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TABLE ES.2 Hierarchy of Template Agreements for Cooperative Missions
Mission Phase
Agreement
Content
Pre-phase A
Letter of Mutual Interest
Identify potential high-priority missions under consideration
Identify which bodies are studying them
Determine how many are likely to be confirmed, and when
Phase A
Letter of Mutual Intent
Establish an early program management and project structure and an International Mission Working Group (IMWG) with two program scientists or principal investigators as co-chairs
Define objectives, scope, and expectations for Phase B
Review project management scheme
Phase B
Study Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Clarify objectives and scope
Formulate anticipated implementation plan
Outline responsibilities
Select launcher
Provide a rough schedule
Determine expectations for funding
Mission MOU
Create full definition of objectives, scope, plan, schedule, contingencies, and data issues
Include project management plans
Phase C/D
Eventually, when necessary, appointment of an International Mission Review Committee (IMRC)
Conduct periodic reviews of mission and effectiveness of its service to user community
Finding: The free and open exchange of data lies at the heart of international scientific cooperation.3 When it is missing (as in the case of NASA and ESA in the area of Earth science) significant scientific international cooperation is difficult, if not almost impossible.
Recommendation 14
The joint committee recommends the following:
NASA and European space agencies should make a commitment to free and open exchange of data for scientific research as a condition for international scientific cooperation after any proprietary period established for principal investigators;
The scientific community, through their international organizations (e.g., ICSU, COSPAR), should openly and forcefully state their commitments to this concept and where there are difficulties; and
U.S. and European space agencies should ensure that programs plan and reserve adequate resources for management and distribution of data and develop and implement strategies for long-term archiving of data from all space missions.
3
National Research Council, Preserving Scientific Data on Our Physical Universe: A New Strategy for Archiving the Nation's Scientific Information Resources, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1995.
