SHARING THE ADVENTURE
WITH THE PUBLIC
THE VALUE AND EXCITEMENT OF “GRAND QUESTIONS”
OF SPACE SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION
SUMMARY OF A WORKSHOP
Marcia Smith, Rapporteur
Space Studies Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
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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.
This study is supported by contracts NNH05CC16C and NNH11CD58D between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Cover: Design by Tim Warchocki. Images courtesy of NASA.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-22159-7
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-22159-5
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Other Recent Reports of the Space Studies Board
Panel Reports—New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics (Board on Physics and Astronomy [BPA] and Space Studies Board [SSB], 2011)
Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era [prepublication version] (SSB, 2011)
Report of the Panel on Implementing Recommendations from the New Worlds, New Horizons Decadal Survey (BPA and SSB, 2011)
Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 [prepublication version] (SSB, 2011)
Assessment of Impediments to Interagency Collaboration on Space and Earth Science Missions (SSB, 2010)
Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research (Laboratory Assessments Board with SSB and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board [ASEB], 2010)
Controlling Cost Growth of NASA Earth and Space Science Missions (SSB, 2010)
Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth-Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies: Final Report (SSB with ASEB, 2010)
An Enabling Foundation for NASA’s Space and Earth Science Missions (SSB, 2010)
Forging the Future of Space Science: The Next 50 Years (SSB, 2010)
Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era of Space Exploration: An Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2010)
New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics (BPA and SSB, 2010)
Revitalizing NASA’s Suborbital Program: Advancing Science, Driving Innovation, and Developing a Workforce (SSB, 2010)
America’s Future in Space: Aligning the Civil Space Program with National Needs (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
Approaches to Future Space Cooperation and Competition in a Globalizing World: Summary of a Workshop (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
Assessment of Planetary Protection Requirements for Mars Sample Return Missions (SSB, 2009)
Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies: Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
A Performance Assessment of NASA’s Heliophysics Program (SSB, 2009)
Radioisotope Power Systems: An Imperative for Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Space Exploration (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
Ensuring the Climate Record from the NPOESS and GOES-R Spacecraft: Elements of a Strategy to Recover Measurement Capabilities Lost in Program Restructuring (SSB, 2008)
Launching Science: Science Opportunities Provided by NASA’s Constellation System (SSB with ASEB, 2008)
Opening New Frontiers in Space: Choices for the Next New Frontiers Announcement of Opportunity (SSB, 2008)
Science Opportunities Enabled by NASA’s Constellation System: Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2008)
Severe Space Weather Events—Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts: A Workshop Report (SSB, 2008)
Space Science and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Summary of a Workshop (SSB, 2008)
Assessment of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (SSB, 2007)
An Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars (SSB with the Board on Life Sciences [BLS], 2007)
Building a Better NASA Workforce: Meeting the Workforce Needs for the National Vision for Space Exploration (SSB with ASEB, 2007)
Decadal Science Strategy Surveys: Report of a Workshop (SSB, 2007)
Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond (SSB, 2007)
Exploring Organic Environments in the Solar System (SSB with the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, 2007)
Grading NASA’s Solar System Exploration Program: A Midterm Review (SSB, 2007)
The Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems (SSB with BLS, 2007)
NASA’s Beyond Einstein Program: An Architecture for Implementation (SSB with BPA, 2007)
Options to Ensure the Climate Record from the NPOESS and GOES-R Spacecraft: A Workshop Report (SSB, 2007)
A Performance Assessment of NASA’s Astrophysics Program (SSB with BPA, 2007)
Portals to the Universe: The NASA Astronomy Science Centers (SSB, 2007)
The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon (SSB, 2007)
Limited copies of SSB reports are available free of charge from
Space Studies Board
National Research Council
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(202) 334-3477/ssb@nas.edu
www.nationalacademies.org/ssb/ssb.html
PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR A WORKSHOP ON “SHARING THE ADVENTURE WITH THE PUBLIC”—COMMUNICATING THE VALUE AND EXCITEMENT OF ‘GRAND QUESTIONS’ OF SPACE SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION
CHARLES F. KENNEL, University of California, San Diego, Chair
LINDA BILLINGS, George Washington University
MARGARET FINARELLI, George Mason University
LENNARD A. FISK, University of Michigan
MOLLY K. MACAULEY, Resources for the Future
EDWARD C. STONE, California Institute of Technology
A. THOMAS YOUNG, Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired)
Workshop Rapporteur
MARCIA SMITH, Space and Technology Policy Group, LLC
Staff
IAN W. PRYKE, Senior Program Officer
CATHERINE GRUBER, Editor
LEWIS GROSWALD, Research Associate
CARMELA J. CHAMBERLAIN, Administrative Coordinator
GABRIEL BETANCOURT-MARTINEZ, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern
BRUNO SÁNCHEZ-ANDRADE NUÑO, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern
MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director, Space Studies Board
SPACE STUDIES BOARD
CHARLES F. KENNEL, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, Chair
JOHN KLINEBERG, Space Systems/Loral (retired), Vice Chair
MARK R. ABBOTT, Oregon State University
STEVEN J. BATTEL, Battel Engineering
YVONNE C. BRILL, Aerospace Consultant
ELIZABETH R. CANTWELL, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
ANDREW B. CHRISTENSEN, Dixie State College and Aerospace Corporation
ALAN DRESSLER, Observatories of the Carnegie Institution
JACK D. FELLOWS, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
HEIDI B. HAMMEL, Space Science Institute
FIONA A. HARRISON, California Institute of Technology
ANTHONY C. JANETOS, University of Maryland
JOAN JOHNSON-FREESE, Naval War College
ROBERT P. LIN, University of California, Berkeley
MOLLY K. MACAULEY, Resources for the Future
JOHN F. MUSTARD, Brown University
ROBERT T. PAPPALARDO, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
JAMES PAWELCZYK, Pennsylvania State University
MARCIA J. RIEKE, University of Arizona
DAVID N. SPERGEL, Princeton University
WARREN M. WASHINGTON, National Center for Atmospheric Research
CLIFFORD M. WILL, Washington University
THOMAS H. ZURBUCHEN, University of Michigan
MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director
CARMELA J. CHAMBERLAIN, Administrative Coordinator
TANJA PILZAK, Manager, Program Operations
CELESTE A. NAYLOR, Information Management Associate
CHRISTINA O. SHIPMAN, Financial Officer
SANDRA WILSON, Financial Assistant
Preface
The concept for and planning of the Space Studies Board (SSB) workshop “Sharing the Adventure with the Public: The Value and Excitement of ‘Grand Questions’ of Space Science and Exploration” developed over a period of 2 years. Charles F. Kennel, SSB chair, explained at the outset of the workshop that the board felt it was important to look into how NASA and its associated science and exploration communities communicate with the public about what NASA does. The workshop was held November 8-10, 2010, in the auditorium of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies in Irvine, California, and was open to the public. Attendance at the 3-day event was approximately 150 people, peaking on the first day.1
The workshop planning committee, chaired by Dr. Kennel, identified five “Grand Questions” in space science and exploration around which the workshop was organized:
• Understanding the universe: How did it begin and how is it evolving?
• Are we alone?
• Understanding the solar system: How did it begin and how is it evolving?
• The Earth: Will it remain a hospitable home for humanity in the future?
• What could the future hold for humans in space?
The statement of task was as follows:
The discoveries and achievements of the past 50 years and potential achievements that can be expected in the next 50 years, including specific targets of the next 10 years, for each of these questions will be addressed at the workshop. An agenda will be developed with topics to examine ways to best articulate and best inform the public about these potential achievements and the activities that NASA will undertake to carry out the requisite science and exploration. Additional topics will be defined to include potential improvements in communication efforts, including how NASA views its public outreach responsibilities, as a means of enhancing the level of public understanding and “ownership” of these programs. A major focus of the workshop will be on ways to better sustain public understanding of, interest in, and involvement with NASA science and exploration efforts that might take several years to decades to unfold.
The planning group’s role was limited to planning the workshop, and the workshop summary has been prepared by the workshop rapporteur as a factual summary of what occurred at the workshop.
The overall goal of the workshop was to encourage dialogue between scientists and professional communicators. Thus the workshop began with a keynote address from a communicator, Miles O’Brien, who was the science and space reporter for CNN for 17 years and now is a science correspondent for PBS NewsHour and for the Spaceflightnow.com website. Following his address, the remainder of the two- and-a-half-day workshop was organized into eight sessions consisting of presentations by one, two, or three speakers, followed by a discussion between the speakers and two panelists, and finally a period of interaction with the audience. Six of the eight sessions featured speakers who were scientists, while the
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1 The names, affiliations, and biographical sketches of all workshop speakers and panelists are provided in the Appendix C.
FIGURE P.1 Dilbert, December 11, 2010. SOURCE: Copyright 2010 Scott Adams, Inc. Licensed by United Feature Syndicate, Inc. Used with permission.
panelists were communicators. The situation was reversed for the last two sessions where the speakers were communicators and the panelists were scientists. The full agenda for the workshop is published in Appendix B.
A major topic of the conversation at the workshop was the role of the new social media, especially Facebook and Twitter, in facilitating communication among scientists and between scientists and the public. The communicators strongly encouraged the scientists to embrace these new forms of communicating. Although two of the younger scientists were already regular users of social media and exhorted their colleagues to at least try them, many of the other scientists clearly were reluctant. SSB chair Kennel, however, ended the workshop with a clarion call to the National Academies to adjust to the revolution in communications and the new media or risk the same fate as media organizations that have failed or are failing because they did not adapt. A Dilbert cartoon, which appeared shortly after the workshop, succinctly captures the forces at work in today’s society (Figure P.1).
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 summary:
Alan Dressler, The Observatories of the Carnegie Institution,
Lucy Fortson, University of Minnesota,
Andrew Lawler, Science Magazine and Freelance Journalist,
Christie Nicholson, Scientific American, and
Sara Seager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse any of the viewpoints or observations detailed in this report. The review of this report was overseen by J. Craig Wheeler, University of Texas, Austin. Appointed by the NRC, 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 summary rests entirely with the rapporteur and the institution.
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Contents
Has Communication Been Effective to Date?
Who Are Scientists Trying to Communicate With and Why?
Assessments of NASA’s Public Affairs Efforts
Implications of the New Communication Era and How the National Academies Should Respond
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: NO GUTS … NO GLORY: WHY NASA NEEDS TO RELISH THE RISK TO STAY RELEVANT
SESSION 1: ANSWERING GRAND QUESTIONS
SESSION 2: UNDERSTANDING THE UNIVERSE: HOW DID IT BEGIN AND HOW IS IT EVOLVING?
SESSION 4: UNDERSTANDING THE SOLAR SYSTEM: HOW DID IT BEGIN AND HOW IS IT EVOLVING?
SESSION 5: THE EARTH: WILL IT REMAIN A HOSPITABLE HOME FOR HUMANITY IN THE FUTURE?
SESSION 6: WHAT COULD THE FUTURE HOLD FOR HUMANS IN SPACE?
SESSION 8: COMMUNICATION PATHWAYS TO THE PUBLIC: READING, WATCHING, INTERACTING
Panel Discussion and Audience Interaction
SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS
Comments at the Opening of Day Two
Comments at the Close of the Workshop
C Biographies of Speakers, Moderators, Planning Committee, Rapporteur, and Reviewers