Not long after the review of the U. S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) by the National Academy of Sciences' Board on Sustainable Development was completed, a new study was initiated by NASA to examine implementation options for EOS. This study, co-chaired by Sam Venneri (Director of the Spacecraft Systems Division of NASA's Office of Space Access and Technology) and Charles Vanek (Acting Deputy Director of Flight Projects, Goddard Space Flight Center), was initiated to: (i) perform a fast-track study of the Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) program to identify and evaluate mission architecture options that include technology infusion in advanced space system concepts, (ii) include determination of risk levels and life cycle costs for accomplishing the critical requirements of MTPE science in support of global change research, (iii) focus on mission architecture options that rely on technology infusion and commercial partnering, (iv) identify concepts for advanced instruments and opportunities to combine measurement requirements (e.g., advanced MODIS), and (v) review concepts for information processing and distribution of products.
Although one might question the motives for this study so soon after the NRC Review, the guidelines and boundaries of this study are clearly defined to avoid conflict with the NRC Report and Payload Panel meeting of last summer. These guidelines explicitly include: (i) clearly identifying science needs as distinct from commercial needs, hence articulating the strong emphasis on calibration and intercomparison of data sets unique to the MTPE program, (ii) not challenging or redefining the 24 measurement sets developed last summer, but instead focusing on developing new technology opportunities for elements such as spacecraft features, Ka-band transponders, and on-board processing. Furthermore, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin has indicated that he doesn't want to see a "warmed over" EOSDIS; instead, he wants something revolutionary that saves a considerable amount of money and uses commercially available services to the maximum extent possible. The results of this study are to be submitted to Mr. Goldin by December 20.
The NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for new investigations and investigators for the Earth Observing System was distributed via the Internet (through both the Mission to Planet Earth and EOS Project Science Office home pages on World Wide Web) on September 22. Since posting this announcement, there have been approximately 3656 downloads of this document as well as 270 requests via letter, electronic mail, and phone. There have thus far been 487 (non-mandatory) letters of intent received as a result of this solicitation, which can be categorized as follows:
Landsat Team Member/Leader 45
MODIS Team Member 50
AIRS Team Member 4
TRMM Team Member 4
Passive Microwave Team Member 14
Interdisciplinary Investigation 200
New Investigator Program 115
Science Education Grant Supplement 55
NASA aims to complete the evaluation and selection process by March 15.
As reported in the last issue of The Earth Observer, NASA selected TRW Inc. of Redondo Beach, CA for a cost plus award fee contract valued at $398.7 M to provide two "common" spacecraft (PM-1 and Chemistry-1), along with options for two more spacecraft (for an additional $269.8 M). This contract has since been mired in a protest by losing bidders Hughes Space and Communications Co. of Los Angeles, and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space of Sunnyvale, California. The General Accounting Office, which reviews all bid protests, has until mid-February to rule on this matter. This protest places additional uncertainty on the common spacecraft procurement, which has been part of NASA's strategy since rescoping the EOS program in 1992.
In late October, Dr. David Starr, EOS Validation Scientist, distributed a letter outlining the Project Science Office plan for development of EOS instrument team data validation plans. This important activity includes: (i) individual team contributions (in a common format) of their team's validation plans, (ii) a Validation Workshop during the week of May 13-17, including active participation of the IDS teams and other prospective national and international partners, (iii) submission of revised team validation plans in July, which will be used to define (iv) a NASA Research Announcement, to be released around August, calling for contributions to a correlative measurement program with specific descriptions of validation data sets to be acquired, and (v) a peer review of these EOS validation plans in Fall 1996. This important activity should lead to a better definition of what is, and is not, included within a given science team's validation plan, and where the overlap and gaps are between teams. Through this process, we should obtain a very sound, and affordable, validation program for EOS AM-1 and EOS-supported TRMM science teams (CERES, LIS), with additional teams to be added at a later date.
Finally, I am happy to report that Dr. Carl (Skip) Reber has agreed to serve as Deputy EOS Senior Project Scientist. This position will help me immeasurably, and will greatly benefit both from Skip's experience as UARS (Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite) Project Scientist from 1980-1993, and as senior scientist in the Mission to Planet Earth Office. His duties will include: (i) serving as Vice Chairman of the Performance Evaluation Board for the EOSDIS Core System (Hughes Applied Information Systems) contract, (ii) working closely with various EOS Project Scientists to coordinate algorithm development activities, (iii) working closely with the ESDIS Project and the EOSDIS Panel in reviewing and assessing the progress, and outstanding issues, with the data system, and (iv) being my back-up at innumerable staff meetings and reviews.