J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Space OPINION: Space program needs 'robust, government-funded infrastructure backbone' A leading industry advocate sees the need for greater 'national focus' to achieve NASA's big exploration goals.

For more than 50 years, the United States Congress and successive administrations have committed, on a bipartisan basis, to American leadership in human space exploration, space science and the space industry. Figuring out how to get into deep space is relatively easy; we’ve done it before. Figuring out an approach that keeps us there, opens the door to a growing space ecosystem and points the way to the moon, Mars and beyond — while not backtracking or stopping forward progress for a decade or more — is hard.

A permanent American presence at the moon is a big step toward ensuring that U.S. leadership and vision will persist over the next several decades. The establishment of a multipurpose infrastructure, made up of several components, is essential to achieve this. Some of these components already exist, some are nearing the end of development, and some are in early planning:


— Orion: the next generation deep space crew vehicle, capable of both crewed and fully autonomous operations. It carries its own radiation shelter and will protect humans in deep space and as they return to Earth at re-entry temperatures approaching 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

— Space Launch System (SLS): the massive new rocket capable of lifting Orion together with huge payloads at the same time. In one launch, the SLS with its powerful Exploration Upper Stage will deliver humans and build out deep space infrastructure with more power than the legendary Saturn V.

— Exploration Ground Systems: capable of handling thousands of streams of telemetry supporting launch, flight, navigation and mission success in deep space.

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— Lunar Gateway: a reusable transportation hub enabling landers and refueling at the moon. Depending on configuration, the Gateway could also serve as a short-term human habitat, a science mission station or a command and control center in a variety of orbits.

— Landers: Starting with small commercial ventures and ramping up to human vehicles, landers can come in many sizes and configurations.

— Surface systems: rovers, human transports and eventually living quarters, labs and industrial capabilities — whatever we see fit to put there.

— A variety of launch vehicles and robotic aids: capable of delivering payloads to lunar orbit, supporting servicing and refueling missions, ferrying cargo back and forth, adding infrastructure, and more.

Working together, these vehicles and facilities will open the moon to more than just “boots on the ground”. Direct missions aiming to achieve only that are shortsighted and frankly, a repeat of Apollo. In this age of rapidly advancing technology and a willingness to exploit synergies across industries and international boundaries, our national focus should be to press forward with whatever exploratory, scientific and commercial endeavors human ingenuity can come up with. Ensuring we have in place a robust, government-funded infrastructure “backbone,” while incorporating new technologies and systems as they come online, is mandatory to maximize our options.

Indeed, the productive cycle of investment, development, exploration and achievement in our national space program over the past 50 years has led directly to the burgeoning space industry we see today in both the public and the private sectors. This, in turn, has brought new approaches to the table and encouraged growing interest in STEM careers among American youth, which will only increase American competitiveness in the long run. Graduates in STEM need jobs, and there are over 15,000 jobs on SLS, Orion and Exploration Ground Systems alone. Small, high technology businesses in particular have benefited from this cycle. It’s worth noting that small business accounts for more than 90 percent of job creation in the United States.

In an exhaustive review of NASA’s human spaceflight programs, the National Research Council called for a “stepping stones” approach toward Mars together with a “feed-forward” approach to technical development. The moon is such a stepping stone, conveniently placed 3 days from Earth. Feed-forward systems are a little more challenging; they have to be designed to meet both near-term and future needs. For example, the SLS is designed to evolve into a heavier lift, more powerful rocket. The Orion crew vehicle has components that can be repurposed and evolve to support deeper and longer-duration missions. Gateway is envisioned not only to enable multiple tasks at the moon but to provide a means to extend transportation opportunities, with an eye toward Mars. In fact, the entire architecture must enable a variety of directions and missions while — importantly — not excluding new ones. An approach that can support shifting goals over successive Congresses and administrations is more likely to survive - and to succeed. At present, only a national program can fully shoulder the risk and complexity of such an audacious enterprise.

This inspirational vision of a human future in space built on cooperation, competition, continuity, innovation and partnership is well underway. Placing the imprimatur of the United States on our national space program, adhering to a stepping stone approach, ensuring feed-forward development and a multipurpose architecture will ensure a robust lunar program without sacrificing Mars capability. Science, commerce, STEM education and jobs, technology development, U.S. competitiveness and leadership, and the achievement of American aspirations in deep space are not only possible, but happening now. Our future is in our hands. Let’s get on with it.

Mary Lynne Dittmar is the President and CEO of the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration.