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Life in the Universe An Assessment of U.S. and International Programs in Astrobiology (2003) / Chapter Skim
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3. Toward More Interaction between the NASA Astrobiology Institute and the Planetary and Astronomical Sciences
Pages 32-36

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From page 32...
... PLANETARY SCIENCES AND ASTROBIOLOGY Intellectually and programmatically balanced research programs within NASA have the greatest potential for successful scientific output. The planetary science community, working within the context of NASA's Solar System Exploration program, has achieved this balance after some decades of evolution.
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From page 33...
... The recent effort to produce a decadal strategy for planetary sciences exhumed deep suspicions within a significant portion of the planetary community that astrobiology would dominate solar system exploration to the exclusion of a balanced flight program, and that it would displace scientific priorities in planetary exploration not having to do with the search for life. In part, this suspicion dates back to the 1970s with the strong Viking emphasis on finding life on Mars at the expense of potential geophysical and geochemical explorations of the red planet.
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From page 34...
... The iodine gas absorption cells serving as a reference for the stellar wavelength shifts induced by orbiting planets, and the precise photometry enabled by modern electronic detectors, transformed these modest telescopes into major planet-detection and -characterization facilities. Much larger optical telescopes, with a mirror aperture of 6 m or larger and equipped with advanced adaptive optics capabilities, are required to examine the broader class of extrasolar planets that are not in the unusual orbital orientation necessary to make studies of transit possible.
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From page 35...
... Further, there is a suspicion among a portion of the astronomical community that the usual difficulty of assembling a peer-review panel for NAI membership that truly spans discipline breadth among biology, geology, and astronomy may have served to rule out worthy proposals based on novel astronomical approaches to astrobiological issues in the last competition for NAI membership. ENHANCING INTERACTION BETWEEN ASTROBIOLOGY AND THE ASTRONOMICAL SEARCH FOR ORIGINS COEL sees a danger in attempting a forced realignment of the NAI toward the astronomical search for origins.
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From page 36...
... · Panels evaluating NAI membership proposals must be broadly constituted to ensure expert evaluation of research programs that are intellectually strong but have a discipline balance very different from that found in the existing NAI nodes. · NASA should study the feasibility and desirability of creating and funding an institute, akin to the NAI, dedicated to consortium-based science and technology (e.g., involving multi-institution teams)
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Key Terms

  • planetary science
  • extrasolar planets
  • nasa astrobiology
  • astrobiology institute
  • astronomical studies

  • planetary sciences
  • planetary scientists
  • giant planets
  • studies relating
  • space telescope

  • science activities
  • nai membership
  • telescope science
  • studies related
  • intellectually strong

  • exploration program
  • astrobiology program
  • extrasolar giant
  • strong intellectual
  • flight missions

  • nai nodes
  • theoretical understanding
  • science institute
  • outer solar
  • ground exists

  • analysis program
  • produced profound
  • molecular clouds
  • involve projects
  • precise photometry


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