Since a human first stepped foot on the moon four decades ago, great strides have been made in understanding what is required to support an enduring presence in space. These reports will enable the U.S. space program to deliver on new exploration initiatives, excite the public, and address the questions of space weather risk assessment and management. This collection develops a forward-looking portfolio of research that will provide the basis for recapturing the value of human spaceflight and once again place the United States at the forefront of space exploration for the global good.
144 pagesSevere Space Weather Events--Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts:A Workshop Report (2008)
The adverse effects of extreme space weather on modern technology--power grid outages, high-frequency communication blackouts, spacecraft anomalies--are well known and well documented, and the physical processes underlying space weather are also generally well understood. Less well documented and understood, however, ...[more]
456 pagesEarth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond (2007)
Natural and human-induced changes in Earth's interior, land surface, biosphere, atmosphere, and oceans affect all aspects of life. Understanding these changes requires a range of observations acquired from land-, sea-, air-, and space-based platforms. To assist NASA, NOAA, ...[more]
130 pagesAn Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars (2007)
Three recent developments have greatly increased interest in the search for life on Mars. The first is new information about the Martian environment including evidence of a watery past and the possibility of atmospheric methane. The second is ...[more]
116 pagesThe Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems (2007)
The search for life in the solar system and beyond has to date been governed by a model based on what we know about life on Earth (terran life). Most of NASA's mission planning is focused on locations where ...[more]
548 pagesPanel Reports--New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2011)
Every 10 years the National Research Council releases a survey of astronomy and astrophysics outlining priorities for the coming decade. The most recent survey, titled New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, provides overall priorities and recommendations for the ...[more]
324 pagesNew Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2010)
Driven by discoveries, and enabled by leaps in technology and imagination, our understanding of the universe has changed dramatically during the course of the last few decades. The fields of astronomy and astrophysics are making new connections to physics, chemistry, ...[more]
104 pagesAs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) retires the Space Shuttle and shifts involvement in International Space Station (ISS) operations, changes in the role and requirements of NASA's Astronaut Corps will take place. At the request of NASA, the ...[more]
400 pagesVision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 (2011)
In recent years, planetary science has seen a tremendous growth in new knowledge. Deposits of water ice exist at the Moon's poles. Discoveries on the surface of Mars point to an early warm wet climate, and perhaps conditions under which ...[more]
442 pagesRecapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era (2011)
More than four decades have passed since a human first set foot on the Moon. Great strides have been made in our understanding of what is required to support an enduring human presence in space, as evidenced by progressively more ...[more]