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Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013 (2014)

Chapter: 2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership

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Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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2
Board and Standing Committees:
Activities and Membership

The Board and its standing committees provide strategic direction and oversee activities of ad hoc study committees (see Chapter 3), interact with sponsors, and serve as a communications conduit between the government and the scientific community. They do not provide formal advice and recommendations, and therefore are not subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Section 15.

During 2013, the Space Studies Board (SSB) had four standing committees representing various disciplines: Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science (CAPS), the Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics (CAA; jointly with the Board on Physics and Astronomy, BPA), the Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space (CESAS), and the Committee on Solar and Space Physics (CSSP).

A new standing committee of the SSB and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB), the Committee on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space (CBPSS), will get underway in 2014. The overarching purpose of the committee is to support scientific progress in space research in the biological, medical, and physical sciences and assist the federal government in integrating and planning programs in these fields. The CBPSS is expected to provide an independent, authoritative forum for identifying and discussing issues in space life and physical sciences between the research community, the federal government, and the interested public. The CBPSS will also monitor the progress in implementation of the recommendations of the decadal survey, Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era.

SPACE STUDIES BOARD

HIGHLIGHTS OF SPACE STUDIES BOARD ACTIVITIES

The Space Studies Board’s first meeting of 2013 was on April 4-5 at the Keck Center in Washington, D.C. The first day was a joint session with the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board. The Boards received a briefing from Al Carnesale, chair of the National Research Council (NRC) report NASA’s Strategic Direction and the Need for a National Consensus. They then received briefings and updates from Charlie Bolden, NASA Administrator; Senate and House staff, including Jeff Bingham, Richard Obermann, Diana Simpson, and Ann Zulkosky; Marshall Porterfield, Division Director of NASA’s Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications Division; and William Gertenmaier, Associate Administrator Human Exploration and Operations Division (HEOMD). On the second day, the SSB received an update from Chuck Gay, Deputy Associate Administrator, NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD), and then had a discussion with him and several other representatives from SMD, including Mike Freilich (Earth Science), Vicki Elsbernd (Heliophysics), Jim Green (Planetary), Paul Hertz (Astrophysics), and Geoff Yoder (James Webb Space Telescope; JWST). The Board then received updates from Jean-Pierre Swings, European Space Science Committee Chair; the chairs or representatives of the SSB standing committees; Len Fisk,

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

the U.S. Representative to the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR); and Charlie Baker, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Deputy Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services.

On July 8 the Board had a teleconference with John Grunsfeld, Associate Administrator for the NASA SMD and Stephanie Stockman, E/PO (Education/Public Outreach) lead at the SMD to discuss the current budget situation and the changes to SMD’s education and outreach programs.

The SSB did not meet during the third quarter. The board’s Executive Committee met August 8-9 in Washington, D.C., where the members held discussions with various stakeholders, including Marc Allen (NASA/SMD); House and Senate Staff, including Tom Hammond, Pamela Whitney, and Ann Zulkosky; and Tammy Dickinson (Office of Science and Technology Policy; OSTP). On day 2, the Executive Committee members discussed the upcoming Earth Science and Applications from Space Decadal Survey with the CESAS chair and vice chair and stakeholders, including Mike Freilich (NASA), Mary Kicza (NOAA) and Sarah Ryker (U.S. Geological Survey; USGS). That was followed by a discussion with Marshall Porterfield (NASA/HEOMD) on a new SSB/Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB) standing committee on biological and physical science.

The SSB met on November 7-8 at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, DC. On the first day, the Board heard reports from the chairs of the standing committees—CAA, CAPS, CESAS, and CSSP—and then discussed the upcoming NRC Space Science Week. The Board then discussed several potential future activities, including the Board’s 2014 workshop, tentatively titled Sharing the Adventure with the Student (including staff from the NRC’s Board on Science Education); an activity on the Current State of Space Law (including staff from the NRC’s Committee on Science Technology and Law); future SSB advice on mechanisms to improve decadal planning; an ad hoc study on NASA Science Flight Mission Management; and the new standing committee on biological and physical sciences in space. The Board also had a discussion with Sam Scimemi, NASA’s International Space Station (ISS) Director, on NASA’s plans for the ISS for 2014-2020 and beyond; received a briefing on the report Landsat and Beyond: Sustaining and Enhancing the Nation’s Land Imaging Program from committee chair Jeff Dozier; and had a discussion with the chair of CESAS, Mark Abbott, on planning for the upcoming Earth science decadal survey. The first day was capped off with a discussion on recent European Space Sciences Committee (ESSC) activities with Jean-Pierre Swings, ESSC Chair, and Jean Claude Worms, European Science Foundation. The second day of the meeting focused on science at NASA with a discussion on the status of the Science Mission Directorate’s (SMD’s) program and budget with Marc Allen (NASA/SMD) and remarks and discussion with Ellen Stofan, NASA’s Chief Scientist.

SPACE STUDIES BOARD MEMBERSHIP

July 1, 2012–June 30, 2013

Charles F. Kennel, University of California, San Diego (chair)

John M. Klineberg, Space Systems/Loral (retired) (vice chair)

Mark R. Abbott, Oregon State University

James Anderson, Harvard University

James Bagian, University of Michigan

Yvonne C. Brill, Aerospace Consultant1

Elizabeth R. Cantwell, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Andrew B. Christensen, Dixie State College of Utah

Alan Dressler, Observatories of the Carnegie Institution

Thomas R. Gavin, California Institute of Technology

Heidi B. Hammel, AURA

Fiona A. Harrison, California Institute of Technology

July 1, 2013–June 30, 2014

Charles F. Kennel, University of California, San Diego (chair)

John M. Klineberg, Space Systems/Loral (retired) (vice chair)

Mark R. Abbott, Oregon State University

James Anderson, Harvard University

James Bagian, University of Michigan

Joseph Fuller, Jr., Futron Corporation

Thomas R. Gavin, California Institute of Technology

Neil Gehrels, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Sarah Gibson, National Center for Atmospheric Research

Heidi B. Hammel, AURA

Roderick Heelis, University of Texas, Dallas

Joseph S. Hezir, EOP Group, Inc.

Wesley T. Huntress, Carnegie Institution of Washington

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1 Dr. Brill passed away on March 27, 2013.

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

Joseph S. Hezir, EOP Group, Inc.

Anthony C. Janetos, University of Maryland

Joan Johnson-Freese, Naval War College

Robert P. Lin, University of California, Berkeley2

Molly K. Macauley, Resources for the Future

John F. Mustard, Brown University

Robert T. Pappalardo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Marcia J. Rieke, University of Arizona

David N. Spergel, Princeton University

Meenakshi Wadhwa, Arizona State University

Clifford M. Will, University of Florida

Thomas H. Zurbuchen, University of Michigan

Anthony C. Janetos, University of Maryland

Joan Johnson-Freese, Naval War College

John F. Mustard, Brown University

Dava J. Newman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Robert T. Pappalardo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Saul Perlmutter, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Marcia J. Rieke, University of Arizona

David N. Spergel, Princeton University

Meenakshi Wadhwa, Arizona State University

Clifford M. Will, University of Florida

Thomas H. Zurbuchen, University of Michigan

Ex Officio and Liaison Participants

Lester Lyles, The Lyles Group (ex-officio, chair, NRC Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board) Jean-Pierre Swings, Université de Liège (liaison, chair of the European Space Science Committee)

Membership of the SSB Executive Committee

July 1, 2012–June 30, 2013

Charles F. Kennel, University of California, San Diego (chair)

John M. Klineberg, Space Systems/Loral (retired) (vice chair)

Mark R. Abbott, Oregon State University

Elizabeth R. Cantwell, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Fiona A. Harrison, California Institute of Technology

Molly K. Macauley, Resources for the Future, Inc.

Robert T. Pappalardo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Thomas H. Zurbuchen, University of Michigan

July 1, 2013–June 30, 2014

Charles F. Kennel, University of California, San Diego (chair)

John M. Klineberg, Space Systems/Loral (retired) (vice chair)

Mark R. Abbott, Oregon State University

Joseph S. Hezir, EOP Group, Inc.

Dava J. Newman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Robert T. Pappalardo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Marcia J. Rieke, University of Arizona

Thomas H. Zurbuchen, University of Michigan

Staff in 2013

Michael H. Moloney, Director

Joseph K. Alexander, Senior Program Officer (through June 28)

Arthur A. Charo, Senior Program Officer

Sandra J. Graham, Senior Program Officer

Ian W. Pryke, Senior Program Officer

David H. Smith, Senior Program Officer

Dwayne A. Day,* Senior Program Officer, ASEB

David Lang,* Program Officer, BPA

Abigail A. Sheffer, Associate Program Officer

Lewis Groswald, Associate Program Officer (promoted May 18)

Celeste A. Naylor, Information Management Associate

Tanja E. Pilzak, Manager, Program Operations

Christina O. Shipman, Financial Officer

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2 Dr. Lin passed away on November 17, 2012.

* Staff from other NRC Boards who are shared with the SSB.

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

Meg A. Knemeyer, Financial Officer (from October 7)

Sandra Wilson, Senior Financial Assistant

Catherine A. Gruber, Editor (through June 28)

Carmela J. Chamberlain, Administrative Coordinator

Andrea Rebholz,* Program Coordinator, ASEB

Dionna Williams, Program Coordinator

Rodney N. Howard, Senior Program Assistant (through March 8)

Linda M. Walker, Senior Program Assistant (through July 12)

Anesia Wilks, Program Assistant (from August)

Space Policy Interns

Frederick Harrison Dreves, 2013 Summer Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern

Jinni Meehan, 2013 Fall Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern

Sierra Smith, 2013 Fall Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern

U.S. NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR COSPAR

The Committee on Space Research held its annual business meetings in Paris, France, during the week of March 18. Also during the first quarter, COSPAR began soliciting nominations for awards and medals to be presented at the next COSPAR scientific assembly, to be held at the Lomonosov Moscow State University in Moscow, Russia, on August 2-10, 2014. Nominations also opened for candidates to fill COSPAR’s elected leadership positions. By the close of nominations, U.S. representative Lennard Fisk was separately nominated as a candidate for president, vice president, and membership of the COSPAR Bureau. The election for president will take place via a postal ballot of the COSPAR Council in the Spring of 2014. Voting for the other elected posts will take place at the first of the two council meetings scheduled to take place at the Moscow assembly. Information concerning the program of activities planned for the Moscow assembly, together with details concerning travel, accommodation, and registration, can be found at http://cospar2014moscow.com/.

COSPAR held its first off-year symposium in Bangkok, Thailand on November 11-15. The off-year symposia were initiated so that small-to-medium size COSPAR member countries can host an international gathering of space scientists without the complications and expense associated with the 30-plus parallel sessions now common at the organization’s biennial scientific assemblies. The topical foci of the Bangkok symposium were planetary systems of the Sun and other stars and the future of space astronomy. The symposium was attended by 313 registered participants, including 140 from Thailand, 72 from other Asia-Pacific nations, and 29 from the United States. One of the highlights of the symposium was a round-table discussion on the prospects for space science and international cooperation with south-east Asia, featuring high-level representatives from NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Centre national d’Études Spatiales (CNES), and the space agency’s of Indonesia, South Korea, and Thailand. The symposium included a training session devoted to magnetospheric studies and space weather and was preceded on November 4-8 by a capacity-building workshop devoted to the theory and practice of correcting land remote sensing imagery for atmospheric effects.

Overall, the symposium was a mixed success. The low turnout of participants, combined with the lavish hospitality of the Thai organizers, resulted in a financial loss. Nevertheless, the local organizing committee expressed overall satisfaction with the results because of the national and international visibility and prestige they garnered from the participation of senior scientists and agency officials from major space-faring nations. Another positive outcome of the symposium will likely come in the form of applications for COSPAR membership from several south-east Asian nations that do not currently participate in the organization’s activities. Following the completion of the symposium, COSPAR received an invitation from Brazil to host the second off-year symposium in 2015.

U.S. Representative to COSPAR

Lennard A. Fisk, University of Michigan (from February 2013)

_______________

* Staff from other NRC Boards who are shared with the SSB.

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

Staff

David H. Smith, Senior Program Officer, SSB (executive secretary for COSPAR)

Carmela J. Chamberlain, Administrative Coordinator, SSB

STANDING COMMITTEES

On March 6-8 the SSB’s four standing committees held the first NRC Space Science Week. The first day consisted of a plenary session which allowed all four committees to meet together for a keynote presentation from John Grunsfeld, NASA Associate Administrator for Science on the current state of the NASA SMD, a view from Capitol Hill from Jeff Bingham, a briefing on the current status and expected evolution of launch services for SMD from James Norman, and a panel discussion with the leadership of the standing committees. In the afternoon there were two breakout sessions, one was a meeting of CAA and CAPS on Exoplanet Science; and the other was a meeting of the CSSP and CESAS on sustaining observations and the research to operations (R2O) challenge. The CAA/ CAPS session allowed committee members representing communities that intersect on this issue to discuss issues in exoplanet research and receive briefings on Kepler, radial velocity surveys, the architecture and demographics of planetary systems, modeling of exoplanets, and the science of exoplanets and their systems. The CSSP/CESAS session allowed committee members representing communities that rarely meet to examine common needs, and frequent challenges, in sustaining or transitioning to operations particular climate, weather (terrestrial and space), and land use/land change observations. Briefing the committee and/or participating in roundtable discussions were representatives from NASA (ESD and HPD), NOAA (NWS), NSF (GEO/AGS), USGS (Climate and Land Use Change), and OSTP. The next two days were devoted to the individual standing committee business (see below).

COMMITTEE ON ASTROBIOLOGY AND PLANETARY SCIENCE

The Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science, an activity combining the responsibilities formerly exercised by Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration and the Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life, held its third face-to-face meeting on March 6-8 as part of the NRC’s Space Science Week. The CAPS-only sessions included presentations on the current status of NASA’s planetary science, astrobiology, and research and analysis activities. In addition, the committee heard a briefing on planning for the InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Hear Transport) mission to Mars in 2016 and activities related to NASA’s planned 2020 Mars rover. Scientific presentations on the microbiology of Antarctica’s Lake Vida and the chemical context of the origin of life rounded out the open sessions. Closed session discussions explored issues relating to the 2020 rover, the concept of habitability, and exoplanets. The committee was asked by NASA SMD/Planetary Science Division officials to draft an outline of a possible task to review the report of the 2020 rover science definition team. Potential study activities on the general topics of habitability and exoplanets are also being explored.

A committee-wide conference call was held on May 31 to discuss the status of NASA enacted and proposed budgets for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, respectively. The committee was also briefed on NASA’s plans to revise the Astrobiology Roadmap and spent some time discussing the administration’s proposals concerning NASA’s educational activities.

At the National Academies’ Keck Center on September 4-6, the committee was briefed on details of the Mars 2020 Science Definition Team Report and planetary protection, updates on the status of NASA’s Planetary Science Division and Astrobiology Program, and updates on the Europa Clipper, NASA’s contributions to ESA’s JUICE, NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission, and the Venus Spectral Rocket Experiment missions. The committee also had briefings on the phosphorus chemistry of the early Archean ocean and discussed the proposed (STEM) reorganization proposals. As part of its deliberations at the September meeting, the committee reviewed the planetary science aspects of the draft 2014 SMD Science Plan. Issues in the draft plan relating to a variety of topics, including the Mars 2020 and proposed Europa Clipper missions, the Discovery program and STEM education were discussed at length. The diversity of viewpoints expressed during the discussion were then summarized and transmitted via the CAPS liaison member to the Committee on the Assessment of the NASA Science Mission Directorate 2014 Science Plan (see Chapter 4).

CAPS did not meet during the fourth quarter. The committee instead held a series of semi-regular conference calls. The topics discussed in these calls included the planned reorganization of the research and analysis programs

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

in NASA’s Planetary Science Division, lessons learned during the development of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), and planetary protection activities associated with MSL.

A historical summary of NRC-SSB advice on astrobiology and planetary protection is presented in Figure 2.1. A historical summary of NRC-SSB advice on solar system exploration is presented in Figure 2.2.

Membership

Philip R. Christensen, Arizona State University (co-chair)

J. Gregory Ferry, Pennsylvania State University (co-chair)

Sushil K. Atreya, University of Michigan

Amy C. Barr, Brown University

Richard P. Binzel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

John Clarke, Boston University

Geoffrey Collins, Wheaton College

Pascale Ehrenfreund, George Washington University

Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Carnegie Institution for Science

G. Scott Hubbard, Stanford University

Laurie A. Leshin, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Stephen Mackwell, Lunar and Planetary Institute

Michael Russell, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Gary Ruvkun, Massachusetts General Hospital

Gerald Schubert, University of California, Los Angeles

Barbara Sherwood Lollar, University of Toronto

Norman H. Sleep, Stanford University

Cristina Takacs-Vesbach, University of New Mexico

Roger V. Yelle, University of Arizona

Staff

David H. Smith, Senior Program Officer, SSB

Abigail Sheffer, Associate Program Officer, SSB

Rodney N. Howard, Senior Program Assistant, SSB (through March 8)

Andrea Rebholz,* Program Coordinator, ASEB

COMMITTEE ON ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

The Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics, which operates under the joint auspices of the SSB and the BPA, met in-person on March 6-8 as part of the first-ever NRC Space Science Week. CAA received an update on the progress of the JWST, as well as programmatic updates on NASA’s Astrophysics Program from division director Paul Hertz; the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Division of Astronomical Sciences from division director Jim Ulvestad; and the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office High Energy Physics from associate director Jim Siegrist. A wide range of issues that pertained to both individual agencies and the nation’s overall astronomy and astrophysics endeavors were discussed. Among the more prominent issues discussed was the status of the decadal survey-recommended Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission and progress being made on the Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets (AFTA) study that is evaluating the suitability of using one of the 2.4-m telescope assets made available in 2012 by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). CAA also discussed the overall portfolios for NASA, NSF, and DOE, and crosscutting issues for the agencies like the status and future of the current ground-based optical/infrared observation system, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, and the mid-decadal review for astronomy and astrophysics that will take place in the middle of this decade. The last day of the CAA’s meeting was devoted to closed-session discussion.

_______________

* Staff from other NRC Boards who are shared with the SSB.

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

images

FIGURE 2.1 NRC-SSB advice on astrobiology and planetary protection (1965-2013).

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

images

FIGURE 2.2 NRC-SSB advice on solar system exploration (1969-2013). Origins of life topics are covered in Figure 2.1.

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

The committee met by teleconference on June 5 to discuss the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee’s (AAAC’s) annual report. Martha Haynes, the AAAC chair, and Andy Albrecht, its vice chair, also participated in the call. The call focused on several discussion topics in addition to the AAAC report, including the ground-based optical and infrared system, data sharing, and recent legislation regarding education and public outreach.

CAA did not meet during the third quarter, but was actively planning for its fall meeting. During this time the AFTA Science Definition Team released a report on April 30, 2013, describing NASA’s proposed AFTA design reference mission, WFIRST-2.4. NASA SMD contacted CAA via the SSB to initiate a study to assess whether the this mission is responsive to the overall strategy to pursue the science objectives of 2010 astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey, and in particular, the survey’s top-ranked, large-scale, space-based priority, WFIRST. The Astrophysics Focused Telescope is one of two telescopes given to NASA by the NRO. An ad hoc study was approved in October by the NRC’s Governing Board Executive Committee. The study began in December 2013.

CAA met on November 4-5, 2013, in Washington, D.C., and received briefings from the NASA Astrophysics Division, NSF Astronomy Division, NSF Antarctic Astronomy and Astrophysics program, the Department of Energy High Energy Physics Office, and the James Webb Space Telescope Program Office. CAA also received overviews and updates from representatives of the SPICA, Gaia, and Euclid missions. The committee also held a discussion with the new chair of the AAAC, Andy Albrecht (UC-Davis).

On December 19, the committee held a telecon with the director of NASA Astrophysics Division, Paul Hertz; the chair of the X-ray Science Interest Group, Jay Bookbinder (Harvard Smithsonian CfA); and Tuck Stebbins (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center). The purpose of the telecon was to discuss the recent large-class “L2” and “L3” mission selections by the European Space Agency and their relevance to current and planned U.S. astronomy and astrophysics activities.

A historical summary of reports from CAA and related committees is presented in Figure 2.3.

Membership

Paul L. Schechter, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (co-chair)

David N. Spergel, Princeton University (co-chair)

Jeremiah K. Darling, University of Colorado, Boulder

Megan Donahue, Michigan State University

Debra Fischer, Yale University

Joshua A. Frieman, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and University of Chicago

Charles F. Gammie, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Timothy M. Heckman, Johns Hopkins University

Lynne Hillenbrand, California Institute of Technology

Robert P. Kirshner, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Christopher F. McKee, University of California, Berkeley

Rene A. Ong, University of California, Los Angeles

Eve C. Ostriker, Princeton University

Marcia J. Rieke, University of Arizona

J. Craig Wheeler, University of Texas, Austin

Eric M. Wilcots, University of Wisconsin, Madison

A. Thomas Young, Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired)

Staff

David B. Lang, Program Officer, BPA

Lewis Groswald, Associate Program Officer, SSB

Dionna Williams, Program Coordinator, SSB

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

images

FIGURE 2.3 NRC-SSB advice on astronomy and astrophysics (1979-2013).

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

COMMITTEE ON EARTH SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS FROM SPACE

The Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space met in Washington, D.C., on March 6-8 as part of the NRC’s Space Science Week. The second day of the meeting was devoted to discussions on the “continuity” needs for NASA-sustained remote sensing observations of Earth from space. Instruments on NASA research and NOAA “operational” spacecraft measure numerous variables relevant to Earth’s biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and oceans and their interactions on various scales. However, there is a growing tension between the need for measurement continuity of data streams that are critical components of Earth science research programs, including, but not limited, to areas related to climate, and the development of new measurement capabilities. While there is an increasing societal need for information products derived from Earth observations, the federal agencies responsible for providing these measurements face a near-perfect storm of diminished fiscal resources, growth in program costs, and a coming loss of heritage assets. Present throughout the day were representatives from NASA, NOAA, USGS, OSTP, and congressional staff. The committee was briefed by NASA Earth Science Division Director Michael Freilich, who was present for the entire CESAS meeting; Bryon Tapley, then-chair of the NASA Advisory Council’s Earth Science Subcommittee; Jim Tucker, NASA GSFC; Tom Karl, Director, NOAA National Climatic Data Center; and (by teleconference) Kevin Trenberth, National Center for Atmospheric Research.

CESAS did not meet in the second or third quarter; however, members were actively engaged in discussions with NASA that resulted in a request for a new project that will examine the “continuity” needs for NASA-sustained remote sensing observations of Earth from space; that study, “A Framework for Analyzing the Needs for Continuity of NASA-Sustained Remote Sensing Observations of the Earth from Space,” is currently underway. CESAS was also in the process of planning the October meeting and arranging teleconference meetings with individuals prior to that meeting.

CESAS met on October 29-30, 2013 in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, the committee received briefings from agency officials, including Michael Freilich, head of NASA’s Earth Science Division, Mary Kicza, head of NOAA NESDIS, and Sarah Ryker, USGS. A briefing on the ESA’s program in Earth observation science, technology, and applications was delivered by Maurice Borgeaud, Head, Earth Observation Science, Applications, and Future Technologies Department (EOP-S), ESA. The committee also received an update on the study “A Framework for Analyzing the Needs for Continuity of NASA-Sustained Remote Sensing Observations of the Earth from Space” by its chair, Byron Tapley, University of Texas, Austin; a review of the 2012 report Earth Science and Applications from Space: A Midterm Assessment of NASA’s Implementation of the Decadal Survey was given to the committee by the study chair, Dennis Hartmann, University of Washington. Dr. Tapley also delivered a science talk to the committee on accomplishments of the GRACE mission, for which he is the principal investigator.

The featured session of the meeting occurred on October 29 when agency representatives and other stakeholders met to discuss lessons learned and ideas for the organization of the next decadal survey in Earth science and applications from space. Planning for the next decadal, which will cover the approximate period of 2018-2028, will occur throughout 2014 to enable a formal start of the study in early 2015 and publication in 2017. As the quarter ended, the committee was planning its next in-person meeting, which took place as part of the 2nd annual NRC Space Science Week in Washington, D.C., on March 3-5, 2014. This meeting focused on preparations for the next decadal survey with community representatives and invited guests representing U.S. international space agency partners in attendance.

A historical summary of NRC-SSB advice on Earth science and applications in space is presented in Figure 2.4.

Membership

Mark R. Abbott, Oregon State University (chair)

Joyce E. Penner, University of Michigan (vice chair)

Steven A. Ackerman, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Stacey W. Boland, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Antonio J. Busalacchi, Jr., University of Maryland

Lennard A. Fisk, University of Michigan

Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Lee-Lueng Fu, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Inez Y. Fung, University of California, Berkeley

Chelle L. Gentemann, Remote Sensing Systems

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

images

FIGURE 2.4 NRC-SSB advice on Earth science and applications in space (1979-2013).

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

Kenneth C. Jezek, Ohio State University

Michael D. King, University of Colorado, Boulder

Molly K. Macauley, Resources for the Future

Walter S. Scott, Digital Globe, Inc.

David L. Skole, Michigan State University

William F. Townsend, Independent Aerospace Consultant

Steven C. Wofsy, Harvard University

Staff

Arthur A. Charo, Senior Program Officer, SSB

Lewis Groswald, Associate Program Officer, SSB

Andrea Rebholz,* Program Coordinator, ASEB

COMMITTEE ON SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS

The Committee on Solar and Space Physics, which stood down while work was underway for the solar and space physics (heliophysics) decadal survey, met in person for the first time on March 6-8, 2013, during the NRC’s Space Science Week. The second day of the meeting featured updates on the programs and plans of NSF’s upper atmosphere section, NASA’s Heliophysics division, and the National Space Weather Program. CSSP was also briefed by the following: NASA and NSF regarding their responses to the decadal survey; the chair of the committee developing the NASA Heliophysics Division Program Roadmap, which will provide the detailed implementation of the survey’s recommendations; NSF representatives on the implications for ground-based solar astronomy as a result of the NSF’s Division of Astronomical Sciences’ (AST’s) Portfolio Review of all AST-supported facilities, programs, and other activities. The committee also received an update on the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope. The committee had a discussion of mission management options and implications for cost containment, which was prompted in part by the survey recommendation that NASA Solar-Terrestrial Probe mission line be cost-capped and executed in “principal-investigator mode.” Finally, CSSP was briefed on the report of the recent SSB-sponsored workshop, The Effects of Solar Variability on Earth’s Climate: A Workshop Report.

CSSP met by teleconference during the second quarter, including a May 20, 2013, WebEx event with Vicki Elsbernd, acting director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division (HPD). During the call, the committee discussed the implications of sequestration on HPD programs; the outlook for future budgets, and other issues of interest, including implementation of the recently completed decadal survey, roadmap status, and the status of NASA E/PO programs. The committee devoted considerable time to discussions about NASA E/PO because the President’s proposed FY 2014 budget includes major changes and restructuring of STEM E/PO at NASA and other federal agencies: for FY 2014 and going forward, NASA’s E/PO funds in the SMD are eliminated; individual science mission budgets are reduced, reflecting the elimination of education and outreach funds; and SMD is directed to not fund education.

As the second quarter ended, the committee was planning a WebEx teleconference with Richard Behnke, head of the Geospace Section of the NSF’s Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (GEO/AGS). Members of the committee also continued to work on a popularization of the decadal survey; they also engaged in discussions with agency officials at NASA, NOAA, and NSF regarding potential future activities related to national needs for improved forecasts of space weather events. Planning for a Fall 2013 in-person meeting of the committee was underway.

An edited and final version of Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society, the NRC’s second decadal survey in solar and space physics (heliophysics), was published in August 2013.

During the fourth quarter, CSSP met from October 31-November 1, 2013, in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, the committee received program updates, including progress in implementation of the recently completed decadal survey in Heliophysics from the newly appointed head of NASA’s Heliophysics Division, David Chenette. The committee also received updates on NOAA NESDIS programs of interest from Thomas Burns and on space

_______________

* Staff from other NRC Boards who are shared with the SSB.

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

weather-related activities and NSF/GEO programs of interest, CubeSats, and the NASA HPD Roadmap, from Richard Behnke, Geospace Section Head, NSF; Therese Moretto-Jorgenson, NSF; and Maura Hagan, NCAR and chair of the NASA Heliophysics Subcommittee, respectively. Committee member Nathan Schwadron gave a science talk, “Has Voyager Entered the Interstellar Medium?”

The committee remains interested in assisting in organizing activities that could be useful to decision makers faced with tight budgets and increasing demands for information about Earth’s space weather. The committee received an update on the National Space Weather Program from Michael Bonadonna of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology and conducted a roundtable discussion with Mr. Bonadonna and invited guests on a variety of issues pertinent to this subject. Follow-up to these discussions occurred in subsequent committee teleconferences and is expected to continue at a focused session at the next committee meeting.

A historical summary of reports from CSSP and related committees is presented in Figure 2.5.

Membership

J. Todd Hoeksema, Stanford University (co-chair)

Mary K. Hudson, Dartmouth College (co-chair)

Timothy S. Bastian, National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Amitava Bhattacharjee, Princeton University

Stephen A. Fuselier, Southwest Research Institute

Sarah Gibson, National Center for Atmospheric Research, High Altitude Observatory

George M. Gloeckler, University of Maryland (emeritus)

David L. Hysell, Cornell University

Thomas J. Immel, University of California, Berkeley

Louis J. Lanzerotti, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Judith L. Lean, Naval Research Laboratory

Robyn Millan, Dartmouth College

Terrance G. Onsager, NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

Aaron Ridley, University of Michigan

Nathan A. Schwadron, University of New Hampshire

Michelle F. Thomsen, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Staff

Arthur A. Charo, Senior Program Officer

Abigail Sheffer, Associate Program Officer

Linda M. Walker, Senior Program Assistant

Anesia Wilks, Program Assistant (from August)

SPACE RESEARCH DISCIPLINES WITHOUT STANDING
COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION

As mentioned above, a new standing committee, the Committee on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space (CBPSS), will get underway in 2014. A historical summary of NRC-SSB advice in space biology and medicine is presented in Figure 2.6, and a historical summary of NRC-SSB advice microgravity research is presented in Figure 2.7.

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

images

FIGURE 2.5 NRC-SSB advice on solar and space physics (1980-2013).

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

images

FIGURE 2.6 NRC-SSB advice on space biology and medicine (1960-2013).

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
×

images

FIGURE 2.7 NRC-SSB advice on microgravity research (1978-2013).

Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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Suggested Citation:"2 Board and Standing Committees: Activities and Membership." National Research Council. 2014. Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18743.
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The original charter of the Space Science Board was established in June 1958, 3 months before the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) opened its doors. The Space Science Board and its successor, the Space Studies Board (SSB), have provided expert external and independent scientific and programmatic advice to NASA on a continuous basis from NASA's inception until the present. The SSB has also provided such advice to other executive branch agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Defense, as well as to Congress.

Space Studies Board Annual Report 2013 covers a message from the chair of the SSB, Charles F. Kennel. This report also explains the origins of the Space Science Board, how the Space Studies Board functions today, the SSB's collaboration with other National Research Council units, assures the quality of the SSB reports, acknowledges the audience and sponsors, and expresses the necessity to enhance the outreach and improve dissemination of SSB reports.

This report will be relevant to a full range of government audiences in civilian space research - including NASA, NSF, NOAA, USGS, and the Department of Energy, as well members of the SSB, policy makers, and researchers.

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