NASA Advisory Council Recommendation 

Allocation of Resources for International Space Station (ISS) 


Research Required for the Journey to Mars 


2016-01-01 (Council-01) 


Recommendation: 

The Council recommends that NASA conduct an internal evaluation of the top priority 

ISS research directly related to the Journey to Mars and determine whether some portion 

of the resources (including crew time, up-mass, and dollars) applied to the ISS National 

Laboratory could be used to more rapidly advance the Journey to Mars. 

Major Reasons for Proposing the Recommendation: 


As articulated by the NASA Administrator and various NASA public documents, the 


Journey to Mars is NASA's top Exploration Goal. 


Research for the Journey to Mars that utilizes the ISS must be concentrated in the next 


eight years, before NASA's Human Exploration focus shifts away from ISS utilization. 


Beyond the operational funding, launch up-mass and crew time for ISS research are the 


most limited resources. 


The Council notes that the ISS National Laboratory has been allocated launch up-mass 


and at least 50% of ISS crew time for research that may eventually have potential for 


commercial benefits. The Council has also been told by NASA that a successful 


transition from the "Earth Reliant" phase to the "Proving Ground" phase is dependent at 


least in part on the success of attracting future commercial users of the ISS and/or the 


availability of commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) laboratory capability that NASA 


rnuld use. The Council therefore believes that it would be beneficial for the Agency to 


better understand the effect that the resources being devoted to the IS S National 


Laboratory might have on the important research needed to reduce technology and human 


health risk for the Journey to Mars. 


As additional information, we provide a section of the original legislation that allows for 


the allocation to the ISS National Laboratory to be altered as needed (see footnote 


below). 


Consequences of No Action on the Proposed Recommendation: 


The Journey to Mars may be delayed as resources are deployed for commercialization. 


NASA Response: 


NASA concurs with the recommendation. Research planning for upcoming ISS 


Increment pairs normally includes a prioritization effort in which research identified as 


"NASA-Exploration-Critical" is assigned the highest priority activity for NASA's 


resources (see the attached example for the upcoming increment pair 51-52.) To 


date, research investigations in the ''NASA-Exploration-Critical" category have not 

exceeded the resources available for NASA investigations, and it has not been necessary 

to use the research resources allocated by the Act for non-NASA activities, through the 

mechanism provided by the Act , to conduct any "NASA-Exploration-Critical" research . 

If in the future this situation arises, the NASA liaison will, as the NASA Authorization 

Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-267) describes , discuss the situation with the Center for the 

Advancement of Science and Space (CASIS), and a solution in the best interests of the 

space program will be sought. 

Section 504(d)(2) of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, Public Law 111-267 (bolded portion below 

added for emphasis: 

(d) RESEARCH CAPACITY ALLOCATION AND NTEGRA TION OF RESEARCH PAYLOADS. 

(2) ADDITIONAL RESEARCH CAP ABILITIES.- If any NASA Research plan is detennined to require 

capacity onboard the ISS beyond the percentage allocated under paragraph (1), such research plan shall be prepared 

in the form of a requested research opportunity to be submitted to the process established under this section for the 

c:msideration of proposed research within the capacity allocated to the ISS National Laboratory. A proposal for 

such a research plan may include the establishment of partnerships with non-NASA institutions eligible to propose 

research to be conducted within the ISS National Laboratory capacity. Until September 30, 2020, the official or 

employee designated under subsection (b) may grant an exception to this requirement in the case of a 

proposed experiment considered essential for purposes of preparing for exploration beyond low-Earth orbi t, 

as determined by joint agreement between the organization with which the Administrator enters into a 

cooperative agreement under subsection (a) and the official or employee designated under subsection (b). 

[NOTE: The "official or employee designated under subsection (b) " is the N,4.SA Liaison, Mr. Samuel Scimemi, 

Director, International Space Station Division, NASA Headquarters.] 
PreliminaryIncrement51/52 Utilization 
Preliminary Increment 51/52 Utilization 

Preliminary Increment 51/52 Utilization 
PreliminaryIncrement51/52 Utilization 
Preliminary Increment 51/52 Utilization 

Preliminary Increment 51/52 Utilization 

PreliminaryIncrement51/52 Utilization 
Preliminary Increment 51 /52 Utilization 
Preliminary Increment 51/52 Utilization 

Preliminary Increment 51/52 Utilization 
Preliminary Increment 51/52 Utilization 
Preliminary Increment 51 /52 Utilization 
Preliminary Increment 51 /52 Utilization 

Preliminary Increment 51/52 Utilization