Given the investment of public funds, especially given a challenging economy, “we need to show results, provide value” or a return on investment (ROI)—or “in orbit for Earth” as they say—recognizes William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for human exploration and operations at NASA in Washington.
Ernst Messerschmid, a professor at Universitat Stuttgart in Germany, stressed the need “to explore, to understand, and to work together” to advance aerospace technologies, processes, and investment.
“Systems and subsystems need to be higher reliablility and lower maintenance,” admits Gerstenmaier.
“The ISS is the first step in exploration and beyond LEO,” says Hansjorg Dittus from the Institut fur Raumfahrtsysteme (ISR, the Institute for Space Systems), Stuttgart University in Germany.