Space Studies Board Annual Report 1999 (2000) / Chapter Skim
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3. Summaries of Major Reports
3. Summaries of Major Reports
Pages 36-58
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From page 36... ...
COMPLEX's 1994, An Integrated Strategyfor the Planetary Sciences: 1995-2010,2 advocated an approach to planetary studies emphasizing "hypothesizing and comprehending" rather than "cataloging and categorizing." More recently, NASA reports, including The Space Science Enterprise Strategic Plan3 and, in particular, Mission to the Solar System: Exploration and Discovery A Mission and Technology Roadmap,4 have outlined comprehensive plans for planetary exploration during the next several decades. The missions outlined in these plans are both generally consistent with the priorities outlined in the Integrated Strategy and other NRC reports,5~6 and are replete with examples of devices embodying some degree of mobility in the form of rovers, robotic arms, and the like.
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From page 37... ...
The science sources emphasize the need for very capable mobile platforms with these characteristics: · Synergy of instruments, that is, a suite of mutually complementary instruments rather than either a small number of instruments or many instruments that are independently conceived and developed; · Extensive range and long lifetime; and · One or more manipulative devices, such as claws, drills, and the like, some of which are likely to be complex and difficult to develop. These characteristics define a mobile platform that is fairly large and potentially rather complex.
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From page 38... ...
. To be fully effective, such field trials require thorough testing and calibration of instruments in the laboratory before they are mounted on a mobile platform, extensive field testing of mobile platforms both with and without instruments aboard, and full operational field testing of total systems.
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From page 39... ...
Summaries of Major Reports 39 mission designed to measure important atmospheric parameters at various altitudes can also collect surface spectral data important to geologists, geochemists, and exobiologists. Obviously, not all missions will satisfy all persons, but it seems clear that differences in mobile platform type and design are linked more to the target of the mission than to the interests of the scientists involved.
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From page 40... ...
These questions formed the focus of a workshop on the size limits of very small organisms, organized by the Steering Group for the Workshop on Size Limits of Very Small Microorganisms and held on October 22 and 23, 1998. Eighteen invited panelists, representing fields ranging from cell biology and molecular genetics to paleontology and mineralogy, joined with an almost equal number of other participants in a wide-ranging exploration of minimum cell size and the challenge of interpreting micro- and nano-scale features of sedimentary rocks found on Earth or elsewhere in the solar system.
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From page 41... ...
Observations on archaea indicate that, in general, they have size limits similar to those for bacteria. Two problems constrain discussions of minimal cell size in natural environments.
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From page 42... ...
Against this background, the Space Studies Board charged its Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX) to perform a comprehensive study to assess current knowledge about Europa, outline a strategy for future spacecraft missions to Europa, and identify opportunities for complementary Earth-based studies of Europa.
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From page 43... ...
2Space Studies Board, National Research Council, An Integrated Strategy for the Planetary Sciences: 1995-2010, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1994, pages 8 and 191.
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From page 44... ...
In a similar vein, the absence of identifiable surface environments that might support life or contain evidence of life on Europa and our complete lack of understanding of the chemical environment of the icy surface layer, the liquid water layer that may or may not underlie it, and the rocky interior of Europa suggest that a detailed exploration of the satellite will provide the best opportunity to answer these exciting questions. In other words, understanding the history of the satellite and the potential for life requires a detailed investigation into the geochemistry of the surface and subsurface ice or water, and of possible organic molecules or biological activity.
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From page 45... ...
If liquid water is present, the focus of follow-on missions should be to characterize surface materials and to access and study the liquid water. Priorities for the Initial Europa Mission COMPLEX recommends that the primary goals for the first Europa mission should be determining whether a global ocean of liquid water exists beneath the icy surface, determining if possible the spatial and geographical extent of liquid water, determining the bulk composition of the surface material, and character~zing the global geologic history and the nature of any ongoing surface and atmospheric processes.
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From page 46... ...
· NASA, to avoid "reinventing the wheel," should look to other federal agencies to deal with some of the scientific and technological issues and develop mechanisms for cooperating with goverrunents of other countries in exploring Earth analogs. · Appropriate planetary protection measures be determined and implemented on all relevant spacecraft missions.3 3Appropriate planetary protection measures are currently being determined by Me Space Studies Board Task Group on the Forward Contamination of Europa.
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From page 47... ...
In response to NASA's request, the Task Group to Review Alternative Institutional Arrangements for Space Station Research was formed under the auspices of the Space Studies Board and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board. The task group was charged with examining general principles, major roles and functions, organizational character, and other aspects of alternative institutional arrangements for facilitating the conduct of research on the ISS and with making recommendations to NASA.
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From page 48... ...
are conducted by the principal investigator, assisted by the payload developer, working with the ISS prime contractor and the space station program office at JSC. Following launch, flight operations are supported by the NASA discipline lead center.
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From page 49... ...
At the other extreme, the concept of an independently chartered corporation that would have full responsibility for the entire ISS program was viewed as too broad and ambitious and too disruptive of some activities that are now being handled satisfactorily to be appropriate for the time scale within which NASA needs to act. The NASA reference model provided an excellent starting point for an intermediate approach.
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From page 50... ...
investigators; Participate in all decisions regarding the allocation and operational use of resources available for the ISS; · Allocate ISS resources among government-sponsored and privately sponsored users, although it would not administer private-sector research funds; and · Disburse funds not only to research investigators but also to research support organizations such as research hardware developers, payload integration contractors, and operations support organizations. NASA headquarters should continue to set policy, define top-level strategy, advocate and defend budgets in the federal budget process, and allocate overall funding for ISS operation and utilization.
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From page 51... ...
1998. Commercial Development Plan for the International Space Station.
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From page 52... ...
INTRODUCTION The trilateral workshop originated, in part, from a joint SSB/CISP-ESSC study, U.S.-European Collaboration in Space Science, which recognized the need to consider interactions with other spacefaring partners such as Russia and Japan.2 Following publication of the joint study in 1998, both the ESSC and the SSB/CISP began to pursue relations with space science entities in Japan and agreed to initiate communications together. The SSB and ESSC identified the SRC under the Science Council of Japan as a similar entity with which to establish relations.
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From page 53... ...
U.S.-European Collaboration in Space Science, pp.
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From page 54... ...
These high-latitude radiation environments (energetic particles from solar storms and relativistic electrons in Earth's outer radiation belt) vary greatly over time, from benignly calm to severely stormy.
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From page 55... ...
It should receive high priority for early implementation. RELATIVISTIC ELECTRONS AND THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION For a portion of nearly every day, some fraction of the ISS orbit lies within the outer radiation belt, where relativistic electrons reside.
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From page 56... ...
Spacecraft in relatively low-altitude, polar orbits monitor the flux of relativistic electrons in the outer radiation belt, which the ISS orbit transects. Recommendation 4 addresses a need to channel the relevant information to SRAG at JSC.
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From page 57... ...
SPACE WEATHER MODELS APPLIED TO RADIATION RISK REDUCTION The above recommendations address means to exploit currently available resources to allow a rapid augmentation of the tools available for radiation risk management during ISS construction. Looking beyond these recommendations, there are actions of a tactical nature that can be taken to strengthen radiation risk management in the late phases of ISS construction and during ISS operations.
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From page 58... ...
astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts will be launched on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in March 2000 to begin a 3-month stay on flight 2R (the letter "R" in the flight designation denotes a Russian mission)
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