Propulsion lab work at Marshall to pick up

A $32 million propulsion research lab at Marshall Space Flight Center has been practically dormant since it opened two years ago, but NASA officials say work will increase as Marshall gears up to design new moon rockets.

The Propulsion Research and Development Lab has been "underused" since it opened in 2004, said Mike Rudolphi, chief of Marshall's Engineering Directorate.

Opened with estimates that perhaps 100 people would work there, the lab has about 30 people, Rudolphi said, "but we expect that to go up to 60 early next year."

The lab was built to consolidate five 1950s-era labs and allow scientists to delve into advanced concepts that would go beyond chemical propulsion used in rockets such as the space shuttle's and Boeing's Delta IV built in Decatur.

Advanced concepts such as antimatter propulsion - a theory that says colliding matter and antimatter can be harnessed to hurl objects near the speed of light - were discussed as possible research topics for the lab in early 2004.

Now, the lab's main use will be to convert space shuttle technology such as the solid-fuel rocket boosters for use in the new Ares line of moon rockets.

"Antimatter and other advanced work is just not on the radar right now," Rudolphi said. "That work is not a high priority, and, frankly, there's no money in the budget for it. We have other priorities and missions now within NASA."

But work on the Ares systems "fits like a glove into the capability of that facility," Rudolphi said. "What we are doing is marrying that advanced lab into a greater vision within NASA. We've got a good bit of development on the Ares I and the Ares V" heavy-lift rocket planned for development over the next decade.

But the lack of advanced research priorities has some worrying that America could lag behind in aerospace work.

"Advanced propulsion is just like aeronautics. It is something NASA and America has been on the cutting edge of for decades," said Keith Cowing, who runs the NASAWatch.com Web site. "Cut this type of research, and America runs the risk of losing that edge, and other nations will zoom ahead."

Cowing said the lab hasn't been used much because "that building is an echo of things begun under former administrators Dan Goldin and Sean O'Keefe."

Advanced propulsion was part of a Goldin-era Space Launch Initiative program, and O'Keefe supported finding ways to increase spacecraft speeds to travel to Mars and other planets.

"It sort of mystifies me why NASA needs an expensive building to do research on solid rocket motors. As I understand it, there's no advanced research needed changing the motor design and adding a guidance system," Cowing said.

The road ahead for NASA's moon missions and lunar research may be bumpy given political and budget uncertainties, Cowing said, but Marshall should continue to spend time and money on improving rocket engines.

"Looking ahead five years - and this is difficult not knowing who the next NASA administrator will be - but the smart thing to do at Marshall is to keep positioning itself for advanced propulsion research," Cowing said. "That's a bit difficult today because there's not a lot of money for it right now, but the need isn't going away."