Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM

Monday, December 1, 2003 / 3:30 PM, Building 3 Auditorium

Murray Hirschbein

"Once and Future NASA Technologies"

ABSTRACT -- NASA's missions are science driven, but they are also enabled by technology -- and accomplished through engineering excellence. Since its inception in 1958, NASA has had a long history of innovative technology. But, in some ways we are at a crossroad. As we engage in more exciting and difficult missions, many of the technologies we have exploited for several decades are being "used up". New innovative technology is needed and fortunately it is becoming available. Some is re-emerging from a dusty past, such as nuclear power and propulsion, and some from new scientific discoveries, such as nano-scale technology and biomimetic technology. A common feature of almost all these new technologies is that they do not reside in a single traditional discipline, but are clearly multi-disciplinary, requiring new skills and new ways to work together. Another common feature is that they have the potential to create mission opportunities not possible today. If we look at the direction NASA is going we appear to be at the beginning of a new era in technology.

SPEAKER -- Dr. Hirschbein began his career at NASA in 1979 after receiving his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware. From 1979 until 1986 he worked at the Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, where he conducted and managed research programs in structural mechanics related to large aircraft gas turbine engines. He came to NASA Headquarters in 1986 as a Materials and Structures Program Manager in the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology. For the next 6 years he developed and led a wide variety of programs in both aeronautics and space technology including computational structural mechanics, large space structures and precision space structures. In 1992 he became the Director of the Planetary Surface Division, responsible for technologies supporting human exploration of space. Subsequently, he was responsible for broad areas of spacecraft technology within the Spacecraft Systems Division of the Office of Space Access and Technology. Dr. Hirschbein served as the Senior Advisor to the Chief Technologist in NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT). Dr. Hirschbein joined the Mission and Science Measurement (MSM) Theme in the Office of Aerospace Technology in June of 2003.