/ANNEXES

ANNEXES 2014

CHAPTER 1

LEFT:

On October 31, 2012, NASA’s Curiosity rover used the Mars Hand Lens Imager to capture this set of 55 high-resolution images, which were stitched together to create this full-color self-portrait.

The NASA science program seeks to unravel the mysteries of our Sun, Earth, solar system, and the universe—out to its farthest reaches and back to its earliest moments of existence.
Image Credit: NASA/Jenny Mottar

CHAPTER 2

LEFT:

A ‘Blue Marble’ image of the Earth taken from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite instrument aboard Suomi NPP (Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership).

NASA launched the Balloon Array for Radiation-belt Relativistic Electron Losses (BARREL) over Halley Research Station in February 2014 to float above Antarctica and observe magnetic fields to augment measurements from the Van Allen Probes spacecraft.

Developed in conjunction with Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, the prototype technology called Finding Individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response (FINDER) is based on remote sensing radar tech­ nology developed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. FINDER can locate individuals buried as deep as 30 feet (9 meters) in crushed materials or hid­ den behind 20 feet (6 meters) of solid concrete.

National Policy Direction on Earth and Space Science

Recommendations from the U.S. Scientific Community

CHAPTER 3

LEFT:

On August 31, 2012 a long filament coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the Sun traveling at over 900 miles per second. The CME did not travel directly toward Earth, but did connect with Earth’s magnetic en­ vironment, or magnetosphere, causing aurora to appear.

NASA’s 2014 strategic plan outlines the following science goals for the Agency:

Principles

competition. Appendix C identifies the categories for each SMD program/strategic mission line. Suborbital programs, comprising sounding rockets, balloons, and aircraft, provide complementary observations, opportunities for innovative instrument demonstration, and a means for workforce development, as highlighted by the NRC in its report

Strategies

Design and successfully implement programs that accomplish breakthrough science and applications.

Challenges

Figure 3.1 SMD missions that excelled in managing cost and schedule

*Formerly RBSP

Figure 3.1 (Continued) SMD missions that excelled in managing cost and schedule

*Formerly RBSP

Satellite data in this visualization are from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments, which contribute to a vegetation index that allows re­ searchers to track changes in plant growth over large areas. Of the 10 million square miles (26 million square kilometers) of northern vegetated lands de­ picted, 34 to 41 percent showed increases in plant growth (green and blue), 3 to 5 percent showed decreases in plant growth (orange and red), and 51 to 62 percent showed no changes (yellow) over the past 30 years.

Flying at an altitude of approximately 204 miles above Earth, the expedition 32 crew onboard the International Space Station (ISS) recorded a series of images of Aurora Australis on July 15, 2012. The Canadarm2 robot arm is in the foreground.

This artist’s concept shows the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE spacecraft, in Earth orbit. WISE was decommissioned after it successfully completed its original astrophysics mission in 2011. In September 2013, engineers reactivated the mission to hunt for more asteroids and comets in a project called Near Earth Objects WISE, or NEOWISE.

CHAPTER 4

LEFT:

This image of the Horsehead Nebula was taken in infrared light by the Hubble Space Telescope in honor of the 23rd anniversary of Hubble’s launch. The rich tapestry of the Horsehead Nebula pops out against the backdrop of Milky Way stars and distant galaxies that are easily seen in infrared light.

Heliophysics

Solar-Terrestrial Probes Program

Figure 4.1 NASA Heliophysics Missions

Living With a Star Program

STEREO (2)

SOHO-ESA

RHESSI

Cluster–ESA (4)

Formulation

Implementation

Primary Ops

Extended Ops

ACE

SDO

GOLD

ICON

AIM

IBEX

Van Allen Probes (2)

Voyager (2)

Solar Orbiter–ESA

WIND

Geotail–JAXA

SET-1

IRIS

ARTEMIS (2)

MMS (4)

Heliophysics Explorer Program

Heliophysics Research Program

Table 4.1 Current Heliophysics Missions

Table 4.1 (Continued) Current Heliophysics Missions

Missions listed either existed before or were part of an international partnership outside the current Heliophysics Division’s implementation structure.

TOP: Voyager 1’s plasma wave instrument detected vibrations of dense in­ terstellar plasma, or ionized gas, from October to November 2012 and April to May 2013. The graphic shows the frequency of the waves, which indicates the density of the plasma. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Iowa

BOTTOM: This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft entering interstellar space, or the space between stars. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

TOP: NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) recently mapped the boundaries of the solar system’s tail (the heliotail). This data from IBEX shows what it observed looking down the heliotail. The yellow and red colors represent areas of slow-moving particles, and the blue represents the fast- moving particles. Image Credit: NASA/IBEX

BOTTOM: A new radiation belt has been discovered above Earth; it is shown here using actual data as the middle arc of orange and red of the three arcs seen on each side of the Earth. The new belt was observed for the first time by Relativistic Electron Proton Telescopes (REPT) flying on NASA’s twin Van Allen Probes. Image Credit: NASA

Table 4.2 Heliophysics Missions in Formulation or Development

Reflects the Agency baseline commitment to launch no later than (NLT) the year identified.

Table 4.2 (Continued) Heliophysics Missions in Formulation or Development

Artist’s impression of SPP, its solar panels folded into the shadows of its protective shield, gathering data on its approach to the Sun. As SPP approaches the Sun, its revolutionary carbon-composite heat shield must withstand temperatures exceeding 2,550 degrees Fahrenheit and blasts of intense radiation. Image Credit: NASA/John Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory

TOP: The four MMS spacecraft are stacked in preparation for vibration test­ ing. Image Credit: NASA/GSFC

BOTTOM: This artist’s concept depicts three of the four identical MMS mission spacecraft. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Table 4.3 Heliophysics Future Missions

Figure 4.2 Summary of Heliophysics Science Missions

Heliophysics Timeline

STP-5 Prime Mission

SMEX/MO Extended Mission

The extended missions depicted in Figure 4.2 are approved for continued operations based on a senior peer review conducted by scientists every two years to determine the scientific value and priority of further mission extensions.

An aurora on March 8, 2012, shimmering over snow-covered mountains in Faskrudsfjordur, Iceland.

Image Credit: Jónína Óskarsdóttir

The term “space weather” refers to variable conditions on the Sun, in the solar wind, and in the near-space environment that can create risks for humans in space and cause disruption to electric power distribution on Earth and satellite operations, communications, and navigation. Modern society depends on a variety of tech­ nologies susceptible to the extremes of space weather. Strong electrical currents driven along the Earth’s surface during geomagnetic events disrupt electric power grids and contribute to the corrosion of oil and gas pipelines. Changes in the ionosphere during geomagnetic storms interfere with high-frequency radio communications and GPS navigation. Exposure of spacecraft to energetic so­ lar particles can cause temporary operational anomalies, damage critical electronics, degrade solar arrays, and blind systems such as imagers, star trackers, and sci­ entific instrumentation. Given the growing importance of space to our nation’s economic well-being and security, it is of increasing importance that NASA and its partner agencies continue to advance our nation’s capability to understand and predict space weather events.

Space weather forecasting in interplanetary space is crucial to NASA’s human and robotic exploration ob­ jectives beyond Earth’s orbit. Eventually, astronauts will travel to distant places where natural shielding like Earth’s magnetic field is absent. NASA’s plans to send astronauts to asteroids and Mars safely rely on our ability to successfully understand and predict space weather. Protection of humans in space is an operational activity within NASA’s HEOMD. SMD collaborates with HEOMD’s Space Radiation Analysis Group at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which is directly responsible for ensuring that the radiation exposure of astronauts remains below established safety limits.

In support of NOAA satellites and to enable NOAA to fulfill its responsibility for delivering operational space

weather forecasts and products to the nation, NASA research spacecraft (e.g., ACE, STEREO, SOHO, SDO, and Van Allen Probes missions) supply real-time space weather data. Other partnerships include the CINDI in­ strument NASA supplied for an Air Force satellite, and TWINS-A B the Agency provided for two National Reconnaissance Office satellites. NASA will continue to cooperate with other agencies to enable new knowledge in this area and to measure conditions in space critical to both operational and scientific research.

Interagency coordination of space weather activities has been formalized through the National Space Weather Program Council, which is hosted by the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology. This multiagency organization comprised of representatives from ten fed­ eral agencies functions as a steering group responsible for tracking the progress of the National Space Weather Program. External constituencies requesting and making use of new knowledge and data from NASA’s efforts in heliophysics include NOAA, the Department of Defense, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Space weather is of international importance and NASA is the U.S. representative at the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) for space weather matters. This respon­ sibility includes leadership of the International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI), a UN initiative to advance space weather science by establishing a global space weather data and modeling network. NASA also serves on the Steering Committee of the International Living with a Star (ILWS), which includes 31 space agencies worldwide. ILWS provides world leadership for the coordination of solar and space physics missions, ob­ servations, and understanding.

Earth Science

Image Credit: NASA

Earth Systematic Missions Program

Earth System Science Pathfinder Program

Figure 4.3 NASA Earth Science Missions

CYGNSS

ICESat-2

TEMPO

GRACE-FO (2)

SWOT

PACE

NI-SAR

Formulation Implementation Primary Ops Extended Ops

SAGE III (on ISS)

SMAP

SORCE

OCO-2

TRMM

QuikSCAT

Aquarius Suomi NPP

Terra

ACRIMSAT

Landsat-7

(USGS)

EO-1

(NOAA)

Landsat-8

(USGS)

GPM

Aqua

CloudSat

CALIPSO

Aura

GRACE (2)

OSTM/Jason 2

(NOAA)

Earth Science Research Program

Know as Operation IceBridge, NASA’s annual airborne missions to the Arctic and Antarctica bridge the data gap between the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat—which ceased operating in 2009) and ICESat-2. Seen from the NASA P-3B on the Apr. 5, 2013 IceBridge survey flight, Helheim Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in Greenland, drains into the ocean through this fjord.

Image Credit: NASA

Applied Sciences Program

SERVIR-Africa installed wireless sensor networks in Kenya to support the automated frost mapping system they designed and implemented. The near real-time frost mapping system identifies and displays frost-impacted areas by analyzing night time land surface temperature data from NASA’s Moder­ ate Resolution Imaging Spectrometers aboard the Terra and Aqua spacecraft, identifying areas with high potential for frost to the Kenya Meteorological Ser­ vice and agriculture insurance companies.

Image Credit: NASA/SERVIR-Africa

Earth Science Technology Program

Table 4.4 Current Earth Science Missions

Table 4.4 (Continued) Current Earth Science Missions

Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface (AirMOSS)

Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment (ATTREX)

Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE)

Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ)

Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3)

The Earth Systematic Missions (ESM) Program encompasses the division’s strategic and directed missions. Table 4.4 includes missions that were selected prior to the creation of the ESM Program Office, such as missions under the previously existing Earth Observing System (EOS) Program. The missions within the Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) Program are competitively selected under the program itself or as Earth Venture missions.

The midnight sun casts a golden glow on an iceberg and its reflection in Dis­ ko Bay, Greenland. Much of Greenland’s annual ice mass loss occurs through calving of such icebergs. Image Credit: University of Washington/Ian Joughin

The ravages of deforestation, wildfires, windstorms and insects on global forests during this century are revealed in unprecedented detail in a new study based on data from Landsat-7. The maps from the study are the first to document forest loss and gain using a consistent method around the globe, at high resolution. The forest cover maps also capture natural disturbances such as this 2011 tornado path in Alabama. Image Credit: NASA/GSFC

Table 4.5 Earth Science Strategic Research Missions in Formulation and Development

Reflects the Agency baseline commitment to launch NLT the year identified.

TOP LEFT:

This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s OCO-2 spacecraft.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

BOTTOM LEFT

: NASA’s OCO-2 spacecraft is moved into a thermal vacuum chamber at Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Satellite Manufacturing Facility in Gilbert, Ariz., for a series of environmental tests. The tests confirmed the in­ tegrity of the observatory’s electrical connections and subjected the OCO-2 instrument and spacecraft to the extreme hot, cold and airless environment they will encounter once in orbit.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

TOP RIGHT:

The SMAP spacecraft and instrument, having just been put to­ gether into what is called the “Observatory” in January 2014. The spinning portion of SMAP’s instrument system is seen mounted on top of the rectan­ gular, box-like structure of the spacecraft. Prominently featured in the upper portion of the instrument and on its right-hand side are the deployable reflec­ tor antenna, which looks like a bundle of black-colored tubular elements, and the deployable boom above (also black in color), which will eventually support the antenna while spinning in space.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

SMAP: Understanding the Earth System through Interdisciplinary Synergies

NASA’s SMAP mission will provide global measurements of soil moisture and the soil freeze/thaw state. The NRC Earth science decadal survey explains how SMAP will enable interdisciplinary studies of the Earth system:

Soil moisture serves as the memory at the land surface in the same way as sea-surface temperature does at the ocean surface. The use of sea-surface temperature observations to initialize and constrain coupled ocean-atmosphere models has led to impor­ tant advances in long-range weather and seasonal prediction. In the same way, high-resolution soil-moisture mapping will have transformative effects on Earth system science and applications (Entekhabi et al., 1999; Leese et al., 2001). As the ocean and at­ mosphere community synergies have led to substantial advances in Earth system understanding and improved prediction services, the availability of high-resolution mapping of surface soil moisture will be the link between the hydrology and atmospheric commu­ nities that share interest in the land interface. The availability of

Artist’s concept of SMAP.

Image Credit NASA/JPL

such observations will enable the emergence of a new generation of hydrologic models for applications in Earth system understanding and operational severe-weather and flood forecasting.

Table 4.6 Future Earth Science Strategic Research Missions

Table 4.6 (Continued) Future Earth Science Strategic Research Missions

• Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions Over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS)

• Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE)

• Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI)

• Aerosol-Clouds-Ecosystems

• Precipitation and All-weather Temperature and Humidity (PATH)

• Snow and Cold Land Processes (SCLP)

• Global Atmospheric Composition Mission (GACM)

• Three-Dimensional Tropospheric Winds (3D-Winds) (demo)

• Lidar Surface Topography (LIST)

• Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-II (GRACE-II)

• Earth Venture Suborbital (EVS)—2 in 2013 and at 4-year intervals

• Earth Venture Instrument (EVI)—2 in 2013 and at 18-month intervals

• Earth Venture Full Orbital Missions(EVM)—2 in 2015 and at 4-year intervals

Figure 4.4 Summary of Earth Science Missions

Earth Science Timeline

TIMELINE

Prime Mission Extended Mission

2000 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015 2018 2021 2024

The extended missions depicted in Figure 4.4 are approved for continued operations based on a senior peer review conducted by scientists every two years to determine the scientific value and priority of further mission extensions.

Funded by the Earth Science and Technology Office and Goddard Internal Research and Development Program, the airborne Lidar Surface Topography (LIST) Simulator is proving the technology needed to measure the height of Earth’s surface to within 10 centimeters and at 5 meter resolution.

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC

Artist’s rendering of ISS-RapidScat instrument (inset), which will measure ocean surface wind speed and direction and help improve weather forecasts, including hurricane monitoring. RapidScat will be installed on the end of the station’s Columbus laboratory.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

SMD works in close partnership with the ISS Program to enable science observations from the ISS. The ISS provides the access to space and most on-orbit re­ sources (power, data and communications, instrument operations, and post-flight disposal). In some cases, ISS provides some or all of the initial hardware, while for others, SMD develops and delivers the hardware. In all cases SMD defines the science observations and funds the processing of the data into scientific observations and research results.

For Earth observations, the ISS provides a specific and unique perspective. Its mid-inclination orbit at +/- 51 degrees enables visibility of most of the population cen­ ters on the Earth, of all the tropical regions, and of many critical dynamic phenomena. The low altitude enables high-resolution observations, while the precessing orbit allows the ISS-mounted instruments to cross orbits with the extensive fleet of polar and geosynchronous Earth observing satellites, allowing ISS instruments to be cross checked and cross calibrated with those other observations. This capability is particularly important to develop and improve long-term data records that require consistency across generations of observing instru­ ments in highly varying orbits.

The ISS is useful for astrophysics research because it offers a large, stable platform that can support experi­ ments with large mass, large power requirements, high data rates, and modest pointing requirements, which would be difficult or impossible to support on a satellite bus. The ISS platform is most useful for particle astro­ physics and high energy astrophysics.

NASA will be making use of these capabilities for a num­ ber of Earth and space observations. The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) is operating now on ISS, making measurements of coastal and ocean color. The ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and

Visualization System (ISERV) is providing useful images for use in disaster monitoring and assessment and en­ vironmental decision making. Future instruments on ISS include the Rapid Scatterometer (RapidScat) instrument to continue ocean winds measurements, the Cloud- Aerosol Transport System (CATS) to make lidar aerosol measurements, the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) that will measure global lightning (amount, rate, radiant en­ ergy) during both day and night, and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III) instrument to measure atmospheric ozone profiles, extending a 20+ year data record for NASA. In particular, the inclined orbit of ISS is well suited for obtaining latitudinal distributions of ozone-destroying gases using SAGE III’s primary solar occultation viewing mode.

For astrophysicists, the Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass (CREAM) experiment will extend direct measure­ ments of cosmic rays to energies capable of generating gigantic air showers, which have mainly been observed with ground-based experiments with no elemental identi­ fication. The Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR (NICER) mission will explore the exotic states of matter inside neutron stars, where density and pressure are higher than in atomic nuclei, confronting theory with unique observational constraints.

Looking to the future, NASA plans welcome proposals for instruments or even small missions that are best adapted to the ISS. The Earth Venture Mission (EVM) and Earth Venture Instrument (EVI) solicitations are released regularly and are open to all platforms, including the ISS. Similarly, the Astrophysics and Heliophysics Explorer AOs allow for ISS-based Mission of Opportunity propos­ als. The ISS Program has been working with the SMD to improve the utility and usability of the ISS as a sci­ ence observation platform, which should support more substantial Earth and space observations from the ISS.

Planetary Science

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

Discovery Program

New Frontiers Program

Mars Exploration Program

Figure 4.5 NASA Planetary Science Missions

Juno

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

MESSENGER

Formulation Implementation Primary Ops Extended Ops

2020

NEO-WISE

LADEE

Planetary Science Research and Analysis Program

Near-Earth Objects Program

MARS EARTH

This set of images compares the Link outcrop of rocks on Mars with similar rocks seen on Earth. The image of Link, obtained by NASA’s Curiosity rover, shows rounded gravel fragments, or clasts, up to a couple inches (few centimeters) in size, within the rock outcrop. Erosion of the outcrop results in gravel clasts that fall onto the ground, creating the gravel pile at left. The Link outcrop’s characteristics are consistent with a sedimentary conglomerate, or a rock that was formed by the deposition of water and is composed of many smaller rounded rocks cemented together. A typical Earth example of sedimentary conglomerate formed of gravel fragments in a stream is shown on the right.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

Table 4.7 Current Planetary Science Missions

Table 4.7 (Continued) Current Planetary Science Missions

TOP LEFT:

The underlaying pixels in this image indicate plumes of water vapor detected over Europa’s south pole in observations taken by the Hub­ ble Space Telescope in December 2012. The superimposed image of Europa was take by the Galileo spacecraft.

Image Credit: NASA/ESA/JPL/STScI

BOTTOM LEFT:

Comet ISON, named after the International Scientific Optical Network (the Russian instrument array that first observed the comet) comes in from the bottom right and moves out toward the upper right, getting fainter and fainter, in this time-lapse image from the ESA/NASA Solar and Helio­ spheric Observatory. The image of the Sun at the center is from NASA’s SDO satellite.

Image Credit: ESA/NASA/SOHO/SDO/GSFC

TOP RIGHT:

Using a precision formation-flying technique, the twin GRAIL spacecraft mapped the moon’s gravity field, as depicted in this artist’s ren­ dering.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

Table 4.8 Planetary Science Missions in Formulation and Development

Reflects the Agency baseline commitment to launch NLT the year identified.

With the Mars Curiosity rover, NASA demonstrated a specialized landing system that delivered a ready-to-operate rover. NASA’s new Mars rover, scheduled for 2020, will be much more capable than Curiosity, and will in­ clude a caching system for future potential sample return. Image Credit: NASA

Table 4.9 Future Planetary Science Missions

Figure 4.6 Summary of Planetary Science Missions

Planetary Science Timeline

TIMELINE

Prime Mission Extended Mission Arrival at Target

2000 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015 2018 2021 2024

Excluding MRO, MER/Opportunity, and Mars Odyssey, which are critical to current and future Mars exploration activities, the extended missions depicted in Figure 4.6 are approved for continued operations based on a senior peer review conducted by scientists every two years to determine the scientific value and priority of further mission extensions.

Artist’s concept of a Mars sample return mission. Image Credit: Wickman Spacecraft & Propulsion.

On June 10, 2011, NASA’s LRO spacecraft pointed its Narrow Angle Cameras to capture a dramatic sunrise view of Tycho crater on the Moon. Image Credit: NASA/GSFC

gained over decades of scientific research to enable safe and productive operations in LEO. As NASA and its partners prepare for exploration beyond LEO, the ques­ tion to be answered next is “what are the hazards and resources in the solar system environment that will affect the extension of human presence in space?”

These superimposed photos of the Moon and a near-Earth asteroid depict the concept behind NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission. Image Credit: guardianlv.com

In addition to advancing NASA’s scientific goals, SMD missions and research also generate data and knowl­ edge important to advance NASA’s human exploration goals. Since Explorer I discovered the Van Allen radia­ tion belts while orbiting the Earth, robotic missions have tested the waters for human exploration, providing useful data as either the product or byproduct of their scien­ tific investigations. SMD partnered with the HEOMD to map the Moon’s surface in unprecedented detail with LRO, and to measure the radiation environment during the cruise trip to Mars from inside the MSL spacecraft. More recently, SMD and HEOMD established SSERVI to conduct basic and applied research fundamental to un­ derstanding the Moon, Mars and its moons, near-Earth asteroids, and the near-space environments of these target bodies, while advancing human exploration of the solar system. The ISS best embodies the knowledge

NASA is currently developing the first-ever mission to redirect a near-Earth asteroid safely into the Earth-Moon system, and send astronauts to explore it. This mission will bring together the best of NASA’s science, technology, and human exploration efforts to achieve the President’s goal of sending humans to an asteroid by 2025. SMD’s Planetary Science Research and Analysis Program will contribute to this effort by helping to identify a potential asteroid target, using ground- and space-based assets to characterize and select a candidate asteroid. NASA’s existing NEO Program is exploring ways to improve de­ tection and characterization techniques.

Furthermore, SMD’s Heliophysics Division elements provide predictive capabilities essential to the protec­ tion of human and robotic explorers. The LWS and STP Programs explore the interactions between solar phenomena and planetary environments, which pro­ duce what is known as space weather. Space weather forecasting in interplanetary space is crucial to NASA’s human and robotic exploration objectives beyond LEO.

Astrophysics

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and E. Sabbi/STScI

Physics of the Cosmos Program

Cosmic Origins Program

Figure 4.7 NASA Astrophysics Missions

Swift Suzaku (JAXA) F ermi

Formulation Implementation Primary Ops Extended Ops

XMM-Newton (ESA)

Euclid (ESA)

Spitzer Hubble Kepler

JWST

Astro-H (JAXA)

NICER (on ISS)

Chandra

NuSTAR TESS

LISA Pathfinder (ESA)

SOFIA

Exoplanet Exploration Program

Astrophysics Explorer Program

Astrophysics Research Program

On April 27, 2013, NASA satellites, working in concert with ground-based telescopes, captured never-before-seen details of gamma-ray bursts (GRB) that challenge current theories of how gamma-ray bursts work. These maps show the sky at energies above 100 MeV as seen by NASA Fermi’s Large Area Telescope. Left: The sky during a 3-hour interval before GRB 130427A. Right: A 3-hour map ending 30 minutes after the burst. Image Credit: NASA

Table 4.10 Current Astrophysics Missions

TOP LEFT:

In 2013, using the NASA Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3, two teams of scientists found faint signatures of water in the atmospheres of five distant planets. This is the first study to conclusively measure and compare the profiles and intensities of these signatures on multiple worlds. To determine what is in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, astronomers watch the planet pass in front of its host star and look at which wavelengths of light are transmitted and which are partially absorbed. This illustration shows a star’s light illuminating the atmosphere of a planet.

Im­ age Credit: NASA/GSFC

TOP RIGHT:

One of the biggest mysteries in astronomy, how stars blow up in supernova explosions, is finally being unraveled with the help of NASA’s

NuSTAR spacecraft. The high-energy X-ray observatory has created the first map of radioactive material in a supernova remnant. The results, from a rem­ nant named Cassiopeia A, reveal how shock waves likely rip apart massive dying stars.

Image Credit: NASA/Caltech

BOTTOM:

Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have solved the 40-year-old mystery of the origin of the Magellanic Stream, a long ribbon of gas (the pink stream in this image) stretching nearly halfway around the Milky Way. New Hubble observations reveal that most of this stream was stripped from the Small Magellanic Cloud some two billion years ago, with a smaller portion originating more recently from its larger neighbour.

Image Credit: NASA/StSci

Table 4.11 Astrophysics Missions in Development or Formulation

Reflects the Agency baseline commitment to launch NLT the year identified.

TOP LEFT:

A full-scale JWST sunshield membrane deployed on the membrane test fixture at ManTech International Corporation’s facilities in Huntsville, Alabama, ready for a precise measurement of its three dimensional shape. The JWST sunshield comprises five of these layers, each of which has to be precisely spaced with respect to the next.

Image Credit: Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems

TOP RIGHT:

TESS is an Explorer-class planet finder. In the first-ever spaceborne all-sky transit survey, TESS will identify planets ranging from Earth-sized to gas giants, orbiting a wide range of stellar types and orbital distances.

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC

BOTTOM LEFT:

The first six flight-ready JWST primary mirror segments are prepped to begin final cryogenic testing at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Image Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

Table 4.12 Future Astrophysics Missions

Figure 4.8 Summary of Astrophysics Science Missions

Astrophysics Timeline

TIMELINE

Prime Mission Extended Mission

2000 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015 2018 2021 2024

Excluding the Great Observatories HST and Chandra, the extended missions depicted in Figure 4.8 are approved for continued operations based on a senior peer review conducted by scientists every two years to determine the scientific value and priority of further mission extensions.

Image of the newly discovered planet, HD 95086 b. The star, which the planet orbits, has been blocked out by a coronagraph and the diffraction patterns removed during data reduction. Image Credit: ESO/VLT and Rameau et al

The artist’s concept depicts Kepler-186f, the first validated Earth-size planet to orbit a distant star in the habitable zone. Image Credit: NASA Ames/SETI Institute/JPL-Caltech

Exoplanets are currently a topic studied in both SMD’s Planetary Science and Astrophysics Divisions at NASA, and are a priority according to the decadal surveys of both disciplines. The Planetary Science Division’s Research and Analysis Program and the Astrophysics Division’s Exoplanet Exploration Program coordinate their studies of exoplanets to determine the origins of stellar systems that are similar to our own.

The specific goals of the Astrophysics Division include searching for planets and planetary systems around stars in our galaxy, determining the percentage of planets that are in or near the habitable zone of a wide variety of stars, and characterizing planets around other stars for their habitability and other physical character­ istics. The Planetary Science Division’s specific goals include understanding the origin and evolution of the atmospheres of planets and their satellites, under­ standing the formation and early evolution of planetary systems, and providing the fundamental research and analysis necessary to characterize those planetary sys­ tems, including their habitability. While the Astrophysics Division emphasizes observational detection and study of exoplanets, the Planetary Science Division primarily focuses on the knowledge necessary for understanding exoplanets through modeling, data analysis, theoretical studies, and ground-based observations.

The Kepler mission was developed as a Discovery Program Mission in the Planetary Science Division and is now run by the Astrophysics Division as part of the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program.

Launched in 2009, Kepler is a spaceborne photom­ eter designed to survey distant stars to determine the prevalence of Earth-like planets. Utilizing data

Candidate exoplanets discovered by the Kepler Space Telescope sorted by exoplanet size. Includes all Kepler-discovered exoplanets as of November 2013.

from the Kepler mission, scientists are approach­ ing confirmation of the existence of almost 2000 planets that orbit stars other than our Sun.

The Planetary Science Division provides the baseline parameters that the Astrophysics Division looks for with its Exoplanet Exploration Program missions.

The NASA Astrobiology Institute, a virtual institute jointly funded by the Planetary Science Division and the Astrophysics Division, currently includes the Virtual Planetary Laboratory that is exclusively focused on exoplanets.

Working together, the Planetary Science and Astrophys­ ics Divisions hope to lead humankind on a voyage of unprecedented scope and ambition, promising insight into two of our most timeless questions: Where did we come from? Are we alone?

. --

CHAPTER 5

LEFT:

The Suomi NPP satellite acquired this natural-color image of Hurricane Sandy on October 28, 2012.

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/CIMSS and J. Allen

Image Credit: NASA/GSFC

JPSS Program

GOES-R Series Program

Reimbursable Projects Program

Table 5.1 NOAA Missions in Development or Formulation

TOP:

Jason-3 is an operational ocean altimetry mission designed to pre­ cisely measure sea surface height to monitor ocean circulation and sea level. Jason-3 will follow in the tradition of previous NASA-JPL missions such as Topex/Poseidon, Jason-1 and the Ocean Surface Topography Mission/ Jason-2.

Image Credit: CNES, CLS

MIDDLE:

Building on the success of the Suomi NPP polar-orbiting satel­ lite, JPSS-1 will feature advanced technologies and instruments to ensure a continuous flow of Earth observations.

Image Credit: Ball Aerospace Technologies Corp.

BOTTOM:

The advanced spacecraft and instrument technology employed by the GOES-R series will provide significant improvements in the detection and observations of environmental phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property, and our nation’s economic health and prosperity.

Image Credit: NOAA/GOES-R.

CHAPTER 6

LEFT:

The heat shield for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory is the largest ever built for a planetary mission. Technicians in the photo are installing the electronics for the Mars Science Laboratory Entry, Descent and Landing Instrument (MEDLI)—an instrument that collected data about temperature and pressure during descent through the Mars atmosphere.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

Table 6.1 STMD Programs Supporting NASA Science Technology Development

TOP:

Artist’s concept of the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD) aboard the LADEE spacecraft.

Image Credit: NASA

BOTTOM LEFT:

Artist’s concept of the Intelligent Payload Experiment (IPEX) and M-Cubed/COVE-2 (CubeSat Onboard processing Validation Experiment-2), two NASA Earth-orbiting cube satellites (“CubeSats”) that were launched as part of the NRO Launch-39 GEMSat (Government Experimental Multi-Satellite) mission from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base on Dec. 5, 2013. CubeSats typically have a volume of exactly one liter.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

BOTTOM RIGHT:

Currently, space clocks utilize Cesium ions to keep their time synchronous with Earth. Drift is a phenomenon that occurs over time where two clocks will no longer display the same time as one another. To avoid drift and to increase the stability of the ion clock, a new atomic element is needed for use in new space clocks. NASA engineers have been studying use of Mercury ions in satellite space clocks to allow engineers on the ground to more precisely navigate spacecraft and control their onboard instruments.

Image Credit: NASA

CHAPTER 7

LEFT:

Life-size model of JWST on display at the 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas.

Image Credit: NASA/Jenny Mottar

Students attending Space Camp at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL eagerly ask questions of the deep space exploration panel during the public viewing of the flawless launch of the MAVEN mission to Mars on November 18, 2013.

Image Credit: NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given

The Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program is a worldwide community of students, teachers, scientists and citizens working together to promote the teaching and learning of science, enhance environmental literacy and stewardship, and promote scientific discovery.

Image Credit: NASA/GLOBE

Available on iTunes®, YouTube®, and Vimeo®, ScienceCasts are short videos about fun, interesting, and unusual NASA science topics.

Image Credit: NASA

Science Education

Workforce Development

Science On a Sphere® is a room-sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display planetary data onto a six foot di­ ameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe.

Image credit: NASA

Appendices

LEFT:

This long-exposure Hubble Space Telescope image of massive galaxy cluster Abell 2744 is the deepest ever made of any cluster of galaxies. It shows some of the faintest and youngest galaxies ever detected in space. The immense gravity in Abell 2744 acts as a gravitational lens to warp space and brighten and magnify images of nearly 3,000 distant background galax­ ies—some that formed more than 12 billion years ago, not long after the big bang.

Image Credit: NASA/STScI

Appendix A: Status of NRC Decadal Survey Recommendations and/or National Priorities

HELIOPHYSICS

• As determined by the 2013 Heliophysics decadal survey, which defines mission class as follows: Small (Explorer Class) - $50M-$300M; Medium - $300M-$600M; and Large - $600M

  ^ Reflects the Agency baseline commitment to launch NLT the year identified.

  EARTH SCIENCE

  Program/Mission Concept	Class	Recommendation	Status
  Earth Systematic Missions Program
  Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM)	FM (DS-2007)	Launch GPM by 2012 (DS-2007)	Launched February 27, 2014
  Soil Moisture Active-Passive (SMAP)	Tier 1 Mission	Complete missions in development	In development LRD: NLT 2015^
  	CCAP	LRD: 2014
  Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III)	CCAP	LRD: 2013	In development LRD: NLT 2016^
  Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite – 2	Tier 1 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2010-13	In development. LRD: Under review
  Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on (GRACE FO)	CCAP	LRD: 2016	In formulation. LRD: NLT 2018^
  Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT)	Tier 2 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2013-16	In Formulation. LRD: 2020

  2014 SCIENCE PLAN

  EARTH SCIENCE (Continued)

  Program/Mission Concept	Class	Recommendation	Status
  Earth Systematic Missions Program (Continued)
  Sustained Solar Irradiance Measurements	National Priority	Responsibility transferred from NOAA to NASA	Instrument Opportunity. LRD: NET 2020
  Pre-Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE)	CCAP	LRD: 2018	In formulation. LRD: NET 2020
  L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar	Tier 1 Mission	Launch: 2010-13	In formulation. Being studied as a partnership with India. LRD: 2021
  	CCAP	LRD: 2017
  Vertical Ozone Profiles	National Priority	Responsibility transferred from NOAA to NASA	Instrument on JPSS-2. LRD: NET 2021
  Earth’s Radiation Budget	National Priority	Responsibility transferred from NOAA to NASA	Instrument on JPSS-2. LRD: NET 2021
  Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO)	Tier 1 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2010-13	In formulation LRD: NET 2023
  	CCAP	LRD: 2017
  Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions Over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS)	Tier 2 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2013-16	In formulation LRD: TBD
  	CCAP	LRD: 2019
  Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE)	Tier 2 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2013-16	In formulation LRD: TBD
  Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI)	Tier 2 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2013-16	In formulation LRD: TBD
  Aerosol-Clouds-Ecosystems	Tier 2 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2013-16	In formulation LRD: TBD
  Precipitation and All-weather Temperature and Humidity (PATH)	Tier 3 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2016-20	In formulation LRD: TBD
  Snow and Cold Land Processes (SCLP)	Tier 3 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2016-20	In formulation LRD: TBD
  Global Atmospheric Composition Mission (GACM)	Tier 3 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2016-20	In formulation LRD: TBD
  Three-Dimensional Tropospheric Winds (3D-Winds) (demo)	Tier 3 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2016-20	In formulation LRD: TBD
  Lidar Surface Topography (LIST)	Tier 3 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2016-20	In formulation LRD: TBD
  Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-II (GRACE-II)	Tier 3 Mission (DS-2007)	Launch: 2016-20	In formulation LRD: TBD
  Future Land Imaging	National Priority	Establish a sustained land imaging capability for the nation	Under study with USGS

  EARTH SCIENCE (Continued)

  Program/Mission Concept	Class	Recommendation	Status
  Earth System Science Pathfinder Program
  Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2)	CCAP		In development. LRD: NLT 2015^
  Earth Venture Mission (EVM)	Earth Venture (DS-2007)	Initiate frequent, low-cost, innovative research and application missions	EVM-1: Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) LRD: NLT 2017^ EVM-2: Solicitation for 2 in 2015 and at 4-year intervals
  	CCAP	EVM-2 LRD: 2017
  Earth Venture Instrument (EVI)	Earth Venture (DS-2007)	Initiate frequent, low-cost, innovative research and application missions	EVI-1: Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) LRD: 2018 EVI-2: Solicitation in 2013 and at 18-month intervals
  Earth Venture Suborbital (EVS)	Earth Venture (DS-2007)	Initiate frequent, low-cost, innovative research and application missions	EVS-1: 5 investigations selected in 2010; multiple field campaigns through 2015. EVS-2: Solicitation in 2013 and at 4-year intervals
  Earth Science Research Program
  Suborbital Program	Program Element (DS-2007)	Augment funding for suborbital program	NRC Midterm Assessment (2012): The suborbital program, and in particular the Airborne Science Program, is highly synergistic with upcoming Earth science satellite missions and is being well implemented. NASA has fulfilled the recommendation of the decadal survey to enhance the program.

  FM: Foundation Mission DS: Decadal Survey

  CCAP: NASA’s 2010 Climate-centric Architecture Plan ^ Reflects the Agency baseline commitment to launch NLT the year identified.

  PLANETARY SCIENCE

  Program/Mission Concept	Class*	Recommendation	Status
  The Discovery Program	Continue program with 2yr cadence on mission AOs	Next Discovery AO in FY14; planning a 3 year cadence for future calls
  InSight	Small		In development. LRD: NLT 2016^
  New Frontiers Program	7 candidate missions with 2 selected before 2022	Next AO TBD
  Origins Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx)	Medium		In development. LRD: NLT 2016^
  Mars Exploration Program
  ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (ESA)	N/A		Providing Electra telecommunication radios. In development: LRD: 2016

  PLANETARY SCIENCE (Continued)

  Program/Mission Concept	Class*	Recommendation	Status
  Mars Exploration Program (Continued)
  ExoMars Rover (ESA)	N/A		Providing MOMA-MS instrument. In formulation. LRD: 2018
  Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher (MAX-C)	Large	1st priority flagship mission launched before 2022 @ $2B in FY15 dollars	Mars 2020 rover in formulation. LRD: 2020
  Strategic Missions
  Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) (ESA)	N/A		Providing UV Imaging Spectrograph. LRD: 2022
  Jupiter Europa Orbiter	Large	2nd priority flagship mission to be launched before 2022	NASA is evaluating a variety of options for a potential Europa mission, including options that cost less than $1 billion. LRD: TBD
  Uranus Orbiter and Probe	Large	3rd priority flagship mission to be launched before 2022	No active study underway
  Enceladus Orbiter	Large	4th priority flagship mission to be launched before 2022	No active study underway
  Venus Climate Orbiter	Large	5th priority flagship mission to be launched before 2022	No active study underway

• As determined by the 2011 Planetary Science decadal survey, which defines mission class as follows: Small - $450M; Medium - $450M-$900M; and Large - $900M.

  ^ Reflects the Agency baseline commitment to launch NLT the year identified.

  ASTROPHYSICS

  Program/Mission Concept	Class*	Recommendation	Status
  Physics of the C	osmos Program er Space Antenna Medium ESA-led mission with NASA participation. LRD: 2015
  Laser Interferomet (LISA) Pathfinder Euclid		Medium		ESA-led mission with NASA participation. LRD: 2020
  Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)	Large	Also recommended in 2001 decadal survey	Potential partnership with ESA for the L3 gravitational wave mission
  International X-ray Observatory (IXO)	Large	4th priority for this mission class	Partnership with ESA for the L2 X-ray observatory mission. LRD: 2028
  Cosmic Origins Program James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)	Large	Top priority in 2001 decadal survey	Instruments and mirrors complete. Observatory integration and testing on schedule. LRD: NLT 2018^

  ASTROPHYSICS (Continued)

  Program/Mission Concept	Class*	Recommendation	Status
  Exoplanet Exploration Program
  Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST)	Large	Top priority for large scale mission in 2010 decadal survey	Under study.
  Astrophysics Explorers Program	Augment current plans to two medium explorers, two small explorers and four MoOs.	Planned cadence supports NRC recommendation
  ASTRO-H	Small		JAXA-led mission with NASA participation. LRD: NLT 2016^
  Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) – 2016	Medium	- ­	In formulation. LRD: NLT 2017^
  Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)	Medium	- ­	In formulation: LRD: 2018
  Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) Mission (Japan)	Small	Contribution to Japanese mission	Candidate for future Explorer MoO.
  Astrophysics Research Program
  Suborbital Program	Small	Augmentation	Technology augmentation for balloon program. Continuing development of Ultra Long Duration Balloon (ULDB) platforms. Potential ISS payload opportunities.
  New Worlds Technology Development Program	N/A	New program to support post 2020 planet imaging mission	Advancing technology through SAT and APRA and in partnership with STMD. Potential demonstration instrument on WFIRST.
  Inflation Probe Technology Development Program	N/A	New program to support post-2020 cosmic microwave background inflation mission	Technology development and suborbital projects supported through SAT and APRA

• As determined by the 2010 Astrophysics decadal survey, which defines mission class as follows: Small - $300M; Medium - $300M-$1B; and Large - $1B.

  ^ Reflects the Agency baseline commitment to launch NLT the year identified.

  Appendix B: NASA Strategic Goals and Objectives, SMD Division Science Goals, Decadal Survey Priorities, and SMD Missions

  NASA Strategic Objective	SMD Division Science Goals	Decadal Survey Priority (Associated SMD Division Science Goals in parentheses)	SMD Missions (Associated Decadal Survey Priorities in parentheses)
  NASA Strategic Goal: Expand the frontiers of knowledge, capability, and opportunity in space.
  HELIOPHYSICS Understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system, including space weather.			ACE (a, c, d) AIM (b) ARTEMIS (d) CINDI (b) Cluster-ESA (d) Geotail-JAXA GOLD (b) Hinode (Solar B)- JAXA (a, d) IBEX (a, c) ICON (b) IRIS (a, d) MMS (b, d) RHESSI (a, d)	SDO (a, d) SOHO-ESA (a, c, d) SOC-ESA (a, c, d) Solar Probe Plus (a, c, d) THEMIS (d) TIMED (b) TWINS (b) Van Allen Probes (d) Voyager (a, c, d) Wind (a, c, d)
  PLANETARY SCIENCE Ascertain the content, origin, and evolution of the solar system and the potential for life elsewhere.	and evolve.		MESSENGER (a, c) BepiColumbo (a, c) Venus Express (a, b, c) Venus Climate Orbiter (a, b, c) LADEE (a, c) LRO (a, c) Hayabusa 2 (a, c) Rosetta (a, c) OSIRIS-REx (a, c) Odyssey (a, b, c) MRO (a, b, c) MAVEN (c)	Opportunity (a, b, c) Curiosity (a, b, c) Mars Rover 2020 (a, b, c) ExoMars 2016 (c) ExoMars 2018 (a, b, c) Mars Express (c) Dawn (a, c) Juno (a, c) JUICE (a, b, c) Cassini (a, b, c) New Horizons (a, c)

  1. Explore the physical processes in the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and throughout the solar system.

  2. Advance our understanding of the con­ nections that link the Sun, the Earth, planetary space environments, and the outer reaches of our solar system.

  3. Develop the knowledge and capabil­ ity to detect and predict extreme conditions in space to protect life and society and to safeguard human and robotic explorers beyond Earth.

  1. Determine the origins of the Sun’s activity and predict the variations of the space environment. (1, 3)

  2. Determine the dynamics and coupling of Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, and atmosphere and their response to solar and terrestrial inputs. (2, 3)

  3. Determine the interaction of the Sun with the solar system and the interstellar medium. (1, 2)

  4. Discover and characterize fundamen­ tal processes that occur both within the heliosphere and throughout the universe. (1, 2)

  1. Explore and observe the objects in the solar system to understand how they formed and evolve.

  2. Advance the understanding of how the chemical and physical processes in our solar system operate, interact

  3. Explore and find locations where life could have existed or could exist today.

  4. Improve our understanding of the origin and evolution of life on Earth to guide our search for life elsewhere.

  5. Identify and characterize objects in the solar system that pose threats to Earth, or offer resources for human exploration.

  1. Building New Worlds—advance the understanding of solar system beginnings (1, 2)

  2. Planetary Habitats—search for the requirements for life (3, 4)

  3. Workings of Solar Systems—reveal planetary processes through time (1, 2, 5)

  Appendix B (Continued): NASA Strategic Goals and Objectives, SMD Division Science Goals, Decadal Survey Priorities, and SMD Missions

  NASA Strategic Objective	SMD Division Science Goals	Decadal Survey Priority (Associated SMD Division Science Goals in parentheses)	SMD Missions (Associated Decadal Survey Priorities in parentheses)
  NASA Strategic Goal (Continued): Expand the frontiers of knowledge, capability, and opportunity in space.
  ASTROPHYSICS Discover how the universe works, explore how it began and evolved, and search for life on planets around other stars.			ASTRO-H-JAXA (c) NuSTAR (a, c) Chandra (a, c) SOFIA^ (a, b) Euclid-ESA (b, c) Spitzer (a, b) Fermi (a, c) Suzaku-JAXA (c) Hubble (a, b, c) Swift (a, c) JWST (a, b, c) TESS (b) Kepler (b) XMM-Newton- LISA Pathfinder- ESA (a, c) ESA (c) NICER (c)
  NASA Strategic Goal: Advance understanding of Earth and develop technologies to improve the quality of life on our home planet
  EARTH SCIENCE Advance knowledge of Earth as a system to meet the challenges of environmental change, and to improve life on our planet.	water cycle evolves in response to climate change.	* NASA’s 2010 climate-centric architecture plan	AirMOSS (c) OCO-2 (a, c) Aqua (a, c) Operation Aquarius (a, c) IceBridge (a, c) ATTREX (a) OSTM/Jason 2 Aura (a, c) (a, c) CALIPSO (a, c) QuikSCAT (a, c) CARVE (a) SAGE III (a, b, c) CloudSat (a, c) SMAP (a, b, c) CYGNSS (b) SORCE (a, c) DISCOVER-AQ (b) Suomi NPP (b) EO-1 (b) SWOT (a, c) GPM (a, c) TEMPO (a, b) GRACE (a, c) Terra (a, c) GRACE FO (a, c) TRMM (a, c) HS-3 (a) ICESat-2 (a, b, c) IIP (c) Landsat-8 (a, b, c)

  1. Probe the origin and destiny of our uni­ verse, including the nature of black holes, dark energy, dark matter and gravity.

  2. Explore the origin and evolution of the galaxies, stars and planets that make up our universe.

  3. Discover and study planets around other stars, and explore whether they could harbor life.

  1. Search for the first stars, galaxies, and black holes (1, 2)

  2. Seek nearby habitable planets (3)

  3. Advance understanding of the fundamen­ tal physics of the universe (1, 2)

  1. Advance the understanding of changes in the Earth’s radiation balance, air quality, and the ozone layer that result from changes in atmospheric composition.

  2. Improve the capability to predict weather and extreme weather events.

  3. Detect and predict changes in Earth’s ecological and chemical cycles, including land cover, biodiversity, and the global carbon cycle.

  4. Enable better assessment and manage­ ment of water quality and quantity to accurately predict how the global

  5. Improve the ability to predict climate changes by better understanding the roles and interactions of the ocean, atmosphere, land and ice in the climate system.

  6. Characterize the dynamics of Earth’s sur­ face and interior, improving the capability to assess and respond to natural hazards and extreme events.

  7. Further the use of Earth system science research to inform decisions and provide benefits to society.

  1. Understand the complex, changing planet on which we live, how it supports life, and how human activities affect its ability to do so in the future. (3, 5, 6, 7)

  2. Revitalize the nation’s research satellite system, providing near-term measure- ments to advance science, underpin policy, and expand applications and societal benefits* (5)

  3. Advance climate research, multiply applications using the full set of available (NASA and non-NASA) satellite measure­ ments for direct societal benefit, and develop/mature technologies required for the next generations of Earth observing missions* (1, 2, 4)

  ^ The FY15 Budget greatly reduces funding for SOFIA

  Appendix C: Program/Strategic Mission Lines ‌

  Program/Strategic Mission Lines	Category*	Objectives and Features	Example Missions
  Earth Systematic	Strategic missions	Make new global measurements to address unanswered questions	GPM, SMAP, ICEsat-2,
  Missions	(Category 1, 2, 3)	and reduce remaining uncertainties; maintain continuity of key	decadal survey
  		measurements awaiting transition to operational systems managed	missions
  		by other agencies.
  Earth System Science	Competed,	Address focused Earth science objectives and provide opportunities	TEMPO, CYGNSS
  Pathfinder (ESSP)	PI-led missions	for new science investigations. Includes the Venture class of suborbital
  	(Category 3)	campaigns, small satellites, and instruments of opportunity.
  Discovery	Competed,	Regular, lower cost, highly focused planetary science investigations of	Dawn, MESSENGER,
  	PI-led missions	any solar system bodies other than the Earth and Sun.	InSight
  	(Category 2, 3)
  New Frontiers	Competed,	Focused scientific investigations designed to enhance our understanding	New Horizons, Juno,
  	PI-led missions	of the solar system; competitively selected from among a specified list of	OSIRIS-REx
  	(Category 1, 2)	candidate missions/science targets.
  Mars Exploration	Strategic missions	Maximize the scientific return, technology infusion, and public	Curiosity, MRO,
  	(Category 1, 2)	engagement of the robotic exploration of the Red Planet. Each strategic	Mars 2020
  		mission has linkages to previous missions, and orbiters and landers
  		support each other’s operations.
  Solar Terrestrial Probes	Strategic missions	Strategic sequence of missions to provide understanding of the	TIMED, Hinode (Solar
  (STP)	(Category 1,2)	fundamental plasma processes inherent in all astrophysical systems.	B), STEREO, MMS
  Living With a Star	Strategic missions	Strategic missions targeted toward those aspects of the Sun and space	SDO, Van Allen
  (LWS)	(Category 1, 2)	environment that most directly affect life and society.	Probes, SOC, Solar
  			Probe Plus
  Heliophysics Explorers	Competed,	Provide flight opportunities for focused scientific investigations from	IRIS, ICON, GOLD
  	PI-led missions	space in Heliophysics
  	(Category 2, 3)
  Cosmic Origins	Strategic missions	Strategic missions to understand how the familiar universe of stars,	JWST, Hubble, Spitzer,
  	(Category 1, 2, 3)	galaxies, and planets are formed over time	SOFIA^
  Physics of the Cosmos	Strategic missions	Strategic missions to explore fundamental questions regarding the	Chandra, Fermi,
  	(Category 1, 2, 3)	physical forces and laws of the universe including the nature of	Euclid, XMM-Newton,
  		spacetime, the behavior of matter and energy in extreme environments,	LISA-Pathfinder
  		the cosmological parameters governing inflation and the evolution of the
  		universe, and the nature of dark matter and dark energy
  Exoplanet Exploration	Strategic missions	Strategic missions to explore and characterize new worlds, enable	Kepler
  	(Category 1, 2, 3)	advanced telescope searches for Earth-like planets, and discover
  		habitable environments around neighboring stars
  Astrophysics Explorers	Competed,	Provide flight opportunities for focused scientific investigations	NuSTAR, TESS,
  	PI-led missions	from space in Astrophysics	ASTRO-H, NICER,
  	(Category 2, 3)		Swift, Suzaku

• Category 1: > $1B; Category 2: $250M - $1B; Category 3: < $250M

  ^ The FY15 Budget greatly reduces funding for SOFIA

  Appendix D: Science Directorate Decision-Making Process for Missions ‌

  Mission Lifecycle
  Phase Description Spaceflight Mission SMD spaceflight missions are initiated by one of two processes: Initiation 1. Strategic missions for SMD are initially developed as candidates from multiple mission investigation concepts that derive from various surveys and studies performed by science advisory boards and panels, or that meet specific Agency Science goals. 2. Competed missions are those selected through open AOs, which solicit a scientific investigation that includes development of a flight mission or instruments to fly on currently planned flight missions or platforms such as the ISS. All proposed missions must fit within a Science Mission Directorate goal or specific objective. Division Directors then package related missions into appropriate programs for further management consideration. Pre-formulation* The NASA Headquarters Science Management Council (SMaC) reviews candidate science programs and makes appropriate recommendations to the SMD AA who approves new initiatives for further study. Approved mission initiatives must clear Key Decision Points (KDPs) to determine readiness before they are allowed to proceed to the next mission lifecycle phase. Missions that do not clear a KDP are either given more time to achieve readiness or considered for termination. Phase-A Phase A of Formulation defines mission and system concepts, parameters, constraints, and requirements that will allow the project (Formulation) to be developed on a schedule that meets established goals and can be achieved for a realistic cost. This is done by conducting studies that examine the mission characteristics permitted within identified constraints, and through continued development of enabling technology toward achieving an acceptable TRL. A prime focus is to identify the top-level requirements that the mission must satisfy in order to meet science objectives. The transition to Phase B involves independent review and approvals at multiple levels, culminating in the KDP-B meeting to ensure that the project is ready to proceed from Phase A to Phase B. Phase-B Phase B of Formulation concentrates on applying results of mission studies and trades completed in Phase A to generate (Formulation) preliminary mission, instrument, and spacecraft designs that satisfy the identified constraints and requirements, and that will allow the project to be developed on a schedule to meet established goals within budget. A descope plan must be prepared to pursue scope reduction and risk management to control cost. It is a time to finalize the requirements and establish the cost caps that will become firm requirements in the Decision Memoranda signed at KDP-C. Phase-C Phase C comprises final mission design and fabrication. While there are no strategic decisions during this stage, the SMD AA
  (Final Design and has a vested interest in ensuring that mission implementing organizations carry out assigned tasks effectively, tracking the Fabrication) performance of a project against the program-level requirements and against the schedule and cost cap. Phase-D Phase D includes integration, test and launch. Phase D begins after final assembly of the deliverable system (whether a (Integration, Test, spacecraft or an instrument) commences. It also includes system-level environmental testing, delivery to the launch site for launch Launch) processing, launch operations, and on-orbit checkout. The transition of a flight project from Phase D to Phase E occurs only after on-orbit checkout has been completed, typically 30 to 90 days after launch. Phase-E Phase E comprises operation of the prime or planned mission. At the end of the prime mission, an End of Prime Mission (EOPM) (Operations) review is held to (1) evaluate and document how the mission achieved its Level 1 science requirements and mission success criteria, and (2) identify lessons learned based on the actual operations that can be used to improve future missions. It is not considered a gate review, but the EOPM results are considered when inviting the mission to propose for an extended mission. Mission Cancellation The project will implement a mission within the established cost and schedule baseline. If a mission is expected to exceed its (Pre-Launch) baseline cost and schedule commitments, it can be considered for cancellation by NASA. Mission Termination Missions that continue functioning near the end of their prime operational mission, and any previously extended mission are subject to a Senior Review, which is a science peer review process conducted every two years to determine the scientific value
  	and priority of further mission extensions. Those that do not receive a positive outcome for continuation are subject to termination.

• Strategic missions require approval from the NASA Administrator, the Office of Management and Budget, and Congress. Approval by the SMD AA of missions originating from a Program line like Explorers or Discovery is subject to the availability of funds.

Appendix E: References ‌

NASA Documents

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2010 Science Plan for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate . Washington, DC: NASA Headquarters, 2010. Retrieved from http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2010/08/10/2010SciencePlan.pdf

——— NASA Strategic Plan 2014. Washington, DC: NASA Headquarters, 2014. Retrieved from http://www.nasa.gov/news/budget/index.html

——— Responding to the Challenge of Climate and Environmental Change: NASA’s Plan for a Climate-Centric Architecture for Earth Observations and Applications from Space. Washington, DC: NASA Headquarters, 2010. Retrieved from http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2010/07/01/Climate_ Architecture_Final.pdf

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Office of the Chief Engineer. NASA Procedural Requirement 7120.5e: NASA Space Flight Program and Project Management Requirements. 2012. Retrieved from http://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Science Mission Directorate, Astrophysics Division. Astrophysics Implementation Plan . Washington, DC: NASA Headquarters, 2012. Retrieved from http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/documents

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Advisory Council Science Committee, Astrophysics Subcommittee. Enduring Quests, Daring Visions; NASA Astrophysics in the Next Three Decades . Washington, DC: NASA Headquarters, 2013. Retrieved from http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/documents

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Advisory Council Science Committee, Heliophysics Subcommittee. Our Dynamic Space Environment: Heliophysics Science and Technology Roadmap for 2014-2033 . Washington, DC: NASA Headquarters, 2014. Retrieved from http://science.nasa.gov/heliophysics

NRC Decadal Surveys

National Research Council. Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2007. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11820

——— New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12951

——— Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13117

——— Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13060

Additional NRC documents

National Research Council. An Enabling Foundation for NASA’s Space and Earth Science Missions . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12822

——— Revitalizing NASA’s Suborbital Program: Advancing Science, Driving Innovation, and Developing a Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12862

——— Controlling Cost Growth of NASA Earth and Space Science Missions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12946

——— Assessment of Impediments to Interagency Collaboration on Space and Earth Science Missions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13042

——— Earth Science and Applications from Space: A Midterm Assessment of NASA’s Implementation of the Decadal Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13405

Additional Documents

Entekhabi, D., G.R. Asrar, A.K. Betts, K.J. Beven, R.L. Bras, C.J. Duffy, T. Dunne, R.D. Koster, D.P. Lettenmaier, D.B. McLaughlin, W.J. Shuttleworth, M.T. van Genuchten, M.-Y. Wei, and E. F. Wood. An agenda for land-surface hydrology research and a call for the second International Hydrological Decade. Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. , 80 (10): 2043-2058. 1999. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1999)080<2043:AAFLSH>2.0.CO;2

Executive Office of the President. National Space Policy of the United States of America . 2010. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/ national_space_policy_6-28-10.pdf

Executive Office of the President, National Science and Technology Council, Committee on STEM Education. Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education 5-Year Strategic Plan . 2013. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/stem_ stratplan_2013.pdf

Leese, J., T. Jackson, A. Pitman, and P. Dirmeyer. Meeting summary: GEWEX/BAHC International Workshop on Soil Moisture Monitoring, Analysis, and Prediction for Hydrometeorological and Hydroclimatological Applications. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. , 82, 1423– 1430. 2001. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/1520­ 0477(2001)082<1423:MSGBIW>2.3.CO;2

United Nations, United Nations Environment Programme. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer . 2007. Retrieved from http://ozone.unep.org/new_site/en/montreal_protocol.php

U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). HIGH-RISK SERIES: An Update (GAO-13-283). 2013. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-283

Appendix E (Continued): References

NASA Websites

Airborne Science Program: https://airbornescience.nasa.gov

Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS): http://earthdata.nasa.gov

NASA Advisory Council Science Subcommittees: http://science.nasa.gov/about-us/NAC-subcommittees

NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES): http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external National Space Weather Program: http://www.nswp.gov

Resources for Earth and Space Science Education: www .nasawavelength.org Science Mission Directorate: http://science.nasa.gov

Service and Advice for Research and Analysis (SARA): http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara

Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations ‌

of Meteorological Satellites

COVE-2

Abbreviations

and Acronyms Definition

EVS Earth Venture – Suborbital

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

FY Fiscal Year

GACM Global Atmospheric Composition Mission

GAO Government Accountability Office

GCIS Global Change Information System

GCOM-W1 Global Change Observation Mission—Water satellite (JAXA)

GEMS Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer

GEO Geostationary Orbit

GEO-CAPE Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events

GEOS Goddard Earth Observing System

GLOBE Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment

GOES Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite

GOLD Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk

GOMI Gulf of Mexico Initiative

GEMSat Government Experimental Multi-Satellite

GPM Global Precipitation Measurement

GPS Global Positioning System

GRACE Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment

GRACE FO Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-on

GRAIL Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory

GRB Gamma-ray burst

HEOMD Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (NASA)

H-GCR Heliophysics-Grand Challenges Research

H-GI Heliophysics-Guest Investigator

HICO Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean

HS3 Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel

HSO Heliophysics System Observatory

HST Hubble Space Telescope

H-TIDeS Heliophysics Technology and Instrument Development for Science

IBEX Interstellar Boundary Explorer

ICEsat-2 Ice, Clouds and land Elevation Satellite-2

ICON Ionospheric Connection

IIP Instrument Incubator Program

IPEX Intelligent Payload Experiment

IR Infrared

Abbreviations

and Acronyms Definition

IRIS Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph

ISERV ISS SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System

ISON International Scientific Optical Network

ISS International Space Station

ITAR International Traffic in Arms Regulations

IXO International X-ray Observation

JASD Joint Agency Satellite Division

JASON Joint Altimetry Satellite Oceanography Network

JAXA Japanese Space Agency (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)

JPSS Joint Polar Satellite System

JUICE Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (ESA)

JWST James Webb Space Telescope

KDP Key Decision Point

L1 Lagrange point 1

LADEE Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer

LCAS Low-Cost Access to Space

LCC life cycle cost

LDCM Landsat Data Continuity Mission

O Low Earth Orbit

LIS Lightning Imaging Sensor

LISA Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

LIST Lidar Surface Topography

LLCD Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration

LMSSC Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

LRD Launch Readiness Date

LRO Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

LWS Living With a Star

MatISSE Maturation of Instruments for Solar System Exploration

MAVEN Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution

MAX-C Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher

MEP Mars Exploration Program

MESSENGER Mercury Surface, Space Environ­ ment, Geochemistry and Ranging

MetOp Meteorological Operational

MMS Magnetospheric Multiscale

MOMA Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer

MOMA-MS Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer Mass Spectrometer

MRO Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Abbreviations

and Acronyms Definition

MSL Mars Science Laboratory

N/A Not applicable

NAC NASA Advisory Council

NAI NASA Astrobiology Institute

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NEO Near Earth Object

NEOWISE Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer

NESSF NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship

NET No earlier than

NEX NASA Earth Exchange

NIAC NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts

NI-SAR NASA-India Space Research Organization Synthetic Aperture Radar

NLT No later than

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NPOESS National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System

NPP National Polar-Orbiting Partnership

NRA NASA Research Announcement

NRC National Research Council

NRO National Reconnaissance Office

NSF National Science Foundation

NSTC National Science and Technology Council

NuSTAR Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array

OCE Office of the Chief Engineer

OCO Orbiting Carbon Observatory

OCT Office of the Chief Technologist

OMPS Ozone Mapper and Profiler Suite

ORS-3 Operationally Responsive Space-3

OSC Orbital Sciences Corporation

OSIRIS-REx Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security Regolith Explorer

OSTM Ocean Surface Topography Mission

PACE Pre-Aerosol, Clouds, and Ecosystems

PATH Precipitation and All-weather Temperature and Humidity

PDS Planetary Data System

PI Principal Investigator

PICASSO Planetary Instrument Concepts for the Advance­ ments of Solar System Observations

POES Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites

R&A Research and analysis

Abbreviations

and Acronyms Definition

RapidScat Rapid Scatterometer

RBI Radiation Budget Investment

RBSP Radiation Belt Storm Probes

REDDI Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion

RHESSI Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscope Imager

ROSES Research Opportunities in the Space and Earth Sciences

RPP Reimbursable Projects Program

RPS Radioisotope Power System

SAGE Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment

SAR Synthetic Aperture Radar

SARA Service and Advice for Research and Analyses

SAT Strategic Astrophysics Technology

SBIR Small Business Innovative Research

SCLP Snow and Cold Land Processes

SDO Solar Dynamics Observatory

SDT Science Definition Team

SEM Space Environment Monitor

SEPOF Science Education and Public Outreach Forum

SET Space Environment Testbed

SEXTANT Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation

SI International System of Units

SLS Space Launch System

SMAP Soil Moisture Active/Passive

SMD Science Mission Directorate (NASA)

SOC Solar Orbiter Collaboration

SOFIA Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy

SOHO Solar and Heliospheric Observatory

SORCE Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment

SpaceX Space Explorations Technology Corporation

SPICA Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics

SPP Solar Probe Plus

SSERVI Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute

STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

STEREO Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory

STMD Space Technology Mission Directorate (NASA)

STP Solar Terrestrial Probes

STRG Space Technology Research Grants

Abbreviations

and Acronyms Definition

STTR Small Business Technology Transfer

Suomi NPP Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership

SWOT Surface Water and Ocean Topography

SXSW South by Southwest

TBD To be determined

TCTE TSI (Total Solar Irradiance) Calibration Transfer Experiment

TEMPO Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution

TESS Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

THEMIS Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms

TIMED Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics, and Dynamics

TIROS Television Infrared Observation Satellite

TRL Technology Readiness Level

TRMM Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

TSI Total Solar Irradiance

TSIS Total Solar Irradiance Sensor

TWINS Two Wide-angle Imaging Neutral Atom Spectrometers

U.S. United States

UHF Ultra-High Frequency

ULA United Launch Alliance

ULDB Ultra Long Duration Balloon

UN United Nations

UNCOPUOS United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

USAF United States Air Force

USAID United States Agency for International Development

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

USGCRP United States Global Change Research Program

USGS United States Geological survey

UV ultraviolet

VIIRS Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite

WFIRST Wide-Field Infrared survey Telescope

WISE Wide-field Infrared survey Explorer

XMM X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission