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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary and Acronyms." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Restructured Research and Analysis Programs of NASA's Planetary Science Division. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24759.
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E

Glossary and Acronyms

GLOSSARY

astrobiology Studies of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth and the potential for life elsewhere. This includes the habitability of the early Earth as well as the potential for habitable environments to arise and be sustained elsewhere in the universe.
astronomy Acquisition of Earth-based observations of non-Earth bodies, structures, or systems.
atmospheres Studies of the chemistry, structure, and dynamics of the gases surrounding a planet or other material body that are held in place by the gravity of that body.
cosmochemistry Analytical, experimental, and theoretical studies of chemical processes in the universe. Includes studies of the chemistry and mineralogy of astromaterials (meteorites, dust, returned samples); nucleosyntheis; galactic chemical evolution; chemical modeling of solar system and planetary formation; and experimental petrology.
exosphere Studies of the thin, atmosphere-like volume surrounding a planet or natural satellite where molecules are gravitationally bound to that body, but where the density is too low for them to behave as a gas by colliding with each other. Includes escaping gasses (e.g., Enceladus plumes).
geochemistry Studies of the chemistry of planetary processes and systems. The term is usually applied to studies of larger bodies such as planets and moons. However, studies of martian meteorites and samples from the Moon may be coded as either cosmochemistry or geochemistry. Usually excludes studies of atmospheric and exospheric chemistry, which are coded under those separate headings.
geology Studies of planetary surface features and the surface expressions of internal processes.
geophysics Studies of the physical processes and physical properties of planetary bodies, and their surrounding space environment (excluding magnetospheres).
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary and Acronyms." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Restructured Research and Analysis Programs of NASA's Planetary Science Division. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24759.
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magnetospheres Studies of the space environment surrounding planetary bodies in which electromagnetic fields are important. Magnetospheres and Atmospheres may be used together to designate auroral zone, ionosphere, and thermosphere studies.
planetary dynamics Studies of orbital configuration and dynamic events contributing to the evolution of a single planetary object or planet-moon or planet-ring or moon-ring system.
planetary protection Studies and other activities related to processes to detect and mitigate biological and organic contamination of spacecraft systems (regardless of their origin).
solar system dynamics Studies of the evolution of star systems, including the structure, and dynamics of protoplanetary disks.
spectroscopy The acquisition and/or study of laboratory and/or remote-sensing measurements of spectroscopic properties or characteristics, without further scientific conclusions.

ACRONYMS

AO announcement of opportunity
AOR authorized organizational representative
CDAP Cassini Data Analysis Program (focused program element)
COLDTech Concepts for Ocean Worlds Life Detection Technology
COMPLEX Committee on Lunar and Planetary Exploration
DAP data analysis program
DAPS Data Analysis and Participating Scientists Program
DDAP Discovery Data Analysis Program (strategic program element)
ELV Expendable Launch Vehicle
EW Emerging Worlds (core research program element)
EXO Exobiology (core research program element)
FY fiscal year
GPRAMA Government Performance and Results Modernization Act
HEO Human Exploration and Operations
HOTTech Hot Operating Temperature Technology
HW Habitable Worlds (core research program element)
KBO Kuiper belt object
LARS Laboratory Analysis of Returned Samples (strategic program element)
LDAP Lunar Data Analysis Program (focused program element)
MatISSE Maturation of Instruments for Solar System Exploration (core technology program element)
MDAP Mars Data Analysis Program (strategic program element)
NAC NASA Advisory Council
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NEO near-Earth object
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary and Acronyms." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Restructured Research and Analysis Programs of NASA's Planetary Science Division. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24759.
×
NEOO Near Earth Object Observations
NFDAP New Frontiers Data Analysis Program (strategic program element)
NRA NASA Research Announcement
NRC National Research Council
NSPIRES NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System
PAST Planetary Astronomy
PDART Planetary Data Archiving, Restoration, and Tools (strategic program element)
PI principal investigator
PICASSO Planetary Instrument Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System Observations (core technology program element)
PME Planetary Major Equipment (core technology program element)
PPR Planetary Protection Research (strategic program element)
PSD Planetary Science Division
PSDS3 Planetary Science Deep Space SmallSat Studies
PSTAR Planetary Science and Technology Through Analogue Research (strategic program element)
R&A research and analysis
R&DA research and data analysis
ROSES Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences
SDD selection decision document
SIMPLEx Small, Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration
SMD Science Mission Directorate
SO selection official
SPD SMD Policy Document
SRP selection requirements package
SSB Space Studies Board
SSO Solar System Observations (core research program element)
SSW Solar System Workings (core research program element)
TNO transneptunian object
TRL technology readiness level
XRP Exoplanets Research (strategic program element)
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary and Acronyms." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Restructured Research and Analysis Programs of NASA's Planetary Science Division. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24759.
×

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary and Acronyms." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Restructured Research and Analysis Programs of NASA's Planetary Science Division. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24759.
×
Page 57
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary and Acronyms." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Restructured Research and Analysis Programs of NASA's Planetary Science Division. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24759.
×
Page 58
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary and Acronyms." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Restructured Research and Analysis Programs of NASA's Planetary Science Division. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24759.
×
Page 59
Suggested Citation:"Appendix E: Glossary and Acronyms." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Restructured Research and Analysis Programs of NASA's Planetary Science Division. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24759.
×
Page 60
Review of the Restructured Research and Analysis Programs of NASA's Planetary Science Division Get This Book
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 Review of the Restructured Research and Analysis Programs of NASA's Planetary Science Division
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The Research and Analysis (R&A) program managed by NASA's Planetary Science Division (PSD), supports a broad range of planetary science activities, including the analysis of data from past and current spacecraft; laboratory research; theoretical, modeling, and computational studies; geological and astrobiological fieldwork in planetary analog environments on Earth; geological mapping of planetary bodies; analysis of data from Earth- and space-based telescopes; and development of flight instruments and technology needed for future planetary science missions. The primary role of the PSD R&A program is to address NASA's strategic objective for planetary science and PSD's science goals.

Recently, PSD reorganized the R&A program to provide better alignment with the strategic goals for planetary sciences. The major changes in the R&A program involved consolidating a number of prior program elements, many of which were organized by subdiscipline, into a smaller number of thematic core research program elements. Despite numerous efforts by PSD to communicate the rationale for the reorganization and articulate clearly the new processes, there has been significant resistance from the planetary science community and concerns in some sectors regarding the major realignment of funding priorities.

Review of NASA's Planetary Science Division's Restructured Research and Analysis Programs examines the new R&A program and determines if it appropriately aligns with the agency's strategic goals, supports existing flight programs, and enables future missions. This report explores whether any specific research areas or subdisciplinary groups that are critical to NASA's strategic objectives for planetary science and PSD's science goals are not supported appropriately in the current program or have been inadvertently disenfranchised through the reorganization.

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