spacetoday.net: Aldridge Commission releases report

Posted: Thu, Jun 17, 2004, 11:39 AM ET (1539 GMT)
Aldridge Commission report cover

The President's Commission on Moon, Mars, and Beyond, also known as the Aldridge Commission, released its final report Wednesday, calling for significant changes to NASA's structure as well as an increased reliance on the private sector. The report, commissioned by the President to review the implementation of his Vision for Space Exploration, concluded that NASA needed to transform itself into a leaner organization better able to focus on the exploration plan. Along those lines, the commission recommended that NASA's field centers be converted into federally-funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) operated by universities or nonprofit organizations for the agency. The commission also called on the Administration to create a Space Exploration Steering Council, analogous to the former National Space Council, to oversee the overall exploration effort. The commission concluded that the commercialization of space should be "a primary focus" of the vision, and called for prizes and other incentives for the private sector, and recommended NASA should hand over more responsibilities, including transport of virtually all payloads into low Earth orbit, to the private sector. The report was widely praised by space industry and advocacy organizations, although the details of its implementation have yet to be worked out by the Administration, Congress, and NASA.