The news that NASA intends to close its Institute for Advanced Concepts has many in the space community concerned, and Centauri Dreams‘ comment on the matter was but one of many to fill the Net when the news broke in March. Now, however, there appears to be at least an attempt to keep the Institute alive. People who have had some connection with NIAC are being asked to step in with demonstrated benefits from its activities. That news comes via this post on the Space Elevator Blog, as passed along by Joseph Mahaney. I’ve just confirmed it with sources inside NIAC.
Here are the areas for which contributions are solicited:
- Subsequent investment by NASA, other government agencies, or the private sector.
- Intellectual contributions that have resulted in an agency putting resources into its own studies of a concept. For example, prompted by the success of a Phase I or Phase II concept, an agency convenes panels to study the work or otherwise funds studies of its own.
- Unexpected spin-off technologies. For example, some NIAC studies have resulted in new medical applications.
- The production of technical PhD and Master’s level students.
- The production of new jobs.
- Enhancement of public understanding of agency missions (for most of you, this would be beneficial PR for NASA, or NRO, or DARPA).
Evidence of such contributions can’t hurt, and if you’ve had involvement with NIAC, now is the time to step in with a statement of its benefits. The best way to contact NIAC on these matters is via questions@niac.usra.edu. It would be a positive development indeed if such input could help save the Institute from extinction, but barring that, a record of its impact on space research is worth compiling. It could provide valuable lessons for other such attempts in the future.
It is curious that NIAC upper echelon has not decided to make more of a public statement to gain support for moving towards a private non-profit organization perhaps using the Aerospace Corporation and Southwest Reaearch Institute as business models. I for one see NIAC in a transition phase if which no one takes up the task of developing funding sources besides the government faucet NIAC will not be around. When the organization dies it would seem quite difficult to reinstitute the organization, connections, infrastructure, etc. again after operations have ceased. Now is the time to seize the day.
I certainly would like to know what are the thoughts of the individuals involved with NIAC either as a PI or in a past or present leadership role if they peruse this blog. Perhaps Marc would care to chime in on his experiences with BPP in the past both in starting a NASA program, having the program deleted from the books, and now restarting an organization with similar direction yet private.
So, as a technically astute observer/lurker (thusfar) my question is this, what can I do?
Joseph
The NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) is Closing
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.nl.html?pid=24698
“NASA, faced with the constraints of achieving the Vision for
Space Exploration, has made the difficult decision to terminate
NIAC, which has been funded by NASA since inception.
Effective August 31, 2007, the NIAC will cease operations.”
Hopefully NASA’s loss will be someone else’s gain – someone
with real future vision.