 --> 00:53:36,300
as well as other
outreach opportunities

1163
00:53:36,300 --> 00:53:38,566
so that our message
gets out there,

1164
00:53:38,566 --> 00:53:41,266
and the people who think they
want to get on board with us

1165
00:53:41,266 --> 00:53:45,966
can self-identify also.

1166
00:53:45,966 --> 00:53:49,666
- So please join me in
thanking Dr. Tom Edwards

1167
00:53:49,666 --> 00:53:51,166
again for an excellent talk.

1168
00:53:51,166 --> 00:53:53,633
[applause]