History
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has a long
tradition of turning to accomplished citizens for advice and
guidance on major program and policy issues before the agency.
This tradition originates with NASA's predecessor organization,
the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Established
in 1915, the NACA became the United States ' premier aeronautical
research institution; it was governed by an advisory committee
appointed by the President of the United States . The NACA's
"main committee" served as a board of directors,
and a group of research advisory committees guided the NACA's
research in specific areas.
With the creation of NASA in 1958, the NACA was abolished,
and its research centers-- Ames Research Center, Lewis Research
Center , and Langley Aeronautical Laboratory--were incorporated
within the new space and aeronautics agency along with some
elements of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy, then engaged in rocket-related
work. The tradition of turning to nongovernment sources for
independent judgment and guidance survived, however, as NASA
established new advisory committees to assist it with planning
for its new and continuing responsibilities in aeronautics,
space technology, space science and applications, and human
space flight.
In 1967, the U.S. Congress directed NASA to form an Aerospace
Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) to advise the NASA Administrator
on safety issues and hazards in NASA's aerospace programs.
The Congress envisioned a continuity of membership and a degree
of professional technical expertise for the ASAP that makes
it unique in NASA's advisory committee structure to this day.
By 1971, the principal sources of advisory committee support
for the NASA Administrator, in addition to the ASAP, were
the Space Program Advisory Council and the Research and Technology
Advisory Council and their subcommittees focused on particular
aerospace science and engineering disciplines. These two advisory
committee structures, which enjoyed notable success in the
approximately 6 years of their existence, were combined in
1977 to form the NASA Advisory Council (NAC) and its standing
advisory committees focusing on particular program areas.
The Council, first chartered on December 12, 1977, held its
first meeting on May 1 and 2, 1978.
Current Council
On October 2, 2005, the NASA Administrator signed a new NASA
Advisory Council (the “Council”) charter which streamlined
the manner in which NASA receives advice from outside advisory
committees. The charter has since
been slightly revised, but the changes made in October 2005
remain. The Council consists of six committees, each chaired
and populated exclusively by Council members. The
six committees are:
- Aeronautics Committee
- Audit and Finance Committee
- Exploration Committee
- Human Capital Committee
- Science Committee
- Space Operations Committee
Additionally, there are two members on the Council from the
National Academies. The Chairs of the Aeronautics and Space
Engineering Board and the Space Studies Board sit on the Council
as ex-officio members.
The Council is considered "internal" in that it
is chartered by NASA, its members are chosen by NASA, and
it provides advice and counsel directly to the NASA Administrator.
NASA also receives valuable advice from "external"
advisory groups, in particular, the Space Studies Board and
the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board. These two boards,
however, are advisory to many elements of the Federal Government
and are primarily responsible to their parent academies. Thus,
they provide their counsel from a different perspective than
that of NASA's own advisory structure.
NASA Advisory Council Meetings
The Council and its committees act in accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Consequently, the meetings
of the Council are open to the public unless they deal with
matters qualifying for exemption under the Government in the
Sunshine Act. Meetings are announced in advance by NASA in
the Federal Register.
The Council normally gathers four times a year for meetings
that usually last 2 days. Meetings are held at various sites
in Washington , DC , as well as at NASA Centers or off-site
conference facilities. Committee meetings may be held immediately
prior to full Council meetings, or at different times and
locations.
The records and files of the Council are maintained by the
Executive Director. Copies of these records are available
to the public upon request, subject to the exemptions allowed
in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
NASA Advisory Group Staff Support
Executive Director and staff support for the Council is provided
by the NASA Office of External Relations. Management and legal
compliance oversight for all NASA advisory committees is provided
by the NASA Advisory Committee Management Officer (ACMO),
who is also in the Office of External Relations. The Council's
committees, subcommittees, and task forces are also supported
by executive secretaries and support staff assigned from the
NASA program area that is of concern to each respective group.
December 2006
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