ITM MOWG Findings
Findings
Management Operations Working Group for the ITM
Branch of NASA's Space Physics Division
Meeting Date, 13-14 February 1995
1. TIMED Mission
The original TIMED Science Working Group and the ad hoc Science Panel are
acknowledged by the ITM MOWG for their excellent, unselfish efforts in the
necessary rescoping of the TIMED mission. Both groups worked under extreme
budgetary and time pressure to arrive at a descoped mission that maintains
valuable scientific objectives of the originally proposed mission.
Specifically, we believe that the current science capabilities and
objectives represent a highly defensible subset of the original mission
goals. The explicitly planned integration of ground-based observations into
the TIMED mission activities maintains science objectives unique to the
original dual-spacecraft concept, and through proper coordination will
enable early participation by a broad segment of the ITM community. Support
of the space physics community for the implementation of TIMED in its
current configuration is strongly encouraged as an initial step in
implementation of the full Solar Connections program.
2. Solar Connections Program
The ITM MOWG finds the Solar Connections program of three solar-terrestrial
probes (TIMED, HESI AND MI) and the Solar Probe mission to be a high
priority, coherent and well-defined program. These planned missions will
address a key subset of the scientific issues of concern to the Space
Physics Division, emphasizing solar dynamics and variability, and their
effects on the structure, energetics, and dynamics of Earth's
magnetosphere, ionosphere, thermosphere and mesosphere. Exploratory
progress in these areas of research is central to our understanding of
coupling within the solar-terrestrial system and for evaluating and
predicting changes in Earth's space environment that may have an impact on
human systems. Solar Connections represents the logical framework within
which current and future missions can yield an increasingly quantitative
understanding of our terrestrial and space environment and the symbiotic
relationship between regimes in the solar-terrestrial system at a time of
critical need.
3. Sub-Orbital Program
The ITM MOWG strongly believes that a flourishing sub-orbital program is a
key ingredient of U.S. space and upper-atmospheric research. In
particular, rockets and balloons represent the only proven vehicles for
in-situ measurements in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) and
additional in-situ access is essential to increased understanding of the
MLT. For a variety of reasons, rocket experiments also represent the only
proven method for carrying out many important investigations in the upper
thermosphere and ionosphere. In general, the sub-orbital program offers
inexpensive and continual access to space for diverse experiments conducted
by scientists at a wide range of universities, corporations and government
laboratories. It provides the proving ground for instrument concepts, many
of which later become key components of NASA spacecraft missions. Further,
the program is especially well suited for training space science and
engineering students at all the levels in a full range of experiment design
and data analysis skills. Most importantly, the sub-orbital program
enhances the nation's spacecraft and ground-based research programs by
enabling broad synergistic studies and correlative
observations. By providing frequent and versatile access to space (30-40
flights per year) on inexpensive platforms, the sub-orbital program is an
essential complement to NASA's present and future orbital programs.
4. Single OSS Science Division
A plan has been put forward at NASA Headquarters to reorganize the three
divisions within the Office of Space Science (OSS) into three branches
under a single science division. Such a reorganization is viewed
unfavorably by the ITM MOWG because it is seen as having a potentially
negative impact on effective scientific progress within the respective
divisions, and in particular, within the Space Physics Division (SPD).
Research within the SPD is unique in its focus on a local star (the Sun)
and a single planet (Earth), and on the Sun's heliospheric plasma domain
including magnetospheres, cosmic rays and the interplanetary medium. The
other two divisions within the OSS (Astrophysics and Planetary Science) are
characterized by specific traits unique to themselves. The diversity of
scientific disciplines represented by these three areas of endeavor is
properly reflected in the present three-division structure at NASA
Headquarters. In order to fairly and effectively administer the activities
of these three science disciplines, the director of the OSS requires direct
and frequent contact with the discipline leaders. The proposed structural
reorganization would place an unnecessary and homogenizing layer of
management between the director and the respective discipline leaders. The
ITM MOWG finds that the potential exists in such an change for deleterious
consequences to the individual disciplines involved as well as to the
conduct of space science as a whole within NASA.
5. An Innovation in the Explorer Program's Proposal Format.
The change in the Explorer program's proposal format from a single
comprehensive proposal to a two-step procedure is viewed very favorably by
the ITM MOWG. Greater effort can be directed towards the scientific issues
as part of the initial submission while deferring the formal presentation
of management and financial issues to the second step for a reduced number
of proposers This two-step procedure should (1) enhance the scientific
content of the first-stage proposals and (2) reduce the effort committed to
the writing and reviewing of ultimately unsuccessful proposals, thereby
increasing the time available for research within the community.
6. Proposal Feedback.
Some proposers and reviewers do not appear to understand the significance
that NASA places on funding research it views as "fundamental" to the goals
of the agency. NASA should make this more clear in its instructions to
proposers. Further, when a proposal fails to gain funding primarily because
the review process identifies the research as "less than fundamental", the
basis for this determination should be clearly communicated to the proposer
in a reviewer's comments. One intended consequence of this action is to
discourage the re-submission of proposals that are not likely to be funded
following a second review.
7. The NAS Report on "A Space Physics Paradox"
The ITM MOWG is concerned about the potential impact of the "Paradox"
report on the future of the Space Physics Division and wishes to emphasize
that the recommendations advanced in that assessment have been or are being
addressed by NASA. In particular, the recent NASA emphasis on faster,
cheaper missions with increased access to space is viewed by this MOWG to
be of critical importance. We are particularly supportive of recent
attempts to constrain mission costs and insure diversified space-flight and
sub-orbital programs.
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