NASA Human	Health	and	Performance Strategy	

Exploring	Space | Enhancing	Life

July	1,	2012

Prepared	by:	

Elizabeth	E.	Richard

Senior	Strategist,	Wyle

Reviewed	and	Approved	by:	

Jeffrey	R.	Davis,	M.	D.	

Director,	Space	Life	Sciences	Directorate
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1.0 EXECUTIVE	SUMMARY............................................................................................3

2.0 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................4

3.0 VISION	and	MISSION	STATEMENTS ........................................................................4

4.0 SITUATION	ANALYSIS..............................................................................................4

4.1 Current	Situation	(2012)................................................................................5

4.2 What	We	Expect	to	Change	in	the	Next	Five	to	Ten	Years............................5

4.3 Trends............................................................................................................6

4.4 SWOT	Analysis	(Strengths,	Weaknesses,	Opportunities,	and	Threats) .........6

5.0 KEY	STRATEGIES......................................................................................................7

6.0 GOALS	AND	SPECIFIC	OBJECTIVES ..........................................................................7

Goal	1:		Lead	Human	Exploration ...........................................................................7

Goal	2:		Lead	Internationally...................................................................................9

Goal	3:	Excel	in	Leadership,	Management,	and	Innovation .................................11

Goal	4:	Expand	Relevance	to	Life	on	Earth...........................................................13

Appendix	A:		Line	of	Sight	with	the	JSC	Strategy ..............................................................17

Appendix	B:		Situational	Analysis—Current	Situation	2012 .............................................20

Appendix	C:		Trends	and	What	We	Expect	to	Change	in	the	Next	Five	to	Ten	Years.......21

Appendix	D:		SWOT	Analysis.............................................................................................24
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1.0 EXECUTIVE	SUMMARY

In	May	2007,	what	was	then	the	Space	Life	Sciences	Directorate, issued	the	2007	Space	

Life	Sciences	Strategy	for	Human	Space	Exploration.		In	January	2012,	leadership	and	

key	directorate	personnel	were	once	again	brought	together	to	assess	the	current	and	

expected	future	environment	against	its	2007	Strategy	and	the	Agency	and	Johnson	

Space	Center	goals	and	strategies.		The	result	was	a	refined	vision	and	mission,	and

revised	goals,	objectives,	and	strategies.		One	of	the	first	changes	implemented	was	to	

rename	the	directorate	from	Space	Life	Sciences	to	Human	Health	and	Performance	to	

better	reflect	our	vision	and	mission.

The	most	significant	change	in	the	directorate	from	2007	to	the	present	is	the	

integration	of	the	Human	Research	Program	and	Crew	Health	and	Safety	activities.		

Subsequently,	the	Human	Health	and	Performance	Directorate	underwent	a	

reorganization to	achieve enhanced	integration	of	research	and	development	with	

operations	to	better	support	human	spaceflight	and	International	Space	Station	

utilization.		These	changes	also	enable	a	more	effective	and	efficient	approach	to	human	

system	risk	mitigation.	

Since	2007,	we	have	also	made	significant	advances	in	external	collaboration	and	

implementation	of	new	business	models	within	the	directorate	and	the	Agency,	and	

through	two	newly	established	virtual	centers,	the	NASA	Human	Health	and	

Performance	Center	and	the	Center	of	Excellence	for	Collaborative	Innovation.		Our	

2012	Strategy	builds	upon	these	successes	to	address	the	Agency’s	increased	emphasis	

on	societal	relevance	and	being	a	leader	in	research	and	development	and	innovative	

business	and	communications	practices.		

The 2012	Human	Health	and	Performance	Vision	is	to	lead	the	world	in	human	health	

and	performance	innovations	for	life	in	space	and	on	Earth.		Our	mission	is	to	enable	

optimization	of	human	health	and	performance	throughout	all	phases	of	spaceflight.	All	

HH&P	functions	are	ultimately	aimed	at	achieving	this	mission.		Our	activities	enable	

mission	success,	optimizing	human	health	and	productivity	in	space	before,	during,	and	

after	the	actual	spaceflight	experience	of	our	crews,	and	include	support	for	groundbased	functions.			Many	of	our	spaceflight	innovations	also	provide	solutions	for	

terrestrial	challenges,	thereby	enhancing	life	on	Earth.

Our	strategic	goals	are	aimed	at	leading	human	exploration	and	ISS	utilization,	leading	

human	health	and	performance	internationally,	excelling	in	management	and	

advancement	of	innovations	in	health	and	human	system	integration,	and	expanding	

relevance	to	life	on	Earth and	creating	enduring	support	and	enthusiasm	for	space	

exploration.
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2.0 INTRODUCTION

In	May	2006,	what	was	then	the	Space	Life	Sciences	Directorate	(SLSD)	solicited	input	

from	its	NASA	and	contractor	leadership	teams to	develop	a	long-range plan	aligned	

with	Agency	and	Johnson	Space	Center	(JSC)	strategies	and	goals.		These	efforts	resulted	

in	the	2007	Space	Life	Sciences	Strategy	for	Human	Space	Exploration.

In	January	2012,	leadership	and	key	directorate	personnel	were once	again	brought	

together	to	assess	the	current	and	expected	future	environment	against	its	2007	

Strategy	and	the	JSC	2012	Strategic	Implementation	Plan.		The	result	was	a	refined	

vision	and	mission,	along	with revised	goals,	objectives,	and	strategies.		One	of	the	first	

changes	implemented	was	to	rename	the	directorate	from	Space	Life	Sciences	to	

Human	Health	and	Performance,	and	this	new	name	will	be	used	throughout	this

document.

3.0 HUMAN	HEALTH	AND	PERFORMANCE	DIRECTORATE	(HH&P) VISION	

and	MISSION	STATEMENTS

Vision

“HH&P leads	the	world	in	human	health	and	performance innovations	

for	life	in	space	and	on	Earth”

Mission

“HH&P capabilities	enable	optimization	of	human	health	and	

performance	throughout	all	phases	of	spaceflight”

All	HH&P	functions	are	ultimately	aimed	at	achieving	this	mission.		Our	activities	enable	

mission	success,	optimizing	human	health	and	productivity	in	space	before,	during,	and	

after	the	actual	spaceflight	experience	of	our	crews,	and	include	support	for	groundbased	functions.			Many	of	our	spaceflight	innovations	also	provide	solutions	for	

terrestrial	challenges,	thereby	enhancing	life	on	Earth.

4.0 SITUATION	ANALYSIS	

A	situation	analysis	was	conducted	to	determine	where	we	are	today	relative	to	our	

mission	and	vision,	and	to	identify	the	factors	most	likely	to	influence	our	strategy	

development	and	affect	achievement	of	our	goals	and	objectives.		Our	assessment	of	

the	current	situation,	our	stakeholders,	trends	in	life	sciences	and	spaceflight,	and	our	

internal	and	external	environments	is	presented	below	and	in	Appendices	A,	B,	C	and	D.		 		
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4.1 Current	Situation	(2012)

The	most	significant	change	in	the directorate	from	2007	to	the	present	is	the	

integration	of	the	Human	Research	Program	(HRP)	and	Crew	Health	and	Safety	activities

into	HH&P,	with	oversight	of	Level	II	functions	by	the	Human	Exploration	and	

Operations	Mission	Directorate	(HEOMD).		This	aligns	with	HEOMD’s	desire	to	achieve	

greater	integration	of	research,	development	with	operations	to	support	human	

spaceflight,	and	enables	a	more	effective	and	efficient	approach	to	human	system	risk	

mitigation.	Our	2012	strategies	and	goals	are	also	well	aligned	with	the	JSC	2012	Plan	as	

shown	in	Appendix	A.

We	have	made	significant	advances	in	external	collaboration	and	implementation	of	

new	business	models	within	the	directorate	and	the	Agency,	and	through	two	newly	

established	virtual	centers,	the NASA	Human	Health	and	Performance	Center	(NHHPC)

and	the	Center	of	Excellence	for	Collaborative	Innovation	(CoECI).		The	NHHPC	was	

envisioned	in	our	2007 plan,	was	established	two years	ahead	of	the	planned	schedule,

and	has	more	than	110 diverse	member	organizations.	

The	Agency	is	placing	an	increasing	emphasis	on	societal	relevance,	International	Space	

Station	(ISS)	utilization,	and	focused	research	and	development	activity.	Commercial	and	

non-ISS	partner	nation	spaceflight	capabilities	are	growing,	and	NASA	is	increasingly	

dependent	on	partners	(ISS	and	commercial)	for	access	to	spaceflight.		Our	funding	

streams	are	changing,	but	have	remained	relatively	stable	since	2006,	and	our	current	

stakeholders	are	shown	below.		Appendix	B	includes	details	of	the	situation	analysis.		

2012	Stakeholders	include	the HEOMD	(Human	Spaceflight	Capabilities,	ISS,	Commercial	

Spaceflight	Development,	Advanced	Exploration	Systems,	Space	Life	and	Physical	

Sciences	Research	and	Applications,	and	Exploration	Systems	Development),	Office	of	

the	Chief	Health	and	Medical	Officer,	Office	of	the	Chief	Technologist, and	Office	of	the	

Chief	Scientist;	Flight	Crew	Operations,	Mission	Operations,	Engineering,	and	Safety	and	

Mission	Assurance	Directorates	at	JSC;	JSC	Management;	other	NASA	centers;	our	

international	partners:	the	European	Space	Agency (ESA),	the	Canadian	Space	Agency	

(CSA),		the	Japanese	Space	Agency	(JAXA),	and	the	Russian	Federal	Space	Agency	

(Roscosmos);	NHHPC	and	CoECI	members;	NASA	Advisory	Committees	(National	

Institutes	of	Health	,	National	Academies	of	Science,	Institute	of	Medicine,	and	National	

Research	Council);	The	U.S.	Executive	Branch,	Congress,	and	the	American	public.

4.2 What	We	Expect	to	Change	in	the	Next	Five	to	Ten	Years

We	expect	many	changes	in	human	spaceflight	in	the	next	five	to	ten	years.		Over	a	tenyear	period,	Administration	and	Agency	missions	will	change.		Our	current	funding	
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streams	will	likely	be	further	reduced	and	become	more	diverse	across	smaller	projects,	

and	we	will	rely	more	on	traditional	and	new	partnerships	to	achieve	our	strategic	goals.	

Commercial	spaceflight	will	become	a	reality,	both	to	support	NASA	and	international	

partner	missions	and	to	expand	access	to	space	via	space	tourism.		We	will	create	new	

advances	in	external	collaboration	and	new	business	models	to	more	effectively	drive	

innovation.		Appendix	C	specifies	the	full	list	of	what	is	expected	to	change	over	the	next	

five	years.	

4.3 Trends

The	most	significant	trends	in	human	spaceflight	that	we	see	emerging	are	the	growing	

number	of	participants	and	capabilities	in	the	human	spaceflight	arena	including	

commercial	entities	and	non-	ISS	partner	nations.		Trends	within	NASA	include	a	

reduction	in	funding	from	historical	revenue	streams	and	an	emphasis	on	affordability,	a	

focus	on	exploration	beyond	low	earth	orbit	(LEO),	and	an	aging	workforce	and	facilities	

that	will	influence	expertise	and	capabilities. 	Additionally,	there	are	trends	in	terrestrial	

life	sciences	that	will	drive	changes	in	human	spaceflight	practices	and	processes	such	as	

advances	in	commercial	diagnostic	and	treatment	modalities,	environmental	

monitoring,	and	information	management.			Further,	the	underlying	technologies	to	

solve	problems	for	spaceflight	are	closely	linked	to	solutions	for	health	and	

environmental	issues	in	remote	areas	on	earth.		This	similarity	opens	up	the	opportunity	

for	co-creation	among	many	seemingly	diverse	organizations	(e.g.,	NASA	and	many	of	its	

NHHPC	partners).		Appendix	C	specifies	the	full	list	of	trends	identified.		

4.4 SWOT	Analysis	(Strengths,	Weaknesses,	Opportunities,	and	

Threats)

To	identify	the	key	strategies	and	objectives	to	pursue	goals	and	the	resources	and	

capabilities	required	to	achieve	these	goals,	we	conducted	a	Strengths,	Weaknesses,	

Opportunities,	and	Threats	(SWOT)	analysis.		According	to	the	HH&P leadership	team,	

our	greatest	strengths	are	our	people	and	the	breadth	and	depth	of	their	expertise;	

second	is	our	leadership	in	collaborative	innovation.		As	compared	to	2007,	we	have	

made	progress	improving	our	ability	to	collaborate,	communicate	with,	and	leverage	

resources	of	external	organizations,	but	need	to	continue	to	emphasize	improvement	of	

internal	processes,	integration,	and	communication	(although	in	some	cases	internal	

processes	were	identified	as	both	a	strength	and	a	weakness). 	The	SWOT	analysis	is	

presented	in	Appendix	D. 		
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5.0 KEY	STRATEGIES

Cross-cutting	strategies	developed	in	2007	were	assessed	and	refined	to	address	the	

current	environment—these	apply	broadly	to	all	strategic	goals.		Goal-specific	strategies	

and	objectives	are	specified	in	Section	6.0 below.

• Optimize	the	integrated	human	system	risk	management	process	and	continue	to	

use	the	system	to	prioritize	risks	and	execute	tasks

• Define,	develop,	and	maintain	core	capabilities	and	competencies

• Expand	and	strengthen	strategic	relationships

• Define,	communicate	and	implement	a	customer-focused	business	model	within	the	

directorate

• Improve	our	customer	focus

• Enhance	internal	and	external	communication in	terms	meaningful	to	our	

stakeholders,	customers,	and	the	general	public

6.0 GOALS	AND	SPECIFIC	OBJECTIVES

Goal	1:		Lead	Human	Exploration	

1A. Utilize	the	ISS	to	advance	life	sciences	research,	technology	development,	and	

operations	to	enable	exploration	at	LEO	and	beyond.

2012-2016:

o By	2014,	update HRP	knowledge	gaps,	establish	metrics,	and	identify

gaps	that	can	be	closed	by	2020	

o Establish	occupational	surveillance	programs	to	support	astronaut	health

by	2013

o Baseline	the	Transition	to	Operations (TTO)	process	and	establish	a	

system	to	track	number	and	performance	of	deliverables	successfully	

transitioned	to	operations	by	2013

o Secure	human	productivity	data	and	define	metrics	to	demonstrate	gains	

in	crew	productivity	by	2015

o Improve	crew	efficiencies	on-orbit	by	10% (time	savings	of	task	

completion) by	2016

o Participate	in	ongoing	Design	Reference	Mission	(DRM)	planning	and	

development	throughout	the	life	cycle	of	mission	design.	

2017-2021:

o Develop	optimized,	autonomous	health	care	systems	and	practices	for	

exploration	missions	by	2017
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o Implement	three technology	demonstration	projects	on	ISS	by	2017

o Develop	one-year	ISS	human	mission	capability	by	2017

o Participate	in	Mars	simulation	mission	planning	for	2017

o Be	established	as	the	global	medical	provider	for	missions	beyond	ISS	by	

2017

o Complete	preparation	for	continued	ISS	operation	beyond	2020	by	2018

o Transfer	50%	of	research	products	to	operations	for	approved	DRMs	by	

2017	and	75%	by	2019

o Complete	baseline	data	collection	for	lunar	crew	and	deep	space	

exploration	by	2020	

1B.		 Leverage	HH&P	experience	and	provide	services	to	facilitate	successful	

commercialization	of	LEO

2012-2016:

o Establish	three	HH&P	commercial	space	operators	customer	agreements	

by	2014

2017-2021:

o Develop	a	joint	lessons	learned	database	with	private	industry	and	other	

federal	agencies	by	2019

1C.		 Expand	and	leverage	strategic	relationships	and	collaborative	efforts	to	advance	

human	health	and	performance	innovations	that	enable	extended	human	

exploration

2012-2016:

o Identify	and	select	best	practices	and	technologies	in	collaboration	with	

the	military	and	industry	to	refine	our	Human	System	Integration	(HSI)

strategy	by	2013	

o Expand	our	customer	portfolio by	20% including	Advanced	Exploration	

Systems,	Office	of	Chief	Technologist,	commercial	space,	and	nontraditional	markets	by	2015

2017-2021:

o Develop	agreements	with	emerging	partners	and	their	biomedical	

community
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Goal	2:		Lead	Internationally

2A.		 Lead	and	integrate	international	community	human	health	and	performance	

capabilities	to	advance	space	exploration	through	established	ISS	working	groups	

and	the	NHHPC

2012-2016:

o Fully	participate	in	and	contribute	to	ISS	Team	5	activities	for	ISS	

utilization	by	2013

o Support	Global	Exploration	Roadmap	activities	for	the	human	system	by	

2014

o Engage	international	and	commercial	partners	to	develop	a	consolidated	

evidence	base	of	human	spaceflight	data	by	2014

o Involve	all	ISS	International	Partners	(IPs)	in	HRP	data	collection	and	

exchange	by	2014

o Engage	new	IPs	by	2014	with	a	focus	on	India

o Expand NHHPC	international	member	relationships	to	10%	By	2015

2017-2021:

o Develop	a	consolidated	evidence	base	of	human	spaceflight	data	in	

collaboration	with	international	and	commercial	partners	by	2017

o Develop	agreements	with	new	partners’	biomedical	community	as	new	

partners	emerge

2B.		 Maintain	and	cultivate	cooperation	with	international	space	life	science	

organizations	and	stakeholders	to	enhance	the	Agency	Global	Exploration	

Roadmap			

2012-2016:

o Present	a	plenary	and	ten papers	at	the	annual	Global	Space	Exploration	

Congress	(GLEX)	by	2016

o Present	one	plenary	and ten	papers	at	the	annual	International	

Astronautical	Congress	(IAC)	in	collaboration	with	international	partners	

and	with	an	emphasis	on	enhancing	the	Agency	Global	Exploration	

Roadmap	by	2016

2017-2021:

o Establish	a	new	symposium	series	at	IAC	in	collaborative	innovation	by	2017

o Continue	to	participate	in	the	annual	GLEX	and	IAC	in	collaboration	with	IPs

and	with	an	emphasis	on	enhancing	the	Agency	Global	Exploration	Roadmap	
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Goal	3:	Excel	in	Leadership,	Management,	and	Innovation

3A.		 Develop,	maintain	and	leverage	core	capabilities	and	world-class	expertise	in	

human	health	and	performance	and	management	

2012-2016:

o Define	core	capabilities	to	compare	against	human	system	risks	and	

perform	gap	analysis	by	2012.		Train,	hire,	and	collaborate	to	fill	the	gaps	

by	2016

o Establish	a	system	for	documenting	and	tracking	expertise	by	2013

o Develop	a	process	to	identify	and	track	all	new	and	existing	HH&P	legal	

vehicles	for	collaborations	by	2013	

o Establish	a	structured project	management	approach	to	be	applied	to	all	

integrated	operational,	development,	and	research	projects	by	2013

o Develop	and	implement	an	expansion	and	utilization	plan	for	Human	

System	Academy	by	2013

 Develop	HSI	training	courses	for	JSC	by	2012

 Increase	number	of	Human	System	Academy	students	completing	

programs	by	20%	by	2014

 Launch	an	online	Human	System	Academy	by	2014

o Establish	formal	succession	planning	options	(e.g.,	cross-training	

experiences,	part-time	opportunities	for	employees	per	their	expertise)	

by	2014

o Increase	peer	reviewed	publications	and	patents	annually	by	5%

beginning	in	2014

o Establish	availability	of	web-based	Graduate	Life	Sciences	training	at	the	

University	of	Houston	open	to	all	accredited	universities	by	2015

2017-2021:

o Open	Human	System	Academy	to	external	participation	by	2017

3B.		 Drive	advances	in	human	health	and	performance

2012-2016:

o Develop	an	HSI	strategy	by	2012	and	implement	it	by	2016

 Identify	and	select	best	practices/technologies	to	refine	HSI	

strategy	by	2013

 Complete	integration	of	HSI	into	Systems	Engineering	Handbook	

by	2013

 Establish	an	HSI	Splinter	Group	by	2013

 Integrate	HSI	into	Employee	Resource	Group	manual	by	2013

o Conduct	a	workshop	by	2013	to	identify	most	critical	HHP	projects	with	

potential	to	impact	relevance	to	life	on	Earth
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o Collect	metrics	on	research	and	development	projects	that	explicitly	

identify	terrestrial	benefits	(e.g.,	number	of	Phase	III—Technology	

Infusion—Small	Business	Innovation	Research	(SBIR)	projects	by	2014

o Aggressively	pursue	human	health	and	performance	innovative	technical	

and	business	approaches	that	drive	affordability,	sustainability,	and	

accountability;	identifying	and	establishing	three	approaches	by	2014

o Finalize	definitions	of	all	known	risks	and	link	all	human	system	

requirements	to	risks	by	2014

o Collect	and	analyze	research	deliverables	(e.g.,	quality,	quantity,	stage	of	

development,	where	in	the	pipeline,	used	to	inform	community,	extent	

to	which	it	mitigated	risk,	etc.)	as	they	are	generated	to	inform	risk	

management	process

2017-2021:

o Ensure	HSI	operations	concepts	are	captured	for	extraterrestrial	missions	

by	2018

o Reduce	required	resupply	by	50%	to	support	human	health	and	

performance	by	2018

o Reduce	ground-based	real-time	support	for	on	board	medical	and	

environmental	activities	by	2018

3C.	 Define	and	implement	comprehensive	information	architecture,	data	

management,	and	website	integration	plans

2012-2016:

o Fully	define	the	information	architecture	by	2013

o Identify	all	existing	sources	of	NASA	data	supporting	human	health	and	

performance	by	2013

o Develop	process	to	address	requests	from	public	regarding	human	health	

and	performance	data	by	2013	(Lifetime	Surveillance	of	Astronaut	Health	

team)

o Benchmark	current	capabilities	and	practices	for	data	management	and	

distribution	(internal	and	external)	by	2014

o Complete	development	of	integrated	HH&P	website	by	2014

2017-2021:

o Automate	the	process	for	dissemination	of	data	emerging	from	

users/customers	(technically	how	and	what)	by	2017

o Implement	best	practices	for	data	management	and	distribution	(internal	

and	external)	based	on	benchmark	by	2017

o Data	will	be	readily	available	electronically	for	public	use	by	2018
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3D.		 Lead	and	promote	the	use	of	innovation	methodologies	(e.g.,	prizes)	to	advance	

human	health	and	performance	innovations	and	foster	a	NASA	culture	that	

embraces	collaborative	innovation	

2012-2016:

o Secure	agency	funding	line	to	support	innovation	and	use	of	innovative	

methodologies	(including	implementation)	for	FY13	and	out	years

o Define	methods	to	quantify	innovations	and	return	on	investment	(value)	

to	human	health	and	performance	by	2013

o Define	needed	processes	and	develop	capability	to	share	data	resources	

to	support	innovations	by	2013

o Conduct	five	external	open	innovation	challenges	annually	by	2014

o Develop	a	framework	for	strategic	decision-making	by	2013;	evaluate	and	

revise	to	final	product	by	2014

o Develop	two	processes	that	facilitate	utilization	of	innovation	

methodologies	and	tools	by	2014

o Continue	to	operate	NASA@Work	with	20	challenges	annually,	and	

produce	an	annual	report	of	results	and	metrics	for	the	NASA	workforce

o Provide	staff	support	to	the	JSC	Innovation	Day	annually,	leading	at	least	

one	committee	or	interactive	exhibit

o Pursue	three HH&P	Innovation	Charge	Account	(ICA)	innovations	annually

o Develop	metrics	for	use	of	strategic	decision-framework	by	2016

2017-2021:

o Continue	to	operate	NASA@Work	with	20	challenges	annually

 Produce	an	annual	report	of	results	and	metrics	for	the	NASA	

workforce

o Implement	and	expand	availability	of	the	strategic	decision framework

across	the	Agency,	and	incorporate	into	project	management	classes	by	

2017

o Conduct	five	external	open	innovation	challenges	annually

o Develop	return	on	investment	analysis	of	open	innovation	strategies	by	

2017

o Provide	staff	support	to	the	JSC	Innovation	Day	annually,	leading	at	least	

one	committee	or	interactive	exhibit

o Incorporate	ICA	awards	into	task	orders	to	continue	advancement	of	

human	health	and	performance	innovations

Goal	4:	Expand	Relevance	to	Life	on	Earth

4A.		 Utilize	the	CoECI	to	leverage	resources	and	promote	the	use	of	collaborative	

innovation	and	prizes	across	the	U.S.	Federal	Government
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2012-2016:

o Develop	promotional	material	(handouts	and	web	based)	to	create	

awareness	of	and	promote	use	of	innovation	methodologies	by	2012

o Create	a	repository	of	best	practices	and	applications	of	collaborative	

innovation	methods	to	be	shared	with	all Federal	Agencies	by	mid-2013	

o Define	and	implement	operational	practices	to	rapidly	respond	to	and	

facilitate	the	use	of	open	innovation	methodologies	in	other	Federal	

Agencies	by	mid-2013

o Continue	to	promote	collaboration	and	co-development	of	projects	that	

cannot	be	conducted	effectively	by	a	single	agency	per	the	White	House	

Office	of	Management	and	Budget	(OMB)	and	White	House	Office	of	

Science	and	Technology	Policy	(OSTP) June	2012	memorandum	

2017-2021:

o CoECI	is	self-sustaining	through	reimbursable	Space	Act	Agreements	by	

2017

o Establish	public	access	forum	for	“Collaborating	with	the	Government”	

through	the	CoECI	to	demonstrate	project	collaborations	between	

government	entities	and	the	public	sector	by	2017	

4B.		 Utilize	the	NHHPC	to	leverage	resources	and	expand	collaborative innovation	

projects,	co-development	efforts,	and	communication	of	benefits	to	Earth

2012-2016:

o Support	2012-2013	development	and	execution	of	a	human	health	and	

performance	related	NASA	Grand	Challenge	(if	selected)	as	encouraged	

by	the	memorandum	on	Science	and	Technology	Policy	Priorities	issued	

by	the	OMB	and	OSTP in	June	2012

o The	NHHPC	engages	the	CoECI	to	conduct	a	prize	in	support	of	grand	

challenges	by	2015	(a	public-private	prize)	

o Conduct two	NHHPC	workshops per	year	that	address	applications	

benefiting	both	space	exploration	and life	on	Earth	

o Continue	to	promote	collaboration	and	co-development	of	projects	that	

cannot	be	conducted	effectively	by	a	single	organization

o Increase	international	participation	in	the	NHHPC	by	one	organization	per	

year	in	2012,	2013,	and	2014

o Conduct	six	Member-to-Member	Connect	webcasts	per	year	

2017-2021:

o Continue	to	promote	collaboration	and	co-development	of	projects	that	

cannot	be	conducted	effectively	by	a	single	organization
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o Conduct two	NHHPC	workshops per	year	that	address	applications	

benefiting	both	space	exploration	and life	on	Earth	

o Develop	one	international	collaborative	project	by	2017

o Conduct	six	Member-to-Member	Connect	webcasts	per	year	

o Establish	a	collaborative	agreement	with	:envihab	by	2017

4C.		 Enhance	communications	and	events	to	promote	and	demonstrate	relevance	to	

life	on	Earth	and	create	public	support	and	enthusiasm	for	human	space	

exploration

2012-2016:

o Develop	a	strategic	communications	and	marketing	plan	to	promote	and	

demonstrate	relevance	of	HH&P,	NHHPC,	and	CoECI by	2012

o Collaborate	with	NASA	Headquarters	Office	of	Communications	and	

other	Agency	offices	to	participate	in	Agency-level	efforts	for	outreach	

and	communication	to	the	public

o Integrate	HH&P	external	website	to	promote	relevancy	of	HH&P	efforts	

and	to	attract	business	from	external	commercial	entities	by	2014

o Continue	to	use	Twitter	and	other	relevant	social	media	formats	to	

convey	the	goals	and	objectives	of	the	NHHPC,	CoECI	and	the	HH&P

o Establish	the	“human	as	a	system”	presence	on	the	JSC	homepage	and	

external	websites	by	2013

o Conduct	four	Innovation	Lecture	Series	events	for	HH&P,	NHHPC	and	

CoECI	participants

2017-2021:

o Hold	NASA	HH&P	supported	Science	Fair	or	other	educational	activity	to	

increase	public	awareness	by	2018

o Pursue	and	establish	partnership	with	educational	publisher	to	provide	

content	for	HHP-related	text	by	2018

o Incorporate	other	virtual	publication	formats	into	the	HH&P	publication	

process	(example:	eBooks	on	iTunes)

o Host	the	first	HH&P	tweet-up	focused	on	health	aspects	of	human	

spaceflight

o Create	YouTube	HH&P	library	that	promotes	facilities,	core	capabilities	

and	technical	accomplishment	of	the	directorate	

4D.		 Use	HH&P world-class	expertise	to	promote	Science,	Engineering,	Technology	and	

Math	(STEM)	education	and	create	opportunities	to	inspire	the	next	generation	of	

life	scientists	
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2012-2016:

o Develop	an	external	package	for	workforce	to	use	in	Education	and	

Outreach	(E&O)	initiatives	by	2012

o Assess	and	coordinate	all	existing	educational	activities	in	human	health	

and	performance	within	the	Agency,	Office	of	Education,	and	supported	

institutions	by	2013

o Develop	K-12	education	contests	that	highlight	NASA-generated	HHP	

innovations	by	2013

o Infuse	NASA	Education	with	STELLAR	made	available	to	their	educators	

and	via	nasa.gov	by	2013

o Develop	a	concerted	effort	with	JSC	E&O	to	leverage	NASA	Headquarters

E&O	funding/support	and	identify	education	funding	opportunities	by	

2014

o Document	and	track	current	E&O	efforts	currently	conducted	by	HH&P

civil	servants	and	contractors	by	2014	and	build	into	an	overall	strategy	

for	HH&P	E&O	by	2014

2017-2021:

o Wherever	practical	and	appropriate,	embed	E&O	in	HH&P	projects	
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Appendix	A:		Human	Health	and	Performance	Directorate	Line	of	Sight	

with	the	JSC	Strategy

JSC	2012 HH&P	2012

Vision • JSC	leads	a	global	enterprise	in	

human	space	exploration	that	

is	sustainable,	affordable,	and	

benefits	all	humankind.

• HH&P	leads	the	world	in	

human	health	and	

performance innovations	for	

life	in	space	and	on	Earth

Mission • JSC	provides	and	applies	the	

preeminent	capabilities	to	

develop,	operate,	and	

integrate	human	exploration	

missions	spanning	commercial,	

academic,	international,	and	

US	government	partners.	

• HH&P	capabilities	enable	

optimization	of	human	health	

and	performance	throughout	

all	phases	of	spaceflight	

Goal	1:	

Lead	Human	

Exploration

• Exploit	the	ISS	as	a	cornerstone	

of	human	exploration

• Enable	the	commercialization	

of	LEO

• Extend	human	exploration	

beyond	LEO

• Utilize	the	ISS	to	advance	life	

sciences	research,	technology	

development,	and	operations	

to	enable	exploration	beyond	

LEO

• Leverage	HH&P	experience	and	

provide	services	to	facilitate	

successful	commercialization	

of	LEO

• Expand	and	leverage	strategic	

relationships	and	collaborative	

efforts	to	advance	human	

health	and	performance	and	

innovations	to	extend	human	

exploration

Goal	2:

Lead	

Internationally

• Leverage	ISS	experience	to	lead	

international	community	

participation	in	human	space	

exploration

• Guide	development	of	Agency	

Global	Exploration	Roadmap	

• Lead	and	integrate	

international	community	

human	health	and	

performance	capabilities	to	

advance	space	exploration	

through	established	ISS	
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• Champion	international	

participation	in	the	

development	of	exploration	

capabilities

working	groups	and	the	NASA	

Human	Health	and	

Performance	Center	(NHHPC)	

• Maintain	and	cultivate	

cooperation	with	international	

space	life	science	organizations	

and	stakeholders	to	enhance	

the	Agency	Global	Exploration	

Roadmap			

Goal	3:

Excel	in	

Leadership,	

Management,	

and	

Innovation

• Lead	through	innovative	

technical	and	business	

management	practices

• Lead	by	fully	engaging	the	

human	spaceflight	team	

• Develop,	maintain	and	

leverage	core	capabilities	and	

world-class	expertise	in	human	

health	and	performance	and	

management

• Drive	advances	in	human	

health	and	performance

• Define	and	implement	

comprehensive	information	

architecture,	data	

management,	and	website	

integration	plans

• Lead	and	promote	the	use	of	

innovation	methodologies	

(e.g.,	prizes)	to	advance	human	

health	and	performance	

innovations	and	foster	a	NASA	

culture	that	embraces	

collaborative	innovation	

Goal	4:

Expand	

Relevance	to	

Life	on	Earth

• Intertwine	JSC	in	mutually	

beneficial	partnerships	to	

maximize	economic	and	

societal	impact	

• Inform,	educate	and	engage	all	

generations	to	advance	human	

space	exploration	

• Strategically	communicate	

JSC’s	relevance	in	terms	

• Utilize	the	CoECI	to	leverage	

resources	and	promote	the	use	

of	collaborative	innovation	and	

prizes	across	the	U.S.	Federal	

Government

• Utilize	the	NHHPC	to	leverage	

resources	and	expand	

collaborative	innovation	

projects,	co-development	
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meaningful	to	our	stakeholders	 efforts,	and	communication	of	

benefits	to	Earth

• Enhance	communications	and	

events	to	promote	and	

demonstrate	relevance	to	life	

on	Earth	and	create	public	

support	and	enthusiasm	for	

human	space	exploration

• Use	HH&P world-class	

expertise	to	promote	Science,	

Engineering,	Technology	and	

Math	(STEM)	education	and	

create	opportunities	to	inspire	

the	next	generation	of	life	

scientists
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Appendix	B:		Situational	Analysis—Current	Situation	2012

• The	Human	Research	Program	and	Crew	Health	and	Safety	have	been	integrated	

into	HH&P;	HRP	and	CHS	report	to	HH&P	with	oversight	of	Level	II	functions	by	

HEOMD	

• Funding

o Funding	from	STS	and	Cx	ended,	current	funding		comes	from	ISS,	MPCV,	

Comm	Space,	AES,	COECI,	HRP,	CHS,	CM&O,	and	OCT

o HRP,	CHS	FY	12	budget	has	remained	relatively	flat	compared	to	FY	06	

o Budgetary	and	decision	authority	remain	the	responsibility	of	the	

program	managers

• There	is	an	increased	emphasis	on	ISS	utilization,	and	biomedical	support	and	

utilization	of	ISS	has	been	established	through	2020

• There	is	an	increased	emphasis	on	societal	relevance

• There	is	an	ongoing	expectation	for	focused	research	and	development	activity		

and	crew	member	occupational	healthcare

• Affordability	requirements	are	driving	systems	engineering,	program	

management,	human	rating,	and	requirements	policies	for	practices

• We	have	made	significant	advances	in	external	collaboration	and	

implementation	of	new	business	models	within	the	directorate	and	the	Agency,	

and	through	the	NHHPC	and	COECI.

• There	is	a	lack	of	unified	understanding	of	the	Agency’s	direction	and	significant	

uncertainty	with	our	customer	base,	including	commercial	customers	and	

partnerships	

• With	the	conclusion	of	the	Space	Shuttle	Program,	there	is	now	a	perception	by	

the	general	public	that	a	human	space	program	no	longer	exists

• Commercial	crew	development	program	has	been	established

• There	is	a	perceived	loss	of	American	leadership	in	human	spaceflight	with	the	

loss	of	American	space	transport	and	the	increased	spaceflight	capability	by	nonpartnered	nations	like	China	and	India

• Health	and	Medical	Technical	Authority	for	Human	Space	Flight	programs	resides	

in	HH&P

• The	2012	HH&P	Strategic	Plan	is	aligned	with	JSC	2012	Plan	
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Appendix	C:		Trends	and	What	We	Expect	to	Change	in	the	Next	Five	to	

Ten	Years

1. Trends	in	human	spaceflight	practices	and	processes

• Commercial	development	is	playing	an	increasingly	significant	role	in	spaceflight

• Funding	from	historical	revenue	streams	are	changing	and	likely	to	decrease,	and	

there	is	a	focus	on	‘affordability’	and	optimizing	core	capabilities	to	meet	

budgetary	constraints

• There	will	be	fewer	flight	opportunities,	less	cargo	capabilities	(up	and	down	

mass),	and	exclusively	long	duration	(6	months+)	missions	vs.	short	duration	

missions

• We	are	seeing	an	increased	emphasis	on	ISS	utilization	and	utilization	for	

exploration

• There	is	a	growing	agency	emphasis	on	beyond	LEO	exploration	and	technology

development	

• NASA	will	have	more	involvement	with	non-traditional	aerospace	organizations,	

e.g.,	our	interaction	with	Chilean	miners,	NHHPC	members,	etc.

• There	is	a	growing	shift	from	contractor	to	civil	servant	project/program	support	

and	a	move	to	matrixed	personnel

• A	divide	between	NASA	administrative	and	Congress	relative	to	risk	aversion	is	

emerging

• The	public	is	becoming	decreasingly	interested	in	spaceflight	with	the	ending	of	

the	Space	Shuttle	program

• Public	and	stakeholder	perceptions	of	government	(bad)	vs.	commercial	space	

(good)	or	vice	versa	are	growing

• International	Partners	are	seeing	increased	utilization	and	responsibility	of	ISS

• NASA	has	more	international	dependencies

• There	is	a	changing	Agency	philosophy	in	how	we	ensure	mission	safety	

(oversight	vs.	insight)	and	a	focus	to	reduce	standards	and	requirements	

• There	is	a	desire	to	keep	all	NASA	centers	healthy

• NASA’s	facilities	are	aging			

• NASA’s	workforce	is	aging	and	centers	are	downsizing	resulting	in	a	loss	of	core	

expertise

• FAA	will	is	becoming	increasingly	involved	with	NASA	due	to	commercial	

activities

• The	use	of	incentive	prizes	is	increasing	within	and	outside	of	the	Agency

• We’re	seeing	an	increased	utilization	of	analogs,	data	sharing	and	data	mining	

efforts,	and	proactive	risk	management

• Vehicle	and	mission	designs	are	changing	and	morphing

• There	will	be	many	small	projects	with	multiple	funding	sources
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• Increased	competition	for	funding

2. Trends	in	terrestrial	life	sciences	that	will	drive	changes	in	human	spaceflight

practices	and	processes

• Interest	in	STEM	fields	continues	to		decline

• Greater	access	to	remote	medical	care,	telemedicine,	non-invasive	techniques

• Autonomous	field	science	capability	and	medical	care	and	operations

• Off	the	shelf	technology	advances	aligned	with	spaceflight	needs:	portability,	

user-friendliness,	remote	guidance,	miniaturization,	robotics	integration

• Advances	in	diagnostic	and	treatment	modalities	

• Biomedical	technology	breakthroughs:	stem	cells,	genetics,	bio-robotics,	

nanotechnology,	pharmaceutical	advancements

• Corporate	advances	that	influence	NASA,	e.g.,	the	race	car	industry

• Instant	access	to	information/immediate	communication/teaming

• Genetically	based	medical	care/ability	to	identify	individual	susceptibility	to	risk	

enabling	personalized	treatment

• A	focus	on	green/organic/sustainability	

• Increasing	amounts	of	digital	data	

• Less	emphasis	on	face-to-face	communication	and	personal	interaction

3. What	we	expect	to	change	in	the	next	5	to	10	years

• The	U.S.	and	NASA	Administration	will	change

• Funding	from	historical	revenue	streams	will	decrease,	the	need	for	and	funding	

from	new	streams	will	emerge	(e.g.,	OCT,	non-federal	sources),	and	our	budget	

will	become	increasingly	more	complex		

• Our	mission	will	change	(e.g.,	exploration	destination),	spaceflight	will	become	

more	autonomous,	and	we	will	develop	capabilities	for	in-situ	analysis

• The	ISS	national	lab	will	become	active;	NASA,	IP,	and	commercial	utilization	of	

ISS	will	grow;	there	will	be	an	increased	IP	management	of	ISS;	however	there	is	

a	potential	for	termination	of	ISS	in	this	timeframe	as	well	

• Commercial	crew	and	cargo	will	become	operational,	and	there	will	be	growth	in	

commercial	space	access		

• Space	tourism	will	be	launched	and	grow,	fliers	will	be	from	a	broader	

population	and	the	number	of	fliers	will	increase,	and	the	need	and	possibility	of	

funding	for	NASA	expertise	to	support	it	will	grow

• NASA	will	exchange	medical	information	with	commercial	orbital	and	suborbital	

operators	and	others

• The	spaceflight	capabilities	of	other	nations	will	grow,	and	they	may	experience	

significant	advances	(e.g.,	a	moon	landing	by	the	Chinese)
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• The	U.S.	and/or	its	partners	may	establish	new	cooperative	agreements	or	

partnerships	with	other	nations	such	as	China	and	India.	No	American	Space	

transport	Reduction	in	the	number	of	NASA	centers

• 	Our	customer	base	will	change	and	grow,	as	will	our	external	partnerships,	and	

we	will	have	an	increased	reliance	on	external	expertise	to	advance	our	goals

• We	will	create	new	advances	in	external	collaboration	and	new	business	models	

• Human	system	requirements	for	commercial	human	spaceflight	will	be	better	

defined	from	an	operational	perspective	
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Appendix	D:		SWOT	Analysis		

The	SWOT	analysis	reflects	the	outcomes	of	five	different HH&P	leadership	breakout	

sessions	grouped	into	themes	and	prioritized	(from	top	to	bottom)	for	each	SWOT	

category	on	the	basis	of	frequency	of	occurrence.		They	are	not	listed	in	any	particular	

order	within	each	theme. 		

Strengths	(internal,	present	factors)

People:	core	capabilities/corporate	knowledge

• Breadth	and	depth	of	domain	knowledge

• We	hold	“the”	database	for	effects	and	performance	for	humans	in	space,	the	

leading	experts	and	the	expertise	for	spaceflight.		

• Experience	in	human	spaceflight	with	past	successes

• World	leadership	roles	in	the	work	we	do

• Knowledge	base,	subject	matter	experts,	experience	in	spaceflight

• Same	as	2007:	(Our	greatest	strengths	lie	in	our	core	capabilities:	the	unique	

space	life	sciences	research,	technology	development,	and	operations	

knowledge,	skills,	and	experience	that	define	us	as	an	organization.)	

• Extremely	competent	and	dedicated	workforce—civil	servant	and	contractor

• Have	leading	ability	to	find	answers	and	build	research	to	solve	the	

problems/questions

• Dedication	of	the	people

• Diverse	and	talented	work	force

• Workforce	(diverse,	devoted,	capable,	skilled,	adaptability,	flexibility,	world	class	

expertise)	

• Employees	interested	in	participating	in	Education	and	outreach

• Education	outreach	at	every	level

Leaders	in	collaboration	and	innovation	

• Collaboration	is	moving	to	be	the	norm

• Open	to	collaboration	and	innovation

• Strong	external	collaborations	(NSBRI,	academia	etc)

• We	integrate	the	international	life	sciences	community

• Good	connections	to	the	external	communities

Resources/resource	management	(funding	and	people)

• Project	Management

• Pathfinder,	forward-looking
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• Excellent	facilities	for	research

• Flexibility	has	allowed	the	organization	to	evolve	and	to	survive

• Mature	processes

Risk	management

• Serious	approach	to	risk	management

• Interdisciplinary	atmosphere	to	solve	problems	

• Operations	and	research	housed	in	one	directorate—mission	and	risk	focused	

(drives	operations	and	research)

• Applied	research	produces	deliverables

HRP	specific

• Well	managed	and	structured	HRP

• HRP	utilization	of	station

Weaknesses	(internal,	present	factors)

Management/Processes

• Not	sure	Life	Sciences	skill	set	the	right	skill	set	for	the	mission	we	have	now,	

how	do	we	manage	this	skill	set	in	the	next	5	years.		Don’t	have	the	flexibility	to	

hire	and	fire	like	private	business,	how	do	we	utilize	what	we	have	and	

prep/train	them	to	get	there.	

• Project	Management

• Resource	management	(funds	and	people)

• Bureaucracy

• Mature	workforce	(caps,	ceilings)—how	to	manage?

• Inability	to	maintain	corporate	knowledge

• Inability	to	replace	corporate	knowledge	(e.g.,	lack	of	succession	plan)

• Poor	internal	education	(corporate	knowledge	management)

• Poor	career	development

• Transitioning	of	applied	research	(deliverables)	into	operations	

• Hardware	development

• Poor	metrics	for	determining	value

• Ourselves		

• Lack	of	knowledge	management

• Need	to	utilize	and	tap	into	our	work	force

• Lack	of	unified	direction	for	HH&P

Integration/Silos	of	people,	data
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• No	singular	SA	culture	(not	speaking	with	one	voice)	–	one	team	to	external

• Lack	of	respect	between	research	and	medical	worlds

• Poor	internal	information	flow

• Accessibility	of	data,	understanding	and	use	of	data,	how	usable	is	it	really?	Silos

of	research	and	ops	data	is	an	issue	other	organizations	don’t	do	this	to	this	

extent

• What	are	we	doing	to	optimize	and	apply	to	our	own	programs,	for	example	

data?

• Fractured	nature	of	the	organization	too	focused	on	particular	areas	of	expertise.		

Difficult	to	navigate	across	the	SA	divisions,	the	program	and	HRP,	how	can	we	

expect	others	to	be	able	to?	

• No	unified	approach

• Still	stove-piped

• Cross-discipline	integration

• Lateral	ties	between	Ops	and	Research

• Communication	between	divisions,	across	directorate

• Lack	of	engagement	across	the	directorate

Lack	of	recognition	of	the	value	of	the	human	system*	

*	This	is	a	perception	management	issue	that	addresses	both	an	internal	weakness	and	

an	external	threat:	internal	re:	our	inability	to	“sell”	the	value,	externally	re:	others’	

perception	of	that	value,	but	was	most	often	identified	as	an	internal	weakness	by	

participants

• Tech	develop	current	situation,	an	issue	for	SA	because	not	perceived	on	critical	

path	and	hard	to	obtain	funds	for	development.	Limitation	if	develop	technology	

without	consideration	of	human	system	in	the	critical	path

• Lack	of	consideration	for	the	human	in	the	loop	on	the	ground	floor	of	all	

concept	design.		Competing	priorities	between	budget	and	trying	to	show	early	

progress.	

• Lack	of	focus	on	Human	performance	characterization

• Disconnect	between	programs	and	HHP	and	understanding	what	is	needed	and	

HHP	knowing	how	to	communicate,	speak	the	language	and	integrate	to	

educate.	

• Significant	spaceflight	development	without	SA	(HMTA)	involvement,	a	disaster	

waiting	to	happen-	i.e.	commercial	crew	development	not	enough	resources	to	

really	support	compared	to	engineering	tech	authority	they	can	deploy	which	we

don’t	have
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• Don’t	have	an	equivalent	“Saturn	rocket”	display	for	Human	Spaceflight,	where	is	

our	display.	How	do	we	get	people	excited	about	the	human	element	and	not	

just	focus	on	engineering		

Disconnect	with	agency	vision,	our	own	strategy

• Personnel	are	feeling	disconnected	from	the	policies.	Don’t	understand	why	

space	isn’t	addressed	specifically	in	the	mission.	

• Is	the	gen	Y	really	connected	to	what	we	are	inspired	by,	are	they	more	

connected	to	the	current	mission	statement	then	we	are	and	we	just	don’t	see	

it?

• No	buy-in	for	strategic	plan

• Lack	of	unified	direction	for	agency,	center		

• Directorate	vision	is	not	pervasive	throughout	the	directorate

• Timeliness	to	implementation	of	vision

Disconnect	with	stakeholders

• Seems	we	have	too	many	stakeholders,	certain	hierarchy	of	how	we	need	to	

support.	Reflective	all	specializations,	maybe	we	do	not	have	enough	of	

consolidated	focus	to	address	stakeholders.	

• The	list	of	stakeholders-	doesn’t	necessarily	recognize	themselves	as	

stakeholders	and	recognize	the	need	and	relevance	for	HHP.		We	in	turn	are	not	

sure	why	we	should	“care”	about	the	stakeholder	list.		Thus,	we	may	not	be	

serving	them	appropriately,

• Directorate	visibility	is	lacking	with	start-up	initiatives

• Public	outreach

• Demonstrate	relevance	and	benefit	to	earth	(JSC	worse	than	other	centers	

historically)

Risk-based	approach	misses	other	possible	opportunities

Opportunities	(external,	future	focused)

Collaboration/New	Initiatives

• How	to	capitalize	on	structure	with	contractors	to	capitalize	on	support	to	

commercial	space,	best	ways	to	align	to	define	goals	with	commercial	space

• Continue	building	on	external	collaborative	opportunities	and	capitalize	the	lead

• Become	a	recognized	leader	to	external	vendors	

• Commercial	space	industry	for	partnership

• Potential	for	spin-offs	and	spin-ins
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• Optimizing	collaboration	with	terrestrial	life	science	organizations	

• Growth	of	international	space	access

• Establish	collaboration	with	other	government	agencies

• Strong	IP	relationships –	leverage	

• Engage	industry	to	increased	partnerships	–	cutting	edge	technology,	sustain	

core	capabilities

• Texas	Med	Center	growth	–	increased	partnerships

• Commercial	partners	–	increased	national	recognition	(show	our	relevance)

• Skills	and	knowledge	is	needed	by	emerging	customers	(e.g.,	commercial,	

international)

• Leverage	non-traditional	domain	knowledge	to	solve	problems	(e.g.,	

‘crowdsourcing’)

• Further	integration	with	international	partners	(research	and	operations)	(e.g.,	

Russia)

• OZ	restructuring	(former	payloads	division	in	the	ISS	program	office;	disbanded	

with	tasks	assigned	to	other	ISS	offices,	opportunity	for	us	to	provide	a	better	

integrated	HH&P	set	of	payloads,	etc.)			

Leadership/policy	development	

• Lead	the	integration	and	place	ourselves	in	a	position	of	leadership.		

• Insert	ourselves	as	leaders

• Reduce	policies	that	inhibit	leveraging	success	stories	publicly	for	example	

medical	stories,	but	still	protect

• Rewrite	of	program	management,	system	engineering,	and	human	rating	policies

• Exercise	influence	in	our	leadership	roles	over	external	programs	e.g.	HMTA

• Rebrand	ourselves	–	enablers	vs.	obstacles/gatekeepers

Management/Processes	needed	to	leverage	opportunities

• Create	more	generalists	

• Tap	into	diverse	talent

• Empower	our	people

• Work	well	as	a	team.	

• Integration	between	research	and	operations

• Sharing	data	and	better	integrate	research	and	operations	side	of	the	house

• Creation	of	informative	databases	(occupational	health	and	human	

performance)

Stakeholders/funding

• Diverse	budget	streams
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• Having	more	than	one	customer

• Emphasizing	human	system	with	stakeholders

• Emerging	programs	and	projects	–	OCT,	AES

• Ability	to	identify	alternative	funding	sources

• Integrate	the	Human	System	across	many	programs

Image/Image	Enhancement

• NASA	brand	=	good	

• External	review	is	evaluated	positively	(e.g.,	IOM)

• Rebrand	ourselves	–	enablers	vs.	obstacles/gatekeepers

• Interest	of	potential	partners	to	take	advantage	of	the	NASA	brand

• Better	use	of	the	brand

• Better	communicate	relevancy	to	general	public

Threats	(external,	future	focused)

Policy/Leadership

• Lack	of	unified	direction	for	agency,	center		

• Govt	policies	impede	our	abilities		

• Medical	privacy	rules	prohibit	good	outreach	via	medical	success	stories

• Requirements	validation	on	commercial	space	not	leverage	and	NASA’s	role	not	

clearly	defined-ops	concept	HHP	and	certification	of	space	craft

• Multi-center	survival

• Laws	and	policies	preventing	us	from	acting	like	a	business

• Rewrite	of	program	management,	system	engineering,	and	human	rating	

policies

• Lack	of	Clear	space	policies	/	direction

• Ending	of	ISS	program

• Viability	of	RSA	launch	capability

• National	direction	changes	–	lack	of	five	year	plan	that	will	stick!

• Space	launch	system	branding	issue	within	the	organization	

• Change	of	policy,	mission,	etc.

• Leadership	gap	in	human	spaceflight	diminishing,	other	international	

organizations	more	willing	to	sell	information	then	we	are	reducing	the	gap	

further

Competition/Commercial	Space

• Commercial	space	have	in-house	capabilities	that	creates	perception	that	NASA	

is	not	needed
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• Competition	and	risk	of	losing	competent	and	dedication	of	work	force	given	

current	state	of	affairs

• In	competition	with	contractors	to	support	commercial	space-what	is	NASA’s	

role	really?

• How	will	we	cope	with	new	commercial	space	work	if	we	achieve	commercial	

space	opportunities	successfully?

• National	Labs

• Threat	of	losing	SME’s	to	external	entities

• Commercial	space	industry	for	competition

• Growth	of	international	space	access

• How	to	capitalize	on	structure	with	contractors	to	capitalize	on	support	to	

commercial	space,	best	ways	to	align	to	define	goals	with	commercial	space.	

• National	labs	assistance

• Commercial	failures	may	impact	NASA’s	image	and	success

Resources		

• Core	infrastructure	aging	(labs,	facilities)	requires	funding

• Funding

• Dependence	on	HRP	funding

• Budget	uncertainty

• Losing	core	capabilities	and	aging	workforce,	aging	facilities

• Budget

Public	Image/Relevancy

• Public	opinion	and	lack	of	support	for	space	program

• E&O	has	no	funding

• Perception	of	being	risk	averse

• Public	interest

• Loss	of	the	NASA	brand

Limitations	of	current	practices/models

• Are	we	sure	the	data	is	similar	or	better/	worse	or	just	different?

• Cultural	response	to	models	(e.g.,	push-pull	problem)

• Pace	of	technology	advancement	obsolescence	

• Reliance	on	terrestrial	research	to	mitigate	our	risks

Lack	of	recognition	of	the	value	of	the	human	system	*both	an	external	threat	and	

internal	weakness,	see	note	above	under	weaknesses