Space Studies Board Annual Report 2019 (2021) / Chapter Skim
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5 Summaries of Reports
5 Summaries of Reports
Pages 40-89
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From page 40... ...
Reports are often written in conjunction with other boards and divisions, as noted, including the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB) and the Board on Physics and Astronomy (BPA)
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From page 41... ...
Simultaneously, programmatic advances -- for example, the creation of research coordination networks -- have begun to break down traditional disciplinary boundaries and resulted in greater communication across the broad fields of astrobiological research. Against the backdrop of these changes, increasing public interest in astrobiology, and the approaching decadal surveys in astronomy and astrophysics and planetary sciences, which will guide agency scientific priorities for the coming decade, NASA's request for this assessment of advances and future directions in the field of astrobiology is timely.
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From page 42... ...
evolving over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Projecting forward, increased understanding of dynamic habitability and how life and its environment evolved together on Earth will allow questions to be addressed concerning which elements of planetary evolution are predictable and independent of biosphere evolution; what feedbacks exist between the biosphere and geosphere, including during long periods of quiescence; and how periods of catastrophic change affect the balance of influence between planetary dynamics and the biosphere.
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From page 43... ...
To confidently assess these biosignatures, it will be important to also characterize the atmospheres and the full spectrum of incident radiation for exoplanets of different sizes, compositions, and stellar irradiances so that understanding of the physical and chemical processes that lead to false positives and negatives will be increased. In order to make this progress, starlight suppression technologies that are still in development, such as coronagraphs and starshades, will be essential.
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From page 44... ...
Since publication of the 2015 NASA Astrobiology Strategy, the field of biosignature research has advanced in four major areas as follows: 1. The search for and identification of novel biosignatures, especially those that are agnostic to life's molecular makeup or metabolism (i.e., agnostic biosignatures)
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From page 45... ...
Concurrent with increasing the depth and breadth of the catalog of known biosignatures, however, it will be important to establish community consensus criteria and standards by which purported biosignatures can be evaluated and verified. Recommendation: NASA should support the community in developing a comprehensive framework for assessment -- including the potential for abiosignatures, false positives, and false negatives -- to guide testing and evaluation of in situ and remote biosignatures.
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From page 46... ...
Although not explicitly an astrobiological mission, the multidecadal Mars Sample Return campaign to be undertaken by NASA and the European Space Agency is one such example. The nucleation of government-level astrobiological partnerships that has been initiated by NASA could have the potential to motivate formation of an international organization with a unified focus on solving the immense challenges of detecting and confirming evidence for life within and beyond the solar system.
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From page 47... ...
Summaries of Reports 47 In summary, the search for life beyond Earth presents many opportunities for public, private, and international partnerships, which have the potential to advance the search for life rapidly. Recommendation: NASA should actively seek new mechanisms to reduce the barriers to collaboration with private and philanthropic entities, and with international space agencies, to achieve its objective of searching for life in the universe.
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From page 48... ...
Institutionalizing its culture of self-reliance and continuing its tradition of technology leadership, NASA produced breakthroughs ranging from advanced space telescopes that could probe the secrets of the universe to robotic rovers traveling across the surface of Mars. Starting with the Apollo–Soyuz era and extending to the International Space Station, NASA expanded its reliance on partnership with legacy aerospace contractors and international partners, according to Terrier.
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From page 49... ...
ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE In preparation for the appointment of the planning committee and the holding of the workshop, the National Academies held two meetings of experts to conduct a dialogue between members of NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist and invited experts from the government (including NASA science and technology leadership) , industry, university, and nonprofit sectors.
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From page 50... ...
Chapter 2, which is based mainly on the opening talk by NASA Chief Technologist Douglas Terrier in the workshop's first plenary, provides background and context. Chapter 3, which follows two breakout sections in particular, addresses the question of what NASA's future should look like.
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From page 51... ...
In 2018, NASA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to establish the ad hoc Committee on Near Earth Object Observations in the Infrared and Visible Wavelengths to investigate and make recommendations about a space-based telescope's capabilities, focusing on the following tasks: • Explore the relative advantages and disadvantages of infrared (IR) and visible observations of near Earth objects (NEOs)
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From page 52... ...
SPACE-BASED NEO DETECTION AND TRACKING After hearing from representatives of different organizations, including persons who had sought to develop alternative proposals for both ground- and space-based NEO detection systems, the committee concluded that a space-based thermal-infrared telescope designed for discovering NEOs is the most effective option for meeting the George E Brown Act completeness and size requirements in a timely fashion (i.e., approximately 10 years)
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From page 53... ...
As a result, a space-based infrared survey is better able to detect and characterize the NEO population to meet the requirements of the George E Brown Act goal.
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From page 54... ...
However, Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 (the 2011 planetary science decadal survey) , a report that prioritizes the planetary science program and exerts great influence on the selection of Discovery mission proposals, explicitly does not address "issues relating to the hazards posed by near Earth objects and approaches to hazard mitigation."7 As a result, there is a bias against selection of planetary defensefocused missions in this program or any other program without an explicit planetary defense component.
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From page 55... ...
Near-Earth Object Survey Act, should be archived in a publicly available database as soon as practicable after it is obtained. NASA should continue to support the utilization of such data and provide resources to extract near Earth object detections from legacy databases and those archived in future surveys and their associated follow-up programs.
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From page 56... ...
issued parallel requests to the National Academies and the European Science Foundation (ESF) , respectively, to undertake a study to determine the planetary protection classification of robotic sample return missions to the martian moons.
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From page 57... ...
• The SterLim team's use of aluminum, rather than a chemically inert surface, as a simulant environment for irradiation on Phobos/Deimos is problematic. In addition, the samples were irradiated in a frozen state, whereas the surface temperatures on the surfaces of the martian moons is frequently above the freezing point of water.
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From page 58... ...
(See Task 2 in Chapter 3.) • The relative influx of martian microbes from a Phobos/Deimos sample return mission versus the natural influx of direct Mars-to-Earth transfer can be shown to be smaller by several orders of magnitude.
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From page 59... ...
mission can be drawn from this study and the work of the JAXA and SterLim teams? The main differences between MSR and Phobos/Deimos sample return missions are as follows: • MSR sampling sites will be specifically selected to maximize sampling of evidence of extinct or extant life, whereas materials deposited on the martian moons originates from randomly distributed crater impact sites.
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From page 60... ...
consider two medium-class, New Frontiers lunar missions for selection between 2013 and 2022: South Pole-Aitken Basin Sample Return and Lunar Geophysical Network.5 Although these missions have not yet been selected for flight, the 2018 decadal midterm review Turning Visions into Voyages for Planetary Sciences in the Decade 2013-2022: A Midterm Review6 noted key lunar scientific advances coming out of U.S. and international lunar missions, ongoing sample analysis, and other research.7 These advances, made since publication of Vision and Voyages, are summarized in Review of the Planetary Science Aspects.
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From page 61... ...
This goal can be addressed by sample return from impact melts from craters and basins. In situ age dating is a new technology that could be utilized as well.
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From page 62... ...
This program is intended to support partnerships with industry as well as new, innovative approaches to accomplishing lunar science research and human exploration goals. Under the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program, research and technology developments in support of the new lunar initiative are being implemented (Early Science & Technology Initiative; see Figure 1)
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From page 63... ...
and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) Exploration Campaign, including lunar research and lander initiatives.
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From page 64... ...
Some of the landers under development could collect hundred-gram samples, which could then be transported to the proposed lunar Gateway; any complex activities such as robot deployment would benefit from proximal human-tended communications. By facilitating science mission partnership with the emerging market of these "lunar delivery services," NASA will, hopefully, help create an international standard for future lunar exploration that can protect the scientific integrity and natural heritage of the Moon.
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From page 65... ...
• Define a common instrument interface definition as early as possible. NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD)
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From page 66... ...
If these interface requirements could not be met, then the instrument could not achieve the science objectives without a major redesign and associated cost and schedule increase or the science objectives would require reevaluation to accommodate the instrument's potentially reduced performance. It is not clear to the committee that this step has been sufficiently accomplished by the SMD Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program at this point in time.
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From page 67... ...
These measurements map to the science objectives of the community-consensus lunar science concepts presented at the beginning of this short report. Commercial landers might lead to an economy of scale that could allow efficient exploration of diverse, scientifically significant areas, although such an economy of scale remains to be seen.
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From page 68... ...
. These measurements would assist in making progress on key lunar science objectives.
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From page 69... ...
with the ability to enter and image the inside of the tube or to deploy instruments within the tube could access these sites. This investigation responds to lunar science priority 5 as well as human exploration objectives.
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From page 70... ...
lunar landers. TABLE 2 Summary of Scientific Instruments and Measurements That Would Enable Priority Lunar Science to Be Accomplished from Commercial Hosts on the Lunar Surface Science Instrument/Measurement Lunar Science Priority Short-term static landers Lunar retroreflectors 2 Solar wind, radiation, dust, and the lunar atmosphere monitoring (short-term)
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From page 71... ...
and support crewed and uncrewed missions by the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD)
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From page 72... ...
could enable a higher return on science investment when considered from a programmatic perspective? • What are the key enabling commercial technologies needed for future lunar science exploration?
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From page 73... ...
Summaries of Reports 73 science decadal survey, the more useful it will be in planning for the next decade of lunar science and explo ration. Similarly, mission studies in advance of the decadal survey could assess the utility and feasibility that decadal-priority lunar science could be accomplished through commercial-provided lunar landers.
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From page 74... ...
Green, NASA Science Mission Directorate, 2018, "Status Report: Planetary Science Division," presentation to the committee on March 27. 4 National Research Council (NRC)
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From page 75... ...
COMMUNITY-GUIDED LUNAR SCIENCE PRIORITIES: 2007-PRESENT In reviewing NASA's plans for the current lunar science and exploration initiative, it is useful to understand the recent evolution of community consensus lunar science priorities. NASA's lunar science program has a strong history of being guided by these community consensus goals and priorities.
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From page 76... ...
The ASM-SAT found that progress has been made in addressing many of the main concepts in the Scientific Context report. Based on a decade of advances in lunar science, the ASM-SAT identified or, more precisely, reemphasized three additional science concepts that augment the list presented in the Scientific Context report.
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From page 77... ...
These recent advances, coupled with continuing international interest in lunar science, warrant the increased attention they are now receiving, which will ensure that the resultant scientific findings continue to be leveraged and built upon in the future. THE NEW LUNAR DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION INITIATIVE The FY2019 Planetary Science Division budget request allocates approximately $200 million for the new Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program, with that budget projection remaining flat in the out years.18 The new program is not intended to replace funding for prioritized, community consensus lunar missions (i.e., Discoveryand New Frontiers-class missions)
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From page 78... ...
and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) Exploration Campaign, including lunar research and lander initiatives.
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From page 79... ...
26 J.L. Green, NASA Science Mission Directorate, 2018, "Status Report: Planetary Science Division," presentation to the Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science, March 27.
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From page 80... ...
. PSD has taken early measures to ensure participation of the lunar science community and that decadal lunar science priorities are or will be addressed in its Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program.
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From page 81... ...
CAPS concludes that the renewed interest in the exploration of the Moon, embodied by the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program, is a welcome development that has the potential to greatly benefit lunar science and could evolve into a program with large science return. The program as currently formulated, while aligned with decadal priorities, does not, however, replace the lunar science priorities and missions recom mended in Vision and Voyages, the latter of which remain competitive in the New Frontiers class.
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From page 82... ...
, the Committee on the NASA Science Mission Directorate Science Plan was charged to comment on the following specific areas: 1. Level of ambition of the specified strategies in light of current and emerging opportunities to advance Earth and space science over the next 5 years (see Chapter 3, "Level of Ambition")
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From page 83... ...
ABILITY TO MEET SCIENCE OBJECTIVES The draft document provides a solid framework for carrying out SMD's mission; the leadership priorities and guiding principles highlight the need to tackle the science objectives outlined in the decadal surveys relevant to each of SMD's four divisions, as well as participate in human exploration and technological innovation. The need to identify the optimal balance in risk-taking is also an important topic that spans intellectual and technological activities.
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From page 84... ...
The mix of finite objectives and states of being that SMD wants to achieve could be better rationalized to support the establishment of these as enduring principles, as does the use of the term "strategies" instead of "guiding principles" and "focus areas" instead of "leadership priorities." In addition, the draft document does not address how the presented principles might be pursued, which in turn hinders an understanding of how SMD will determine whether progress has been made. The committee identified workforce development, mentoring, recruitment, and retention as a guiding principle that was not clearly called out in the draft document.
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From page 85... ...
Summaries of Reports 85 the development and deployment of human capital. If the draft document can be revised as recommended here, the divisional commitment to the stated leadership priorities and guiding principles made more explicit, and the writing overall imbued with language equal to the magnitude of the vision, the draft document could guide SMD to a future that is ambitious, forward looking, and inspiring.
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From page 86... ...
In response to a request from NASA, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine established the Committee on Extraterrestrial Sample Analysis Facilities to determine the current capabilities within the planetary science community for sample return analyses and curation and where these facilities are located; to assess what capabilities are currently missing that will be needed for future sample return missions, as guided by the decadal survey;1 to evaluate whether current laboratory support infrastructure and NASA's investment strategy are adequate to meet these analytical challenges; and to advise how the community can keep abreast of evolving and new techniques in order to stay at the forefront of extraterrestrial sample analysis. Readers are directed to the following chapters: • Chapter 1: Introduction • Chapter 2: Sample Return Missions and Other Collections • Chapter 3: Current Sample Return Missions and Near-Future Priorities Outlined in the Planetary Science Decadal Survey • Chapter 4: Current Laboratories and Facilities • Chapter 5: Current and Future Instrumentation and Investments for Extraterrestrial Sample Analysis The committee concludes that the planetary science analytical community has access to a wide range of instrumentation relevant to sample return missions that are currently flying, and there are no obvious gaps in instrumentation for analysis of rocks, glasses, minerals, and the current inventory of organic materials.
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From page 87... ...
If one or more of these mission concepts is pursued, it could reap tremendous scientific advances. Technology development focused on Cryogenic Comet Sample Return, as recommended by the decadal survey, is warranted, and exploring technologies already available in related communities that analyze terrestrial samples of ices, gases, and organic matter could benefit the extraterrestrial sample analysis community.
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From page 88... ...
Such facilities will require advanced planning and new technologies for the return of significant organic matter, ices, and gases. To ensure that NASA and the science community continue to be at the forefront of extraterrestrial sample curation and analysis, the committee recommends that NASA Planetary Science Division should increase support for Johnson Space Center to develop appropriate curatorial and characterization facilities relevant to and necessary for future sample returns of organic matter, ices, and gases.
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From page 89... ...
Opportunities to propose lunar sample analysis to other research funding programs are limited by the focus of those programs -- Solar System Workings and Emerging Worlds; see the discussion in Section 5.1. Thus, the committee recommends that NASA Planetary Science Division should consider opening the Laboratory Analysis of Returned Samples grant program to all mission-returned extraterrestrial samples.
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