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SESSION 1 - Ensuring mission readiness; maximizing infrastructure and personnel resources
Mr Timothy Marshall, Deputy Director, Aeronautics Test Program, NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, USA
SESSION 1 - Strategic Directions of the NASA Aeronautics Test Program
NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
U.S. leadership in aeronautics depends on ready access to technologically advanced, efficient, and affordable aeronautics test capabilities. These systems include major wind tunnels and propulsion test facilities and flight test capabilities. The federal government owns the majority of the major aeronautics test capabilities in the United States, primarily through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense (DoD). However, changes in the Aerospace landscape, primarily the decrease in demand for testing over the last 20 years required an overarching strategy for management of these national assets. Therefore, NASA established the Aeronautics Test Program (ATP) as a two-pronged strategic initiative to: (1) retain and invest in NASA aeronautics test capabilities considered strategically important to the agency and the nation, and (2) establish a strong, high level partnership with the DoD.
Test facility utilization is a critical factor for ATP because it relies on user occupancy fees to recover a substantial part of the operations costs for its facilities. Decreasing utilization is an indicator of excess capacity and in some cases low-risk redundancy (i.e., several facilities with basically the same capability and overall low utilization). However, low utilization does not necessarily translate to lack of strategic importance. Some facilities with relatively low utilization are nonetheless vitally important because of the unique nature of the capability and the foreseeable aeronautics testing needs.
Unfortunately, since its inception, the customer base for ATP has continued to shrink. Utilization of ATP wind tunnels has declined by more than 50% from the FY 2006 levels. This significant decrease in customer usage is attributable to several factors, including the overall decline in new programs and projects in the aerospace sector; the impact of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) on the design, development, and research process; and the reductions in wind tunnel testing requirements within the largest consumer of ATP wind tunnel test time, the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). Retirement of the Space Shuttle Program and recent perturbations of NASA’s Constellation Program will exacerbate this downward trend.
Therefore it is crucial that ATP periodically revisit and determine which of its test capabilities are strategically important, which qualify as low-risk redundancies that could put in an inactive status or closed, and address the challenges associated with both sustainment and improvements to the test capabilities that must remain active.
This presentation will provide an overview of the ATP vision, mission, and goals as well as the challenges and opportunities the program is facing both today and in the future. We will discuss the strategy ATP is taking over the next five years to address the National aeronautics test capability challenges and what the program will do to capitalize on its opportunities to ensure a ready, robust and relevant portfolio of National aeronautics test capabilities.
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Mr Timothy Marshall, Deputy Director, |
Mr. Timothy Marshall is Deputy Director of the NASA Aeronautics Test Program (ATP) which resides within the Agency’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. ATP directs the management and operations of national aeronautics test capabilities across four NASA Research Centers, employing approximately 700 engineers and technicians. In his current position, Mr. Marshall leads in a broad range of program management activities, including strategic planning; budget development; program review and evaluation; collaboration and external agreements, studies and special projects. Prior to joining, ATP Mr. Marshall served as a Deputy Director of the Center Operations Directorate at NASA Langley Research Center. In this capacity, he led Langley’s efforts to develop and implement a 10-year Center-wide operations, maintenance and engineering contract valued at approximately one billion dollars and employing more than 500 personnel. Earlier assignments at NASA involved engineering and project management for the design, construction and activation of major NASA wind tunnels and research facilities at NASA Research Centers in Virginia and California. Mr. Marshall has been the recipient of numerous NASA awards and commendations, including NASA's Exceptional Service Medal for his support of major research systems development as a project manager. Away from NASA, Mr. Marshall is a member of the Board of Directors and a former President for the Peninsula Rescue Mission in Newport News, Virginia. Since 1967, this vital inner city ministry has provided shelter and guidance for homeless men and serves more than 50 men per night, 365 days per year. He and his wife Kay reside in Seaford Virginia, and have seven children and five grandchildren. In his spare time, Tim enjoys reading and kayaking on the Chesapeake Bay. |
