C
PI-Led Missions and Their Characteristics
This appendix provides a tabular “database” of PI-led missions and programs addressed in the report. Although they do not provide a complete list of all PI-led missions, Tables C.1 through C5 include a sufficient set of examples to illustrate the issues discussed in the report. Included are a range of missions in various disciplines, not only Earth science, and a range of scope from instrument-focused PI projects to multisensor payload missions where the PI was responsible for the entire mission from conception to spacecraft and sensor integration and launch, operations, and data analysis through orbit decommissioning. Mission examples are provided in all stages of a mission life cycle, including the study phase (formulation), the design, development, operations, and data analysis phases (implementation), and some that are completed. The tables also include missions that were canceled or descoped, usually due to cost and schedule difficulties associated with technology development, and several that failed on orbit.
Tables C.1 to C.5 list and describe the missions grouped by program: Discovery (Table C.1), MIDEX (Table C.2), SMEX (Table C.3), Earth System Science Pathfinder (Table C.4), and others (Table C.5). Each row of each table contains a brief summary of mission characteristics as follows:
Column Heading—Content
Mission—Name
Objectives—Mission science goals
Launch, S/C—Launch date and vehicle, spacecraft
Instruments—Instruments included in the mission manifest
Principal Team Institutions—Industrial or government agencies or laboratories, and universities participating in the mission
Management—Principal investigator and institution
Selection—Program solicitation under which the mission was selected
Status—Whether the mission has been successfully completed, was launched and is in successful operation, is in development, was canceled, or has failed on orbit.
TABLE C.1 Discovery Missions and Characteristics
Mission |
Objectives |
Launch, S/C |
Instruments |
Kepler |
Detecting extrasolar terrestrial planets |
Oct 2007 Launch – D2925-10 Delta II |
Single instrument:Photometer |
Dawn |
Asteroid flyby |
May 2006 Launch –Delta 7529H Orbital Spacecraft with xenon ion propulsion |
Framing Camera, Mapping Spectrometer, Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer, Laser Altimeter, Magnetometer |
Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) |
Mercury orbiter |
2004 Launch – Delta II 7925H |
Mercury Dual Imaging System, Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer, Magnetometer, Mercury Laser Altimeter, Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer, Energetic Particle and Plasma Spectrometer, X-Ray Spectrometer, Radio Science |
Deep Impact |
Comet impactor/flyby |
Dec 2004 Launch – Delta II |
High-Resolution Instrument, Medium-Resolution Instrument, Impactor Targeting Sensor |
Genesis |
Solar wind sample return to obtain precise measures of solar isotopic abundances |
Aug 2001 Launch |
Sample Collection Arrays |
Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) |
Multiple comet flyby (2) |
Jul 2002 Launch – Boeing Delta |
Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer, Remote Imaging Spectrograph, Dust Analyzer, Forward Imager |
Stardust |
Comet flyby sample return |
Feb 1999 Launch – Delta II, 7425 |
Dust Flux Monitor, Cometary and Interstellar Dust Analyzer |
Lunar Prospector |
Moon orbiter/impactor |
Jan 1998 Launch – Athena II (Lockheed Martin) |
Gamma Ray Spectrometer, Neutron Spectrometer, Alpha Particle Spectrometer, Magnetometer, Electron Reflectrometer |
Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) |
Asteroid orbiter |
1996 Launch – Delta 2 |
Multi-Spectral Imager, NEAR Infrared Spectrometer, NEAR Laser Rangefinder, X-ray/Gamma Ray Spectrometer, Magnetometer |
Principal Team Institutions |
Management |
Selection |
Status |
Ball Aerospace |
PI – Bill Borucki (NASA Ames) |
Discovery-4 (2002) |
Formulation phase |
JPL, Orbital |
PI – Chris Russell (UCLA) |
Discovery-4 (2002) |
Formulation phase |
JHU Applied Physics Laboratory, GenCorp Aerojet, Composite Optics, NASA GSFC, U.Colo., U.Mich. |
PI – Sean Solomon (Carnegie Institution of Washington) |
Discovery--3 |
Formulation phase |
U. Md., JPL, Ball Aerospace |
PI – Mike A’Hearn (U. Md.) |
Discovery-3 |
Critical design review, Jan 2002; now in 34-month implementation phase |
JPL, NASA JSC, Lockheed Martin, LANL |
PI – Don Burnett (Caltech) |
Discovery-2 |
Operating |
Rockwell Science, Cincinnati Elec.APL:incorporation of spacecraft maindeck and frame |
PI – Joe Veverka (Cornell U.) |
Discovery--2 |
Lost contact with spacecraft following orbital maneuver on August 15, 2002 |
JPL, Lockheed Martin, Max-Planck-Institut, NASA Ames, NASA JSC, U.Chicago |
PI – Donald Brownlee (U.Wash.); Deputy PI – P..Tsou (JPL) |
Discovery-1 |
Operating |
NASA Ames, Lockheed Martin, Lunar Research Institute |
PI – Alan Binder (Lunar Research Institute) |
Discovery--1 |
Mission completed |
JHU/APL, JPL, Cornell U., MIT, U.Md., U.Ariz., SW Research Inst., Malin Space Science Systems, Inc. |
Program Executive –Anthony Carro (NASA HQ) |
Discovery-0 (noncompetitive) |
Mission completed Feb 2001 |
TABLE C.2 MIDEX Missions and Characteristics
Mission |
Objectives |
Launch, S/C |
Instruments |
Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer |
Observe gamma-ray bursts |
2003 Launch– Delta 7320 |
Burst Alert Telescope, X-Ray Telescope, Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope |
Full-sky Astrometric Mapping Explorer (FAME) |
Astrometry |
2004 Launch –Delta 7425 |
Astrometric Telescope |
Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) |
Map the temperature fluctuations of the CMB radiation |
2001 Launch – Delta II-7425-10 |
High Electron Mobility Transistor |
Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) |
Image Earth ’s magnetosphere |
Mar 2000 Launch – Boeing Delta II 7326-9.5 |
Neutral Atom Imagers, Far-Ultraviolet Imaging System, Extreme Ultraviolet Imager, Radio Plasma Imager, Central Instrument Data Processor |
Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) |
Make far-ultraviolet observations of hydrogen and deuterium |
Jun 1999 Launch – Delta 7320-10 |
Far-Ultraviolet Spectrograph |
TABLE C.3 SMEX Missions and Characteristics
Mission |
Objectives |
Launch, S/C |
Instruments |
Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) |
Explore basic physics of particle acceleration and explosive energy release in solar flares |
Feb 2002 Launch –Orbital Sciences Corp. Pegasus XL, L1011 aircraft Feb 2002 Launch |
Imaging Telescope Assembly, Grid Tray and Grids, Spectrometer, Attenuators |
Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) |
Study star formation history of the universe |
Mar 2003 Launch –Pegasus XL |
Single Instrument with 2 UV Microchannel Plate Detectors |
Wide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) |
Obtain infrared astronomy |
Mar 1998 Launch –Pegasus XL |
Cryogenically Cooled 30-cm Ritchey-Chretien Telescope |
Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) |
Obtain high-resolution solar imagers |
Apr 1998 Launch –Pegasus XL |
TRACE Imaging Telescope |
Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) |
Detect chemical composition of interstellar gas clouds |
Dec 1998 Launch –Pegasus XL |
Submillimeter Telescope |
Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST) |
Investigate plasma physics of auroral phenomena |
Aug 1996 Launch – Pegasus XL |
16 Electrostatic Analyzers, 4 Langmuir Probes on 30-m Booms, 2 Langmuir Probes on 3-m Booms, Searchcoil and Fluxgate Magnetometers, Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer |
Solar Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle Explorer (SAMPEX) |
Measure elemental and isotopic composition of solar energy particles and cosmic rays |
Jul 1992 Launch –Scout |
High-Energy Particle Detectors |
Principal Team Institutions |
Management |
Selection |
Status |
NASA GSFC, Penn.State U., Leicester U., Brera Observatory, Mullard Space Science Lab., Spectrum Astro, Inc. |
PI – Neal Gehrels (NASA GSFC) |
MIDEX 98 |
Implementation phase |
U.S.Naval Observatory, Lockheed Martin, Naval Research Laboratory, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory |
PI – Ken Johnston (U.S.Naval Observatory) |
MIDEX 98 |
Rescoped in Phase B;; canceled in 2002 |
NRAO, Lockheed Martin, Litton, UCLA |
PI – Charles Bennett (NASA GSFC) |
MIDEX 95 |
Operating |
JHU, NASA GSFC, Canadian Space Agency, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiale, U.Colo., UC Berkeley |
PI – Warren Moos (JHU) |
Pre--MIDEX |
Operating |
Principal Team Institutions |
Management |
Selection |
Status |
UC Berkeley, Paul Scherrer Institute, NASA GSFC, Spectrum Astro, Inc. |
PI – Robert Lin (UC Berkeley) |
SMEX 97 |
Operating |
Caltech, JPL, Orbital Sciences |
PI – Chris Martin (Caltech) |
SMEX 97 |
Implementation phase |
Caltech Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, Vanguard Research, Inc., JPL, NASA GSFC, Cornell U., Ball Aerospace |
PI – Perry Hacking (JPL) |
SMEX 94 |
Failed during on--orbit commission |
NASA GSFC, Lockheed Martin |
PI – Alan Title (Lockheed Martin) |
SMEX 94 |
Operating |
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, NASA GSFC, Ball Aerospace |
PI – Gary Melnick (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) |
SMEX 89 |
Operating |
Lockheed Martin., UC Berkeley, U.N.H., LANL, NASA GSFC |
PI – Charles Carlson (UC Berkeley) |
SMEX 89 |
Operating |
U.Md., Caltech, NASA GSFC, Aerospace Corp., NASA LaRC, Max-Planck-Inst. for Extraterrestrial Research |
PI – Glenn Mason (U.Md.) |
SMEX 89 |
Operating |
TABLE C.4 Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) Missions and Characteristics
Mission |
Objectives |
Launch, S/C |
Instruments |
Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) |
Measure time variations of Earth gravity |
Mar 2002 Launch |
Microwave Ranging Sensors |
Vegetation Canopy Lidar (VCL) |
Provide first global inventory of vertical structure of forests |
Originally Spring 2000 |
Multi-Beam Laser Altimeter from NASA GSFC |
Chemistry and Circulation Occultation Spectroscopy Mission (CCOSM) |
Understand how atmospheric circulation controls the evolution of trace gases, aerosols, and pollutants |
N.A. |
Fourier Transform Spectrometer |
Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), formerly Pathfinder Instrument for Cloud and Aerosol Spaceborne Observation – Climatologie Etendue des Nuages et des Aerosols (PICASSO–CENA) |
Measure aerosol and cloud properties to improve climate predictions |
Mar 2005 Launch –Delta 7420-10C (co-manifested with CloudSat), PROTEUS spacecraft (Alcatel) |
Lidar (nadir-viewing, 2-wavelength, polarization sensitive), Visible Wide-Field Camera, Imaging Infrared Radiometer |
CloudSat |
Measure cloud profiles |
2004 Launch –Delta 7420-10 launch vehicle, Ball RS2000 spacecraft bus |
94-GHz Cloud Profiling Radar |
Volcanic Ash Mapper (VOLCAM) |
Monitor volcanic clouds and aerosols from geostationary orbit |
Piggyback on spacecraft and flight of opportunity |
Ultraviolet and Infrared Detectors |
Aquarius |
Globally map salt concentration on ocean surface |
Launch date TBD |
3 Polarimetric Radiometers, 1 Polarimetric Scatterometer |
Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) |
Make global measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide |
Launch date TBD –Taurus 2110 launch vehicle, Orbital LEOStar 2 spacecraft |
3 Grating Spectrometers |
Hydrosphere State Mission (HYDROS) |
Monitor soil moisture,land surface freeze/thaw conditions |
2006 Launch –Taurus 2110 launch vehicle, Spectrum Astro SA-200HP Spacecraft |
L Band Radar/Radiometer |
Principal Team Institutions |
Management |
Selection |
Status |
JPL, Space Systems/Loral, U.Tex., Eurockot |
PI – Byron Tapley (U.Tex.) |
ESSP--1 |
Operating |
Lab.Terrestrial Physics, U.Md., Omicron, Orbital, Raytheon, Swales, NASA GSFC |
PI – Ralph Dubayah (U.Md.) |
ESSP--1 |
Descoped to technology development program; canceled in 2003 |
Lockheed Martin, Spectrum Astro, Inc., JPL |
PI – Michael Prather (UC Irvine) |
ESSP--1 Alternate |
Not continued as alternate |
NASA LaRC, Ball Aerospace, Hampton U., Centre National d ’Etudes Spatiales, Institut Pierre Simon LaPlace |
PI – Dave Winker (NASA LaRC) |
ESSP--2 |
Implementation phase |
USAF, Colo.State U., JPL, Ball Aerospace |
PI – Graeme Stephens (Colo.State U.) |
ESSP--2 |
Implementation phase |
Ball Aerospace, Raytheon STX Corp., FAA, NOAA, USGS, Smithsonian Institution |
PI – Arlin Krueger (NASA GSFC) |
ESSP--2 Alternate |
Not continued as alternate |
NASA GSFC, Argentine space program; >17 university, corporate, and international partners |
PI – Chester Koblinsky (NASA GSFC) |
ESSP--3 |
Formulation phase |
JPL, Hamilton Sunstrand, Orbital Sciences; >19 university, corporate, and international partners |
PI – David Crisp (JPL) |
ESSP--3 |
Formulation phase |
MIT, JPL, NASA GSFC, Spectrum Astro, Inc. |
PI – Dara Entekhabi (MIT) |
ESSP--3 Alternate |
Formulation phase |
TABLE C.5 Other Missions and Characteristics
Mission |
Objectives |
Launch, S/C |
Instruments |
Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) |
Measure solar irradiance |
2002 Launch –Pegasus XL |
Total Irradiance Monitor, Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment, Spectral Irradiance Monitor, and Extreme Ultraviolet Photometer System |
Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS) |
Perform all-sky spectroscopy of diffuse UV background |
Jan 2003 Launch –Delta II secondary (with ICESat) |
Spectrograph |
Tomographic Experiment using Radiative Recombinative Ionospheric EUV and Radio Sources (TERRIERS) |
Model electron density and photo emissive components |
May 1996 Launch –Pegasus XL |
5 Tomographic Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrographs, Gas Ionization Solar Spectral Monitor, 2 Photometers |
Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE ) |
Measure effects of energy from the Sun and from the magnetosphere on the density of nitric oxide |
Feb 1998 Launch –Pegasus XL |
UV Spectrometer,Auroral Photometer, Solar X-Ray Photometer |
High Energy Transient Explorer (HETE)-2 |
Analyze gamma-ray bursts |
Oct 2000 Launch –Standard Pegasus |
Gamma Ray Telescope, Wide-field X-ray Monitor, Soft X-ray Camera |
Triana |
Monitor Earth’s energy balance, diurnal changes, solar wind, space weather |
Launch date TBD –Space Shuttle, S/C Type – SMEX--Lite |
Scripps Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera, Advanced Radiometer Package, Plasma Magnetometer |
Principal Team Institutions |
Management |
Selection |
Status |
U. Colo., Orbital, NASA GSFC |
PI – Gary Rottman (U. Colo. LASP) |
1999 consolidation of two EOS PI missions: SOLSTICE and TSIM (SOLSTICE: AO-88-OSSA-1 selected 2/1989; TSIM: AO-97-MTPE-01 selected 2/1999) |
Implementation phase |
UC Berkeley, SpaceDev, Inc. |
PI – Mark Hurwitz (UC Berkeley) |
UNEX |
Operating |
Boston U., NRL, MIT, U. Ill., Aero Astro, Inc. |
PI – Daniel Cotton (Boston U.) |
STEDI 1995 |
Failed during on-orbit commission |
U.Colo.LASP, USRA, NASA, Ball Aerospace, Orbital, NCAR, NASA GSFC |
PI – Charles Barth (U.Colo.) |
STEDI 1995 |
Operating |
MIT, LANL, France ’s CNES and CESR, Japan ’s RIKEN |
PI – George Ricker (MIT) |
1997 |
Operating |
Scripps Inst., NASA GSFC, Lockheed Martin, Ball Aerospace/NIST |
PI – Francisco P..J.Valero (Scripps Inst.of Oceanography) |
1998 |
In storage awaiting opportunity for launch |
REFERENCES
Briefings to Committee on Earth Studies
Jack Kaye, State of the Earth Science Enterprise, December 11, 2000
Peter Harvey, HESSI: The PI-Mode Experience, December 11, 2000
Michael Prather, Experiences as PI on ESSP AO-1 and AO-2, December 11, 2000
Richard Zurek, Some Thoughts on PI-Led Missions, December 11, 2000
Warren Wiscombe, Triana: Experiences and Lessons Learned, December 11, 2000
Bill Gibson, The IMAGE Mission PI Team Experience, December 12, 2000
Prasad Gogineni, ESSP Missions, December 12, 2000
Mark Saunders, A Perspective on PI-Mode Missions, December 12, 2000
William Gail, Perspectives on PI-Led AO Missions, April 25, 2001
Michael McGrath, Comments on PI Missions, April 25, 2001
Gary Rottman, The Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE), April 25, 2001
Nicholas Chrissotimos, Earth Explorers Program PI-Mode Mission Management, April 26, 2001
Charles A. Barth, SNOE and Lessons for PI-Led Missions, April 26, 2001
Dan N. Baker, Managing and Developing Small Scientific Spacecraft, April 26, 2001
Byron Tapley, GRACE and Lessons for PI-led Missions, April 26, 2001
Graeme Stephens, CloudSat and Lessons for PI-led Missions, April 26, 2001
Ben Clark, Discovery Missions, April 26, 2001
NASA Missions
Discovery, Explorer, and Solar-Terrestrial Probes
CONTOUR: http://www.contour2002.org/
Deep Impact: http://deepimpact.umd.edu/
GALEX: http://www.srl.caltech.edu/galex/
Genesis: http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/
Kepler: http://www.kepler.arc.nasa.gov/
RHESSI: http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/hessi/
Mars Express: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/future/express.html
MESSENGER: http://sd-www.jhuapl.edu/messenger/
IMAGE: http://pluto.space.swri.edu/image/
MAP: http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/
SNOE: http://lasp.colorado.edu/snoe/
Stardust: http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/
TRACE: http://vestige.lmsal.com/trace/
Lunar Prospector: http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/
Mars Climate Orbiter: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/orbiter/
Mars Pathfinder: http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/default.html
NEAR: http://near.jhuapl.edu/
Earth System Science Pathfinders
Orbiting Carbon Observatory: http://essp.gsfc.nasa.gov/oco/index.html
Aquarius: http://essp.gsfc.nasa.gov/aquarius/index.html
GRACE: http://essp.gsfc.nasa.gov/grace/index.html
Vegetation Canopy Lidar: http://essp.gsfc.nasa.gov/vcl/index.html
Reports
National Research Council, Space Studies Board, Assessment of Recent Changes in the Explorer Program, 1996, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
Kenneth Lang, MIDEX Lessons-Learned Workshop Final Report, Proceedings from the Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX) Lessons-Learned Workshop, June 26-27, 1996, Hampton, Virginia, August 1996, available online at <http://explorer.larc.nasa.gov/explorer/MIDEX.html>
Mars Program Independent Assessment Team, Summary Report, March 14, 2000, available online at <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/marsreports/mpiat_summary.pdf>
Mars Climate Orbiter Mishap Investigation Board, Report on Project Management at NASA, March 13, 2000
Announcement of Opportunity/Earth System Science Pathfinder
NASA, ESSP-3 AO, AO-01-OES-01, May 2001, available online at <http://centauri.larc.nasa.gov/essp/selection.html>
NASA, ESSP-2 AO, AO-98-OES-01, April 13, 1998
NASA, ESSP-1 AO, AO-96-OES-01, 1996