Sean O’Keefe Administrator National Aeronautics and Space Administration

On January 14, 2004, President Bush announced a new vision for extending our human presence across the solar system. The fundamental goal of the vision is to advance American scientific, security, and economic interests through a robust space exploration program. In support of this goal, NASA will:

• Conduct a sustained and affordable human and robotic program of exploration throughout our solar syste

• Complete the construction of the International Space Station by 2010

• Return human explorers to the Moon as soon as 11 years from now in preparation for the  exploration of Mars and beyond

• Promote international and commercial cooperation.

In pursuing this vision, NASA will explore answers to fundamental questions of importance to science and society. Questions such as: How did we get here? Are we alone in the universe? Where are we going? In doing so, we will help develop revolutionary technologies and capabilities for the future, while maintaining good stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

Most Americans do not realize that for every dollar paid in taxes, less than 1 penny funds NASA’s activities. This level of investment will remain the same under the new exploration plan. In years past, the investment led to significant advances in weather forecasting, communications, computing, medicine, search and rescue technology, robotics, and electronics.

Looking forward, we believe the technology developments necessary to enable the expanded exploration of the solar system will accelerate advances in robotics, autonomous and fault tolerant systems, human-machine interface, materials, life support systems, and novel applications of nanotechnology and microdevices.

Even as our effort to pursue this bold exploration vision gets underway, NASA continues to produce important technological spinoffs for the American people. Among the beneficial, NASA-derived technologies highlighted in Spinoff 2004 are: devices capable of filtering bacteria or viruses from water; a mineral identification tool that enables law enforcement and military personnel to identify suspicious liquid and solid substances; and a light bulb that provides 40 percent more surface illumination on work and reading surfaces, while reducing eye strain.

We are now 100 years into the age of flight, yet the journey of humanity to the heavens has barely begun. The men and women of NASA are proud to help lead humankind’s next great leap into the cosmos, and of our role in producing beneficial technologies for people around the globe. It is in this spirit that we are pleased to present the positive information about our Nation’s investment in space exploration contained in Spinoff 2004.