%0 Book %A National Research Council %T The Astrophysical Context of Life %@ 978-0-309-09627-0 %D 2005 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11316/the-astrophysical-context-of-life %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11316/the-astrophysical-context-of-life %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Space and Aeronautics %P 93 %X In 1997, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) formed the National Astrobiology Institute to coordinate and fund research into the origins, distribution, and fate of life in the universe. A 2002 NRC study of that program, Life in the Universe: An Assessment of U.S. and International Programs in Astrobiology, raised a number of concerns about the Astrobiology program. In particular, it concluded that areas of astrophysics related to the astronomical environment in which life arose on earth were not well represented in the program. In response to that finding, the Space Studies Board requested the original study committee, the Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life, to examine ways to augment and integrate astronomy and astrophysics into the Astrobiology program. This report presents the results of that study. It provides a review of the earlier report and related efforts, a detailed examination of the elements of the astrobiology program that would benefit from greater integration and augmentation of astronomy and astrophysics, and an assessment of ways to facilitate the integration of astronomy with other astrobiology disciplines. %0 Book %E Tyson, Neil de Grasse %E Liu, Charles %E Irion, Robert %T One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos %D 2000 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9585/one-universe-at-home-in-the-cosmos %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9585/one-universe-at-home-in-the-cosmos %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Explore Science %K Space and Aeronautics %P 225 %X A new window opens onto the cosmos... Almost every day we are challenged by new information from the outermost reaches of space. Using straightforward language, One Universe explores the physical principles that govern the workings of our own world so that we can appreciate how they operate in the cosmos around us. Bands of color in a sunlit crystal and the spectrum of starlight in giant telescopes, the arc of a hard-hit baseball and the orbit of the moon, traffic patterns on a freeway and the spiral arms in a galaxy full of stars—they're all tied together in grand and simple ways. We can understand the vast cosmos in which we live by exploring three basic concepts: motion, matter, and energy. With these as a starting point, One Universe shows how the physical principles that operate in our kitchens and backyards are actually down-to-Earth versions of cosmic processes. The book then takes us to the limits of our knowledge, asking the ultimate questions about the origins and existence of life as we know it and where the universe came from—and where it is going. Glorious photographs—many seen for the first time in these pages—and original illustrations expand and enrich our understanding. Evocative and clearly written, One Universe explains complex ideas in ways that every reader can grasp and enjoy. This book captures the grandeur of the heavens while making us feel at home in the cosmos. Above all, it helps us realize that galaxies, stars, planets, and we ourselves all belong to One Universe. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T NASA Space Technology Roadmaps and Priorities: Restoring NASA's Technological Edge and Paving the Way for a New Era in Space %@ 978-0-309-25362-8 %D 2012 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13354/nasa-space-technology-roadmaps-and-priorities-restoring-nasas-technological-edge %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13354/nasa-space-technology-roadmaps-and-priorities-restoring-nasas-technological-edge %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Space and Aeronautics %P 376 %X NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) has begun to rebuild the advanced space technology program in the agency with plans laid out in 14 draft technology roadmaps. It has been years since NASA has had a vigorous, broad-based program in advanced space technology development and its technology base has been largely depleted. However, success in executing future NASA space missions will depend on advanced technology developments that should already be underway. Reaching out to involve the external technical community, the National Research Council (NRC) considered the 14 draft technology roadmaps prepared by OCT and ranked the top technical challenges and highest priority technologies that NASA should emphasize in the next 5 years. This report provides specific guidance and recommendations on how the effectiveness of the technology development program managed by OCT can be enhanced in the face of scarce resources. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Panel Reports—New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics %@ 978-0-309-15962-3 %D 2011 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12982/panel-reports-new-worlds-new-horizons-in-astronomy-and-astrophysics %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12982/panel-reports-new-worlds-new-horizons-in-astronomy-and-astrophysics %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Space and Aeronautics %P 578 %X Every 10 years the National Research Council releases a survey of astronomy and astrophysics outlining priorities for the coming decade. The most recent survey, titled New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, provides overall priorities and recommendations for the field as a whole based on a broad and comprehensive examination of scientific opportunities, infrastructure, and organization in a national and international context. Panel Reports—New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics is a collection of reports, each of which addresses a key sub-area of the field, prepared by specialists in that subarea, and each of which played an important role in setting overall priorities for the field. The collection, published in a single volume, includes the reports of the following panels: Cosmology and Fundamental Physics Galaxies Across Cosmic Time The Galactic Neighborhood Stars and Stellar Evolution Planetary Systems and Star Formation Electromagnetic Observations from Space Optical and Infrared Astronomy from the Ground Particle Astrophysics and Gravitation Radio, Millimeter, and Submillimeter Astronomy from the Ground The Committee for a Decadal Survey of Astronomy and Astrophysics synthesized these reports in the preparation of its prioritized recommendations for the field as a whole. These reports provide additional depth and detail in each of their respective areas. Taken together, they form an essential companion volume to New Worlds, New Horizons: A Decadal Survey of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The book of panel reports will be useful to managers of programs of research in the field of astronomy and astrophysics, the Congressional committees with jurisdiction over the agencies supporting this research, the scientific community, and the public.