Cover Page

Man in Space Introduction

STUDY CONCERNS

The following concerns have been expressed by the agencies participating in the Man in Space study. They are addressed in this study, and solutions are reflected in the range of alternatives.

MANAGEMENT

Management of the 26 sites varies depending on agency program requirements and funding levels. NASA's primary mission is to assure that the United States is a leader in aeronautical and space science and technology. The Air Force and Army are responsible for national security. NASA, Air Force, and Army sites are managed based on their status: active, standby, or inactive. Active sites are modified, as needed, to adapt to rapidly changing technology and new programs. Sites in standby status are maintained to ensure their usefulness in the future. If reactivated, they could be modified. Inactive sites have no anticipated use in the space program and are maintained to varying degrees; many have been salvaged or have potential salvage value. To date preservation of these sites has not been given a high priority. The need for preservation of the 26 sites should be balanced with space and defense projects.

The managing agencies currently utilize the services of contract, concession, and volunteer personnel, in addition to agency personnel, to carry out interpretation, maintenance, and preservation at many of the Man in Space sites and installations. The potential to rely further on these personnel for interpretation, maintenance, and preservation services needs to be explored.

Although the National Park Service and the Smithsonian do not manage any of the Man in Space sites, they can provide guidance and technical assistance in the preservation and interpretation of resources. The Park Service has a staff of professionals knowledgeable in the fields of historic preservation and interpretation, and the Smithsonian is an acknowledged leader in artifact preservation and display. The role of these two agencies in preserving and interpreting the Man in Space sites needs to be identified.

FUNDING

Currently, historic preservation and interpretation projects compete with other priority projects for a share of the managing agency's budget. At NASA, Air Force, and Army installations, preservation and interpretation of Man in Space sites are relatively low funding priorities, and when budget cuts are made, these activities are generally the first to be eliminated from the program. If the Smithsonian or the Park Service was responsible for any Man in Space preservation and interpretation activities, those projects would have to compete with other projects programmed in their budgets. If Man in Space projects were given a high priority by any of the agencies, other projects and programs would have to be eliminated or cut back.

It does not appear practical to rely on funds currently appropriated in agency budgets to assure permanent preservation, interpretation, and visitor use of these significant sites. However, there are other sources such as corporate donations (money or services), private/public fund-raising, increased or new user fees, and additional appropriations that have potential.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR USE

The 26 Man in Space sites best represent the early American space program and the effort to land a man on the moon. They are currently interpreted on tours or at installation visitor centers, but interpretation of their contributions to the early American space program varies widely. Educational opportunities are afforded through NASA's teacher resource centers located throughout the country; these centers provide space-related educational materials for use in the classroom. However, for the most part, the focus of interpretive and educational efforts is on present and future space programs and not on the early American space program.

Many sites are not accessible to the general public because of safety and security concerns, although they may be toured by organized groups who have made arrangements ahead of time. Since these sites are not easily accessible to the public, they must be interpreted off-site, usually at the installation visitor centers.

The interpretive potential of the 26 sites has not been fully realized. It is not likely that unrestricted public access to all the sites will ever be feasible, but many actions can be taken to improve interpretation. The challenge is to provide the public with an overview of the Man in Space theme and to relate the significance of each site to the overall story. Visitor enjoyment, appreciation, and understanding of the Man in Space theme can be greatly enhanced by coordinating and expanding the focus of interpretive efforts beyond current and future space programs and by developing on-site and off-site movies, slide shows, displays, exhibits, publications, and active demonstrations. There is also the potential to coordinate with other space museums and facilities in providing interpretive media related to the Man in Space theme and the 26 sites.

This study does not identify specific interpretive programs and media for the Man in Space sites, but it does prioritize the sites and their installations according to their interpretive/visitor use potential. The evaluation of interpretive/visitor use potential is presented in the "Resource Analysis" section.

PRESERVATION

The term preservation encompasses many treatments--from recording and documenting a site before modification or demolition to restoration or total reconstruction. Decisions about preservation levels and treatments for the NASA, Air Force, and Army sites are directly affected by their status (active, standby, or inactive), condition, and location.

The early American space program, especially during the late 1950s and 1960s when most activities occurred, has been based on rapidly evolving technology. This has led to the abandonment or adaptation of many sites whose value to the effort lasted only until new systems were designed for more advanced missions. Sites that have been adapted or reworked to meet changing needs have lost some of their historic fabric but remain significant because of their role in the early American space program; many of these sites are still in active use. Other sites are on standby or inactive status (no future use currently scheduled) but still retain most of their historic fabric. These facilities could be altered in the future or could be used in their current condition to support present and future space programs. Some inactive sites have been salvaged and are no longer used. They have lost much of their historic fabric but remain significant because of their role in the early American space program. The status and condition of the 26 sites are important factors in evaluating them for preservation.

The location of a site plays a role in determining the appropriate type and level of preservation. For example, sites in Florida are in a corrosive environment that is especially destructive, whereas sites in desert locations in the west are generally less affected because of the dry temperate climate. Environmental conditions must be considered when selecting preservation treatments.

This study does not propose specific preservation treatments for the Man in Space sites, but it does group the sites according to their preservation potential. The preservation potential of the sites is indicated in the "Resource Analysis" section.

COMPLIANCE

There are numerous laws that affect the manner in which an agency carries out its mission. Of particular importance to this study is the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, and specifically sections 106 and 110(f) of that act. Section 106 directs all federal agencies to take into account the effect of their actions on historic properties and to afford the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation an opportunity to comment on those actions and their effects. Section 110(f) mandates a higher standard of consideration than section 106 for undertakings that may affect national historic landmarks directly and adversely.

Executive Order 11593 and other federal regulations define the implementing procedures for section 106 and 110(f) compliance: Federal agencies are required to inventory all historic sites under their jurisdiction and to develop plans for the treatment and preservation of those resources; where an agency's actions could result in the loss of resources, timely steps must be taken to record the sites through measured drawings, photographs, histories, and maps of the property to be deposited in the Library of Congress. The Historic American Building Survey/Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) Division of the National Park Service has developed standards for recordation and documentation.

The principal implementing regulations for section 106 and portions of section 110(f) were promulgated by the Advisory Council and are contained in 36 CFR 800, "Protection of Historic Properties." The regulations set up a consultation process involving the agency, the state historic preservation officer, and the Advisory Council to resolve conflicts between development and preservation needs. In addition, sec. 800.10 recognizes the special needs of national historic landmarks. Finally, there is a provision in the regulations (sec. 800.13) for the development of programmatic agreements. Such agreements provide a mechanism for agencies to fulfill their section 106/110(f) responsibilities for a particular program, a large or complex project, or a group of undertakings that would otherwise require numerous requests for comments. The Advisory Council strongly encourages the development of such agreements for many of the Man in Space sites.

The agencies that manage the Man in Space sites are concerned about meeting all the legal requirements of sections 106 and 110(f) while continuing to modify, salvage, or deactivate sites as ongoing programs warrant. The opportunity exists for these agencies to gain a broader knowledge of sections 106 and 110(f) and to work closely with the Advisory Council and the appropriate state historic preservation officers to respond to all legal requirements without affecting the progress of ongoing and future programs.

Continued

Last Modified: Wed, Nov 29 2000 10:00:00 am PDT
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