Assessment of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (2008) / Chapter Skim
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4 Leadership for Current and Future Space Missions
4 Leadership for Current and Future Space Missions
Pages 42-50
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From page 42... ...
These questions are also central to many of the science goals enunciated in the Vision for Space Exploration.3 The current NASA strategy of "follow the water" for exploring Mars4 and, by extension, the rest of the solar system and beyond forms the basis for future missions that will focus on specific astrobiology themes. The presence of past and recent-present water on Mars has almost certainly been established (e.g., by the Mars Exploration Rovers and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter)
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From page 43... ...
, Christopher McKay, and Allan Treiman; • Arizona State University team -- Phillip Christensen, James Elser, Jack Farmer (PI) , Ronald Greeley, and Ferran Garcia-Pichel; • Carnegie Institution of Washington team -- Nora Noffke and Andrew Steele; • Goddard Space Flight Center team -- Paul Mahaffy; • Jet Propulsion Laboratory team -- Kenneth Nealson (PI)
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From page 44... ...
Recognizing the increasing importance of astrobiology in planetary science, the NAI provided formal input to the NRC's solar system exploration decadal survey, including a rationale for recognizing astrobiology as a central component, ways in which astrobiology interacts with the rest of solar system exploration, and a ranking of key missions. See Box 4.3 for more information.
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From page 45... ...
The NAI Astronomy Focus Group made recommendations to NASA for astrobiology programs that could be accomplished with the James Webb Space Telescope, which will be a powerful asset for studying the processes by which planets form and acquire essential ingredients for life, and for investigating faint comets and exoplanets. See Box 4.6 for more information.
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From page 46... ...
Lunine (eds.) , "Astrobiology and JWST: A Report to NASA Recommending Additional or Optimi zation of the James Webb Space Telescope Capabilities to Maximize Astrobiology Science Return," unpublished white paper available at http://www.dtm.ciw.edu/seager/NAIAFG/JWST.pdf.
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From page 47... ...
9,10 In keeping with the close alignment between subjects of interest to astrobiology and the planetary science community, NAI members regularly serve on science definition teams for missions to Mars and Europa and are members of the science teams of the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Mars Science Laboratory, and the Mars Phoenix missions. BALANCE OF NAI ACTIVITIES The focus groups provide an appropriate mechanism for the NAI and, more importantly, the wider astrobiology community to play an important strategic role in defining NASA's future missions.
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From page 48... ...
Recommendation: Because its most critical function is to ensure that its research activities clearly contribute to NASA's current and future spaceflight activities, the NAI should be more proactive in identifying future astrobiology missions. In addition, the NAI should actively encourage a partnership between astrobiologists and their engineering counterparts to help define future NASA missions.
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From page 49... ...
The creation and continued support of focus groups should be strongly promoted and their performance critically evaluated at periodic intervals by NAI Central and the NAI Executive Council in strategic areas, especially those related to NASA missions and the scientific goals outlined in the Astrobiology Roadmap, to make sure that they remain responsive to NASA needs. • Securing a tie to NASA flight programs is critical to the future of the field of astrobiology because the public is very interested in following NASA missions, and making the latest measurements and information widely available in a timely fashion allows the public to share in the discoveries and perhaps help determine the future directions NASA should pursue.
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From page 50... ...
10. National Research Council, New Frontiers in the Solar System: An Integrated Exploration Strategy, The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C., 2003.
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