3
Ad Hoc Study Committees—Activities and Membership
When a sponsor requests that the Space Studies Board conduct a study, an ad hoc committee is established for that purpose. The committee terminates when the study is completed. These study committees are subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Sec. 15, because they provide advice and recommendations to the government. The SSB and/or one of its standing committees provide oversight for ad hoc study committee activities. The following ad hoc committees were organized, met, debated, or released studies during 2005.
ASSESSMENT OF OPTIONS FOR EXTENDING THE LIFE OF THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
The ad hoc Committee on the Assessment of Options for Extending the Life of the Hubble Space Telescope provided congressional testimony regarding its report Assessment of Options for Extending the Life of the Hubble Space Telescope, which was released in 2004. Committee chair Louis Lanzerotti testified before the House Science Committee on February 2. Dr. Lanzerotti’s testimony was supported by comments from committee members Charles Bolden, Joe Rothenberg, and Joseph Taylor. The committee also responded to follow-up questions from Congress after the hearing. The committee’s final, edited report was published on February 28. Copies on CD-ROM were available in April 2005.
Membership*
Louis J. Lanzerotti, Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, and New Jersey Institute of Technology (chair)
Steven J. Battel, Battel Engineering
Charles F. Bolden, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps (retired); TechTrans International, Inc.
Rodney A. Brooks, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Jon H. Bryson, The Aerospace Corporation (retired)
Benjamin Buchbinder, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (retired)
Bert Bulkin, Lockheed Missiles and Space (retired)
Robert F. Dunn, U.S. Navy (retired); National Consortium for Aviation Mobility
Sandra M. Faber, University of California, Santa Cruz
B. John Garrick, Independent Consultant
Riccardo Giacconi, Johns Hopkins University; Associated Universities, Inc.
Gregory J. Harbaugh, Sun ’n Fun Fly-In, Inc.; Florida Air Museum
Tommy W. Holloway, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (retired)
John M. Klineberg, Space Systems/Loral (retired)
Vijay Kumar, University of Pennsylvania
Forrest S. McCartney, U.S. Air Force (retired); Lockheed Martin Astronautics (retired)
Stephen M. Rock, Stanford University
Joseph H. Rothenberg, Universal Space Network
Joseph H. Taylor, Jr., Princeton University
Roger E. Tetrault, McDermott International, Inc. (retired)
Richard H. Truly, U.S. Navy (retired); National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Sandra J. Graham, Study Director, Space Studies Board
Celeste Naylor, Senior Program Assistant, Space Studies Board
ASTROBIOLOGY STRATEGY FOR THE EXPLORATION OF MARS
Advanced planning for the ad hoc Committee on the Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars started at COEL’s October meeting, and the committee is awaiting final approval of membership appointments. The group will meet four times in 2006, with the first meeting planned for January 23-25, 2006, at the National Academies’ Beckman Center in Irvine, California.
Membership
Bruce M. Jakosky, University of Colorado, Boulder (chair)
Jan P. Amend, Washington University
William M. Berelson, University of Southern California
Ruth Blake, Yale University
Susan L. Brantley, Pennsylvania State University
Michael H. Carr, U.S. Geological Survey
James K. Fredrickson, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Anthony Keefe, Archemix Corporation
Martin Keller, Diversa Corporation
Harry Y. McSween, Jr., University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Kenneth H. Nealson, University of Southern California
Barbara Sherwood-Lollar, University of Toronto
Andrew Steele, Carnegie Institution of Washington
Roger Summons, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Meenakshi Wadhwa, The Field Museum of Natural History
David H. Smith, Study Director
Rodney N. Howard, Senior Program Assistant
ASTRONOMY SCIENCE CENTERS: AN ASSESSMENT OF BEST PRACTICES AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE FUTURE
The ad hoc Committee on Astronomy Science Centers (ASC) is reviewing lessons learned from experience with NASA’s ensemble of space astronomy science centers in order to recommend a set of guiding principles and best practices for consideration in making decisions about approaches to meeting the needs of the astronomy community with future science centers. During its first meeting, August 16-18 in Washington, D.C., the committee heard presentations from the Chandra, Spitzer, XMM, Rossi, and Michelson science centers, as well as from NASA representatives from the Universe Division. The committee was briefed on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory science center, which operated during the Compton mission and was closed at the end of the mission. A representative from NASA Langley Research Center spoke to the committee about the approach to science centers taken by the Earth science community for the Earth Observing System Data and Information System.
On October 26-27, committee chair Stephen Bohlen and study director Pam Whitney conducted site visits at four astronomy science centers in the Washington, D.C., area: NASA Goddard High Energy Astrophysics Science and Research Center, the XMM Guest Observer Center, the RXTE Guest Observer Facility and Science Operations Center, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. Site visits at the Michelson Science Center, Spitzer Science Center, and Chandra Science Center were scheduled to take place in 2006.
The committee held its second meeting on November 18-19 in Washington, D.C. Matthew Mountain made a presentation on the perspectives of the Space Telescope Science Institute. Committee members heard panel discussions on Science Center User Perspectives (J. Bregman, University of Michigan; Frits Paerels, Columbia University; and Megan Donahue, Michigan State University), Archiving and Data Management (Niel Brandt, Princeton University; Gordon Richards, Johns Hopkins University; and Megan Donahue, Michigan State University), and HEASARC Perspectives (Nicholas White, GSFC High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center). On the last day of the meeting the committee discussed the report outline and scheduled writing assignments and due dates.
The committee held its third meeting on February 9-11, 2006, in Washington, D.C. The committee heard from the Education and Public Outreach team members at STScI, Chandra Science Center, and Spitzer Science Center about their programs. The committee also heard from high school teachers and other educators about how these programs are used in the classroom and what changes they would like to see. The committee spent the rest of its meeting working on its report, which is expected in late 2006.
Membership
Steven R. Bohlen, Joint Oceanographic Institutions (chair)
Roger G. Barry, University of Colorado, Boulder
Stephen S. Holt, Babson College; Olin College
Richard A. McCray, University of Colorado, Boulder
Alexander Sandor Szalay, Johns Hopkins University
Paula Szkody, University of Washington
Paul Adrian Vanden Bout, National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Pamela L. Whitney, Study Director
Brian D. Dewhurst, Study Director
Carmela J. Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant
DISTRIBUTED ARRAYS OF SMALL INSTRUMENTS FOR RESEARCH AND MONITORING IN SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL PHYSICS: A WORKSHOP
In response to a request from the National Science Foundation, the ad hoc Committee on Distributed Arrays of Small Instruments for Research and Monitoring in Solar-Terrestrial Physics: A Workshop was formed under the auspices of the Space Studies Board’s Committee on Solar and Space Physics to explore, via a community-based workshop, the scientific rationale, infrastructure needs, and issues related to implementation of what has become known as DASI—distributed arrays of small instruments. Participants of the June 2004 workshop, held at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, addressed the relevance of distributed instruments in their future program plans. Distributed Arrays of Small Instruments for Solar-Terrestrial Research: Report of a Workshop, released in February 2006, summarizes the discussions at the workshop; it does not present findings or recommendations.
Membership*
James L. Burch, Southwest Research Institute (chair)
Claudia J. Alexander, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Vassilis Angelopoulos, University of California, Berkeley
Anthony Chan, Rice University
James F. Drake, Jr., University of Maryland, College Park
John C. Foster, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stephen A. Fuselier, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center
Sarah Gibson, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Craig Kletzing, University of Iowa
Gang Lu, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Barry H. Mauk, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
Eugene N. Parker, University of Chicago (emeritus professor)
Robert W. Schunk, Utah State University
Gary P. Zank, University of California, Riverside
Arthur Charo, Study Director
Theresa M. Fisher, Senior Program Assistant
EARTH SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS FROM SPACE: A COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGY FOR THE FUTURE
In response to requests from NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey, a decadal survey of Earth science and applications from space was organized in 2004. Developed in consultation with members of the Earth science community, the guiding principle for the study is to set an agenda for observations in support of Earth science and applications from space in which attaining practical benefits for humankind plays a role equal to that of acquiring new knowledge about Earth.
Among the key tasks are to develop a consensus on the top-level scientific questions that should provide the focus for Earth and environmental observations in the period 2005-2015, and to develop a prioritized list of recommended space programs, missions, and supporting activities to address these questions.
The study, “Earth Science and Applications from Space: A Community Assessment and Strategy for the Future” (ESAS), is being conducted by an executive committee and seven study panels organized to address the following topics:
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Earth Science Applications and Societal Benefits;
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Land-use Change, Ecosystem Dynamics, and Biodiversity;
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Weather (including space weather and chemical weather);
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Climate Variability and Change;
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Water Resources and the Global Hydrologic Cycle;
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Human Health and Security; and
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Solid-Earth Hazards, Resources, and Dynamics.
The members of six of the panels were approved by the NRC during the first quarter.
The ESAS committee held its second meeting on January 5-6 at the National Academies’ Beckman Center in Irvine, California, focusing on generating an outline and draft of an interim report that would address near-term issues that require attention prior to publication of the committee’s full decadal survey in 2006.
To obtain the greatest possible input of ideas from the community about potential mission concepts addressing Earth science research and applications, the committee released a request for information, requesting responses by May 16. The committee was especially interested in ideas for missions or programs that are directly linked to societal needs and benefits. The committee established a Web site where interested members of the community could stay up to date with the study and provide views to the committee.
Also during the first quarter, members of the committee gave presentations at the annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society and at meetings of NASA roadmap and Earth science advisory committees.
The ESAS interim report, Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation, was released on April 25. Issues addressed in the interim report include (1) the absence of a robust mission queue for the future Earth science missions that will build logically on the highly successful EOS missions; (2) a precarious plan to use instruments on the nation’s next generation of weather satellites; and (3) threats to the
viability of programs for advanced technologies, research and analysis, and climate data programs. Committee co-chair Berrien Moore testified on the interim report at a hearing of the House Committee on Science on April 28.
The following ESAS panels met during the second quarter: Water Resources and the Global Hydrologic Cycle, May 9-10, Boulder, Colorado; Weather, June 22-23, Boulder, Colorado; and Solid-Earth Hazards, Resources, and Dynamics, June 28-29, Washington, D.C.
During the third quarter, the steering committee met in Washington, D.C., and the Panel on Climate Variability and Change met at Pennsylvania State University. On August 28-September 1, at the National Academies’ Beckman Center in Irvine, California, the steering committee and the following panels met jointly: Earth Science Applications and Societal Benefits; Land-use Change, Ecosystem Dynamics, and Biodiversity; Weather (including space weather and chemical weather); Water Resources and the Global Hydrologic Cycle; Human Health and Security; and Solid-Earth Hazards, Resources, and Dynamics.
In addition to enabling progress on the panel reports, the August meeting in Irvine provided an opportunity for participants in the survey to discuss issues of mutual interest and to agree on a common framework for the final report. Speakers in open sessions reviewed current agency plans and international programs in Earth science and applications from space. Presentations to individual panels included discussions on particular technologies (e.g., space-based lidar) and future missions (e.g., precipitation measurements after the Global Precipitation Measurement mission).
The final version of the survey’s interim report, Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation, was published in September. Its Summary is reprinted in Chapter 4, pp. 50-55.
During the fourth quarter, the ESAS study committee and each of the panels met once, as follows:
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Study committee, October 25-26, Washington, D.C.;
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Earth Science Applications and Societal Benefits, October 31-November 1, Washington, D.C.;
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Land-use Change, Ecosystem Dynamics, and Biodiversity, November 17-18, Washington, D.C.;
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Weather (including space weather and chemical weather), November 11-12, Woods Hole, Massachusetts;
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Climate Variability and Change, October 24-26, Washington, D.C.;
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Water Resources and the Global Hydrologic Cycle, November 14-15, Seattle, Washington;
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Human Health and Security, December 1-2, Washington, D.C.; and
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Solid-Earth Hazards, Resources, and Dynamics, November 17-18, Washington, D.C.
In addition, the committee and the panels held numerous teleconferences. Members of the Earth Science Applications and Societal Benefits panel also attended most of the meetings of the other panels. Meetings of the committee and panels that had not already held their third and final meetings were scheduled for 2006.
Representatives from the committee and the panels were present on December 6 for a well-attended “town hall” community forum, held in conjunction with the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. A town hall event was also planned for January 30, 2006, at the annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society.
The final report from the committee, which will include a prioritized list of potential activities to advance Earth science and applications from space, is expected in late 2006.
ESAS Executive Committee Membership
Richard A. Anthes, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (co-chair)
Berrien Moore III, University of New Hampshire (co-chair)
James G. Anderson, Harvard University
Susan K. Avery, University of Colorado, Boulder
Eric J. Barron, Pennsylvania State University
Otis B. Brown, Jr., University of Miami
Susan L. Cutter, University of South Carolina
William B. Gail, Vexcel Corporation
Bradford H. Hager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Anthony Hollingsworth, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (retired)
Anthony C. Janetos, H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment
Kathryn A. Kelly, University of Washington
Neal F. Lane, Rice University
Dennis P. Lettenmaier, University of Washington
Bruce D. Marcus, TRW Inc. (retired)
Aram M. Mika,* Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company
Risa I. Palm,† Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
Warren M. Washington, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Mark L. Wilson, University of Michigan
Mary Lou Zoback, U.S. Geological Survey
Arthur Charo, Study Director, Space Studies Board
Anne Linn, Senior Program Officer, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources‡
Theresa M. Fisher, Senior Program Assistant, Space Studies Board
ESAS Panel on Earth Science Applications and Societal Benefits Membership
Anthony C. Janetos, H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment (chair)
Roberta Balstad, Columbia University (vice chair)
Jay Apt, Carnegie Mellon University
Philip E. Ardanuy, Raytheon Information Solutions
Randall Friedl, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Michael F. Goodchild, University of California, Santa Barbara
Molly K. Macauley, Resources for the Future, Inc.
Gordon McBean, University of Western Ontario
David L. Skole, Michigan State University
Leigh Welling, Crown of the Continent Learning Center
Thomas J. Wilbanks, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Gary W. Yohe, Wesleyan University
Arthur Charo, Study Director, Space Studies Board
Theresa M. Fisher, Senior Program Assistant, Space Studies Board
ESAS Panel on Land-use Change, Ecosystem Dynamics, and Biodiversity Membership
Otis B. Brown, Jr., University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (chair)
Ruth S. Defries, University of Maryland, College Park (vice chair)
Mark R. Abbott, Oregon State University
Christopher B. Field, Carnegie Institution of Washington
Inez Y. Fung, University of California, Berkeley
Marc Levy, Center for International Earth Sciences Information Network
James J. McCarthy, Harvard University
Jerry M. Melillo, Marine Biological Laboratory
Walter V. Reid, Stanford University
David S. Schimel, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Arthur Charo, Study Director, Space Studies Board
Dan Walker, Scholar, Ocean Studies Board
Carmela J. Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant, Space Studies Board
ESAS Panel on Weather Membership
Susan K. Avery, University of Colorado, Boulder (chair)
Thomas H. Vonder Haar, Colorado State University (vice chair)
Edward V. Browell, NASA Langley Research Center
Lt. Col. William B. Cade III, Air Force Weather Agency
Bradley R. Colman, National Weather Service
Jenni-Louise Evans, Pennsylvania State University
Eugenia Kalnay, University of Maryland, College Park
Roger A. Pielke, Jr., University of Colorado, Boulder
Christopher Ruf, University of Michigan
Carl F. Schueler, Raytheon Company
Jeremy Usher, Weathernews Americas, Inc.
Christopher S. Velden, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Robert A. Weller, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Arthur Charo, Study Director, Space Studies Board
Theresa M. Fisher, Senior Program Assistant, Space Studies Board
ESAS Panel on Climate Variability and Change Membership
Eric J. Barron, Pennsylvania State University (chair)
Joyce E. Penner, University of Michigan (vice chair)
Gregory Carbone, University of South Carolina
James A. Coakley, Jr., Oregon State University
Sarah T. Gille, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Kenneth C. Jezek, Ohio State University
Judith L. Lean, Naval Research Laboratory
Gundrun Magnusdottir, University of California, Irvine
Paola Malanotte-Rizzoli, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michael Oppenheimer, Princeton University
Claire L. Parkinson, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Michael J. Prather, University of California, Irvine
Mark R. Schoeberl, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Byron D. Tapley, University of Texas, Austin
Arthur Charo, Study Director, Space Studies Board
Celeste Naylor, Senior Program Assistant, Space Studies Board
ESAS Panel on Water Resources and the Global Hydrologic Cycle Membership
Dennis P. Lettenmaier, University of Washington (chair)
Anne W. Nolin, University of Oregon (vice chair)
Wilfried H. Brutsaert, Cornell University
Anny Cazenave, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES)
Carol Anne Clayson, Florida State University
Jeff Dozier, University of California, Santa Barbara
Dara Entekhabi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Richard Forster, University of Utah
Charles D.D. Howard, Independent Consultant
Christian D. Kummerow, Colorado State University
Steven W. Running, University of Montana
Charles J. Vorosmarty, University of New Hampshire
Arthur Charo, Study Director, Space Studies Board
William Logan, Senior Staff Officer, Water Science and Technology Board
Theresa M. Fisher, Senior Program Assistant, Space Studies Board
ESAS Panel on Human Health and Security Membership
Mark L. Wilson, University of Michigan (chair)
Rita R. Colwell, University of Maryland, College Park (vice chair)
Daniel G. Brown, University of Michigan
Walter F. Dabberdt, Vaisala, Inc.
William F. Davenhall, ESRI
John R. Delaney, University of Washington
Gregory Glass, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Daniel J. Jacob, Harvard University
James H. Maguire, University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Medicine
Paul M. Maughan, MyoSite Diagnostics, Inc.
Joan B. Rose, Michigan State University
Ronald B. Smith, Yale University
Patricia Ann Tester, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Arthur Charo, Study Director, Space Studies Board
Raymond Wassel, Senior Program Officer, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology
Theresa M. Fisher, Senior Program Assistant, Space Studies Board
ESAS Panel on Solid-Earth Hazards, Resources, and Dynamics Membership
Bradford H. Hager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (chair)
Susan L. Brantley, Pennsylvania State University (vice chair)
Jeremy Bloxham, Harvard University
Richard K. Eisner, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Alexander F.H. Goetz, University of Colorado, Boulder
Christian J. Johannsen, Purdue University
James W. Kirchner, University of California, Berkeley
William I. Rose, Michigan Technological University
Haresh C. Shah, Stanford University
Dirk Smit, Shell E&P Technology Company
Howard A. Zebker, Stanford University
Maria T. Zuber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Arthur Charo, Study Director, Space Studies Board
Dan Walker, Scholar, Ocean Studies Board
Carmela J. Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant, Space Studies Board
EXPLORING ORGANIC ENVIRONMENTS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
The Task Group on Exploring Organic Environments in the Solar System (TGOESS), a joint ad hoc committee under the auspices of COMPLEX, COEL, and the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, finalized its report Exploring Organic Environments in the Solar System, which looks at the sources, location, and history of organic carbon in the solar system. TGOESS did not meet during 2005. Publication of the report is expected in fall 2006.
Membership*
James P. Ferris, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (chair)
Luann Becker, University of California, Santa Barbara
Kristie A. Boering, University of California, Berkeley
George D. Cody, Carnegie Institution of Washington
G. Barney Ellison, University of Colorado
John M. Hayes, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Robert E. Johnson, University of Virginia
William Klemperer, Harvard University
Karen J. Meech, University of Hawaii, Honolulu
Keith S. Noll, Space Telescope Science Institute
Martin Saunders, Yale University
David H. Smith, Study Director, Space Studies Board
Sandra J. Graham, Senior Program Officer, Space Studies Board
Christopher K. Murphy, Senior Program Officer, Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology
Rodney N. Howard, Senior Program Assistant
EXTENDING THE EFFECTIVE LIFETIMES OF EARTH OBSERVING RESEARCH MISSIONS
The ad hoc committee for the study “Extending the Effective Lifetimes of Earth Observing Research Missions” completed its report, Extending the Effective Lifetimes of Earth Observing Research Missions, in November. Its Executive Summary is reprinted in Chapter 4, pp. 56-57. The report evaluated the effectiveness of the mission extension paradigm as a means for managing mission life cycles, assessed whether the NASA Senior Review process provides an appropriate foundation to implement an Earth science mission extension process, and identified modifications to the Senior Review process that could enhance its value for Earth science missions.
Membership
Michael H. Freilich, Oregon State University, Chair
Antonio J. Busalacchi, Jr., University of Maryland
Carol Anne Clayson, Florida State University
William B. Gail, Vexcel Corporation
William C. Gibson, Southwest Research Institute
Sarah T. Gille, University of California, San Diego
Ross N. Hoffman, Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc.
Bruce D. Marcus, TRW, Inc. (retired)
Steven W. Running, University of Montana
Carl F. Schueler, Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing
Robert A. Shuchman, Altarum, Inc.
Roy W. Spencer, University of Alabama
William Stoney, Mitretek Corporation
Jan Svejkovsky, Ocean Imaging, Inc.
Kurt Thome, University of Arizona
John R.G. Townshend, University of Maryland
Arthur Charo, Study Director
Theresa M. Fisher, Senior Program Assistant
Catherine A. Gruber, Assistant Editor
LARGE OPTICAL SYSTEMS IN SPACE
During the first quarter, SSB staff members worked with several agencies, including NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the U.S. Air Force, NOAA, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to obtain sponsorship for a study on large optical systems in space (LOIS). During the second quarter, NASA and NRO jointly requested the study, which will organize and conduct a survey and analysis of technology opportunities and issues relevant to development and operation of medium-size and large optical systems in space. Access to classified information will be required, and part of the resulting report is expected to be classified.
NRC staff began soliciting suggestions for candidate committee members—especially individuals with active security clearances. A chair and several committee members were selected during the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, however, NASA suggested revisions to the statement of task. Committee formation was suspended, and the previously selected chair had to withdraw for personal reasons. At the end of 2005, the SSB was awaiting the revised statement of task from NASA (which was received in March 2006).
Provisional Membership
J. Roger P. Angel, University of Arizona
Wanda M. Austin, The Aerospace Corporation
James H. Burge, University of Arizona
Michael J. Daugherty, The Aerospace Corporation (retired)
Robert J. Hermann, Global Technology Partners, LLC
Vijay Kumar, University of Pennsylvania
David W. Miller, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peter A. Pilewskie, University of Colorado, Boulder
Ray A. Williamson, George Washington University
Pamela L. Whitney, Study Director
Carmela J. Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant
LIMITS OF ORGANIC LIFE IN PLANETARY SYSTEMS
The Task Group on the Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems, a joint ad hoc committee of the Space Studies Board and the Board on Life Sciences, met for the final time on March 14-16 at the National Academies’ Beckman Center in Irvine, California. This meeting was devoted to an extensive examination of extrasolar planetary environments and their potential biomarkers and to an update on the initial results from the Cassini-Huygens mission investigations of Titan. In addition to receiving presentations, the task group made extensive revisions to the draft outline, split into writing groups, and began to integrate individual ideas to form what would be the first draft of the report.
During the remainder of 2005, task group members continued to work on the report. Publication of the report is anticipated in the third quarter of 2006.
Membership
John A. Baross, University of Washington (chair)
Steven A. Benner, University of Florida
George D. Cody, Carnegie Institution of Washington
Shelley D. Copley, University of Colorado, Boulder
Norman R. Pace, University of Colorado, Boulder
James H. Scott, Carnegie Institution of Washington
Robert Shapiro, New York University
Mitchell L. Sogin, Marine Biological Laboratory
Jeffrey L. Stein, Quorex Pharmaceuticals
Roger Summons, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Jack W. Szostak, Massachusetts General Hospital
David H. Smith, Study Director
Rodney N. Howard, Senior Program Assistant
MEETING THE WORKFORCE NEEDS FOR THE NATIONAL VISION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION
The Committee on Meeting the Workforce Needs for the National Vision for Space Exploration was organized under the auspices of the SSB and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board to conduct a study to assess the current and future supply of personnel for a qualified U.S. aerospace workforce that will be required to meet the needs of NASA and the larger aerospace science and engineering community in the context of the nation’s long-term space exploration vision. The committee met by teleconference on December 21 to organize a 2-day information-gathering workshop, which was held in January 2006 at the National Academies’ Keck Center in Washington, D.C. An interim report, Issues Affecting the Future of the U.S. Space Science and Engineering Workforce: Interim Report, was released in June 2006.
Membership
David C. Black, Universities Space Research Association (co-chair)
Daniel E. Hastings, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (co-chair)
Burt S. Barnow, Johns Hopkins University
John W. Douglass, Aerospace Industries Association of America, Inc.
Ray M. Haynes, Northrop Grumman Space Technology
Margaret G. Kivelson, University of California, Los Angeles
William Pomerantz, X PRIZE Foundation
Joseph H. Rothenberg, Universal Space Network
Kathryn C. Thornton, University of Virginia
Joseph K. Alexander, Study Director
Dwayne Day, Research Associate
Celeste Naylor, Senior Program Assistant
PLANETARY PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS FOR VENUS MISSIONS
The ad hoc Committee on Planetary Protection Requirements for Venus Missions, established under the auspices of COEL, was officially appointed during the third quarter and tasked with assessing the existing planetary protection requirements for spacecraft missions to Venus. The committee met in conjunction with COEL’s October 3-5 meeting in Boulder, Colorado, and held a subsequent conference call to finalize the text of the report. A draft letter report was completed in late October and sent to external reviewers on November 2. The final letter report, “Assessment of Planetary Protection Requirements for Venus Missions,” was released on February 14, 2006.
Membership
Jack W. Szostak, Massachusetts General Hospital (chair)
Ruth Blake, Yale University
Michael J. Daly, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
David H. Grinspoon, Southwest Research Institute
Anthony Keefe, Archemix Corporation
Gary J. Olsen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Robert L. Riemer, Study Director
David H. Smith, Senior Program Officer
Rodney N. Howard, Senior Program Assistant
PREVENTING THE FORWARD CONTAMINATION OF MARS
The ad hoc Committee on Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars prepared its report for external review during the first quarter and revised its draft report in response to review during the second quarter. On July 25, committee chair Christopher Chyba gave prerelease briefings on the prepublication version of Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars to staff of the Senate Subcommittee on Science and Space and the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics and to NASA managers. On July 26, the prepublication version of the report was released, and Dr. Chyba briefed NASA’s Planetary Protection Advisory Committee, a subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council, on the report results. Committee members David Paige, John Niehoff, and Margaret Race presented the results of the report to the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) in November. Dr. Paige presented the report to the NRC Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life (COEL) at its January 2006 meeting and is scheduled to present it at the 36th COSPAR Scientific Assembly to be held in Beijing, China, July 16-23, 2006. The final report was published in March 2006. Its Executive Summary is reprinted in Chapter 4, pp. 58-66.
Membership
Christopher F. Chyba, Princeton University (chair)
Stephen Clifford, Lunar and Planetary Institute
Alan Delamere, Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation
Martin S. Favero, Johnson & Johnson Company
Eric J. Mathur, Diversa Corporation
John C. Niehoff, Science Applications International Corporation
Gian Gabriele Ori, Universitá d’Annunzio
David A. Paige, University of California, Los Angeles
Ann Pearson, Harvard University
John C. Priscu, Montana State University
Margaret S. Race, SETI Institute
Mitchell L. Sogin, Marine Biological Laboratory
Cristina Takacs-Vesbach, University of New Mexico
Pamela L. Whitney, Study Director
Carmela J. Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant
PRINCIPAL-INVESTIGATOR-LED MISSIONS IN THE SPACE SCIENCES: LESSONS LEARNED
The ad hoc Committee on Principal Investigator (PI)-Led Missions in the Space Sciences continued its work in exploring factors that have contributed to the successes and challenges of PI-led missions, mainly in the Discovery and Explorer lines, and considering the Mars Scout and New Frontiers PI mission lines. The committee met on February 1-3 at the National Academies’ Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center in Irvine, California, to obtain perspectives from PIs, project managers, and agency officials; work on the first draft of the report; draft findings and recommendations; and agree on a schedule for report development. Al Diaz, Associate Administrator for Science in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, answered via videoconference the committee’s questions on PI-led missions. Other presentations included interviews with PIs and project managers on PI-led missions and perspectives from Charles Elachi and Tom Gavin (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Michael Malin (Malin Space Science Systems), Edward Stone (Caltech), Paul Hertz (NASA Headquarters), Anthony Comberiate (GSFC), and William Cantrell (NASA Headquarters).
The committee completed its draft report during the second quarter and its response to external review in the third quarter.
During the fourth quarter, the committee completed its report, Principal-Investigator-Led Missions in the Space Sciences, and on December 15 committee chair Janet Luhmann briefed the NASA Science Mission Directorate’s associate administrator and deputy associate administrator, as well as other NASA managers, on the results of the
study. At this meeting, Malcolm Peterson presented the results of the concurrent National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) report NASA: Principal Investigator Led Missions in Space Science. The NRC and NAPA collaborated on their studies. A prepublication version of the NRC report was released to the public on December 16. The final report was published in March 2006. Its Executive Summary is reprinted in Chapter 4, pp. 67-74.
Membership
Janet G. Luhmann, University of California, Berkeley (chair)
James S. Barrowman, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (retired)
Mary Chiu, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory (retired)
Hugh H. Kieffer, U.S. Geological Survey (retired)
John W. Leibacher, National Solar Observatory
Gary J. Melnick, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
H. Warren Moos, Johns Hopkins University
Kathryn Schmoll, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Alan M. Title, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center
Pamela L. Whitney, Study Director
Carmela J. Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant
PRIORITIES FOR SPACE SCIENCE ENABLED BY NUCLEAR POWER AND PROPULSION
The ad hoc Committee on Priorities for Space Science Enabled by Nuclear Power and Propulsion was organized jointly with the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board to identify meritorious space science missions that could be enabled in the time frame beyond 2015 by development of advanced spacecraft nuclear power and propulsion systems. The committee consists of its Steering Group and three supporting panels—Solar System Exploration, Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Solar and Space Physics.
The Steering Group and panels held all of their meetings in 2004 and did not meet in 2005. The Steering Group synthesized the reports of the three science panels and assembled a draft of the report in March. It was sent to eight reviewers in early April, revised in May and June, and approved for release on July 22. A prepublication version of the Executive Summary of the report, Priorities in Space Science Enabled by Nuclear Power and Propulsion, was delivered to NASA on August 25 and was released to the general public on August 30. The report was published in March 2006. Its Executive Summary is reprinted in Chapter 4, pp. 75-82.
Steering Group Membership
William A. Anders, General Dynamics Corporation (retired) (co-chair)
Ellen R. Stofan, Proxemy Research, Inc. (co-chair)
Reta F. Beebe, New Mexico State University
William D. Cochran, University of Texas, Austin
Robert Farquhar, Johns Hopkins University
Sergio B. Guarro, The Aerospace Corporation
William W. Hoover, U.S. Air Force (retired)
Steven D. Howe, Los Alamos National Laboratory
William J. Madia, Battelle Memorial Institute
William B. McKinnon, Washington University
Nathan A. Schwadron, Southwest Research Institute
David H. Smith, Senior Program Officer, Space Studies Board
Alan C. Angleman, Program Officer, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
Rodney N. Howard, Senior Program Assistant, Space Studies Board
Astronomy and Astrophysics Panel Membership
E. Sterl Phinney III, California Institute of Technology (chair)
William D. Cochran, University of Texas, Austin (vice chair)
Gary Bernstein, University of Pennsylvania
Webster C. Cash, University of Colorado, Boulder
Michael S. Kaplan, The Boeing Company
Victoria M. Kaspi, McGill University
Daniel F. Lester, University of Texas, Austin
Ho Jung Paik, University of Maryland
Edward L. Wright, University of California, Los Angeles
Solar and Space Physics Panel Membership
William C. Feldman, Los Alamos National Laboratory (chair)
Nathan A. Schwadron, Southwest Research Institute (vice chair)
Stephen W. Bougher, University of Michigan
Herbert Funsten, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Umran S. Inan, Stanford University
William S. Kurth, University of Iowa
Paulett C. Liewer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Robert P. Lin, University of California, Berkeley
Ralph McNutt, Johns Hopkins University
Mark E. Wiedenbeck, California Institute of Technology
Solar System Exploration Panel Membership
Richard P. Binzel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (chair)
Reta F. Beebe, New Mexico State University (vice chair)
Anita L. Cochran, University of Texas, Austin
Michael Duke, Colorado School of Mines
Martha S. Gilmore, Wesleyan University
Heidi B. Hammel, Space Science Institute
James W. Head III, Brown University
Krishan Khurana, University of California, Los Angeles
Ralph Lorenz, University of Arizona
Louise M. Prockter, Johns Hopkins University
Thomas R. Spilker, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
David J. Stevenson, California Institute of Technology
REVIEW OF PROGRESS IN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS TOWARD THE DECADAL VISION
In the fall of 2004, the ad hoc Committee on Review of Progress in Astronomy and Astrophysics Toward the Decadal Vision was organized to prepare a letter report (formerly referred to as the Mid-Course Review) that would review scientific discoveries and technical advances in astronomy and astrophysics over the 5 years since publication of the decadal survey, Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium, and address the implications of those developments and recent changes in the federal program. The committee’s letter report, “Review of Progress in Astronomy and Astrophysics Toward the Decadal Vision,” was released on February 11, 2005. The letter report is reprinted in Chapter 5.
Membership*
C. Megan Urry, Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (chair)
Lars Bildsten, University of California, Santa Barbara
Roger D. Blandford, Stanford University
John E. Carlstrom, University of Chicago
Neal J. Evans II, University of Texas, Austin
Jacqueline N. Hewitt, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Craig James Hogan, University of Washington
John P. Huchra, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Christopher F. McKee, University of California, Berkeley
Anneila I. Sargent, California Institute of Technology
Sara Seager, Carnegie Institution of Washington
Charles E. Woodward, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Brian D. Dewhurst, Research Associate
Pamela A. Lewis, Project Associate
David B. Lang, Research Assistant
REVIEW OF SCIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ATACAMA LARGE MILLIMETER ARRAY
The ad hoc Committee to Review the Science Requirements for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), organized jointly with the Board on Physics and Astronomy, was appointed to review the technical requirements for ALMA and prepare a report analyzing the impact on its performance and scientific merit of a reduction in the number of elements in the array. ALMA is a multinational project being carried out between North America (the United States and Canada), Europe (the European Southern Observatory [ESO] and Spain), and Japan. Initial bidding on construction of the individual antennas in the array has raised the possibility that the project may need to be descoped in order to manage its cost. The ALMA committee met at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, on May 6-7, devoting most of the meeting to the generation of an outline and initial draft of the report. The committee’s report, The Atacama Large Millimeter Array: Implications of a Potential Descope, was released on June 10 as a prepublication version and was published in final form on October 27, 2005. Its Summary is reprinted in Chapter 4, p. 49.
Membership*
Roger D. Blandford, Stanford University (chair)
Donald C. Backer, University of California, Berkeley
John E. Carlstrom, University of Chicago
Sarah E. Church, Stanford University
Lennox L. Cowie, University of Hawaii, Manoa
Aaron S. Evans, State University of New York at Stony Brook
David J. Hollenbach, NASA Ames Research Center
Anthony C. Readhead, California Institute of Technology
Mark J. Reid, Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
David N. Spergel, Princeton University
Brian Dewhurst, Study Director
Donald C. Shapero, Director, Board on Physics and Astronomy
Celeste Naylor, Senior Program Assistant, Space Studies Board
REVIEWS OF NASA STRATEGIC ROADMAPS
The Space Studies Board, working jointly with the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, organized independent reviews of seven strategic roadmaps that were developed under direction of NASA’s Advanced Planning and Integration Office. These strategic roadmaps were intended to present specific objectives, priorities, milestones, decision points, and implementation approaches in support of the agency’s 13 top-level objectives. The reviews evaluated the roadmaps in terms of responsiveness to NASA’s vision, mission, and major strategic goals; intrinsic scientific merit and potential for contributing decisive or transformational technological or scientific advancements; coverage of crosscutting issues; clarity of priorities and the process for setting priorities; and realism with respect to necessary resources, technologies, facilities, and schedule. Two separate review panels were established—one to review the six science roadmaps and one to review plans for use of the International Space Station.
The Science Panel met on June 13-15 in Washington, D.C., to hear presentations from representatives for each of the NASA science roadmap teams and prepare an outline and initial draft of the report. The report, Review of Goals and Plans for NASA’s Space and Earth Sciences, was delivered to NASA in prepublication form on August 2. The final report was published in March 2006. Its Executive Summary is reprinted in Chapter 4, pp. 83-87. The report addressed the following topics:
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Robotic and human exploration of Mars;
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A sustained program of solar system exploration;
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Advanced telescope searches for Earth-like planets and habitable environments around neighboring stars;
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Exploration of the origin, evolution, structure, and destiny of the universe;
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Earth science and applications; and
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Sun-solar system connections.
The Space Station Panel met on October 3-5 in Washington, D.C., to hear briefings from NASA officials regarding potential NASA plans relevant to the completion of the International Space Station and its utilization for research to support human exploration. The panel began drafting its report at that meeting and completed it in the weeks that followed. The report, Review of NASA Plans for the International Space Station, was delivered to NASA on November 22 and released in prepublication form the following week. The final report was published in March 2006. Its Executive Summary is reprinted in Chapter 4, pp. 88-91.
Science Panel Membership*
George A. Paulikas, The Aerospace Corporation (chair)
Reta F. Beebe, New Mexico State University
Wendy M. Calvin, University of Nevada, Reno
William D. Cochran, University of Texas, Austin
Edward Friedman, The Boeing Company
Sarah T. Gille, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
John Haas, Applied Research Associates, Inc.
Michael G. Hauser, Space Telescope Science Institute
Christopher O. Justice, University of Maryland, College Park
John W. Leibacher, National Solar Observatory
Robert P. Lin, University of California, Berkeley
Molly K. Macauley, Resources for the Future, Inc.
Steven R. Majewski, University of Virginia
Barry H. Mauk, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
Louise M. Prockter, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
J. Craig Wheeler, University of Texas, Austin
Sandra J. Graham, Study Director
Celeste Naylor, Senior Program Assistant
Space Station Panel Membership*
Mary J. Osborn, University of Connecticut Health Center (chair)
Portonovo S. Ayyaswamy, University of Pennsylvania
James P. Bagian, Veterans Health Administration
Elizabeth R. Cantwell, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Michael J. Econs, Indiana University School of Medicine
Tommy W. Holloway, Independent Consultant
Herman J. Merte, Jr., University of Michigan
James Pawelczyk, Pennsylvania State University
James G. Quintiere, University of Maryland, College Park
Dennis W. Readey, Colorado School of Mines
Danny A. Riley, Medical College of Wisconsin
Carol E.H. Scott-Conner, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Peter Suedfeld, University of British Columbia
Kenneth T. Wheeler, Jr., Wheeler Scientific Consultants, Inc.
Sandra J. Graham, Study Director
Celeste Naylor, Senior Program Assistant
SCIENTIFIC CONTEXT FOR SPACE EXPLORATION
The ad hoc Committee on the Scientific Context for Space Exploration met on November 17-19, 2004, at the National Academies’ Beckman Center in Irvine, California. During the meeting the committee reviewed developments since publication of the report on the 2003 NRC space policy workshop, held extended discussions with NASA’s associate administrator for science and the NASA director of advanced planning, and received briefings on relevant aspects of the report of the President’s Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy1 and on related space exploration planning in Europe. The committee also received input from the disciplinary standing committees of the Space Studies Board regarding recent relevant NRC science strategy reports and the implications of the strategy reports for the new space exploration goals. All of those discussions served to inform the committee’s deliberations, which led to its consensus report. The committee’s report, Science in NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration, was released on February 2, 2005. Its Summary is reprinted in Chapter 4, pp. 92-94.
Membership*
Lennard A. Fisk, University of Michigan (chair)
Daniel N. Baker, University of Colorado, Boulder
Ana P. Barros, Duke University
Reta F. Beebe, New Mexico State University
Roger D. Blandford, Stanford University
Radford Byerly, Jr., University of Colorado, Boulder
Donald E. Ingber, Harvard Medical School
Tamara E. Jernigan, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Margaret G. Kivelson, University of California, Los Angeles
Laurie Leshin, Arizona State University
Suzanne Oparil, University of Alabama, Birmingham
George A. Paulikas, The Aerospace Corporation (retired)
Ronald F. Probstein, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dennis W. Readey, Colorado School of Mines
Edward C. Stone, California Institute of Technology
Harvey D. Tananbaum, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
J. Craig Wheeler, University of Texas, Austin
A. Thomas Young, Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired)
Joseph K. Alexander, Study Director
David H. Smith, Senior Program Officer
Claudette K. Baylor-Fleming, Administrative Assistant
SOLAR SYSTEM RADIATION ENVIRONMENT AND NASA’S VISION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION
CSSP chair Dan Baker and SSB staff officer Art Charo served on the organizing committee for a workshop held on October 16-20 in Wintergreen, Virginia, that brought together more than 100 members of the space science, planetary science, radiation physics, spaceflight operations, and exploration engineering communities. The goals of this Workshop on Solar System Radiation Environment and NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration were to:
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Increase awareness and understanding of the complex array of solar and space physics issues pertinent to the environments of Earth, the Moon, and Mars;
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Identify compelling research goals necessary to ensure the success of the Vision for Space Exploration in these environments; and
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Discuss the directions that research in these fields should take over the coming decades in order to achieve those goals.
A particular emphasis of the workshop was on improving predictions of solar energetic particle storms, the solar eruptions that produce them, and the impact of solar storms on the Earth, Moon, and Mars environments. Members of CSSP were appointed to serve on an ad hoc committee to write a report summarizing workshop discussions on issues such as the current characterization of the heliospheric radiation environment, physical mechanisms of energetic particle acceleration and transport, radiation health hazards to astronauts, radiation effects on materials and spacecraft systems, and mitigation techniques and strategies, including forecasting and operational schemes. The anticipated release of the report is in summer 2006.
Membership
Daniel N. Baker, University of Colorado, Boulder (chair)
Leslie A. Braby, Texas A&M University-College Station
Stanley Curtis, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Jack R. Jokipii, University of Arizona
William S. Lewis, Southwest Research Institute
Jack Miller, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Walter Schimmerling, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Howard J. Singer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Leonard Strachan, Jr., Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Lawrence W. Townsend, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Ronald E. Turner, ANSER (Analytic Services, Inc.)
Thomas H. Zurbuchen, University of Michigan
Dwayne Day, Study Director
Arthur Charo, Senior Program Officer
Celeste Naylor, Senior Program Assistant