Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 (2011) / Chapter Skim
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2 National and International Programs in Planetary Science
2 National and International Programs in Planetary Science
Pages 51-68
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From page 51... ...
Two types of spacecraft missions are conducted: large flagship missions strategically directed by the PSD, and smaller Discovery and New Frontiers missions proposed and led by principal investigators (PIs) (Chapter 9)
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From page 52... ...
are awarded through peer review of proposals submitted to a variety of research programs for analysis of ground- and space-based telescopic observations, theory and modeling, laboratory analyses, terrestrial fieldwork, and analysis of data from past and present missions. RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER NASA SCIENCE PROGRAMS Planetary science activities at NASA are strongly coupled to the agency's other science programs in its Astrophysics, Heliophysics, and to a limited extent, Earth Science divisions.
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From page 53... ...
The same is true of other Astrophysics Division assets, such as the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, FUSE, the International Ultraviolet Explorer, WISE, IRAS, and others. The James Webb Space Telescope will also make significant contributions to planetary science.
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as the Voyagers, Galileo, and Cassini are highly relevant to the heliophysics community. The first decadal survey of the heliophysics community gave relatively high priority to the Jupiter Polar Mission, an initiative designed to image the jovian aurorae, determine the electrodynamic properties of the Io flux tube, and identify magnetosphereionosphere coupling processes.5 The heliospheric decadal report also discussed a separate Io electrodynamics mission designed to conduct in situ measurements in the Io flux tube.
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS IN PLANETARY SCIENCE 55 FIGURE 2.4 The plumes from the south pole of Saturn's tiny moon Enceladus. SOURCE: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute.
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RELATIONSHIP TO NASA'S HUMAN EXPLORATION PROGRAM Throughout the space age there have been periods of tension and cooperation between the human spaceflight program and the planetary science program. The greatest degree of cooperation between the two occurred during the Apollo era, when scientists were involved in the selection of landing sites and the development of exploration goals, and also benefited heavily from the lunar samples and other data returned from the six Apollo landings (Figure 2.6)
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At the time the present decadal survey report was written the outcome of the congressional budgeting process was unclear, but it appeared likely that the robotic precursor program would not be funded to the extent originally proposed. Human space exploration is undertaken to serve a variety of national and international interests.
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. The determination of which asteroids might be realistic human exploration targets will include considerations of gravity, safety, orbit, and richness of scientific return based on precursor measurements.
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS IN PLANETARY SCIENCE 59 FIGURE 2.7 A human mission to an asteroid is an example of a potential overlap between planetary science interests and human exploration interests. SOURCE: Courtesy of Josh B
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Despite the positive recent example of LRO, the committee is concerned that, as demonstrated in the recent past, human spaceflight programs can cannibalize space science programs. The committee agrees with the statement in the Human Spaceflight Plans Committee report that "it is essential that budgetary firewalls be built between these two broad categories of activity.
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What should be the roles of humans and robots in meeting the goals of planetary exploration? For decades NRC studies of human spaceflight have concluded that there is no a priori scientific requirement for the human exploration of the Moon and Mars.12,13 In reviewing the past studies and current planetary science goals, the committee reached the same conclusion as past NRC studies that most of the key scientific lunar and NEO explora
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The committee urges the human exploration program to examine this decadal survey and identify -- in close coordination and negotiation with the SMD -- objectives whereby human-tended science can advance fundamental knowledge. Finding and collecting the most scientifically valuable samples for return to Earth may become, as they were in the Apollo program, the most important functions of a human explorer on the Moon or an asteroid.
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However, this effort must proceed without burdening the space science budget or influencing its process of peer-review-based selection of science missions. Conversely, NASA can proceed to develop the robotic component of its human exploration program.
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SOURCE: ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona. A less complex but still powerful approach involves joint observations from multiple spacecraft each delivered to a planetary target by an individual space agency, as was used in the reconnaissance of Comet Halley.
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Russia, France, Spain, and Canada are contributing elements of the Mars Science Laboratory payload, and Italy and the United Kingdom have contributed to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. NASA's second New Frontiers mission Juno will carry an auroral instrument provided by the Italian Space Agency.
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From page 66... ...
Although NASA and NSF should embrace the opportunities for collaboration with foreign partners, they must do so with full understanding of the potential risks and how they can be managed. The committee drew from the general principles and guidelines for international cooperation laid out in past studies, in particular the joint report of the Space Studies Board and the European Space Science Committee titled U.S.-European Collaboration in Space Science.17 Following consideration of a series of case studies examining the positive and negative aspects of past transatlantic cooperative space-science ventures, that report laid out eight essential ingredients that an agreement to engage in an international collaboration must contain; they are (summarized from pp.
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Recognition of the importance of reviews for cooperative activities in the conceptual, developmental, active, or extended mission phases -- particularly for foreseen and upcoming large missions. Summary Despite the negative consequences that may potentially accrue if cooperative activities are not planned and conducted in a manner consistent with the eight principles listed above, the committee strongly supports international efforts and encourages the expansion of international cooperation on planetary missions to accelerate technology maturation and share costs.
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1998. U.S.-European Collaboration in Space Science.
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