25 



oldest research center in NASA. The tunnel is 63 -year-old. It is still perform- 

 ing today, and it has had some upgrades and some modifications over the 

 years. But today, it still does basic research for landing and take-off configu- 

 rations for modem aircraft, and we make use of that existing investment and 

 have continued to do that over the years. 



If we go to the other end of the spectrum, out to Ames Research Center in 

 Mountain View, California, we have the National Aeronautical Simulation 

 facility, which is a simulation facility to check out designs and configurations 

 by simulation on high-speed supercomputers. We have some of the latest 

 CRAY supercomputers in the country in that facility. 



It is devoted purely to computational fluid dynamics, which is a basic tool 

 in aeronautics and aerodynamics development. It has been in existence now 

 for about six or seven years and it is the front-end of trying to predict how to 

 deal with simulation so that you do not have to put every model back into the 

 wind tunnel and run actual tests in the tunnels themselves. 



So I would agree with the previous statement about complex and sophisti- 

 cated facilities in the medical world. It is similar to that in the scientific and 

 engineering side of the house. 



Our internal goal that we set in NASA was to put 3.5 percent of the CRV 

 into routine maintenance and repair to keep our facilities responsive. 



Obviously, we have not been able to do that yet because of funding con- 

 straints. But you do need to go to the high end of the spectrum for the highly 

 technical facilities. 



Senator Sarbanes. Gendemen, thank you very much. This has been a very 

 helpful panel. 



We appreciate the obvious work that went into the prepared statements, 

 and they will be included, as I said, in full in the record. 



We may submit some questions to some of you and we would like your re- 

 sponses for the written record. I want to again thank the GAO for this very 

 helpful report. 



[Questions and answers subsequently supplied for the record start on p. 101 

 of Submissions for the Record:] 



[Responses to the arguments from the Republican witness subsequently 

 supplied for the record start on p. 106 of the Submissions for the Record:] 



[Additional material subsequendy supplied for the record start on p. 108 of 

 Submissions for the Record:] 



The Committee stands adjourned. 



[Whereupon, at 12:10 p.m., the Committee adjourned, subject to the call 

 of the Chair.] 



