Extending the Effective Lifetimes of Earth Observing Research Missions
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Contract NASW-01001 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agency that provided support for the project.
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COMMITTEE ON EXTENDING THE EFFECTIVE LIFETIMES OF EARTH OBSERVING RESEARCH MISSIONS
MICHAEL H. FREILICH,
Oregon State University,
Chair
ANTONIO J. BUSALACCHI, JR.,
University of Maryland
CAROL ANNE CLAYSON,
Florida State University
WILLIAM B. GAIL,
Vexcel Corporation
WILLIAM C. GIBSON,
Southwest Research Institute
SARAH T. GILLE,
University of California, San Diego
ROSS N. HOFFMAN,
Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc.
BRUCE D. MARCUS,
TRW, Inc. (retired)
STEVEN W. RUNNING,
University of Montana
CARL F. SCHUELER,
Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing
ROBERT A. SHUCHMAN,
Altarum, Inc.
ROY W. SPENCER,
University of Alabama
WILLIAM STONEY,
Mitretek Corporation
JAN SVEJKOVSKY,
Ocean Imaging, Inc.
KURT THOME,
University of Arizona
JOHN R.G. TOWNSHEND,
University of Maryland
Staff
ARTHUR CHARO, Study Director
THERESA M. FISHER, Senior Program Assistant
CATHERINE A. GRUBER, Assistant Editor
SPACE STUDIES BOARD
LENNARD A. FISK,
University of Michigan,
Chair
GEORGE A. PAULIKAS,
The Aerospace Corporation (retired),
Vice Chair
DANIEL N. BAKER,
University of Colorado
ANA P. BARROS,
Duke University
RETA F. BEEBE,
New Mexico State University
ROGER D. BLANDFORD,
Stanford University
RADFORD BYERLY, JR.,
University of Colorado
JUDITH A. CURRY,
Georgia Institute of Technology
JACK D. FARMER,
Arizona State University
JACQUELINE N. HEWITT,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
DONALD INGBER,
Harvard Medical Center
RALPH H. JACOBSON,
Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (retired)
TAMARA E. JERNIGAN,
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
MARGARET G. KIVELSON,
University of California, Los Angeles
CALVIN W. LOWE,
Bowie State University
HARRY Y. McSWEEN, JR.,
University of Tennessee
BERRIEN MOORE III,
University of New Hampshire
NORMAN NEUREITER,
Texas Instruments (retired)
SUZANNE OPARIL,
University of Alabama, Birmingham
RONALD F. PROBSTEIN,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
DENNIS W. READEY,
Colorado School of Mines
ANNA-LOUISE REYSENBACH,
Portland State University
ROALD S. SAGDEEV,
University of Maryland
CAROLUS J. SCHRIJVER,
Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory
HARVEY D. TANANBAUM,
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
J. CRAIG WHEELER,
University of Texas, Austin
A. THOMAS YOUNG,
Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired)
JOSEPH K. ALEXANDER, Director
TAMARA L. DICKINSON, Associate Director
Preface
This study was commissioned in 2002 at a time when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had no formal process for the extension of Earth science missions. The original charge (Appendix A) to the Committee on Extending the Effective Lifetimes of Earth Observing Research Missions (see Appendix B for biographies of committee members) was to identify such a process.
In August 2004, NASA merged its Earth and space sciences program offices into the Science Mission Directorate and began to prepare to apply the Senior Review process1 to Earth science missions. At that time the committee’s draft report already had recommendations that were supportive of adapting the Senior Review process for Earth science research missions. In response to the changes at NASA, the committee elected to modestly reinterpret the original charge. In its current form, this report (1) evaluates the effectiveness of the mission-extension paradigm as a means for managing mission life cycles, (2) assesses whether the Senior Review provides an appropriate foundation to implement an Earth science mission-extension process, and (3) identifies modifications to the Senior Review process that could enhance its value to Earth science missions.
The committee wishes to acknowledge the work of committee member William Gail, who led the effort to streamline this report from an earlier, longer version that was partially outdated.
Acknowledgment of Reviewers
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
Susan K. Avery, University of Colorado,
Jack Fellows, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research,
Lennard Fisk, University of Michigan,
M. Patrick McCormick, Hampton University, and
Christopher Russell, University of California, Los Angeles.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Donald M. Hunten, University of Arizona. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.