Science at NASA Goddard. Dr. Piers Sellers Science and Exploration Directorate

Transcription

1 Science at NASA Goddard Dr. Piers Sellers Science and Exploration Directorate

2 Piers Sellers expurgated version Born, educated in the UK Scientist : at GSFC Astronaut : at JSC Bureaucrat : today at GSFC (again)

3 Quick Facts About SED Largest Earth and Space Science Research Entity in the world Astrophysics, Earth Science, Heliophysics Planetary Science Located in Greenbelt, New York and Wallops Flight Facility with: 543 Civil servants including ~400 Scientists ~280 co-located University Scientists 1,300 Support Contractors, Visitors, Post-docs, Students, Emeritus, and other staff Total budget of ~$400M administered by SED

4 Sciences and Exploration Directorate. The Sciences and Exploration Directorate at GSFC provides scientific leadership and stewardship to enable space-based research studies of the Earth, the Sun-Earth interaction, the Solar System and the Universe Project Scientists who ensure that mission scientific goals are defined and realized, and are the project interface to the science community Science focused on research projects that are beyond the scope of universities, augmented by small-scale, cutting-edge efforts to keep the workforce sharp Data modeling and science data centers to realize and maintain the scientific return of missions Education and Public Outreach to widely communicate and NASA s science program and inspire the next generation of scientists

5 The Mission Cycle Lab experiments Technology Development Theory / Modeling Field Studies Concept Development Research and Development Flight Missions and Instruments Flight Programs Leads 5 SED Leads Observation Proposals Data Archives Applications Long-Term Modeling Data Products Data Analysis, Archiving and Distribution Project Management Project Science Engineering Fabrication, Integration & Test Mission Design & Development Launch & Operations

6 Sub-orbital & Aircraft Research Programs Aircraft, Balloon & sounding Rocket Programs provide important research, excellent science, training experience, and prespaceflight demonstration of instrumentation

7 GSFC Data Archives and Modeling SED/600 provides many different data distribution and modeling services to the world-wide science community PDS 7

8 Funding of Research at NASA Directed work is only related to project science and other service activities (equivalent to teaching at a University) NASA scientists must write proposals and compete with the external science community for research funds usually via HQ research opportunities peer review is key Internal competition for center IRAD funds, as well as B&P to support proposal efforts usually technology driven There is a lot of proposal writing in code 600!

9 Setting the Priority of Science There are many, many, many more science missions we would like to fly than NASA can afford, so priorities must be set! Strategic or flagship missions (usually >$1B) are prioritized by the National Academy of Sciences every ten years through a Decadal Survey process, that engages the entire community to reach a consensus as to the highest priority Smaller, more directed science missions are typically competed via Announcements of Opportunity and are cost capped within a particular science discipline e.g. Explorer, Discovery, New Frontiers, Venture Class

10 Sciences and Exploration Divisions Heliophysics Earth Science Dr Michael Hesse Dr Peter Hildebrand Solar System Exploration Astrophysics Dr Anne Kinney Dr Bill Oegerle

11 Big Questions in Astrophysics What happens at the edge of a Black Hole? What powered the Big Bang? What is Dark Energy? How do Cosmic Structures form and evolve?

12 Exploring other Solar Systems Where are the nearest Terrestrial Planets? Do any other planets harbor life? 12

13 Astrophysics James Web Space Telescope Number 1 Large mission priority in 2000 Decadal Survey 2018 launch 13

14 History of the Universe

15 Multi-facetted Earth Science Research Nitrous Dioxide Ozone Ocean Color Ground Water Fires in Africa Fires in Africa Vegetation 15

16 16 Climate Change and Carbon Dioxide

17 GSFC Scientists Lead Climate Change Research The Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) located in New York City, an integrated part of GSFC Earth Science GSFC scientists are observing and modeling climate change caused by human activities, with the biggest driver increasing Carbon Dioxide which is causing the Earth to warm-up, resulting in the glaciers and polar icecaps to melt and other effects on the Earths climate Dr Jim Hansen

18 Predicting Climate Change

19 Monitoring the Melting Glaciers Average location of the edge of the perennial ice cover from 1978 to 2004 Sea Ice 2005 Russia Greenland Alaska Canada ICESAT-2 ICESAT ICESAT2 will continue monitoring the melting of the glaciers in Greenland and the Antarctic Thinning Thickening Launch 2015

20 IceBridge Mission IceBridge allows scientists to track changes in the extent and thickness of polar ice, which is important for understanding ice dynamics. IceBridge began in March 2009 as a means to fill the gap in polar observations between the loss of NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite, or ICESat, and the launch of ICESat-2, planned for Annual missions fly over the Arctic in March and April and over Antarctica in October and November. 20

21 Research to Operations NASA does the research that provides the next generation of operational capabilities required for the nations weather and climate forecasting and land usage GSFC manages the implementation of the nations weather, climate and land satellites for NOAA and USGS through reimbursable agreements NOAA: USGS: GOES series continues geo-stationary monitoring of the Earth s weather Polar orbiting missions provide weather monitoring and climate records continue climate legacy started by the NASA Earth Observation System Landsat missions continue to monitor natural and human changes in land usage that began in 1972 GOES-R NPP JPSS LDCM DSCVR 2013?

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24 SAGE-III (on ISS) 2014 OCO GRACE-FO 2017 OCO-3 (on ISS) 2017 CLARREO (on ISS) NET 2023 L-Band SAR NET 2021 EVI GPM 2014 PACE 2020 SWOT 2020 ICESat EVM EVI SMAP 2014 TEMPO EVI-1, 2019 CYGNSS EVM-1, 2016

25 Heliophysics Studying the Sun as a Star and its impact on the Earth 25

26 The Heliophysics Great Observatory

27 Solar Dynamics Observatory Giant Prominence Erupts - April 16, 2012

28 Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) Direct measurements of magnetic reconnection and plasma entry into the magnetosphere Four Spacecraft flying in formation separated by 10 to 400 km Each spacecraft is built at GSFC and measures 11x4 ft Launch

29 Solar System Exploration GSFC has flown more instruments to other planets than any other institution! Mars Global Surveyor Messenger Mercury Laser Altimeter Cassini - Saturn, it s rings and Huygens probe first color image of Titan 29 Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter

30 Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) Mission Bruce Jakosky, Principal Investigator from University of Colorado First NASA mission to Mars managed by GSFC end of 2013 launch Loss from the upper atmosphere to space is key to determining the history of the atmosphere, climate, and water, and thereby understanding Martian habitability.

31 Mars Science Laboratory Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Paul Mahaffy (GSFC) - P.I. SAM is a suite of instruments on the next Mars rover that will reveal the potential for life on Mars Mars Science Laboratory will be launched in 2011 SAM science goals Search for organic compounds of biotic and prebiotic relevance Study habitability of Mars by measuring oxidants Investigate atmosphere and climate evolution

32 OSIRIS-Rex win for GSFC! Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer New Frontiers OSIRIS-Rex Mission PI: Mike Drake University of Arizona Asteroid sample return mission managed by GSFC Launch 2016 Rendezvous with 1999 RQ36 in 2020 Sample return to Earth in 2023

33 Challenges and possible solutions Capturing and keeping work Budget outlook is unlikely to improve soon. We need to get more science done per dollar. We need to consider a wider range of options» Cost, capability, schedule, risk» Partnering» More COTS where it makes sense Capturing and keeping good people We need to keep the people pipeline flowing (postdocs). Instrument scientists are crucial. Mission opportunities we need more. Small is beautiful.

34 Challenges and possible solutions Mission cost growth. GSFC tradition of technical excellence it must work. Great for Class A and B. Not so great for Class D. Process and culture have accreted steadily. Some of this is HQ s fault; but most of it is ours. Fear of pricing ourselves out of business. Extrapolating the trend, we would end up doing only flagship missions Workforce flexibility, agility and individual capability would decline. Enthusiasm factor craters. Class D (revised) is aimed directly at providing a lower-cost option The PI and PM have more autonomy and responsibility. Greatly reduced reporting. Small co-located teams, low turnover. Increased opportunity for apprenticeship, career development.

35 GSFC at the Frontiers of Science 35