Posted on 08/07/2006 7:04:17 PM PDT by KevinDavis
NASA and the United States Air Force have formed an aeronautics research partnership. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne signed a Memorandum of Understanding Monday at a Pentagon ceremony. The agreement builds upon and expands on the longstanding relationship between the two organizations.
"Although NASA and the Air Force have differing missions, there are common aeronautics research goals that dictate we maintain a close partnership,” Griffin said. “Besides the obvious benefits, it's in the nation's best interest for us to work together.”
"This is a great day for aerospace," Wynne added. "It's a renewal of an already strong partnership and codifies what we've been doing all along."
The agreement is designed to ensure the free exchange of research information, reduce duplication of research, and enhance long-term research planning for both organizations. It covers areas such as advanced aircraft design, propulsion development, materials development and aviation safety.
From 1987 until 1994 I sat on a Congressionaly-mandated Joint research effort called SOAR... (Space Operations And Research). It was mainly oriented towards an exchange of information on the respective Human Factors and Space/Flight Medicine research programs rather than any Joint research efforts. I wonder if this is an out-growth of that program?
The main obstacles to truely joint research programs were the mini-empires in each organization caused by different funding lines. These "management empires" placed enormous hurdles to the scientists getting any joint or collaborative programs going. Until they come up with a solution to Government Civil Service empire building, this program will not go anywhere!
I know, let's call it, umm, the National... Advisory... Committee... on Aeronautics... Yeah!
And we'll put test pilots up in old warplanes to see how they can be made better, and...
They've worked together before with great success. All three of these astronauts are Air force.
About time that there is a partnership between the Air Force and NASA.
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