PREFACE
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AT NASA

RADM Craig E. Steidle (Ret.) Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate National Aeronautics and Space Administration

“Audentes Fortunas Juvat” – Fortune Favors the Bold

From the beginning, exploration and discovery have driven human curiosity and enriched the cultures that embraced them. Exploration provides the foundation of our knowledge, technology, resources, and inspiration. As President Bush stated when he unveiled the Vision for Space Exploration , “This cause of exploration and discovery is not an option we choose; it is a desire written in the human heart.”

We are about to set forth on a journey that will mark the beginning of a sustained human presence in the solar system. Just take a moment to think about the possibilities this yields for our future. The exploratory voyages of the next few decades have the potential, in this lifetime, to answer age-old questions about how life begins, whether life exists elsewhere, and how the inevitable discoveries along the way will help better our lives here on Earth.

The Vision for Space Exploration seeks answers to fundamental questions about our existence, responds to recent discoveries, and puts in place revolutionary technologies and capabilities to inspire our Nation, the world, and the next generationxas only NASA can.

The extensive scope of technologies yielded from NASA research and exploration makes the notion that “NASA Explores, Humanity Benefits” even more relevant. From cancer detection and treatments used in hospitals throughout the world, to the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, to the development of cordless power tools, technologies from NASA exploration have a major impact on our lives here on Earth. And to think, NASA has accomplished this with less than 1 percent of the Federal budget.

As we take our first steps towards sustaining a human presence in the solar system, we can look forward to far-off visions of the past becoming realities of the future. Whole industries that are currently unknown will unveil themselves, offering opportunities to our offspring that shall make their future, and their children’s future, brighter.

Over the next century, the Vision for Space Exploration will set in motion activities to improve our understanding of those age-old questions, and inspire new generations to pursue math and science. We will see those new industries and technologies evolve, and discoveries will benefit all mankind. The technologies developed for exploration will underpin and advance the U.S. economy and help to ensure national security. I look forward to sharing this future with all of you.