Testimony of Henry F. Cooper
to the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
Committee on Science
October 11, 2001
OPENING STATEMENT
Mr. Chairman, thank you for
the opportunity to share my views on the need for a viable Science and
Technology program to build spaceplanes – particularly for military applications,
which is my main interest.
I strongly support developing
reusable launch capabilities that are a prerequisite for sound spaceplane
development – and am greatly troubled by the slow development pace of the
past eight years. I hope the Pentagon’s new organization for military
space will take seriously the role of spaceplanes in the full gamut of
military space activities – from supporting our terrestrial forces to applying
force in and from space. If a logical spaceplane development progression
is followed, suborbital reusable launch technology will be proven first
and can substantially enhance our rapid reconnaissance and force application
capabilities.
Rapid development is possible,
but requires innovative development methods unlike the government’s usual
formal acquisition processes. My written testimony gives examples
of the Pentagon’s wasteful process from my SDI experience, and I believe
NASA is no better.
I much prefer a “build,
test, grow” approach to rapid development – like that used by General Schriever
and Admiral Raborn in developing our first land-based and sea-based intercontinental
ballistic missiles in the 1950s; or by Kelly Johnson – of Lockheed Skunkworks
fame – who built the U-2 and SR-71 in record time, and more recently the
F-117; or by the SDI program I led in planning to develop a single-stage-to-orbit
(SSTO) through that three step process that I’ll describe in a moment.
First, I’d like to recall
that High Frontier’s founder, General Danny Graham, was persuaded in 1989
that the technology was sufficiently mature to embark on developing an
SSTO capability – and he took the idea to Vice President Dan Quayle, who,
in turn, requested that the SDI Organization undertake a serious development
program.
They chose the SDIO because,
as General Graham wrote in his memoirs, they expected that either the Air
Force or NASA “would stifle our baby in the crib” – NASA because it threatened
Shuttle prolongation and the Air Force because it threatened its next expendable
rocket program. They were right then – and I suspect their view of
both NASA and the institutional Air Force is still correct.
And regrettably, the Pentagon’s
current missile defense leadership has lost the vision of space defense
programs in general, and, in particular, why developing a reusable launch
capability would pay them big dividends.
But my predecessor, General
George Monahan thought it was a good idea from an SDI perspective – as
did I. After a screening competition among five contractors – all of whom
agreed that the SSTO was feasible, McDonald Douglas was awarded a $60 million
contract in August 1991 to fly the reusable launch vehicle from the first
of a three-phase development program. They delivered brilliantly
– slightly late, but within budget.
The three stages of this
“build, test, grow” approach were:
1) Prove with a sub-sonic
vehicle that usual spaced launch logistics support requirements can be
dramatically reduced for reusable launch operations;
2) Using these reduced logistics
support procedures and near-term technology, prove with a supersonic, sub-orbital
reusable launch vehicle that SDI targets can be inexpensively launched
to support planned ballistic missile defense testing requirements;
3) Using the savings generated
by the more cost effective target launching, improve the technology base
for lightweight structures, high performance engines, reentry thermal protection,
systems integration, etc. to support a truly versatile SSTO vehicle and
demonstrate its advantages for missile defense and other military space
missions.
As noted above, the small
government, industry team successfully completed Phase 1 by repeatedly
flying the DC-X, renamed the Clipper Graham by NASA Administrator Dan Goldin
to honor General Graham’s vision in initiating the SSTO effort. Dr.
Goldin also gave Danny Graham NASA’s highest award for the DC-X/Clipper
Graham, as CNN carried worldwide video of its vertical take-off, rise,
hover, high angle of attack flight, and vertical landing – all commanded
by Astronaut Pete Conrad, aided by two others. Pete said he could manage
all the ground and flight operations by himself from a single console.
Pause, and think about that.
Regrettably, the Clipper
Graham had a procedural landing gear failure after its 12th successful
flight and burned – but not before successfully completing Phase 1 of the
build, test, grow strategy. Even more regrettable was that
the Clinton Administration completely lost the vision, in its deliberate
efforts to destroy all remnants of the SDI program – “taking the stars
out of Star Wars,” as Defense Secretary Les Aspin said. Even Congress’
efforts to sustain Pentagon innovative follow-on spaceplane S&T efforts
were frustrated by Pentagon resistance, including in the Air Force which
aided and abetted what was then politically correct – e.g., by transferring
reusable launch responsibility to NASA. And NASA’s more standard,
and much more expensive, acquisition approach has produced regrettably
little.
I still believe that the
three phase approach we adopted was correct and can and should be restarted
– in the Pentagon. The right organization – with priority, streamlined
management and $100-200 million a year – can complete Phase 2 in three
years – with a supersonic, sub-orbital reusable single stage vehicle that
could pay for the development costs with the savings from launching targets
for missile defense tests. Other applications include rapid reconnaissance
or long-range weapon delivery.
As noted in my testimony,
individuals in private industry are seeking venture capital to build this
capability for even less to provide an inexpensive wide area sensing platform
– they claim they need only a customer to succeed. Someone in government
should consider this.
Mr. Chairman, ten years
ago, the technology was sufficiently mature to undertake serious development
of a reusable launch capability, setting the stage for a spaceplane.
We made the initial investment and had a brilliant success with the Clipper
Graham. Then we lost our way – more accurately, the Clinton Administration
diverted the intended path of that “build, test, grow” program. It
should be reinstated and supported with a national priority – the only
question is where in the bureaucracy can be trusted to stay the course.
Wherever it is placed, Mr. Chairman, I urge you to exercise close oversight
of this important program to assure the vision is preserved.
Thank you.
WRITTEN TESTIMONY FOR THE RECORD
Mr. Chairman, thank you for
the opportunity to provide my views on need and current plans to develop
commercial, civil, and military spaceplanes and the role of the Department
of Defense (DoD) and NASA X vehicles for flight experiments to demonstrate
those capabilities.
As you requested, I will
seek to shed light on three questions: 1) How have past Administrations
supported DoD and NASA spaceplane programs? 2) Should DoD and NASA
work together on developing spaceplanes, and if so, how? 3) How much
R&D has been invested and how much should the U.S. invest annually
in spaceplane development?
Perspective
Before addressing those
assigned questions, I want the Committee to understand several points,
which strongly influence my answers.
First, I have not been following
closely recent events in the on-going saga of efforts to develop spaceplanes
by either the DoD or NASA. So my perspective is biased by my experiences
that are eight years old – experiences that date to my watch as Director
of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) during the first Bush Administration.
Second, my prejudices lean
toward assuring that the nation exploits space for military applications,
and, in that context, toward assuring that the DoD institutes the right
kinds of science and technology programs to support the nation’s future
national security needs, all under the right management structure for military
space programs. In that regard, I support the recommendations of
last year’s Space Commission chaired by now Defense Secretary Rumsfeld.
I would add that I favor
a separate service to “acquire, train and equip” the nation’s space forces
– as soon as there is a critical mass of senior military leadership sufficiently
trained and dedicated to support fully exploiting space – not only as a
force multiplier, but as a medium in which and from which force can be
applied to serve the security interests of the United States.
Spaceplanes should play
an obvious, central role in such a Space Force. Consequently, I am
most concerned that the appropriate innovative DoD science and technology
programs be fostered – especially in the context of the pending reorganization
to manage the Department’s space activities.
My third point, in that
regard, is that I am very critical of the standard system development/acquisition
process in DoD and, I suspect, in NASA as well. Far too much bureaucracy
is involved in “managing” and/or “overseeing” system development to permit
significant innovation.
For example, during my watch
as SDI Director, I had my staff keep track of the cost and time spent in
running the oversight gauntlet for THAAD during the last six months of
1991, during which we underwent a Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) management
review, the THAAD Milestone I DAB, and a baseline DAB review (which was
canceled). We and our contractor agents spent about 75,000 government
labor hours, over 250,000 contractor hours, and over $22 million on creating
over a ton of supporting documents, providing briefings and attending meetings
seeking to reach consensus with three staff levels to address, and invariably
readdress, over 900 proposed issues often with conflicting programmatic
changes (sometimes within the same office). Even to gain agreement
on how we were going to manage the program, we held over 50 meetings with
35 overseeing offices and their staffs prior to the DAB to approve the
consensus, at a cost of over $7 million—not to mention the wasted time
of our technical staff which could have better spent its time managing
an admittedly volatile program.
In my judgment, this is
a very undesirable way to manage the development of new capabilities, such
as would be required to build spaceplanes.
My fourth point is that
it is far more preferable to give authority and resources to a small technically
qualified team, with minimum oversight, to pursue an approach that takes
existing or near-term technology, tests and proves a useful capability,
fills-in technology as needed and available, and then improves that capability
– while, of course, maintaining a vision of the desired final objective.
Some have called this approach, “Build a little, test a little.”
I call it, “Build, Test, Grow.”
This “build, test, grow
approach” is not a novel idea. It was the approach to developing
our original land-based and submarine launched intercontinental ballistic
missiles in the 1950s. It was used in building the U-2 and SR-71
in record time. It was the approach followed by a small technically
qualified SDI team in conducting the highly successful Delta 180, 181,
and 183 programs of the 1980s. It was followed in the Brilliant Pebbles
Space-Based Interceptor program on the late-1980s through my watch, until
the Clinton Administration cancelled it in 1993 for political reasons.
(NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, while at TRW and responsible for TRW’s
Brilliant Pebbles development and testing, told me that the small government
team provided the best managed program of his experience up to that time.)
The same management approach was followed in the award-winning 1994 Clementine
mission, which space-qualified Brilliant Pebbles sensors and software in
surveying the entire Moon’s surface in 15 spectral bands and discovering
water at South Pole. Clementine was the pathfinder for the “faster,
better, cheaper” approach to space exploration championed by NASA Administrator
Goldin.
DC-X/Delta Clipper/Clipper Graham Experience
With these thoughts in mind,
I’d like to review the history of the DC-X or Clipper Graham. High
Frontier’s Founder, retired Army Lieutenant General Daniel O. Graham, describes
in his memoirs (Confessions of a Cold Warrior, Preview Press, Fairfax,
VA, 1995, pp. 201-211) his role in initiating a “Single Stage To Orbit,”
or SSTO, Program in early 1989.
A viable, reusable, SSTO
capability promised to reduce launch costs by over an order of magnitude
by permitting launch, recovery, re-launch operations similar to the way
aircraft are rapidly cycled through ground operations. Aside from
reducing the launch support infrastructure by two orders of magnitude,
other key technical challenges included having sufficiently lightweight
structural materials, high performance engines, effective reusable reentry
thermal protection, and overall system integration.
After being persuaded by
several eminent scientists and engineers that technology was sufficiently
mature to initiate a demonstration program, General Graham took the idea
to Vice President Dan Quayle, then Chairman of the Space Council, and the
Vice President requested that the SDI Organization (SDIO) initiate such
a demonstration program.
The SDIO was chosen, wrote
General Graham, because it was expected that both NASA and the Air Force
“would stifle our baby in its crib. In NASA it would be viewed as
a threat to the hoped-for prolongation of the Shuttle program; in the Air
Force it would be viewed as a threat to the hoped for Advanced Launch System
(ALS), a follow on expendable rocket system.”
My predecessor as SDI Director,
Lt. General George Monahan, saw the potential merits of the SSTO in supporting
SDI requirements and happily supported it – as did I. Indeed, a reusable
sub-orbital vehicle could be very cost effective in launching targets for
SDI tests, as later studies showed – justifying reusable sub-orbital vehicles
as the first stage of the “build, test, grow” approach mentioned above.
By the time I became SDI
Director in mid-1990, a streamlined management office, consisting of a
technically competent Air Force Major and SETA support (less than 12 total),
had initiated a screening competition among five contractors, all of whom
agreed that the SSTO was feasible. In August 1991, McDonald Douglas
was awarded a $60 million contract to build and fly in 18 months a sub-sonic
third-scale reusable vehicle called DC-X or Delta Clipper.
To aid in advocating the
DC-X in the Pentagon budget battles, I directed that the program focus
on launching targets for SDI tests – an economic study demonstrated that
a substantial DC-X and follow-on reusable sub-orbital launch development
program could be paid for many times over by a few successful target launches
in planned SDI tests. (Test failures because of target launch failures
were then costing SDI substantial money, time and political support.)
Thus was a “build, test,
grow” approach adopted: 1) Prove with a sub-sonic vehicle that logistics
support requirements can be dramatically reduced for reusable launch operations;
2) Using the reduced logistics support procedures and near-term technology,
prove with a supersonic, sub-orbital vehicle that SDI targets can be inexpensively
launched (about a tenth of conventional launch costs per test) to support
planned ballistic missile defense testing requirements; 3) Using the savings
generated by the more cost effective target launching, improve the technology
base for lightweight structures, high performance engines, reentry thermal
protection, systems integration, etc. to support a truly versatile SSTO
vehicle and demonstrate its advantages for missile defense and other military
space missions.
The first phase, the DC-X
program, came in slightly late (first successful flight in August 1993)
but within budget and was widely acclaimed among space enthusiasts.
Former Astronaut Pete Conrad, assisted by a Deputy and a Ground System
Controller, was the operations manager for the 12 successful DC-X flights
(vertical take-off, hover, lateral maneuver(s), high angle of attack flight,
vertical landing). Pete claimed he could manage all ground and flight
operations by himself from a single flight console. Compare this
with the dozens of ground personnel in the usual mission control center
that would be used by NASA’s X-33 – or to launch the usual expendables.
Compare the DC-X program management with that for the X-33: DC-X
critical reviews involved about a dozen experts; the X-33 Critical Design
Review involved hundreds of government experts from dozens of organizations.
McDonald Douglas’ DC-X contract team involved 20-30 key people vs. hundreds,
perhaps thousands, on the X-33 team.
In 1996, NASA Administrator
Dan Goldin gave General Graham NASA’s highest award for his early role
in championing the SSTO idea and renamed the DC-X the Clipper Graham. After
an additional flight or two, the Clipper Graham regrettably had a procedural
landing gear failure (due to a technician’s error after completing it’s
12th successful flight) and burned.
After the first successful
DC-X flight in 1993, Pentagon advocates proposed Phase 2 of the “build,
test, grow” strategy, a follow-on three year program using essentially
off-the-shelf technology to build and test a sub-orbital Mach 12 vehicle,
called the SX-2, to provide a missile defense target launch capability
and to be a stepping-stone to a SSTO vehicle (Phase 3). This follow-on
initiative was enthusiastically supported by Congress, but the Clinton
Administration, including the new management for ballistic missile defense,
was hostile to the idea, canceled the follow-on program in 1994, transferred
the reusable launch mission to NASA in 1995 and, in 1997, used its transitory
line item veto to kill the remnant DoD spaceplane program that Congress
continued to support via directives to the DoD and additional appropriations.
In spite of the lack of
Pentagon support for reusable launch, including for sub-orbital capabilities,
it should be understood that the foundation of the Clipper Graham was soundly
laid and still can be built upon. Launching targets for missile defense
testing could still be done much more cheaply by a reusable sub-orbital
launch capability based on existing technology than by continuing the standard
practice of expendable launches – e.g., at less than 10-percent the cost
according to industrial advocates who are currently seeking venture capital
to build and demonstrate reusable launch capability and to sell services.
For example, Dr. Patrick
Bahn, the President of TGV Rockets, Inc., says that he has an investor
who will provide the necessary venture capital to make his development
program viable if there are customers who will simply commit to buy $10
million worth of services if the venture capital funded development pans
out. It seems to me that the government should take a close look
at this possibility. By the way, Dr. Bahn is not seeking a government
contract to develop his MICHELLE reusable launch vehicle because he distrusts
government program management – in both the DoD and at NASA. I am
sympathetic with Dr. Bahn’s apprehension.
Dr. Bill Gaubatz, who led
the Clipper Graham program at McDonald Douglas and now heads Space Available,
LLC, also is seeking venture capital for developing such capabilities,
so Dr. Bahn is not alone in seeking the means to continue such development
in the private sector.
Maybe the private sector
is the path to success. Neither the legacy of the DoD’s successful
Clipper Graham effort nor NASA’s X-33 stall-out is encouraging.
Lessons From the Clipper Graham Experience
As is often the case with
efforts at innovation, the tale recounted above suggests that, because
of political and bureaucratic forces, “No good deed goes unpunished.”
The lack of consistent advocacy
for military space activities during the past decade was influenced by
the political agenda of the Clinton Administration – best illustrated by
President Clinton’s September 1997 line item veto of Congressional funding
initiatives for an ASAT, the Clementine follow-on and the military spaceplane.
But the Air Force has not
been a serious advocate for military space programs either – otherwise
it would not have supported transferring the reusable launch mission to
NASA, an organization that has shown little responsiveness to supporting
innovative military space programs. It remains to be seen whether
Secretary Rumsfeld’s military space management initiative, which makes
the Air Force the Pentagon’s executive agent for military space, will make
a serious difference.
Now, let me answer more
directly your questions, Mr. Chairman.
1) How have past Administrations supported DoD and NASA spaceplane programs? – “I believe the Reagan-Bush Clipper Graham experience is the right approach to develop the needed technology for a military spaceplane: “build, test, grow” via a streamlined qualified government management team with ~$100-200 million investments annually rather than continuing NASA’s billion dollar X-33 approach using the standard government acquisition process.”
A lot of blame for this failure
can be laid at the feet of President Clinton and his Administration for
his line-item veto of Military Spaceplane, which contributed significantly
to the Air Force's cowardice on the issue—as did the earlier Air Force/Clinton
Administration decision to give NASA the “lead” for developing Reusable
Launch Vehicle technologies. The Air Force Space & Missile
Center apparently interpreted this “guidance/policy” to mean that the Air
Force was not going to participate in RLV technology work at all.
NASA's selection of the
technologically over-optimistic Lockheed X-33 concept can also be squarely
laid at the feet of the Clinton Administration. The subcommittee
should also note that tens of millions authorized and appropriated for
military spaceplanes in the 90s was often diverted for other purposes.
I understand the NASA historian has written a very interesting paper on
this subject, and suggest you may want to review it.
2) Should DoD and NASA get together to develop spaceplanes? If so, how? – “I think not, because NASA has a different agenda than the DoD’s – and developing a military spaceplane is important to future U.S. national security. They might coordinate on common technology, I suppose.”
NASA’s priorities are substantially
different from the DoD’s. Examples abound in the experience of the
last 20 years with NASP, early versions of EELV, X-33, X-37 and other programs.
In each case, NASA has subordinated DoD requirements to its own.
I believe Congress and the Administration should give DoD the clear lead
on reusable rockets. NASA should participate in a supporting role
with respect to technology. The DoD should "build, test and grow"
a military spaceplane capability, beginning with sub-orbital missions.
I believe reusable launch
of targets for missile defense testing would be highly cost effective.
Other “air” reusable rocket launch missions include replacements/supplements
for sub-orbital aircraft missions (i.e. the long-range short-notice highly
survivable reconnaissance mission abandoned when we retired the SR-71,
a space control capability, and the long-range strike mission conducted
by the B-2 in Allied Force and Enduring Freedom). A reusable rocket
launch capability arguably would be less expensive and less technically
challenging than reusable rockets for spacelift, space control and all
of the other "orbit required" missions.
We should, therefore, concentrate
on revolutionizing our ability to do the easier (air) missions first.
This incremental “build, test, grow” approach is less demanding technically,
is responsive to immediate national security requirements, and provides
a foundation for revolutionizing our ability to do the things that DOD
and NASA need to do in orbit.
3) How much R&D has been invested in space planes and how much should the U.S. invest annually? – “I understand that the U.S. has invested about $4 billion in the 70s, 80s and 90s (on such programs as Have Region, Copper Canyon, NASP, DC-X, MSP, X-33, X-37/40), not counting Shuttle development and operations – and the residue of our total investment is four aging Shuttles, one crashed vehicle, a hangar queen, some drop-test articles and static displays. I believe the DoD should support a viable, robust “build, test, grow” reusable launch program for about $100-200 million a year – managed by a small competent technical team with incentives to produce. We do not have such an organization today.”
Any single organization able
to focus on what reusable spaceplanes would mean for U.S. national security
would certainly have spent that $4B in a much more useful way. Under the
SDI program defined on my watch, we should have been flying reusable sub-orbital
missions by the late 1990s – and we should now be pressing toward demonstrating
an SSTO capability, funded largely by the savings in providing targets
of the Pentagon’s missile defense test programs.
Unfortunately, DoD is currently
an organization of fiefdoms with competing bureaucratic interests that
are an impediment to progress. BMDO seems uninterested as far as
I can tell, in spite of the clear benefits to its centerpiece test programs.
DARPA has a piece of reusable rocket research – as does the Air Force.
Within the Air Force, the air labs fight with the space labs for money
and programmatic leadership – whether the Pentagon’s military space reorganization
will improve this situation remains to be seen.
A program without a clear
goal will absorb any amount of money that can be authorized and appropriated.
The goal for an effective program should be a flying vehicle with specific
technical capabilities clearly leading to operational capabilities – and
as I have emphasized, I strongly favor the “build, test, grow approach”
to development.
DARPA and the Department
were able to do this with Predator and Global Hawk – a similar model could
be pursued for sub-orbital and space operations vehicles. Alternatively,
the Secretary of Defense could establish a high-level program office with
national priority – something like SDIO – or the old Polaris and Atlas
programs. Perhaps, such an office could be part of the initiatives
undertaken as part of the Pentagon’s new military space reorganization
now being undertaken. This office should be given 2-3 years
to produce a flying sub-orbital vehicle.
Wherever it is placed, this
program office should be structured as the SDIO program office was for
the DC-X/Clipper Graham – a small, dedicated experienced team of DoD and
contractor personnel, embarked on a build, test, grow mission to ultimately
build spaceplanes for a future U.S. Space Force.
In this way, the U.S will
get revolutionary new capabilities to enhance our national security--and
industry will get revolutionary new products that will give the United
States enormous advantages that are as unforeseen now as intercontinental
air travel was in 1901.
Closure
Mr. Chairman, ten years ago,
the technology was sufficiently mature to undertake serious development
of a reusable launch capability, setting the stage for a military spaceplane.
We made the initial investment and had a brilliant success with the Clipper
Graham. Then we lost our way – more accurately, the Clinton Administration
diverted the intended path of that “build, test, grow” program. It
should be reinstated and supported with a national priority – the only
question is where in the bureaucracy can be trusted to stay the course.
Wherever it is placed, Mr. Chairman, I urge you to exercise close oversight
of this important program to assure the vision is preserved.
Thank you.