The National Academies Press

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From page 1... ... , planetary science, and Earth remote sensing and related activities -- than is possible in the agency-wide Strategic Plan. In conducting its review of the draft Science Plan, the Committee on the Assessment of the NASA Science Mission Directorate 2014 Science Plan was charged to comment on the following specific areas: • Responsiveness to the NRC's guidance on key science issues and opportunities in recent NRC reports; • Attention to interdisciplinary aspects and overall scientific balance; • Identification and exposition of important opportunities for partnerships as well as education and public outreach; • Integration of technology development with the science program; • Clarity on how the plan aligns with SMD's strategic planning process; • General readability and clarity of presentation; and • Other relevant issues as determined by the committee. Read the entire page →
From page 2... ... Recommendation: The decision processes by which the Science Mission Directorate will make strategic choices impacting the implementation of decadal survey recommendations in the current challenging fiscal environment should be discussed in plain language in the Science Plan. The draft Science Plan does not mention the fact that the cadence of Explorer missions in heliophysics and astrophysics and Discovery missions in planetary science is far below that recommended in the respective decadal surveys. Read the entire page →
From page 3... ... The committee defines balance to mean an equitable division of resources between different scientific disciplines and subdisciplines; between large, medium, and small spacecraft missions; and between mission and non-mission activities, such as technology development and research and analysis programs. Also missing is a discussion of the importance of a balanced program or any mention of the potential impact on NASA programs and national capability if balance is not achieved. Read the entire page →
From page 4... ... Recommendation: Given the administration's proposed realignment of education and outreach activities, the Science Plan should clearly explain how NASA will retain the strong synergy between SMD's science and mission activities and the creation of education and outreach products and activities that engage students and the public and grow the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pipeline. INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT WITH THE SCIENCE PROGRAM As discussed in Chapter 6, the draft Science Plan's treatment of issues relating to technology development and, in particular, the integration of science and technology programs is inconsistent at best and completely absent from the astrophysics and heliophysics sections of the document. Read the entire page →
From page 5... ... Recommendation: The Science Plan should explicitly describe a technology plan that clearly defines how and what technologies require development and what activities and programs are supported by the plan, as recommended in their respective decadal surveys. Recommendation: The Science Plan should describe the relative roles and responsibilities of which organizational entities at NASA will be responsible for each specific technology development effort. Read the entire page →
From page 6... ... SMD's Science Plan would benefit from addressing these critical issues explicitly and with clarity, something it currently fails to do. In summary, the committee reiterates a point it made above regarding the responsiveness of the draft Science Plan to NRC guidance: It is important for the health of space science in the United States for SMD to clearly state what can be accomplished and what cannot be accomplished with the baseline budget. Read the entire page →

From page 1...

... , planetary science, and Earth remote sensing and related activities -- than is possible in the agency-wide Strategic Plan. In conducting its review of the draft Science Plan, the Committee on the Assessment of the NASA Science Mission Directorate 2014 Science Plan was charged to comment on the following specific areas: • Responsiveness to the NRC's guidance on key science issues and opportunities in recent NRC reports; • Attention to interdisciplinary aspects and overall scientific balance; • Identification and exposition of important opportunities for partnerships as well as education and public outreach; • Integration of technology development with the science program; • Clarity on how the plan aligns with SMD's strategic planning process; • General readability and clarity of presentation; and • Other relevant issues as determined by the committee.

Read the entire page →

From page 2...

... Recommendation: The decision processes by which the Science Mission Directorate will make strategic choices impacting the implementation of decadal survey recommendations in the current challenging fiscal environment should be discussed in plain language in the Science Plan. The draft Science Plan does not mention the fact that the cadence of Explorer missions in heliophysics and astrophysics and Discovery missions in planetary science is far below that recommended in the respective decadal surveys.

Read the entire page →

From page 3...

... The committee defines balance to mean an equitable division of resources between different scientific disciplines and subdisciplines; between large, medium, and small spacecraft missions; and between mission and non-mission activities, such as technology development and research and analysis programs. Also missing is a discussion of the importance of a balanced program or any mention of the potential impact on NASA programs and national capability if balance is not achieved.

Read the entire page →

From page 4...

... Recommendation: Given the administration's proposed realignment of education and outreach activities, the Science Plan should clearly explain how NASA will retain the strong synergy between SMD's science and mission activities and the creation of education and outreach products and activities that engage students and the public and grow the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pipeline. INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT WITH THE SCIENCE PROGRAM As discussed in Chapter 6, the draft Science Plan's treatment of issues relating to technology development and, in particular, the integration of science and technology programs is inconsistent at best and completely absent from the astrophysics and heliophysics sections of the document.

Read the entire page →

From page 5...

... Recommendation: The Science Plan should explicitly describe a technology plan that clearly defines how and what technologies require development and what activities and programs are supported by the plan, as recommended in their respective decadal surveys. Recommendation: The Science Plan should describe the relative roles and responsibilities of which organizational entities at NASA will be responsible for each specific technology development effort.

Read the entire page →

From page 6...

... SMD's Science Plan would benefit from addressing these critical issues explicitly and with clarity, something it currently fails to do. In summary, the committee reiterates a point it made above regarding the responsiveness of the draft Science Plan to NRC guidance: It is important for the health of space science in the United States for SMD to clearly state what can be accomplished and what cannot be accomplished with the baseline budget.

Read the entire page →

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Summary Pages 1-6

Summary
Pages 1-6