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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

EOS Science Plan and EOS Science Plan Executive Summary

Remote sensing of aerosol properties from space is reviewed both for present and planned national and international satellite sensors. Techniques that are being used to enhance our ability to characterize the global distribution of aerosol properties include well-calibrated multispectral radiometers, multispectral polarimeters, and multi-angle spectroradiometers. Though most of these sensor systems rely primarily on visible to mid-infrared spectral channels, the availability of thermal channels to aid in cloud screening is an important additional piece of information that is not always incorporated into the sensor design. In this paper, we describe the various satellite sensor systems being developed by Europe, Japan, and the U.S., and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each of these systems for aerosol applications. An important underlying theme is that the remote sensing of aerosol properties, especially aerosol size distribution and single scattering albedo, is exceedingly difficult. As a consequence, no one sensor system is capable of providing totally unambiguous information, and hence a careful intercomparison of derived products from different sensors, together with a comprehensive network of ground-based sunphotometer and sky radiometer systems, are required to advance our quantitative understanding of global aerosol characteristics.

King, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Asset - An application in mission automation for science planning

Recent advances in computer technology were used to great advantage in planning science observation sequences for the Voyager 2 encounter with Uranus in 1986. Despite a loss of experienced personnel, a challenging schedule, workforce limitations, and the complex nature of the Uranus encounter itself, the resultant science observation timelines were the most highly optimized of the five Voyager encounters with the outer planets. In part, this was due to the development of a microcomputer-based system, called ASSET (Automated Science Sequence Encounter Timelines generator), which was used to design those science observation timelines. This paper details the development of that system. ASSET demonstrates several features essential to the design of the first expert systems for science planning which will be applied for future missions.

Finnerty, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Psyche Science Planning with the Science Opportunity Analyzer

Psyche is a NASA Discovery mission intent on solving mysteries surrounding early planetary formation. The mission spacecraft will journey to (16) Psyche: a metallic asteroid believed to be the exposed core of an early planetesimal. Despite the unique nature of the target asteroid and the mission’s novel science goals, a significant portion of the project’s science planning needs may be met through the use of legacy tools. In particular, the adoption of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL) Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA) promises to satisfy mission requirements with minimal development effort. Originally developed as a multi-mission science planning tool, SOA can design and visualize observations, perform geometric flight rule checking, model physical phenomena, and much more. The software has been used by the mission since its proposal phase and is expected to continue providing valuable capabilities throughout operations.

Elkins-Tanton, Linda T.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Musculoskeletal discipline science plan

Life sciences research in the musculoskeletal discipline must identify possible consequences of weightlessness on this system, understand the mechanisms of these effects, and develop effective and operationally practical countermeasures to protect crewmembers. The musculoskeletal system is highly plastic in that is possesses the inherent capability to adapt its structural and functional properties in accordance with the type and degree of stimuli imposed on it. Prolonged space travel is essentially a period of significant unloading of the musculoskeletal system. This results in adaptive responses in the structure and function of this system, placing it on the low end of a continuum from one of complete disuse to one of maximal use. There is a high probability that the musculoskeletal system is functionally impaired with increasing duration of weightlessness. The purpose of this Discipline Science Plan is to provide a conceptual strategy for NASA's Life Sciences division research and development activities in the area of musculoskeletal function. This document summarizes the current status of the program, outlines available knowledge, establishes goals and objectives, identifies science priorities, and defines research opportunities, which encompass critical questions in the subdiscipline areas (e.g., muscle, bone, and other musculoskeletal connective tissues). These science activities include ground-based and flight; basic, applied, and operational; and animal and human research and development. This document contains a general plan that will be used by both NASA Headquarters Program Offices and the field centers to review and plan basic, applied, and operational intramural and extramural research and development activities in this area.

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NASA NTRS1991

Cardiopulmonary discipline science plan

Life sciences research in the cardiopulmonary discipline must identify possible consequences of space flight on the cardiopulmonary system, understand the mechanisms of these effects, and develop effective and operationally practical countermeasures to protect crewmembers inflight and upon return to a gravitational environment. The long-range goal of the NASA Cardiopulmonary Discipline Research Program is to foster research to better understand the acute and long-term cardiovascular and pulmonary adaptation to space and to develop physiological countermeasures to ensure crew health in space and on return to Earth. The purpose of this Discipline Plan is to provide a conceptual strategy for NASA's Life Sciences Division research and development activities in the comprehensive area of cardiopulmonary sciences. It covers the significant research areas critical to NASA's programmatic requirements for the Extended-Duration Orbiter, Space Station Freedom, and exploration mission science activities. These science activities include ground-based and flight; basic, applied, and operational; and animal and human research and development. This document summarizes the current status of the program, outlines available knowledge, establishes goals and objectives, identifies science priorities, and defines critical questions in the subdiscipline areas of both cardiovascular and pulmonary function. It contains a general plan that will be used by both NASA Headquarters Program Offices and the field centers to review and plan basic, applied, and operational (intramural and extramural) research and development activities in this area.

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NASA NTRS2022

Balancing Predictive and Reactive Science Planning for Mars 2020 Perseverance

The design of the science planning process for a space science mission needs to find a balance between operational and resource constraints and scientific decision-making. Science planning has previously been characterized as either predictive or reactive. Predictive science planning is needed when constraints drive science activities to be planned far in advance. For example, a combination of long one-way light time plus high-stakes science decisions drove the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn to have an extremely predictive planning process. On the other extreme, reactive science planning is needed when constraints drive science activities to be planned based on the results of the previous plan. For example, the Mars Exploration Rover mission interacted with the surface of Mars, and so the planning team needed to know the state of the rover at the end of each planning cycle before starting the next cycle. Operational and resource constraints that require management on intermediate timescales has led to the development of a science planning process between these two extremes. For example, the Mars Science Laboratory is a technically complex rover and has a parallel predictive process that allows the operations team to manage engineering constraints several days in advance while maintaining the reactive tactical planning process similar to that of MER. The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is a technically complex rover in the MSL style, but has an added layer of science complexity: it is tasked with collecting a returnable cache of scientifically valuable samples of Mars within prime mission. Thus, the science planning process also needs to accommodate high-stakes longer-term science decisions in the style of Cassini. In order to balance the push-pull of these constraints, we have developed a science campaign-focused operational paradigm for Mars 2020 Perseverance that allows for both predictive planning to accommodate technological complexity and high-stakes science decisions as well as reactive planning to accommodate the realities of interacting with the martian surface. This paradigm influenced the design of operational processes and operational tools.

Spanovich, Nicole↗
NASA NTRS2013

Review of the Draft 2014 Science Mission Directorate Science Plan

At the request of NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), the National Research Council's (NRC's) Space Studies Board (SSB) initiated a study to review a draft of the SMD's 2014 Science Plan. The request for this review was made at a time when NASA is engaged in the final stages of a comprehensive, agency-wide effort to develop a new strategic plan and at a time when NASA's budget is under considerable stress. SMD's Science Plan serves to provide more detail on its four traditional science disciplines-astronomy and astrophysics, solar and space physics (also called heliophysics), planetary science, and Earth remote sensing and related activities-than is possible in the agency-wide Strategic Plan. In conducting its review of the draft Science Plan, the Committee on the Assessment of the NASA Science Mission Directorate 2014 Science Plan was charged to comment on the following specific areas: (1) Responsiveness to the NRC's guidance on key science issues and opportunities in recent NRC reports; (2) Attention to interdisciplinary aspects and overall scientific balance; (3) Identification and exposition of important opportunities for partnerships as well as education and public outreach; (4) Integration of technology development with the science program; (5) Clarity on how the plan aligns with SMD's strategic planning process; (6) General readability and clarity of presentation; and (7) Other relevant issues as determined by the committee. The main body of the report provides detailed findings and recommendations relating to the draft Science Plan. The highest-level, crosscutting issues are summarized here, and more detail is available in the main body of the report.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

Science opportunity analyzer - a multi-mission approach to science planning

In the past Science Planning for space missions has been comprised of using ad-hoc software toolscollected or reconstructed from previous missions, tools used by other groups who often speak a different 'technical' language or even 'the backs of envelopes'. In addition to the tools being rough, the work done with these tools often has had to be redone or at least re-entered when it came time to determine actual observations. Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA), a Java-based application, has been built for scientists to enable them to identify/analyze observation opportunities and then, to create corresponding observation designs.

Science opportunity analyzer science planning SOA ↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

MSR Science Planning Group 2 (MSPG2): Science & Curation Considerations for Time Sensitive Measurements That Should be Performed in Containment

The Perseverance rover is currently collecting samples on the martian surface for potential return to Earth and planning is underway to develop facilities to study these samples. Perseverance will collect up to 38 samples that will be sealed in TiN tubes. As long as the tubes remain sealed the samples will be metastable. However, as soon as a tube is opened, or headspace gas is extracted these samples will begin to re-equilibrate with their new surroundings. The MSPG2 time-sensitive science sub-group attempted to quantify the rates at which alteration is likely to occur assuming the samples are opened and stored in a nitrogen atmosphere at room temperature. The group also recommended ~20 instruments for inclusion in a sample receiving facility to allow the time sensitive properties of these samples to be measured before they are irreversibly altered.

Aaron B Regberg↗
NASA NTRS2004

Cassini science planning process

The mission design for Cassini-Huygens calls for a four-year orbital survey of the Saturnian system and the descent into the Titan atmosphere and eventual soft-landing of the Huygens probe. The Cassini orbiter tour consists of 76 orbits around Saturn with 44 close Titan flybys and 8 targeted icy satellite flybys. The Cassini orbiter spacecraft carries twelve scientific instruments that will perform a wide range of observations on a multitude of designated targets. The science opportunities, frequency of encounters, the length of the Tour, and the use of distributed operations pose significant challenges for developing the science plan for the orbiter mission. The Cassini Science Planning Process is the process used to develop and integrate the science and engineering plan that incorporates an acceptable level of science required to meet the primary mission objectives far the orbiter. The bulk of the integrated science and engineering plan will be developed prior to Saturn Orbit Insertion (Sol). The Science Planning Process consists of three elements: 1) the creation of the Tour Atlas, which identifies the science opportunities in the tour, 2) the development of the Science Operations Plan (SOP), which is the conflict-free timeline of all science observations and engineering activities, a constraint-checked spacecraft pointing profile, and data volume allocations to the science instruments, and 3) an Aftermarket and SOP Update process, which is used to update the SOP while in tour with the latest information on spacecraft performance, science opportunities, and ephemerides. This paper will discuss the various elements of the Science Planning Process used on the Cassini Mission to integrate, implement, and adapt the science and engineering activity plans for Tour.

Cassini↗
NASA NTRS1993

Science planning and sequencing for Cassini

This paper will address the science planning and sequencing aspects of the command generation process for the scientifically diverse Cassini Mission. The mission's prime objectives are to study the Saturnian system and deliver the Huygens Probe to the moon Titan. Together, the spacecraft and probe will be the largest and most complicated craft ever launched to another planet. The presentation will begin with an overview of the Cassini spacecraft and its scientific instrumentation. This will be followed with a description of the Oct. 1997 mission. Next, the structure of the science planning and sequencing process, with special emphasis on science's role, will be outlined. Finally, this presentation will conclude with a discussion of some of the unique challenges faced by the Ground System during Cassini's four-year orbital tour.

Wessen, Randii R.↗