The Explorer Program for Astronomy and Astrophysics (1986) / Chapter Skim
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CONSIDERATIONS FOR AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM
CONSIDERATIONS FOR AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM
Pages 33-44
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, .... ..., · 100 0 100 400 · 100 0 100 400 JUE: High resolution ultraviolet absorption line spectra of hot stars i n the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)
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The costs associ ated with this complexity decrease the number of initiatives that can be accommodated within the Explorer budget and further reduce the frequency of flight opportunities. A commit ment to frequent flight opportunities should be made, and the scope of each Explorer project precisely defined to address a limited range of important scientific questions.
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3 . Project Engineering and Management For the Explorer Program to provide frequent flight opportunities for projects of limited scope, the criterion for suc cess must be perceived as the accomplishment of a well defined, rather limited set of scientific objectives.
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and XTE (X-ray Timing Explorer)
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Particular care should be taken not to overburden the project with management over head re quirements that inexorably increase costs and technical complexity. The allocation of management responsibilities among the NASA centers should establish simple, well defined lines of authority, with one center providing the prime management function, and teams re quired at other centers reporting directly to that management, not independently to NASA Headquar ters.
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We would urge NASA to study whether current management, engineering, and acquisition practices provide the highest likelihood of scientific return per dollar invested. In particular, a common, reusable spacecraft could be a cost-effective route to deriving more sci ence from the budget for some Explorer missions.
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Explorers operat ing at different wavelength bands in conjunction with each other and with the larger "permanent" observatories, is an attractive one indeed. SELECTION PROCEDURES NASA has issued a Dear Colleague Letter dated March 14, 1 986, entitled "Explorer Concept Study Program" to solicit concepts for future scientific missions.
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Target-of-opportunity efforts are a worthwhile component of the Explorer Program that give valuable scientific return and underscores its flexibil ity. We concur with the Space Science Board resolution of November 1 984 that selection for participation in this discre tionary component be made in a broad context.
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International collaborative programs have worked well because of the strong scientific liaison among astronomy and astrophysics researchers. Similar levels of technical abilities provide good working relationships and extremely productive scientific experiments.
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Two moderate class missions recommended by the Astron omy Survey Committee of the National Academy of Sciences, appear to be strong candidates for international collaborations: A Far Ultraviolet Spectrograph in Space and a Space VLB Interferometry Antenna. THE COST OF AN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS PROGRAM The current set of obligations in the Explorer Program beginning with FY 1987 totals approximately $170M ( in FY 1 986 dollars )
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With this budget, the direction and scope of a healthy Explorer Program can be firmly established in the next decade. During this time, we must overcome the crippling hiatus of launch opportunities, complete the backlog of missions, and rebuild a vigorous steady state in the Explorer Program.
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45 APPENDIX: ABBREVIATIONS USED IN TEXT ANS Astronomical Netherlands Satellite AXAF Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility COBE Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite CRRES Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite CSAA Committee on Space Astronomy and Astrophysics CSSP Committee on Solar and Space Physics ESA European Space Agency EURECA European Retrieval Carrier EUV Extreme Ultraviolet EUVE Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer EXOSAT European X-ray Astronomy Satellite GRO Gamma-Ray Observatory HEAO High Energy Astronomical Observatory HESP High Energy Solar Physics Experiment HNC Heavy Nuclei Collector HST Hubble Space Telescope IMP Interplanetary Monitoring Platform IRAS Infrared Astronomical Satellite ISEE Interplanetary Sun-Earth Explorer IUE International Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite LDEF Long Duration Exposure Facility LDR Large Deployable Reflector MMS Multiple Mission Spacecraft NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration oso Orbiting Solar Observatory RAE Radio Astronomy Explorer Satellite ROSAT Roentgen Satellite SAS Small Astronomy Satellite SERC Science and Engineering Research Council ( United Kingdom) SIRTF Space Infrared Telescope Facility SMM Solar Maximum Mission TDRSS Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System VLB Very Long Baseline XTE X-ray Timing Explorer Satellite
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