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Space exploration, space missions 1957-2007 : Sputnik and the space race a guide to selected resources Produced by the Science Reference Section of the Science, Technology and Business Division of the Library of Congress, this page provides a resource listing of books and Internet resources regarding Sputnik and the space race. 2001 Mars Odyssey 2001 Mars Odyssey is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red planet. The spacecraft was launched on April 7, 2001, and arrived at Mars on October 24, 2001. Odyssey's primary science mission will take place February 2002 through August 2004. For the first time, the mission will map the amount and distribution of chemical elements and minerals that make up the Martian surface. The spacecraft will especially look for hydrogen, most likely in the form of water ice, in the shallow subsurface of Mars. It will also record the radiation environment in low Mars orbit. The site brings together a wealth of information on the mission including a description of its scientific objectives, its instrument packages, a mission summary (status, timeline, launcher and spacecraft descriptions), mission team members, images and video clips. 2007 : A Space Policy This is the 7th report of the House of Commons Technical Committee, session 2006-07, published in July 2007. It reports on an inquiry into the UK space sector which highlights some weaknesses, but acknowledges its enthusiasm for discovery, research and experimentation. It recommends that the Government increase its funding for space programmes now, due to the long lead-in time involved. It suggests that there are opportunities for the UK to lead developments in areas such as exploration, satellite navigation and Earth observation. The report is available in full text, in PDF and HTML format. A Constrained Space Exploration Technology Program : Review of NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program This gives access to a full text book provided by the National Academies Press dated November 2008. In January 2004, President George W. Bush announced the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE), which instructed NASA to "Extend human presence across the solar system, starting with a human return to the Moon by the year 2020, in preparation for human exploration of Mars and other destinations," among other objectives. As acknowledged in the VSE, significant technology development will be necessary to accomplish the goals it articulates. NASA s Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) is designed to support, develop, and ultimately provide the necessary technologies to meet the goals of the VSE. This book, a review of the ETDP, is broadly supportive of the intent and goals of the VSE, and finds the ETDP is making progress towards the stated goals of technology development. However, the ETDP is operating within significant constraints which limit its ability to successfully accomplish those goals the still dynamic nature of the Constellation Program requirements, the constraints imposed by a limited budget, the aggressive time scale of early technology deliverables, and the desire to fully employ the NASA workforce. [Taken from abstract]. A Risk Reduction Strategy for Human Exploration of Space: A Review of NASA's Bioastronautics Roadmap The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Bioastronautics Roadmap (BR) is “the framework used to identify and assess the risks of crew exposure to the hazardous environments of space.” The BR was created to facilitate and support the successful accomplishment of the three Design Reference Missions. The contents of the document are the identified risks, the research and technology questions associated with these risks, and the desired outcomes. This is an executive summary of the book published on 2006 by David Longnecker and Ricardo Molins, Committee on Review of NASA's Bioastronautics Roadmap, National Research Council, and is available free in PDF format. The committee identified both overarching and specific issues in need of attention in the BR content. Overarching issues involve the impact of various time factors on risk, the interactions among risks, and the need to create two new cross-cutting categories of risk: “Human Systems Integration” and “Food and Nutrition.” Specific issues include the need to (1) validate current and future crew selection criteria;(2) group behavioral health risks into categories based on clinical outcomes and address issues of human sexuality in long-duration missions; (3) use actuarial data to estimate the likelihood of intrinsic health alterations as part of the selection criteria for the Mars mission crew; and (4) quantitatively evaluate mental and physical health risks affecting crew health and mission success. A Science Strategy for the Exploration of Europa This is the full text of a report published by the National Academy Press in 2000. The report is produced by the Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration, National Research Council. It is possible to search the text of the report, or alternatively view a listing of sections and select which one to view. It is available in HTML format. A Strategy for Research in Space Biology and Medicine into the Next Century This is a full text book available from National Academies Press and produced by Committee on Space Biology and Medicine, National Research Council in the year 1998. This book addresses two major aspects connected with the construction of international space station. These include the use of low gravity as an experimental parameter to study fundamental biological processes and the study of the serious physiological changes that occur in astronauts as they remain in space for increasingly longer missions. The book provides a comprehensive review of ground-based and space research in eleven disciplines, ranging from bone physiology to plant biology. It also offers detailed, prioritized recommendations for research during the next decade, which are expected to have a considerable impact on the direction of NASA's research program. The volume is also a valuable reference tool for space and life scientists. The text is available in open book PDF form. Access To Space Based in the Project Formulation & Space Access Branch at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center's, the Access To Space (ATS) Group, supports the development and implementation of mission concepts by identifying frequent and affordable opportunities for access to space and advocating changes that reduce the cost of access. The web site provides access to a range of information resources. The Access Mode section provides a means to research and compare various methods for getting a payload to space. The Mission Database contains information on all types of missions, in various stages of design. The three types of missions contained in the database are instruments, spacecraft, and launches. Each mission contains relevant information in areas such as orbit parameters, spacecraft/instrument characteristics, launch vehicle, ride-share opportunities, communications, and contact information. The site also contains sections on query tools, news, and links. ACRIMSAT : Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor Satellite The ACRIMSAT Mission was aimed at measuring Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) during its five-year mission life. The spacecraft was launched on December 20, 1999 as a secondary payload on a Taurus launch vehicle. The mission was funded by NASA through the Earth Science Programs Office at Goddard Space Flight Center. The main objective of the mission is to measure incoming solar radiation and adding measurements of ocean and atmosphere currents and temperatures, as well as surface temperatures, climatologists would be to improve their predictions of climate and global warming over the next century. This website provides an overview of the mission, description of its science goals and objectives, key publications and links to related educational sources. Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) ACE is a NASA Space Science Mission which was launched in August 1997. The mission's objective is to sample and study low-energy solar particles and high-energy galactic particles in order to gain a better understanding of the formation and evolution of the solar system as well as the astrophysical processes involved. The web site brings together a variety of information resources including: mission overview; a browsable and searchable listing of publications; online acess to mission data; image gallery; and descriptions of the various ACE instruments. AIM : Exploring Clouds at the Edge of Space
The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite mission is exploring Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs), also called noctilucent clouds, to find out why they form and why they are changing. America's Future in Space : Aligning the Civil Space Program with National Needs This provides access to a National Academies Press publication dated 2009. As civil space policies and programs have evolved, the geopolitical environment has changed dramatically. Although the U.S. space program was originally driven in large part by competition with the Soviet Union, the nation now finds itself in a post-Cold War world in which many nations have established, or are aspiring to develop, independent space capabilities. Furthermore discoveries from developments in the first 50 years of the space age have led to an explosion of scientific and engineering knowledge and practical applications of space technology. The private sector has also been developing, fielding, and expanding the commercial use of space-based technology and systems. Recognizing the new national and international context for space activities, America's Future in Space is meant to advise the nation on key goals and critical issues in 21st century U.S. civil space policy. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it. American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology (ASGSB)
The American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology (ASGSB) a nonprofit organization, founded in 1984, provides a forum to foster research, education and professional development in the multidisciplinary fields of gravitational and space biology. An Application of Anti-Optimization in the Process of Validating Aerodynamic Codes This is a Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering PhD dissertation, by Juan R. Cruz, dated April 4, 2003. The primary objectives of the work performed for this dissertation were to develop an approach using anti-optimization in the process of validating aerodynamic analyses through experiments, and to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach. Since this is an applied study, a suitable aerodynamic analysis needing validation and an appropriate corresponding experiment were selected to serve as a testbed for the approach being developed. A combination of two aerodynamic codes integrated into an analysis to predict the maximum lift coefficient of a wing and a related wind tunnel experiment were chosen to exercise and evaluate the proposed approach. An interesting flight domain for the validation of this analysis is the combination of Mach and Reynolds numbers encountered by airplanes operating within the atmosphere of Mars. Thus, secondary objectives of the dissertation were assist in the validation of an analysis in the flight regime used by airplanes designed to fly in the Martian atmosphere, and to generate an aerodynamics database in this flight regime. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. The full text of the document is accessible online in PDF format [4.86 Mb]. This title is part of Virginia Techs Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection (VT ETD) An Assessment of Space Shuttle Flight Software Development Processes This is a full text book available from National Academies Press and produced by Committee for Review of Oversight Mechanisms for Space Shuttle Flight Software Processes, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, National Research Council in 1993. The book evaluates the safety, oversight, and management functions that are implemented currently in the Space Shuttle program to ensure that the software is of the highest quality possible. Numerous recommendations are made regarding safety and management procedures, and a rationale is offered for continuing the Independent Verification and Validation effort that was instituted after the Challenger Accident. The text is available in open book PDF form. Apollo 40th Anniversary This NASA website celebrates the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the successful mission to land men on the Moon. The site covers mission highlights, the Apollo programme and history as well as events to celebrate the anniversary. There is also a link to how the missions have benefited mankind. Apollo by the Numbers : a Statistical Reference Written by Richard W. Orloff of the NASA History Division, this full text report is available in HTML format. It is an update of NASA publication 2000-4029, and incorporates comments, suggestions and corrections received by the author since its original publication. This version contains the complete text, tables and updated information, but lacks many of the images included in the printed copy. The report presents statistical information about each of the Apollo flights that was not previously easily accessible. Information provided includes: crew information, launch vehicle/spacecraft key facts, launch vehicle propellant usage, ground ignition weights, ascent data and lunar surface experiments. Approaches to Future Space Cooperation and Competition in a Globalizing World : Summary of a Workshop This provides access to a National Academies Press publication written by James V. Zimmmerman and dated 2009. Numerous countries and regions now have very active space programs, and the number is increasing. These maturing capabilities around the world create a plethora of potential partners for cooperative space endeavors, while at the same time heightening competitiveness in the international space arena. This book summarizes a public workshop held in November 2008 for the purpose of reviewing past and present cooperation, coordination, and competition mechanisms for space and Earth science research and space exploration; identifying significant lessons learned; and discussing how those lessons could best be applied in the future, particularly in the areas of cooperation and collaboration. Presentations and initial discussion focused on past and present experiences in international cooperation and competition to identify "lessons learned." Those lessons learned were then used as the starting point for subsequent discussions on the most effective ways for structuring future cooperation or coordination in space and Earth science research and space exploration. The goal of the workshop was not to develop a specific model for future cooperation or coordination, but rather to explore the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches and stimulate further deliberation on this important topic. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it. AQUA The Aqua mission is a part of the NASA-centered international Earth Observing System (EOS). Aqua was launched on May 4, 2002, and has six Earth-observing instruments on board, collecting a variety of global data sets. Aqua was the first member launched of a group of satellites termed the Afternoon Constellation, or sometimes the A-Train. The mission is focused on the multi-disciplinary study of Earth's interrelated processes (atmosphere, oceans, and land surface) and their relationship to changes in the Earth system. This website provides the details of Aqua mission including its objectives; description of scientific instruments; news updates; and references. Aquarius Aquarius is a collaborative mission of NASA and the Argentine space program CONAE. In all, over 17 universities and corporate and international partners will be involved in this mission. The mission aims to observe and model the processes that relate salinity variations to climatic changes in the global cycling of water and to understand how these variations influence the general ocean circulation. Scheduled to be launched in late 2010, Aquarius will begin its 3-year mission with on a Delta II rocket, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This mission website provides background and overview of the mission; its objectives; description of payload; educational links; reference publications; and image gallery. ASPERA-3 : Analyzer of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms The ASPERA-3 device was created to study the interaction between the solar wind and the Martian atmosphere. It travelled on the ESA/NASA Mars Express mission launched in June of 2003. The ASPERA-3 was designed to study the solar wind-atmosphere interaction in the near-Mars space through ENA (energetic neutral atom) imaging and in-situ plasma measurements. This website provides information related to the ASPERA-3 including its description and science objectives; its utility on the Mars Express mission; photo gallery; and links to reference publications. Assessment of Directions in Microgravity and Physical Sciences Research at NASA This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press and produced by the Committee on Microgravity Research, National Research Council. The book assesses the past impact and current status of microgravity research programs in combustion, fluid dynamics, fundamental physics, and materials science and gives recommendations for promising topics of future research in each discipline. Guidance is given for setting priorities across disciplines by assessing each recommended topic in terms of the probability of its success and the magnitude of its potential impact on scientific knowledge and understanding; terrestrial applications and industry technology needs; and NASA technology needs. At NASA s request, the book also contains an examination of emerging research fields such as nanotechnology and biophysics, and makes recommendations regarding topics that might be suitable for integration into NASA s microgravity program. The text is available in open book PDF form. Assessment of Mars Science and Mission Priorities This provides access to a Space Studies Board report, prepared by the Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX), 2001. The failures of two NASA missions in 1999, the Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander, caused the space agencys programme of Mars exploration to be systematically rethought, both technologically and scientifically. A new Mars Exploration Program (MEP) was announced in October 2000. The report presents the results of a study carried out by COMPLEX which examined the scientific content and mission priorities of this new programme. There is an executive summary of the report in HTML format, and the full text is available in a series of PDF files. It should be noted that this is an unedited prepublication version of the text. Assessment of Mission Size Trade-Offs for NASA's Earth and Space Science Missions This is the full text of a report published by the National Academy Press in 2000. The report is produced by the Space Studies Board Ad Hoc Committee on the Assessment of Mission Size Trade-Offs for Earth and Space Science Missions, Space Studies Board, National Research Council. It is possible to search the text of the report, or alternatively view a listing of sections and select which one to view. Assessment of Options for Extending the Life of the Hubble Space Telescope : Final Report This is a full text book available from National Academies Press and produced by the Committee on the Assessment of Options for Extending the Life of the Hubble Space Telescope, National Research Council. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has operated continuously since 1990. During that time, four space shuttle-based service missions were launched, three of which added major observational capabilities. A fifth SM-4 was intended to replace key telescope systems and install two new instruments. The loss of the space shuttle Columbia, however, resulted in a decision by NASA not to pursue the SM-4 mission leading to a likely end of Hubble s useful life in 2007-2008. This situation resulted in an unprecedented outcry from scientists and the public. As a result, NASA began to explore and develop a robotic servicing mission; and Congress directed NASA to request a study from the National Research Council (NRC) of the robotic and shuttle servicing options for extending the life of Hubble. This report presents an assessment of those two options. It provides an examination of the contributions made by Hubble and those likely as the result of a servicing mission, and a comparative analysis of the potential risk of the two options for servicing Hubble. The study concludes that the Shuttle option would be the most effective one for prolonging Hubble s productive life. Assessment of Planetary Protection Requirements for Mars Sample Return Missions This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press written by Committee on the Review of Planetary Protection Requirements for Mars Sample Return Missions; National Research Council and dated 2009. NASA maintains a planetary protection policy to avoid the forward biological contamination of other worlds by terrestrial organisms, and back biological contamination of Earth from the return of extraterrestrial materials by spaceflight missions. Forward-contamination issues related to Mars missions. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available online in open book format. Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press written by Committee on an Astrobiology Strategy for the Exploration of Mars, National Research Council and dated 2007. Three recent developments have greatly increased interest in the search for life on Mars. The first is new information about the Martian environment including evidence of a watery past and the possibility of atmospheric methane. The second is the possibility of microbial viability on Mars. Finally, the Vision for Space Exploration initiative included an explicit directive to search for the evidence of life on Mars. These scientific and political developments led NASA to request the NRC s assistance in formulating an up-to-date integrated astrobiology strategy for Mars exploration. Among other topics, this report presents a review of current knowledge about possible life on Mars; an astrobiological assessment of current Mars missions; a review of Mars-mission planetary protection; and findings and recommendations. The report notes that the greatest increase in understanding of Mars will come from the collection and return to Earth of a well-chosen suite of Martian surface materials. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available online in open book format. Astrophysics Science Division The Astrophysics Science Division conducts a broad program of research in astronomy, astrophysics, and fundamental physics. Individual investigations address issues such as the nature of dark matter and dark energy, which planets outside our solar system may harbor life, and the nature of space, time, and matter at the edges of black holes. Visitors to the site can view information on past and planned missions as well as a resource centre which provides video footage (requiring RealPlayer to view), image libraries, full text documents and papers and presentations. There is a section providing full text publications to subscribed members. Athena Missions to Mars This is a Cornell University site focussing on the Athena payloads for the 2003/2005 Mars Exploration Rover missions. It includes information on the Spirit and Opportunity rovers and their instruments, Mars facts, press releases, and daily mission updates. An image gallery and related space articles are also provided. For educators, there are lesson plans and lists of online resources to facilitate teaching this subject. Aura The Aura mission is a part of the Earth Observing System (EOS), a program dedicated to monitoring the complex interactions that affect the globe using NASA satellites and data systems. This mission researches the composition, chemistry and dynamics of the Earth's atmosphere as well study the ozone, air quality and climate. The Aura spacecraft launched July 15, 2004. The design life is five years with an operational goal of six years. This website provides in-depth information about the mission including its goals and objectives; instrumentation; the spacecraft and its subsystems; FAQs; related links; and news updates. Autonomous Controlled Landing On Cometary Bodies Written by Simon Dawson, Curtis Potterveld, Hans K?smann, and Leo Early, this paper was presented at the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting on February 9-10, 1998 in Monterey, CA. The paper is produced by staff from Microcosm Inc. and descibes the development of a simulation environment to propagate a controlled orbit about asteroids and comets in the solar system. Control algorithms for autonomous controlled cometary landings are also discussed. This is a PDF file [95k] so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it. Beagle 2 : A lander for Mars This is the main website for the Beagle 2 lander project which was due to land on Mars in December 2003 as part of the European Space Agency (ESA) Mars Express Mission. This website provides not only updates on the progress of the mission but also an introduction to the project, including a brief history of HMS Beagle which Charles Darwin was aboard. There is also information about the science and technology behind the sensors and instruments being used on Beagle 2, as well as information on the people behind the project and other resources such as photos and press releases. Beagle 2 team's internal reports were released on 24th August 2004. The reports document possible reasons for failure. No one cause has been identified but lessons have been learned. Beagle 2 : The Lander (Mars Express) This European Space Agency site provides information about the Beagle 2 lander which is on its way to Mars on the Mars Express, launched in June 2003. The Beagle 2 will descend to the Martian surface in December 2003 where it will probe the surface to find evidence of whether life exists or ever existed on the planet. There is information about the history of the project, the descent to the Martian surface, how it will investigate and the evidence it is looking for. There are links to news and status reports. British National Space Centre: Discover and Learn
The Learning Zone is a section of the British National Space Centre's Web site and provides information about space and space exploration. CHAMP : Challenging Mini-Satellite Payload for Geo-scientific Research and Applications Program CHAMP is a cooperative project between US and Germany with NASA providing a GPS Blackjack Flight receiver built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The CHAMP satellite was launched with a Russian COSMOS launch vehicle on July 15, 2000 into an almost circular, near polar (i = 87?) orbit with an initial altitude of 454 km. The design lifetime of the satellite system is 5 years. CHAMP is aimed at generating simultaneously highly precise gravity and magnetic field measurements over a 5 years period. This will allow scientists to detect besides the spatial variations of both fields also their variability with time. It will perform the following three tasks: 1) Mapping of the Earth's global long to medium wavelength gravity field and temporal variations with applications in the geophysics, geodesy and oceanography; 2) Mapping of the Earth's global magnetic field and temporal variations with applications in geophysics and solar terrestrial physics; 3) Atmosphere/ionosphere sounding with applications in global climate studies, weather forecasting, disaster research and navigation. This website provides in depth information about CHAMP mission background; objectives; description of satellite and its subsystems and instruments; science results; mission, orbit and operations data; and links to reference materials and news updates. Chandra X-ray Observatory NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, which was launched and deployed by Space Shuttle Columbia on July 23, 1999, is the most sophisticated X-ray observatory built to date. Chandra is designed to observe X-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as the remnants of exploded stars. This website provides a host of information resources related to the Chandra X-ray Observatory mission, which include Chandra's mission objectives and instrument details; photo gallery; news updates and publications related to the mission; and links to future X-ray missions, amongst others. CHIPS : Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer The Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS) is a University-Class Explorer (UNEX) mission of University of California and funded by NASA. A successful launch occurred at 16:45 Pacific time on Sunday January 12, 2003. The mission is aimed at helping scientists determine the electron temperature, ionization conditions, and cooling mechanisms of the million-degree plasma believed to fill the local interstellar bubble. The website includes the latest news on the mission; science and instrument description; links to educational resources; papers and publications; and FAQs. CINDI : Coupled Ion Neutral Dynamics Investigation The Coupled Ion-Neutral Dynamics Investigation (CINDI) is a NASA sponsored Mission of Opportunity conducted by the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). CINDI will discover the role of ion-neutral interactions in the generation of small and large-scale electric fields in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Ion-neutral interactions are a key process in controlling the dynamics of all planetary atmospheres and their understanding is important to describing the electrodynamic connections between the Sun and the Upper Atmosphere.The CINDI investigation is carried out as an enhancement to the science objectives of the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecast System (C/NOFS) undertaken by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Space and Missile Command Test and Evaluation Directorate (SMC/TEL). This is the CINDI project website which provides information about the mission background, objectives, science and spacecraft details. There is also access available to CINDI science data. Also available is a CINDI quick fact sheet in PDF form. Please note that some of the links may be broken. Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) Project
This NASA satellite website provides new insight into the role that clouds and atmospheric aerosols (airborne particles) play in regulating Earth's weather, climate, and air quality. CloudSat
CloudSat is an experimental satellite that uses radar to observe clouds and precipitation from space. CloudSat orbits in formation as part of the A-Train constellation of satellites (Aqua, CloudSat, CALIPSO, PARASOL and Aura). Cluster The aim of the ESA's Cluster mission is to study small-scale structures of the magnetosphere and its environment in three dimensions. To achieve this, Cluster is constituted of four identical spacecraft that will flight in a tetrahedral configuration. The Cluster spacecrafts were launched in July, 2000 and August, 2000 and would be operational till December 2009. The mission is currently investigating the small-scale structure (in three dimensions) of the Earth's plasma environment, such as those involved in the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetospheric plasma, in global magnetotail dynamics, in cross-tail currents, and in the formation and dynamics of the neutral line and of plasmoids. The mission website provides the summary of the mission; fact sheet; launch details; instrument description; latest updates; paper and publication and links to related resources. Columbia accident investigation board report : Volume 1 The Columbia accident investigation board (CAIB) reports which constitute Volume 1 are available from the NASA Columbia website. They are available in PDF format in different resolutions (low, medium or high) and as the full-report or seperate sections. Details of how to purchase a CD-ROM of the report are also available at this site. Columbia accident investigation board reports : all volumes The Columbia accident investigation board (CAIB) reports are available from the NASA Columbia website. Columbia Shuttle Tragedy Columbia Shuttle Tragedy is an article which is part of the Hot Topics Series from Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA). It provides a discussion about the possible reasons for the loss of the Columbia space shuttle on February 1st, 2003, when it broke up during re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere above Texas. There is a list of key citations from the article, a collection of related Web-sites, a glossary of terms used and further details of the original source. Compact Optical Sensor for Real-Time Monitoring of Bacterial Growth for Space Applications This technical report (NLR-TP-2001-431) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2001 and was written by R. C. van Benthem, D. van den Assem and J. Krooneman. During long-duration manned space-missions complex chemical and biological processes need to be managed accurately for the recycling of human wastes and to produce human consumables. As a result, there is an increasing interest in how the characteristics of microbes are influenced by micro-gravity. Compact optical instrumentation allows for real-time and non-invasive measurement of bacterial growth parameters during flight experiments. In close collaboration, the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands (NLR) and Bioclear Environmental Biotechnology developed and tested an on-line optical biomass sensor successfully. The sensor concept is based on a turbidity measurement technique operating in the VIS-blue part of the light spectrum with use of blue LED sources. A diagnostic tool has been developed using compact spectrometers and optical fibres to characterise bacterial cultures. As a result a few sensor applications operating at different colours and sensor layouts are discussed in the paper. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file. Comparison between Cyclers and Stop-over Cyclers for a Regular Earth-Mars Transportation System This paper was given at the 6th Dynamics and Control of Systems and Structures in Space (DCSSS) conference by Natacha Linder and Massimiliano Vasile. The conference took place in July 2004 at Riomaggiore, Italy. This work consists of a comparison between cyclers and stop-over cyclers, in the framework of a possible future cyclic human Earth-Mars transportation system. At first, a comparison among the vast variety of possible cyclers has been carried out in the attempt of selecting the ones that are interesting for a realistic transportation system. Then, cyclers are compared to stop-over cyclers in terms of flight times, waiting times at the Earth and at Mars, ∆Vs and mass budget, and some considerations are derived on the actual convenience of the two concepts. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it. Conflict in the Cosmos : Hoyle Biography This is biography of Fred Hoyle, who hosted one of the first radio programs that focused on science and then moved his show to the new medium of television. Fred Hoyle had a prolific career of 60 years with major contributions in astronomy including subjects like origins of stars; origins of chemnical elements; the nature of gravitational forces; and the origin of life on Earth. The book has been published by National Academis Press in 2005 and written by Simon Mitton. The book has each chapter structured around an intellectual puzzle and the science is framed within the context of the knowledge available to Hoyle at the time. Drawing on his personal knowledge of Fred Hoyle, Mitton vividly recreates the many public clashes between Hoyle and his critics, and at the same time he clearly explains the science underlying the conflict. Cosmos 1 Cosmos 1, the world's first solar sail spacecraft, is a project built in collaboration of the Planetary Society and Cosmos Studios with the Lavochkin Association and the Space Research Institute in Russia and will be launched on June 21, 2005. The website includes a host of resources related to the mission, which include: the basics of a solar sail; mission timeline; orbital parameters; schematic drawings showing the spacecraft and sail dimensions; testing and development information; news updates; press room; and images and animation. D-CIXS : A demonstration of planetary X-ray detection for SMART1 D-CIXS is a Demonstration of a Compact Imaging X-ray Spectrometer which will produce the first X-ray global map of the surface of the Moon as part of ESAs SMART-1 Lunar mission. D-CIXS employs radical new technology to greatly reduce the mass and volume of the instrument and will represent a new generation of x-ray instruments for planetary observation. Also onboard will be an X-ray Solar Monitor (XSM), capable of monitoring the output of the Sun so that absolute abundance measurements can be derived from the D-CIXS data. The website provides further information about the background science, XSM, D-CIXS publications as well as links to ESA and other background information and a team list. Dawn : A Journey to the Beginning of the Solar System Scheduled to be launched in June 2006, the mission Dawn's goal is to characterize the conditions and processes of the solar system's earliest epoch by investigating in detail two of the largest protoplanets remaining intact since their formations. This website consists of the Dawn mission and launch details; science goals and instruments; spacecraft details; operations information; background of the mission; news updates; and images. There is also a link to Dawn mission report presented at the 2002 Asteroids, Comets and Meteors Conference in PDF format and also to the Dawn full press package. Dawn Mission The goal of this mission is to achieve an understanding of the conditions and processes acting at the solar system's earliest epoch. Dawn investigates the internal structure, density and homogeneity of two complementary protoplanets, 1 Ceres and 4 Vesta, that have remained intact since their formation, by measuring their mass, shape, volume and spin rate with both imagery, laser altimetry and gravity. This is the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's, Dawn mission home page. It provides to a range of information including the mission background, objectives and status. Separate sections of the site deal with the science and technology apects of the mission. The multimedia section contains an image gallery and orbit visualisation tools. Development of a Mechanically Pumped Two-Phase CO2 Cooling Loop for the AMS-2 Tracker Experiment This technical report (NLR-TP-2002-271) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2002 and was written by A. A. M. Delil, A. A. Woering and B. Verlaat. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer AMS-2 is planned for a five years mission as attached payload on ISS, the International Space Station. It is an international experiment searching for anti-matter, dark matter, and missing matter. AMS-2, an improved version of AMS-1 flown on STS 91, consists of various particle detector systems, one of these being the (Silicon) Tracker. The trade-off based choice and the experimental feasibility demonstration of a mechanically pumped two-phase CO2 cooling loop for the Tracker is discussed in detail. The current status and ongoing and planned development activities are discussed. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.
no title available no description supplied Earth Science and Applications from Space : National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond This provides access to a National Academies Press online book dated 2007. Natural and human-induced changes in Earth s interior, land surface, biosphere, atmosphere, and oceans affect all aspects of life. Understanding these changes requires a range of observations acquired from land-, sea-, air-, and space-based platforms. To assist NASA, NOAA, and USGS in developing these tools, the NRC was asked to carry out a "decadal strategy" survey of Earth science and applications from space that would develop the key scientific questions on which to focus Earth and environmental observations in the period 2005-2015 and beyond, and present a prioritized list of space programs, missions, and supporting activities to address these questions. This report presents a vision for the Earth science program; an analysis of the existing Earth Observing System and recommendations to help restore its capabilities; an assessment of and recommendations for new observations and missions for the next decade; an examination of and recommendations for effective application of those observations; and an analysis of how best to sustain that observation and applications system. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available to view online in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it. Emerald : Space Tether This is a senior design project report submitted by Russell Dunning, Steve Millward and Seamus Porter of Santa Clara University, California in 2003. The Emerald Nanosatellite Project is a two-satellite mission to explore enabling technology for multi-satellite formation flying. Emerald's relative position sensors and inter-satellite communication systems, have limited range specifications which have motivated the need for space tether. The Space Tether team of the Emerald Nanosatellites designed, tested and analysed a tether deployment system to be utilized by the Emerald Nanosatellites. The system includes deployment of a Teflon based line called Spidewire, attachment of tether and final cutting of tether. The greatest challenges that correspond to the project are the reduction of initial seperation velocity of the two Emerald Nanosatellites, and the prediction of tether performance once in space. A complex experiment and empirical analysis was done to ensure the appropriate performance of deployment and to prevent mission failure. The full text of the project report is available as PDF document. Enabling Foundation for NASA's Space and Earth Science Missions This provides access to a U.S. National Academies Press publication dated 2009. NASA's space and Earth science program is composed of two principal components: spaceflight projects and mission-enabling activities. Most of the budget of NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is applied to spaceflight missions, but NASA identifies nearly one quarter of the SMD budget as "mission enabling." The principal mission-enabling activities, which traditionally encompass much of NASA's research and analysis (R&A) programs, include support for basic research, theory, modeling, and data analysis; suborbital payloads and flights and complementary ground-based programs; advanced technology development; and advanced mission and instrumentation concept studies. While the R&A program is essential to the development and support of NASA's diverse set of space and Earth science missions, defining and articulating an appropriate scale for mission-enabling activities have posed a challenge throughout NASA's history. This volume identifies the appropriate roles for mission-enabling activities and metrics for assessing their effectiveness. Furthermore, the book evaluates how, from a strategic perspective, decisions should be made about balance between mission-related and mission-enabling elements of the overall program as well as balance between various elements within the mission-enabling component. Collectively, these efforts will help SMD to make a good program even better. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available to read online in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required. Encyclopedia Astronautica Mark Wade's Encyclopedia Astronautica is a personal interest web resource, which is hosted by www.astronautix.com. It brings together a wealth of space science and technology related information. There is an alphabetic arrangement of entries, as well as a series of topic headings including: programs, spacecraft by type, astronauts, propellants, a launch vehicle index, a rocket engine index, and a launch site index. The Encyclopedia also provides access to a collection of articles, references, and feature items. The site also contains a large collection of images, which can be browsed via the graphics indexes. Engineering Challenges to the Long-Term Operation of the International Space Station This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press and produced by Committee on the Engineering Challenges to the Long-Term Operation of the International Space Station, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, National Research Council. This study of the engineering challenges posed by longterm operation of the ISS shows that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the ISS developers have focused almost totally on completing the design and development of the station and completing its assembly in orbit. After ISS Assembly Complete, the primary work on orbit will shift to scientific and engineering research, ISS operations, and the maintenance of ISS systems and experiments. The committee found no major engineering problems with the design of the ISS that would adversely affect long-term operations. Most of the deficiencies can be corrected with procedural changes and equipment or software upgrades in time for incorporation at ISS Assembly Complete. The fundamental improvements cited in this report are well within the state of the art of current technology and should be introduced into the ISS Program as soon as possible. In the areas of communications and robotics, in fact, they have already been developed. With farsighted management and timely increases in funding, these upgrades and enhancements would ensure that the ISS remains at the leading edge of long-term space research. The text is available in open book PDF form. EO-3-GIFTS : Earth Observing-3-Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer The New Millennium Program's (NMP) Earth Observing 3 (EO3) mission, called GIFTS, is a step towards improving the operational weather observing systems. To accomplish the GIFTS mission NASA has partnered with the US Department of Naval Research's (ONR). ONR's Indian Ocean Meteorological Imager, called IOMI, will demonstrate GIFTS concepts and technologies. The launch has been planned for 2005/06 on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This website provides the EO-3 mission objectives; science and instrument technology descriptions; links to other educational resources; and quick facts about the mission along with news updates. EOS : Earth Observing System The Earth Observing System (EOS) Program Office is the designated program management office for Earth Science Enterprise flight, ground, and science performed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. It is responsible for the management and coordination of all projects and mission offices within EOS as well as external coordination and support to NASA's Office of Earth Science (OES) Program Office. The site describes the various EOS projects and missions including Aqua, Aura, ESDIS, ESMO, GLORY, GPM, ICESat, Landsat, LDCM, LPP, Sorce and Terra. It also contains a launch schedule, organisation chart, contact details, links to other EOS related resources and news room. There is also an Earth Science Education section which includes information on Planet Earth, land and vegetation, oceans, glaciers and ice, storms, atmosphere, pollution and forest fires. ESA Science : Rosetta This is part of the European Space Agency's ESA Science web site. The Rosetta pages describe the ESA misssion to catch comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014 and accompany it into the interior solar system. The site includes a mission overview, news announcements, and sections on the background science of asteroid encounters, information on the orbiter and lander, the launcher, and mission operations. The site also provides access to relevant publications including a factsheet, status reports, as well as an orbit view, images and video clips.The link below is the ESA website for additional details. http://sci.esa.int/home/rosetta/index.cfm ESA Science and Technology : Venus Express The mission homepage brings together a range of information resources relating to the European Space Agency's (ESA) first mission to Venus. It contains a mission summary, fact sheet, objectives and orbit view. Further sections of the site provide descriptions of the spacecraft, instruments, launch vehicle, and mission operations. A number of online publications are available as well as a collection of images and video clips and a news archive. ESA's Report to the 35th COSPAR Meeting This is the full text of European Space Agency (ESA) report SP 1276, July 2004. This ESA Special Publication contains the Agencies report to the 35th COSPAR Meeting. It covers, the missions of the Scientific Programme of ESA in the areas of astronomy, Solar System exploration and fundamental physics. The 35th COSPAR Meeting occured only weeks after the Saturn-orbit insertion of the Cassini spacecraft, which carried Europe's Huygens probe to explore the atmosphere of Titan, and at the same time as the launch of the second satellite of the Double Star project. The text of the report is available in PDF format from the ESA publications web site. European Asteroid Research Node (EARN) EARN is an informal association of European research groups active in asteroid research. Their site is designed to promote communication and data exchange between participating groups. A variety of information resources is available including a continuously updated database of properties of near Earth objects (NEOs), details of participants with links to their home pages, a list of related articles providing preprints in PostScript format and links to other relevant sites. European Space Agency (ESA) : Integral Science and Technology Homepage The International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (Integral) is the first space observatory that can simultaneously observe objects in gamma rays, X-rays, and visible light. Its principal targets are violent explosions known as gamma-ray bursts, powerful phenomena such as supernova explosions, and regions in the Universe thought to contain black holes. This ESA Science and Technology site ficusses on the science background to the mission, the science and mission operations. The site also provides links to related publications, events, images and videos. European Space Agency (ESA) Science : Mars Express The European Space Agency (ESA) Mars Express website which has all the latest news and information about the mission. There is information about the mission, the spacecraft and lander with vital statistics. Further information about the objectives of the mission and the instruments being used. Information on progress and a new archive are available including images and video clips. European Space Agency : Integral The International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (Integral) is the first space observatory that can simultaneously observe objects in gamma rays, X-rays, and visible light. Its principal targets are violent explosions known as gamma-ray bursts, powerful phenomena such as supernova explosions, and regions in the Universe thought to contain black holes. Integral was launched in October 2002 and is a truly international mission with the participation of all member states of ESA plus the United States, Russia, Czech Republic and Poland. The site contains information about the mission, the spacecraft and the launch. There is a large multimedia section which contains image and video galleries and a 3D model. It also provides links to other related Integral science sites. European Space Agency : SMART1 Mission This website contains information about the SMART1 (Small Missions for Advanced Research and Technology) mission. A milestone of this mission will be the testing and proving of an ion drive, along with investigations for ice at the south Lunar pole. It will also test miniaturisation technology while exploring the Moon from orbit. It will be the first space probe ESA has ever sent to the Moon and it will also be the first of ESA's missions to test advanced technology needed for future scientific planetary missions. The site contains links to a fact shee, summary and objectives, news and announcements, a calendar of events and bibliography as well as background to the mission and information on the instruments. European Space Agency : SMART1 Mission SMART-1 is Europes first lunar mission which will use ion propulsion and sun power. This website provides information about ion drive, ion engines and minaturisation of the instruments and what they will do as well as further background information to the mission. Also included is news, a bulletin and brochure, diary and factsheet and links to multimedia images and videos of the science behind the mission. European Space Agency : Solar Orbiter This is the home page of the Solar Orbiter mission, due to launch in October 2013 no later that May 2015 and is confirmed in the cosmic vision programme. By approaching as close as 48 solar radii, the Solar Orbiter will view the solar atmosphere with unprecedented spatial resolution circa 100km pixel size. Over extended periods the Solar Orbiter will deliver images and data of the polar regions and the side of the Sun not visible from Earth. The site provides a lot of information including a fact sheet, technical documentation in PDF format. Evaluation of the National Aerospace Initiative This is a full text book from National Academies Press and produced by Committee on the National Aerospace Initiative, National Research Council. The National Aerospace Initiative (NAI) was conceived as a joint effort between the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to sustain the aerospace leadership of the United States through the acceleration of selected aerospace technologies: hypersonic flight, access to space, and space technologies. The Air Force became concerned about the NAI s possible consequences on Air Force programs and budget if NAI program decisions differed from Air Force priorities. To examine this issue, it asked the NRC for an independent review of the NAI. This report presents the results of that assessment. It focuses on three questions asked by the Air Force: is NAI technically feasible in the time frame laid out; is it financially feasible over that period; and is it operationally relevant. The report is available in open book format. Exobiology in the Solar System and the Search for Life on Mars This is the full text of ESA report SP 1231 from the Exobiology Team Study 1997-1998. It is available in PDF format. The task of the Team was to survey current research in exobiology and related fields and then to make recommendations to ESA on the nature of a future search for life elsewhere in the Solar System. This report presents their findings and conclusions. Exploration of the Outer Heliosphere and the Local Interstellar Medium : A Workshop Report This is a full text workshop report produced by the Committee on Solar and Space Physics, National Research Council and was produced by National Academies Press in 2004. In May 2003 the Space Studies Board's Committee on Solar and Space Physics held the Workshop on Exploration of the Outer Heliosphere to synthesize understanding of the physics of the outer heliosphere and the critical role played by the local interstellar medium (LISM)1 and to identify directions for the further exploration of this challenging environment. At the workshop, a suggestion was made that the low-energy cosmic rays showed evidence that Voyager may have crossed the termination shock completely unexpected observations illustrating the Voyagers promise for returning results with a capacity to surprise and baffle for years to come. To further the exploration of the outer heliosphere four strategic directions became clear in workshop discussions: making use of existing assets, developing new outer heliosphere missions, continuing support of theory and modeling, preparing for Interstellar Probe. Significant questions about the outer heliosphere and the LISM were also addressed. The text of the report is available in open book PDF form. Exploring the Moon and Mars : Choices for the Nation This report was produced by the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment, OTA-ISC-502, in July 1991. It is the result of an assessment of the potential for automation and robotics technology to assist in the exploration of the Moon and Mars. It raises a number of issues of relevance to the U.S. civilian space programme, and includes a discussion of how automation and robotics technologies could contribute to space exploration. The report is made available as part of the OTA Online Archive. The full text is accessible online in PDF format (2706K). Alternatively, the front matter, table of contents and individual chapters are available as separate PDF files. Exploring the Unknown : Selected Documents in the history of the U.S. Civil Space Program, Volume IV : Accessing Space This provides access to the text of a NASA Special Publication, NASA SP-4407, edited by John M. Logsdon, with contributions by Ray A. Williamson and others, The NASA History Series, 1999. The documents selected for inclusion in this volume are presented in four major chapters. These chapters focus on the evolution toward the Saturn V rocket, the development of the Space Shuttle, space transportation commercialisation, and future space transportation possibilities. Each chapter in this volume is introduced by an overview essay. The text is available for viewing online or for downloading from the NASA History Office web site Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) FUSE is a NASA-supported astrophysics mission that was launched on June 24, 1999, to explore the Universe using the technique of high-resolution spectroscopy in the far-ultraviolet spectral region. FUSE was developed in collaboration with the space agencies of Canada and France. FUSE looks at light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (approximately 90 to 120 nanometers), which is unobservable with other telescopes. FUSE observes these wavelengths with much greater sensitivity and resolving power than previous instruments used to study light in this wavelength range. This is a FUSE academic website and brings together basic information about the mission including the background, mission objectives, spaceraft and instruments used. The mission ended in mid-october 2007. Links are available to access the FUSE science data summaries, FAQs and publications. There is also a link to FUSE newsletter and photo file. Project website link is also present. FAST Explorer : Fast Auroral SnapshoT Explorer FAST, the second mission in NASA's Small Explorer Satellite Program (SMEX), is a satellite designed to study Earth's aurora. FAST's primary objective is to study the microphysics of space plasma and the accelerated particles that cause the aurora. FAST was launched on August 21, 1996 from a Pegasus rocket into a highly elliptical orbit. This website provides a background of Earth's aurora; FAST mission objectives; details of the spacecraft instruments and data; launch and orbit information; links to other educational resources; and images. Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope Fermi (formerly called GLAST) is a next generation high-energy gamma-ray observatory designed for making observations of celestial gamma-ray sources in the energy band extending from 10 MeV to more than 100 GeV. Fermi was launched on 11 June 2008 and is part of NASA's Structure and Evolution of the Universe space science theme. The web site provides overviews of the mission, instruments such as the GLAST Burst Monitor, the Large Area Telescope and its key components, and the science objectives. There is a resouces section which contains images, video clips, and presentations. From Earth to Orbit : An Assessment of Transportation Options This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press and produced by Committee on Earth-to-Orbit Transportation Options, Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, National Research Council. The study provides strategies to reduce launch costs while increasing the reliability and resilency of vehicles. It also recommends continued improvements for the Space Shuttle Orbiter and its subsystems and the development of a Space Transportation Main Engine (STME). The text is available in open book PDF form. Full-sky Astrometric Mapping Explorer (FAME) Launched in 2004, FAME is designed with a lifetime of 5 years and aimed at precisely measuring the positions, distances, and motions of some 40 million stars. It is a collaborative project involving amongst others the U.S. Naval Observatory and NASA. The web site provides access to a range of information resources including: news items, press releases, overviews of the mission goals and science objectives, presentations and publications. The presentations include a number of meeting contributions and cover topics such as the precision of spinning spacecraft and radiation torques. The publications include a variety of papers on the mission as well as the Fame Concept Study Report. Future Biotechnology Research on the International Space Station This is a full text book available from National Academies Press and produced by Task Group for the Evaluation of NASA's Biotechnology Facility for the International Space Station, National Research Council in the year 2000. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) manages research programs in two areas of the rapidly expanding field of biotechnology: protein crystal growth and cell science. The protein crystal growth work focuses on using microgravity to produce higher quality macromolecular crystals for structure determination and on improving understanding of the crystal growth process. The cell science work focuses on basic research that contributes to understanding how the microgravity environment affects the fundamental behavior of cells, particularly in relation to tissue formation and the effects of space exploration on living organisms. The National Research Council's Task Group was formed to examine and evaluate the use of the International Space Station (ISS) as a platform for research in these two areas. In this report, the task group offers a variety of recommendations and suggestions for improving the NASA biotechnology research program. It believes these changes are necessary if the NASA program is to fulfill the potential for scientific discovery and impact that is also outlined in this report. GALEX : Galaxy Evolution Explorer The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is an orbiting space telescope that is iamed at observing galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. Led by the California Institute of Technology and NASA, GALEX was launched in April, 2003 with a mission lifetime of 29 months. This site provides GALEX mission information along with news updates, quick facts and links to educational resources. Genesis Mission Home Page This site provides detailed information about NASA's Genesis mission. It was launched in August 2001 and will collect samples of the solar wind, material flowing outward from the Sun, and return these samples to Earth. Scientists will compare the compositions of these samples with known compositions of the planets. This will help the effort to understand how the solar system and its planets formed. The site provides easily understandable information about the science and technology behind the mission, the people who are contributing, a multimedia area and an image gallery. Learning resources for students and teachers, activities for children and news and resources for media professionals are also provided. Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites (GOES) Project This site describes the Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites (GOES) Project. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Program (GOES) is a joint effort of NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These spacecrafts help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, flash floods, and other severe weather. In addition, GOES observations have proven helpful in monitoring dust storms, volcanic eruptions, and forest fires. GOES-N, the first spacecraft in the new GOES-N/O/P series, lifted off aboard a Boeing Delta IV rocket from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. at 6:11 pm EDT on May 24, 2006. GOES-O is scheduled to launch on April 28, 2009. The website consists of project information, specifications of GOES spacecrafts and the instruments on-board, launch information and other educational resources. Geotail This is a NASA web site that brings together a range of information regarding the Geotail mission. This is a collaborative project undertaken by the institute of space and astronautical science (ISAS) and NASA. The objective is to study the dynamics of the earth magnetotail over a wide range of distance extending from extending from the near-Earth region (8 Earth radii (Re) from the Earth) to the distant tail (about 200 Re). The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by ISAS and first launched on July 24, 1992. Its mission is divided into two phases. During the initial two-year phase, the orbit apogee was kept on the night side of the Earth by using the Moon's gravity in a series of double-lunar-swing-by maneuvers that resulted in the spacecraft spending most of its time in the distant magnetotail (maximum apogee about 200 Re) with a period varying from one to four months. In February 1995, phase two was commenced as the apogee was reduced to 30 Re to study the near-Earth magneto-tail processes. The website provides an overview of the project and access to data, as well as links to principal investigators and instrumentation. Goddard Technical Reports Server (GTRS) This database is available to search as part of the NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) or on its own from this site. It can be searched in a number of ways including title, author, NASA report number and keyword. Some reports are available in full text as PDF files, others have an abstract. The database covers space sciences, technology and earth sciences. GPM : Global Precipitation Measurement GPM is a joint mission with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and other international partners. The GPM mission is aimed at providing improvements in water resource management, agriculture, policy and planning, transportation, forestry, natural hazards assessment, hydrology, oceanography and weather forecasting. It is scheduled to be launched in 2010 from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan and has a mission lifetime of 3 years. The website provides information about the mission including objectives; science and instrument description; library; image gallery; and newsletter. Grading NASA's Solar System Exploration Program : Midterm Review This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press written Committee on Assessing the Solar System Exploration Program, National Research Council and dated 2008. The NASA Authorization Act of 2005 directed the agency to ask the NRC to assess the performance of each division in the NASA Science directorate at five-year intervals. In this connection, NASA requested the NRC to review the progress the Planetary Exploration Division has made in implementing recommendations from previous, relevant NRC studies. This book provides an assessment of NASA's progress in fulfilling those recommendations including an evaluation how well it is doing and of current trends. The book covers key science questions, flight missions, Mars exploration, research and analysis, and enabling technologies. Recommendations are provided for those areas in particular need of improvement. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available to read online in open book format. Gravity Probe B : Testing Einstein's general theory of relativity Gravity Probe B (GP-B) is the relativity gyroscope experiment developed by NASA and Stanford University to test predictions of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity. The mission was launched in April 2004 and was completed by September 2005. The mission is being controlled from Stanford University and this site describes the experiment, provides progress updates and links to other relevant sites, including a video clip of the launch and the full-text of the GP-B launch companion document. The engineering history to the mission over the last 40 years is also available with full-text technical papers available in pdf format. Gravity Probe B Home Page NASA's Gravity Probe B mission, also known as GP-B, was launched in April 2004. It will use four ultra-precise gyroscopes to test Einstein's theory that space and time are distorted by the presence of massive objects. To accomplish this, the mission will measure two factors: how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth, and how the Earth's rotation drags space-time around with it. This site provides news, status reports, facts, photographs, and multimedia QuickTime movies related to the mission.GP-B determined both effects with unprecedented precision by pointing at a single star, IM Pegasi, while in a polar orbit around Earth. Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) GRACE mission is a joint partnership between the NASA in the United States and Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fur Luft und Raumfahrt (DLR) in Germany. The primary goal of this mission is to accurately map variations in the Earth's gravity field over its 5-year lifetime. The GRACE twin satellites were launched in March 2002 and are currently making detailed measurements of Earth's gravity field. The key facts and mission overview, alongwith the news updates and GRACE orbit data are available from this website. Great Images in NASA (GRIN) Provided by NASA, this is a collection of over 1000 images of historical interest which is aimed at the media, publishers and the general public. The images have been scanned at high resolution and in several sizes. They can be found by browsing by subject then selecting the relevant category, searched by keyword and date, or browsed by the centre that produced the image. The photographs are not protected by copyright, unless it is stated, and NASA must be acknowledged as the source of the image. Guide to Reusable Launch and Reentry Vehicle Software and Computing System Safety This document is the first version guide to Reusable Launch and Reentry Vehicle Software and Computing System Safety. It was created by the FAA Commercial Space Transportation in July 2006. This guide is designed to aid reusable launch vehicle (RLV) and reentry vehicle (RV) operators in producing safe, reliable launch vehicles through the application of a systematic and logical process for identification, analysis, and control of software and computing system safety hazards and risks. The scope of this document is to provide assistance to launch vehicle operators in developing software and computing system safety analyses as well as improve the safety of their operations. The guide is not intended to cover all analysis methods to identify software and computing system hazards and risks or all aspects of the methods identified here. Reusable launch vehicles typically include ascent and descent phases of flight while RVs include only a descent phase. Although RLVs and RVs could technically be different types of vehicles, the software and computing system safety approaches described here are the same for both types of vehicles. For the purposes of this document, the terms “launch vehicle” and “RLV” are assumed to encompass both RLVs and RVs. This document is available free in pdf format. Herschel Space Observatory The European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory, formerly called Far Infrared and Submillimetre Telescope (FIRST), scheduled to be launched in the early part of 2009, will be the first space observatory covering the full far infrared and sub-millimetre waveband, and its telescope will have the largest mirror ever deployed in space. It is intended to assist astronomers to gain a better understanding of the formation of stars and galaxies. The web site provides an overview of the mission, the science objectives, a mission fact sheet, launch, orbit and navigation information, and descriptions of the payload and service modules. There are also news and services sections which contains full text papers, press releases, news items, images, video clips, and a calendar of events. There is also a brief biography of Sir William Herschel. Alternative web page from ESA is http://sci.esa.int/home/first/index.cfm. Hinode (SOLAR-B) The Hinode (Solar-B) project is one of the projects of NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes (STP) programme. It is a Japanese Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) mission proposed as a follow-on to the Japan/US/UK Yohkoh (Solar-A) collaboration. This website includes an overview brochure and Hinode fact sheet which consist of the scientific goals of the Hinode Mission. More scientific details can be found in the Hinode Science Definition Team Report. Updates on the status of the Hinode mission are also available from the Solar-B Status Page. History of Shuttle-Mir This large site is provided by NASA Human Spaceflight and is devoted to the Shuttle-Mir Program, when American astronauts spent more than 1000 days living with Russian astronauts aboard Mir. The site provides historical detail, organisational, cultural and operational information,personal accounts from the astronauts and details about the scientific experiments they undertook. Descriptive information about both craft is available whilst the reference section includes a site map, timeline, glossaries and related links. Five pre-arranged tours offer different perspectives on the Program and aid navigation. HubbleSite (HST) This is a NASA website that brings together a range of information regarding related to Hubble’s technology. HubbleSite is produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute's Office of Public Outreach. There is a great deal of work to explain the once-unimaginable celestial phenomena which now are made visible using the Hubble’s cutting-edge technology. Therefore, this site provides information regarding the exploration of space and astronomy. There is a wealth of information aimed at the general public, teachers, learners of all ages, as well as members of the scientific and engineering community. A suite of educational resources is also provided for the use of both teachers and students along with links of galleries, discoveries, telescopes and museums. Human Exploration of Mars: The Reference Mission of the NASA Mars Exploration Study Team This page contains links to full text files of the July 1997 study and the 1998 Addendum (Update) to the Human Exploration of Mars, edited by Stephen J. Hoffman and David L. Kaplan. Personnel representing several NASA field centers have formulated a "Reference Mission" addressing human exploration of Mars. This report summarises their work and describes a plan for the first human missions to Mars, using approaches that are technically feasible, have reasonable risks and have relatively low costs. The architecture for the mission builds on previous work in this area, but improvement is still needed to make the first piloted Mars mission a feasible undertaking. The Reference Mission is not implementable in its current form [extracted from study overview]. These are PDF files, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read them. Ice, Clouds, and Land Elevation Satellite (IceSAT) IceSAT (Ice, Clouds, and Land Elevation Satellite) is an approved satellite mission being developed by NASA. It is part of the Earth Observing System and was launched in January 2003. The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) on ICESat will measure ice sheet elevations, changes in elevation through time, height profiles of clouds and aerosols, land elevations and vegetation cover, and approximate sea ice thickness. Future ICESat missions will extend and improve assessments from the first mission, as well as monitor ongoing changes. Together with other aspects of NASA Earth science and current and planned EOS satellites, ICESat will enable scientists to study the Earth' climate and, ultimately, predict how ice sheets and sea level will respond to future climate change. IMAGE : Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration The IMAGE spacecraft was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on March 25, 2000, at 20:34:43 UT. IMAGE was the first of NASA's Mid size Explorer (MIDEX) missions, and was dedicated to imaging the Earth's magnetosphere, the region of space controlled by the Earth's magnetic field and containing extremely tenuous plasmas of both solar and terrestrial origin. It is currently operating in its fifth year. The IMAGE mission details; spacecraft and instrument description; operations information; IMAGE photo gallery; and current updates are available from this site. Influence of Hardware Selection on the Design of the CONTOUR Estimation and Control Software This paper was given at the 5th Dynamics and Control of Systems and Structures in Space (DCSSS) conference by Jason Christopher Bunn and Gabe Rogers. The conference took place in July 2002 at King's College, Cambridge. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory?s (APL) Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft is scheduled for launch in July 2002 and fly within 100 km of two comet nuclei to take images, make spectral maps, and analyze dust and gas. This paper will discuss how hardware selection for CONTOUR?s Guidance and Control (G&C) subsystem affected the design of the attitude estimation (AE) and control (AC) algorithms. Sensor timing and performance, data availability constraints, processor loading, and actuator latencies all drove the algorithm design. The impact of these effects will be discussed, and their influence on performance will be addressed. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it. Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) ISAS is the national research institute of Japan, and is dedicated to space and astronautical science. On October 1st 2003 it was merged with the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan and the National Space Development Agency of Japan to form JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. ISAS conducts space science research by maximising the use of its own launch vehicles, scientific satellites, planetary probes, and balloons and its main research fields of the institute are within astrophysics, solar physics, space plasma physics and planetary science. The site provides an overview of current and future programmes and contains information on launchers, satellites and balloons. Findings from recent projects and an image gallery are also included.
no title available no description supplied International X-Ray Observatory The International X-ray Observatory (IXO) is a new X-ray telescope with joint participation from NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). This project supersedes both NASA's Constellation-X and ESA's XEUS mission concepts.. It will place an array of X-ray telescopes in orbit which will study a range of phenomena including black holes; the formation of galaxy clusters; and theoretical missing matter (baryons) created by the Big Bang. The web site brings together information resources aimed both at a general audience as well as the scientific community. There are overviews of the science goals; mission design; and the main technology elements. The resources section contains papers, articles and other documentation including: Baseline Technical Requirements and Assumptions for Mission Architecture Study; Baseline Constellation-X Reference Mission Description Document; and HTXS Spacecraft and Mission Concept Study Report. Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) This website provides information for NASA missions achieved with a small, lightweight spacecraft, launched on a Pegasus rocket that is dropped from an airplane, into a high altitude orbit that reaches 150 thousand miles above the Earth. The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft is a sun-pointed spinner with 2 narrow angle FOV sensors (IBEX-Hi and IBEX-Lo) that view perpendicular to the spin axis. The payload consists of two devices specialized to detect neutral atoms from the solar system's outer boundaries and galactic medium. The Sun and solar system move through a part of the galaxy referred to as the local interstellar medium. It is built up from material released from the stars of our galaxy through stellar winds, novae, and supernovae. Images taken from Interstellar Boundary Explorer's (IBEX) mission reveal global properties of the interstellar boundaries that separate our heliosphere from the local interstellar medium. IBEX's objective is to discover the global interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. IBEX achieves this objective by taking a set of global energetic neutral atom (ENA) images that answer four fundamental science questions which are: What is the global strength and structure of the termination shock? How are energetic protons accelerated at the termination shock? What are the global properties of the solar wind flow beyond the termination shock and in the heliotail? How does the interstellar flow interact with the heliosphere beyond the heliopause? This website provides useful information and links to other institutions that collaborate with the particular project. Issues Affecting the Future of the U.S. Space Science and Engineering Workforce: Interim Report In January 2006, the President announced a new civilian space policy focusing on exploration. As part of its preparations to implement that policy, NASA asked the NRC to explore long-range science and technology workforce needs to achieve the space exploration vision, identify obstacles to filling those needs, and put forward solutions to those obstacles. As part of the study, the NRC held a workshop to identify important factors affecting NASA s future workforce and its capacity to implement the exploration vision. This interim report presents a summary of the highlights of that workshop and an initial set of findings. The report provides a review of the workforce implications of NASA s plans, an assessment of science and technology workforce demographics, an analysis of factors affecting the aerospace workforce for both NASA and the relevant aerospace industry, and preliminary findings and recommendations. Free registration gives access to full text online and the interim report can be downloaded in PDF format. Jason-1 Jason-1 is the first follow-on to the TOPEX/Poseidon mission that measured ocean surface topography to an accuracy of 3.3 cm. It is a joint project between NASA and France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales. Launched in December 2001, Jason-1 now begins an extended mission to continue collecting detailed sea-surface topography data. This website provides mission information and quick facts related to Jason-1 mission. It also has links to Jason's predecessor, the TOPEX/Poseidon mission. Details of OSTM mission, which will follow Jason-1 are also available. Journal of Space Mission Architecture
This web site provides access to the text of the journal, which is published annually by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Center for Space Mission Architecture and Design (CSMAD). The journal contains articles concerned with space mission architecture concepts, processes and tools. The text of the articles, plus a set of author's notes are available in PDF format. Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Spacecraft (Prometheus I) The primary objective of NASA's Prometheus Nuclear Systems and Technology mission is to develop and demonstrate that a nuclear reactor-powered spacecraft can be operated safely and reliably in deep space on long-duration missions. The first Prometheus mission proposed to take advantage of these revolutionary capabilities is the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO), which would fly on the Prometheus 1 spacecraft. JIMO is an ambitious mission to orbit three planet-sized moons of Jupiter ? Callisto, Ganymede and Europa ? which may harbor vast oceans beneath their icy surfaces. JIMO would orbit each of these moons for extensive investigations of their makeup, their history and their potential for sustaining life.To allow sufficient development and ground-testing time, the mission would not launch before 2015. A heavy-lift launch vehicle would lift Prometheus 1 into high Earth orbit, and the ion-propulsion thrusters would then be used to propel the spacecraft to Jupiter. This website highlights the background information and vision of the NASA's Prometheus Nuclear Systems and Technology mission. Information is also available on the use of in-space use of nuclear power to meet higher power needs in future missions. There are links available to interactive sources, learning centre and other educational resources. Keck Interferometer The Keck Interferometer (KI) is part of NASA's overall effort to find planets and ultimately life beyond our solar system. It is a ground-based component of NASA's Origins Program. Origins addresses fundamental questions about the formation of galaxies, stars, and planetary systems, the prevalence of planetary systems around other stars, and the formation of life on Earth. The Keck Interferometer will be capable of carrying out a variety of scientific studies integral to NASA's search for new worlds. Its primary goals are the characterization of exozodiacal dust, which can obscure the infrared signature of orbiting planets; direct detection of giant planets and brown dwarfs; high-resolution imaging of protoplanetary disks; and the astrometric detection of planets. It will combine the light from the twin Keck telescopes to measure the emission from dust orbiting nearby stars, directly detect the hottest gas giant planets, image disks around young stars and other objects of astrophysical interest, and survey hundreds of stars for the presence of planets the size of Uranus or larger. This website brings together a host of information resources including the background information about the interferometer; the KI scientific goals and results; and other technical rescources. There is a section dedicated to the historical perspective of interferometry also. Information is also available on supporting internet resources. The site can be browsed by taking a virtual interactive tour which is available in QuickTime (2.3MB) or Real Player (190KB). Kepler Mission This is the web site of the Kepler mission, a NASA Discovery Program for detecting potentially life-supporting planets around other stars. This is achieved by employing the transit method - observing repeated transits of planets passing in front of the parent star at regular intervals. This suggests that a planet exists, and from the time between transits the size of the planet's orbit can be calculated and the planet's temperature estimated. These qualities determine possibilities for life on the planet. The site provides background information, including a factsheet and lithograph, details of the spacecraft and photometer, links to the mission science website at NASA Ames Research Center and educational resources and classroom activities. LANL Astrophysics e-Prints This service can be searched from this site on its own, or as part of the NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS). The site provides access to six months worth of preprints which have been submitted to astronomical journals and conference proceedings. They expire after 6 months, as this is the average time it takes for publications to accept them for publication. The service can be searched by author, date, words in title and words in text. The full text can be viewed in a variety of formats, including PDF, Postscript and DVI. Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) LISA is intended to observe gravitational waves, including those generated in the vicinity of supermassive black holes that appear to lie at the center of galaxies. It is jointly sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA), as a Cornerstone mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision Programme, and NASA's Astronomy and Astrophysics Division, as part of the Structure and Evolution of the Universe 2003 roadmap, "Beyond Einstein: From the Big Bang to Black Holes." This program studies the building blocks of our own existence at the most basic level: the matter, energy, space, and time that make up the Universe. The site contains an image gallery, quick facts, news, mission status and mission strategy. Other sections of the site explain how LISA will work and describes the mission's science goals. Lessons Learned from the Clementine Mission This a full text report produced by the Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications (CPSMA), Space Studies Board (SSB) and was published by National Academies Press in 1997. Clementine was a relatively low-cost, technology-demonstration mission that, as a secondary objective, was designed to survey the Moon and to fly past an asteroid. After a 22-month development phase, the spacecraft was launched in late January 1994. Clementine was the first U.S. space mission to leave Earth's vicinity that was not run by NASA. Because of Clementine's many similarities to NASA's current drive to carry out space missions that are 'smaller, cheaper, and faster', this document describes some of the mission' s operational features that differ from traditional NASA practice and that might be profitably brought into scientific spaceflights. This report first presents a preliminary assessment of Clementine's scientific return to date. Although much of the data reduction, calibration, and analysis is yet to be completed, Clementine already appears to have returned interesting and valuable scientific results, especially its identification of the lunar topography, which shows much more relief than anticipated. However, the spacecraft's limited instrument complement prevented the mission from accomplishing the highest-priority objective for lunar science, namely determination of the Moon's global geochemistry. This should not be regarded as a failure, because the mission was not motivated by the achievement of any particular scientific objective. Answers to most of the fundamental scientific questions, will come only after further exploration of the Moon by orbiters and landers. Letter Report : Scientific Assessment Options for the Disposal of the Galileo Spacecraft This is the full text of a letter report published by the National Academy Press in 2000. The report is produced by the Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration, Space Studies Board, National Research Council. It is possible to search the text of the report, or alternatively view a listing of sections and select which one to view. The background to the report is considered, as are planetary-protection considerations, scientific considerations and the interplay of these with each other. Living With a Star The web site describes a NASA initiative which is concerned with the development of a scientific understanding of the aspects of the coupled Sun-Earth system that directly impact on life and society. Living With a Star (LWS) forms a part of the Sun-Earth Connection Theme (SEC) of Nasa's Office of Space Science, and is based at the Goddard Sapce Flight Center. The web site provides an overview of the programme's goals and objectives; scientific focus; and mission spacecraft. There are links to further information on individual mission including: the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO); Sentinels; Radiation Belt Mappers (RBM); and Ionospheric Mappers (IM). The full text of the programme plan is available online (pdf files). Other sections of the site include a series of presentation (MS Powerpoint); image gallery; and news updates. Low-Cost Autonomous Orbit Control About Mars : Initial Simulation results Written by Simon Dawson, Leo Early, Curtis Potterveld, and H.J. Königsmann, this paper was presented at the 3rd IAA International Conference on Low-Cost Planetary Missions on April 27 - May 1, 1998 in Pasadena, CA. The paper, produced by staff at Microcosm Inc., presents results from initial simulations of autonomously controlled orbits around Mars, and highlights uses of the technology and areas of operation, where cost conscious and robust autonomy could prove effective. This is a PDF file [95k] so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it. Low-Cost Innovation in Spaceflight : The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Shoemaker Mission This monograph tells the story of the NEAR mission from the point of view of the management challenges involved in conducting low-cost missions while daily confronting the possibility of defeat. It has been written by Howard E. McCurdy is a professor of public administration at the American University in Washington, DC. The history is divided into four sections. The first section recounts the origins of the expedition and the struggle to get the mission funded and approved. It explains how a small group of people came to believe that an asteroid rendezvous could be conducted as a low-cost mission, a revolutionary proposition at the time. Section two concentrates on the methods employed to translate the low-cost philosophy into a robotic spacecraft that actually worked. Attention is given to the teambuilding techniques that allowed the people organizing the mission to simultaneously restrain cost, meet the launch schedule, and reduce risk. In section three, the management challenges involved in flying the NEAR spacecraft over the five-year flight regime are described. The difficulties involved the guidance of a low-cost robotic spacecraft and the coordination of mission teams at three different locations. On the first rendezvous attempt with Eros, the little spacecraft missed its target, thus requiring another trip around the solar system and significant changes in organizational protocols. Finally, section four assesses the �faster, better, cheaper� initiative and the NEAR mission�s contribution to it. Low-Cost Planetary Missions Utilizing Small Launch Vehicles and a Novel Launch Mode Written by Simon Dawson and Hans Meissinger, this paper was presented at the 11th Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites in September 1997 at Logan, UT. It summarizes the spectrum of low-cost planetary capability that Microcosm's Modified Launch Mode (MLM) makes available to the small satellite community though the use of cheaper and smaller vehicles. This is a PDF file [95k] so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) LRO is the first of the NASA's Robotic Lunar Exploration Program, planned for launch by late Fall 2008 and will orbit the Moon nominally 1 year. The LRO mission emphasizes the overall objective of obtaining data that will facilitate returning men safely to the Moon where testing and preparations for an eventual manned mission to Mars will be undertaken. This website brings together information about the LRO mission, spacecraft designs, intial mission timeline and links to related educational resources. Magellan The Magellan spacecraft, named after the sixteenth-century Portuguese explorer whose expedition first circumnavigated the Earth, was launched 4 May 1989, and arrived at Venus on 10 August 1990. Magellan collected radar images of 98 percent of the planet's surface, with resolution 10 times better than that of the earlier Soviet Venera 15 and 16 missions. Altimetry and radiometry data also measured the surface topography and electrical characteristics. The mission concluded with the spacecraf plunging into the planet's dense atmosphere on Tuesday, 11 October 1994 to gain data on the planet's atmosphere and on the performance of the spacecraft as it descended. This website provides in-depth information related to the Magellan mission objectives and spacecraft details. Latest status reports are also available alongwith news updates and press releases. Information is also available on the planet Venus and there is also a link to image and photo gallery. Managing Space Radiation Risk in the New Era of Space Exploration Published in 2008 by the National Academies Press, this book is available in full text in PDF format (you need to create a sign-in to download PDF versions). This report has been produced by the Committee on the Evaluation of Radiation Shielding for Space Exploration, in the light of the Vision for Space Exploration. It reviews and identifies critical gaps in current knowledge of radiation environments on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars; assesses and identifies critical gaps in the current understanding of radiation health risks faced by astronauts during various surface activities; reviews current and projected approaches to and capabilities for radiation shielding, as well as other feasible strategies for mitigation of exposure to radiation; recommends a comprehensive strategy for mitigating the radiation risks for astronauts during lunar surface missions to levels consistent with NASA’s radiation exposure guidelines; provides recommendations on what technology investments NASA should be making in preparation for lunar missions, and recommends development timelines to ensure that NASA has the appropriate level of radiation shielding in place to meet the planned schedules for keeping radiation exposures beneath their prescribed limits. Mars Exploration Program This is a NASA web site that brings together a range of information related to Mars exploration. There is a wealth of information aimed at the general public, teachers, learners of all ages, as well as members of the scientific and engineering community. The site provides information on past, present and future Mars missions, (Mars Exploration Rover, Global Surveyor, Odyssey, Mars Express, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Phoenix - "Scout missions"), archive data, image sources and links to related sites. A suite of educational resources is also provided for the use of both teachers and students. The site also contains an image gallery and news section. Mars Exploration Rover Mission This site provides detailed information about the Mars Exploration Rover Mission which is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. The twin rovers were launched in 2003 in search of answers about the history of water on Mars. One of the mission's major scientific goals is to search for and characterise a wide range of rocks and soils that hold clues to past water activity on Mars. The site provides a great deal of easily understandable information about the science and technology behind the mission, informal mission news, a timeline, information about the launch vehicle and spacecraft, and a multimedia area which includes images and video. Mars Express This is an ESA (European Space Agency) web site that brings together a range of information related to Mars Express mission. There is a wealth of information aimed at the general public, teachers, learners of all ages, as well as members of the scientific and engineering community. The site provides information on instrumentation used, spacecraft facts, archive data, image sources and links to related sites. A suite of educational resources is also provided for the use of both teachers and students through the ESA science. The site also contains an image gallery. Mars Global Surveyor This Nasa/Jet Propulsion Laboratory web site brings together a range of information resources relating to the MGS mission. The site contains overviews of the mission, spacecraft, and scientific activities. There are real-time images which show the position of the spacecraft in relation to Mars as well as up to date orbit and telemetry data. The site provides access to many images of Mars that have beed recorded in the course of the mapping exercise. A link is provided to a collection of over 57,000 images contained in the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera Image Gallery. Mars Pathfinder Mission This Jet Propulsion Laboratory web page provides access to two versions of the Mars Pathfinder web site. One of these provides information on the mission up to the time of landing in July 1997. The other provides a compilation of information, images and data as at the end of the Mission. There is also a link to the Pathfinder Web Site CD-ROM archive which contains a list of links to all pages of the combined site. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Home Page NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter blasted off from Cape Canaveral in 2005, on a search for evidence that water persisted on the surface of Mars for a long period of time. While other Mars missions have shown that water flowed across the surface in Mars' history, it remains a mystery whether water was ever around long enough to provide a habitat for life. The site provides a great deal of easily understandable information about the science and technology behind the mission, the launch vehicle, spacecraft and rover, the timeline, people who are contributing and a multimedia area which includes images and video. Mars Science Laboratory The Mars Science Laboratory is being designed to assess whether Mars ever had an environment capable of supporting microbial life. Determining past habitability on Mars gives NASA and the scientific community a better understanding of whether life could have existed on the red planet. Mars Science Laboratory is part of a series of expeditions to the red planet that help meet the main science goals of the Mars Exploration Program to determine whether life ever arose on Mars, to characterize the geology and climate of Mars and finally to prepare for human exploration. This website is part of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and provides useful links to events, features, mission, people, technology, and science of Mars Exploration Program. MESSENGER Home Page This is the home page of NASA's MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging) mission. Introductory information is given, including detailed mission objectives and information on Mercury itself. Mission and spacecraft design, trajectories, planning and instrumentation are also described. Several animations are available for viewing using Quicktime. Microcosm Inc. Established in 1984, Microcosm is a small business, specializing in reducing space mission cost. It is currently developing via contracts with U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, the Scorpius family of ultra-low-cost launch vehicles. The company also provides services and products to space mission engineers, educational programmes, aerospace software tools, and a selection of astronautics books that can be ordered online. The site includes a company profile, press releases, and information on products, sevices and expertise. This includes access to a number of publications relating specifically to Scorpius. The company's list of other publications includes Space Mission Analysis and Design, Reducing Space Mission Cost, and the Journal of Reducing Space Mission Cost. Microgravity Research in Support of Technologies for the Human Exploration and Development of Space and Planetary Bodies This is the full text of a report published by the National Academy Press in 2000. The report is produced by the Committee on Microgravity Research, Space Studies Board, National Research Council. It is possible to search the text of the report, or alternatively view a listing of sections and select which one to view. Mission and Spacecraft Library This service is provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and takes the form of a database of space mission information. The resource is comprised of several different parts. 'Launch facts' provides overview information about all orbital spacecraft launches and launch attempts. Launch facts can be searched by completing a Web search form which returns information on satellite name, organisation, launch site, launch vehicle, spacecraft mass, orbit class and mission type. 'Orbit ephemeris' allows users to search for TLEs (Two Line Elements) and the 'Quicklook Pages' provide more in-depth information. This can include a brief description of the mission's objectives, a picture, launch and orbit notes, and brief descriptions of the spacecraft and its payload. Links are often included to a satellite's sponsor, user, manufacturer, and related Web sites. The resource is both searchable and browsable. NASA and the Environment : The Case of Ozone Depletion This is a monograph, a comprehensive study Ozone Depletion, which represents an important case study in the history of NASA and environmental sciences. It has been written by W. Henry Lambright who is professor of public administration and political science and director at the Center for Environmental Policy and Administration, the Maxwell School, Syracuse University. The report deals with the problem chronologically beginning from the time when ozone depletion became an issue (in late 1960s) and the subsequent steps taken and missions launched to eradicate the problem. The whole process of problems solving and decision making can be divided into 8 stages which include : Awareness, Trigger, Establishing Program, Early Implementation, Evaluation/Reorientation, Amplification, Later Implementation and Institutionalization. The decision-making model has a linear structure that does not exist in reality. However, it conveys, in a general way, the overall course of the decisions being made over time. The report deals with each of these steps in detail. NASA Apollo Mission : Apollo-1 This website provides description and review of the tragedy of Apollo-1 mission of the NASA's Apollo program, in which a flash fire occured in the command module 012 during a launch pad test of the Apollo/Saturn launch vehicle, killing all the three astronauts on-board. The site consists biographies of the crew members; accident events timeline; investigation results, conclusions and recommendations; and a gallery of images. There is also a link to related sources and bibliogrpahy. NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) Abstract Service This page provides access to four abstract services in the following subjects: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Instrumentation and Physics and Geophysics, and the arXiv Preprint server. They include abstracts from all major journals, conference proceedings, NASA reports and many PhD theses. All the services are searchable, and between them they contain roughly nine million abstracts. There is also a European mirror site. NASA Astrophysics Data System : Query Form This database is available to search as part of NASA's Technical Reports Server, or on its own from this Harvard University site. The coverage of the resource includes astronomy, lunar and planetary exploration and space radiation, instrumentation, physics and geophysics. The database can be searched in a number of ways, such as author name, title words, text keywords and publication date. The database covers material back to 1975 and provides report abstracts. NASA Science NASA transformed its organization in the summer of 2004, uniting the former Earth and Space Science Enterprises. The Science Mission Directorate will carry out the scientific exploration of the Earth, Moon, Mars and beyond; chart the best route of discovery; and reap the benefits of Earth and space exploration for society. The site contains sections on the Earth, Heliophysics, Planets and key astrophysics areas of interest. The site has image of the day including an image gallery, Spotlight missions section and ScienceCast (videos of current research). NASA Space Mission: JUNO The Juno mission is the next scientific investigation in the NASA New Frontiers Program. The mission's primary science goal is to significantly improve our understanding of the formation and structure of Jupiter which should advance our understanding of the origins and early evolution of our own solar system at the most fundamental level. In addition, a camera called JunoCam will be used by student participants in the Juno Education and Public Outreach program to take the first images of Jupiter's polar regions. Juno will achieve the mission science goals by sending a spinning, solar-powered spacecraft into a unique Jupiter polar orbit with close perijove. Juno is currently planned to be launched in August 2011 and after a five year journey the spacecraft arrives at Jupiter in 2016. NASA Space Science : Missions This web site provides links to the home pages of all of NASA's space science missions. The links take you directly to the mission home page and are organised into four categories - under study, development, operating and past missions. There is also a link to a pdf download which includes preliminary mission concepts. NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) : Missions This site provides information about the missions that comprise NASA's EOS programme. This aims to study the physical and chemical processes of land, ocean, atmosphere, and cryosphere. In addition to allowing for a better understanding of climate and climate change, these missions have applications in understanding weather patterns, growing seasons, sea level variation, fresh water availability, and other geophysical societal concerns. Each mission is listed and a brief description is provided, along with a link to the mission homepage. NASA's Origins Programme This is part of NASA's Space Science Enterprise initiative. The aim of Origins is to address the fundamental questions of 'Where do we come from?' and 'Are we alone?'. This site provides background information about the programme including missions, astrophysics, the novel telescope technology being developed to fulfill the aims of Origins, PlanetQuest, and Astrobiology. The 'Library' section provides access to documentation relating to the project including full text technical reports, fact sheets, speeches and presentations and online tutorials. Latest news is also available. NASA's Solar System Exploration Programme This is part of NASA's Space Science Enterprise initiative. The goal of the programme is to understand the nature and history of the Solar System and the differences and similarities between Earth and other planets. The site gives details of the aims of the programme, details about past and present missions and the technology being developed and used. Visitors to the site can also interrogate the Planetary Data System (PDS), an archive of information from NASA planetary missions, amongst other resources. NASA's Space Vision: Business Case for Prometheus 1 Needed to Ensure Requirements Match Available Resources This technical report (GAO-05-242) was published by the United States General Accounting Office in February 2005. In 2003, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)initiated the Prometheus 1 project to explore the outer reaches of the Solar System. The Prometheus 1 spacecraft is being designed to harness nuclear energy that will increase available electrical power from about 1,000 watts to over 100,000 watts and enable the use of electric propulsion thrusters. Historically, NASA has had difficulty implementing some initiatives. NASA's failure to adequately define requirements and quantify the resources needed to meet those requirements has resulted in some projects costing more, taking longer, and achieving less than originally planned. Prometheus 1 will need to compete for NASA resources with other space missions--including efforts to return the shuttle safely to flight and complete the International Space Station. GAO was asked to determine (1) whether NASA is establishing initial justification for its investment in the Prometheus 1 project and (2) how the agency plans to ensure that critical technologies will be sufficiently mature at key milestones. [Taken from abstract]. This available in PDF format so will require Adobe Acrobat software in order to read it. NASA's Sun Earth Connection Programme This is part of NASA's Space Science Enterprise initiative, the aim of which is to understand more about the Sun and and its influence on the Earth and other bodies. The site provides background information on the programme including missions, the strategic plan or Roadmap, research announcements, missions, the 'Living with a star' (LWS) initiative, the Solar Terrestrial Probes (STP) programme and an image gallery. National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) provides access to information on a number of subjects including astrophysics, space physics, solar physics, lunar and planetary sciences and earth sciences. Data from NASA space flight missions, models and software are included, as are annual reports, archive plans and the newsletter of the NSSDC. The site also provides information and support relating to data management standards and technologies.Also NSSDC provides online information bases about NASA and non-NASA data as well as the spacecraft and experiments that have or will provide public access data. New Horizons : NASA's Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission This is the first spacecraft designed by NASA to study Pluto, the solar systems farthest planet. It was designed and built at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and is currently in the NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center for its next round of pre-launch tests. This Web site provides a host of information resources related to the mission and includes the mission overview information, science objectives, mission timeline, spacecraft details, educational links, news section, a gallery of images and other related links. NMP EO-1 : New Millenium Program Earth Observing-1 Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) is an advanced land-imaging mission and is a part of NASA's New Millenium Program (NMP). The mission objective was to demonstrate new instruments and spacecraft systems. The EO-1 spacecraft was launched on a Delta 7320 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, November 21, 2000. EO-1 had a 1-year primary mission lifetime but was designed to operate for an additional year. The mission has been successful in developing and validating a number of instrument and spacecraft bus breakthrough technologies designed to enable the development of future cost and mass efficient earth imaging observatories. This website provides the description of mission's general and extended baseline; spacecraft and instrument technologies; mission's investigation and validation reports in PDF formats; and a host of other educational resources. NPP : NPOESS Preparatory Project The National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) is a joint mission involving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) and the NPOESS Integrated Program Office (IPO). The NPP mission aims at measuring the atmospheric and sea surface temperatures, humidity sounding, land and ocean biological productivity, and cloud and aerosol properties. The launch is scheduled for late in 2006 on the Delta II launch vehicle at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. The website provides information on the NPP science objectives and instruments; partnering organizations; and project details. Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM) The Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM) will be a follow-on to the TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) and Jason mission to accomplish two decades of observations and will launched into the same orbit as Jason in April of 2008. The OSTM will measure sea surface height to an accuracy of < 4 cm every ten days. The OSTM is a cooperative effort between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), the space agency of France. This website consists of mission overview; technology and scientific instruments; news updates; and a gallery of images and videos. There are also links to OSTM predecessors TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) and Jason missions. On Assessment of NASA's 2000 Science and Mission Roadmap This is the full text of a letter dated 21st April 2000 and sent to NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) science program director for solar system exploration by the Space Studies Board Chair and the Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration Chair. The letter deals with concerns and recommendations concerning the Science and Mission Roadmap. One Giant Leap for Mankind : The 35th Anniversary of Apollo 11 This Web site honors those involved in the success of Apollo 11 and the whole of the Apollo program. From astronauts to managers, engineers to contractors, this site ensures that the courageous efforts of those involved in the Apollo program will not be forgotten. President John F. Kennedy in a speech to Congress on 25 May 1961 outlined the Apollo program, a plan to send an American to the Moon by the end of the decade. On 20 July 1969, the world witnessed what was arguably the most astonishing technological achievement in history when Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the Moon. The website includes transcripts of interviews with the astronauts, biographies, a bibliography and documents, including links to full-text NASA reports, a picture gallery, timeline and links to relevant NASA and non-NASA websites. Opportunities to Improve Airport Passenger Screening with Mass Spectrometry This is an e-book published by National Academies Press and produced by Committee on Assessment of Security Technologies for Transportation, National Research Council in 2004. The book is first in the series of investigation of the technologies and opportunites to protect the travelling public from terrorsit threats involving explosives. It presents an assessment of mass spectrometry for enhanced trace detection (ETD) of chemicals contained in explosives. The report describes limitations of trace detection in general and the current technologies in particular. It also presents a discussion of the potential for mass spectrometry to improve EDT including challenges faced by such a system, recommendations for starting a program to take advantage of mass spectrometry, and recommendations for a phased implementation plan. Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) is a NASA Earth System Science Pathfinder Project (ESSP) mission designed to make precise, time-dependent global measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide from an Earth orbiting satellite. After mission launch in 2007, the OCO will provide space-based observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the principal human-initiated driver of climate change. This mission will use mature technologies to address NASA's highest priority carbon cycle measurement requirement.The other partnering orgainsations are the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Orbital Sciences Corporation and Hamilton Sundstrand Sensor Systems. This website provides an overview of the mission alongwith its objectives and desription of the technology and scientific instruments. There is link to reference and project publications which are available in PDF format. There is a news update sections and also link to educational resources. Performance Assessment of NASA's Heliophysics Program This gives access to a National Academies Press publication dated 2009. Since the 1990s, the pace of discovery in the field of solar and space physics has accelerated, largely owing to NASA investments in its Heliophysics Great Observatory fleet of spacecraft. These enable researchers to investigate connections between events on the Sun and in the space environment by combining multiple points of view. Recognizing the importance of observations of the Sun-to-Earth system, the National Research Council produced a solar and space physics decadal survey in 2003, laying out the Integrated Research Strategy. This strategy provided a prioritized list of flight missions, plus theory and modeling programs, that would advance the relevant physical theories, incorporate those theories in models that describe a system of interactions between the Sun and the space environment, obtain data on the system, and analyze and test the adequacy of the theories and models. Five years later, this book measures NASA's progress toward the goals and priorities laid out in the 2003 study. Unfortunately, very little of the recommended priorities will be realized before 2013. Mission cost growth, reordering of survey mission priorities, and unrealized budget assumptions have delayed nearly all of the recommended NASA spacecraft missions. The resulting loss of synergistic capabilities in space will constitute a serious impediment to future progress. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it. Phoenix Mars Lander The Phoenix Mars Mission, a joint mission of NASA and the University of Arizona, is scheduled for launch in August 2007 and is the first in NASA's "Scout Program." Phoenix is designed to measure volatiles (especially water) and complex organic molecules in the arctic plains of Mars, where the Mars Odyssey orbiter has discovered evidence of ice-rich soil very near the surface. This website consists of the overview of the mission; its objectives and goals; description of the probe and its scientific instruments; news updates; launch timeline; calender of upcoming events; and videos and images. Phoenix Mars Mission This is a NASA web site that brings together a range of information regarding the Phoenix Mars mission. Phoenix is the first in NASA’s Scout program that launched in August 2007 and was designed to study the history of water and habitability potential in the Martian arctic’s ice-rich soil. This mission is led by principal investigator Peter H. Smith of the University of Arizona supported by a science team of CO-Is, with project management at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. There is also collaboration with Lockheed Martin Space Systems and other international contributions provided by Canadian Space Agency, the University of Neuchatel (Switzerland), the University of Copenhagen, and the Max Planck Institute in Germany. The website contains all the relevant information about the mission, information regarding tours within the science operation centre, science instrumentation used aboard the spacecraft and finally links to education, news and photo gallery. Planck The Planck is the ESA's mission which will collect and characterise radiation from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) using sensitive radio receivers operating at extremely low temperatures. An Ariane-5 launcher will carry Planck into space in July 2007. The website consists of detailed resources like the Planck's mission objectives and scientific instruments; spacecraft 3D models; launch details and information on launch vehicle and orbits/navigation; Planck's research information; news updates and publications; and images and videos. Planetary Image Atlas Made available by NASA, this service can be searched in order to display or download images and other data from planetary missions. Missions which are covered include Galileo, Voyager, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Global Surveyor, Viking Lander, Viking Orbitor, Magellan and Clementine. Planetary Photojournal Made available by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) this site provides a large selection of photographic images of the planets in our solar system and their satellites and other small bodies found in space. They are accessible by clicking on an image of the planetary body you are interested in. Each image has a title and a thumbnail and is also available as a full resolution TIFF. Details of the mission the picture was taken on are provided. It is also possible to search for pictures from a particular mission, spacecraft or instrument, and to search by feature name or by collection type. POES : Polar Operational Environmental Satellites The Polar Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) Program is a cooperative effort between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United Kingdom (UK), and France. Currently, the POES mission is composed of two polar orbiting satellites known as the Advanced Television Infrared Observation Satellites (TIROS)-N (ATN). NOAA-N and NOAA-N', are the latest in this series of advanced TIROS-N (ATN) satellites. NOAA-N was successfully launched in May 2005 and NOAA-N'is scheduled to be launched in 2007. This website consists of a host of information resources related to the project history and current status; science objectives and instruments; launch information; and other related links. There are also multimedia links for the launch of NOAA-N spacecraft. Polar Mission: Unlocking the Secrets of Earth's Magnetosphere This is a NASA web site that brings together a range of information regarding the Polar mission. The Polar satellite, launched on February 24, 1996, is in a highly elliptical, 86 deg inclination orbit with a period of about 17.5 hours. The team responsible for this spacecraft expects to measure and learn how the solar wind plasma energy enters into the magnetosphere through the polar cusp on the dayside of the magnetosphere. They are aiming to determine the mechanisms that cause the ionospheric plasma outflow. The scientist will distinguish the importance and characteristics of the various processes that accelerate the aurora-producing particles. They will also investigate the many ways in which energy and momentum are exchanged between the collosionless plasmas and with the electromagnetic fields accessible to the Polar spacecraft. Images will be produced in order to determine the rate of energy input into the atmosphere from auroral particles and their effects on the atmosphere. The website contains an overview of the mission, links to data products and publications, information on various other orbits, archives and finally description on the instrumentation used. Polarimeter Blind Deconvolution Using Image Diversity this is the full text of a thesis written by David Strong, whidh was presented to the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio in September 2007. This research presents an algorithm that improves the ability to view objects using an electro-optical imaging system with at least one polarization sensitive channel in addition to the primary channel. An innovative algorithm for detection and estimation of the defocus aberration present in an image is also developed. Using a known defocus aberration, an iterative polarimeter deconvolution algorithm is developed using a generalized expectation-maximization (GEM) model. The polarimeter deconvolution algorithm is extended to an iterative polarimeter multiframe blind deconvolution (PMFBD) algorithm with an unknown aberration. Using both simulated and laboratory images, the results of the new PMFBD algorithm clearly outperforms an RL-based MFBD algorithm. The convergence rate is significantly faster with better fidelity of reproduction of the targets. Clearly, leveraging polarization data in electro-optical imaging systems has the potential to significantly improve the ability to resolve objects and, thus, improve Space Situation Awareness. [Taken form abstract]. This is in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it. Post-Challenger Assessment of Space Shuttle Flight Rates and Utilization This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press and produced by Committee on NASA Scientific and Technological Program Reviews, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, National Research Council. The report was created following the Challenger loss and few months before the US President's statement announcing to build a fourth space shuttle and to end NASA's launching of commercial satellites. The report highlights the key assumption regarding whether the nation intended to have further manned space-flights or not, made for the assessment. The key issues identified and dealt with in the report include flight rates; fleet concept; launch demand; and payload partioning. The book is available in open book PDF form. Post-Challenger Assessment of Space Shuttle Flight Rates and Utilization Published by the National Academies Press in 1986, following the Challenger accident. This report was prepared by a panel convened by the Committee on NASA Scientific and Technological Program Reviews, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, National Research Council. It documents the results of the panel's investigations into possible flight rates assuming an 18 month delay in shuttle operations, partitioning of payloads manifested in expendable launch vehicles and payloads on the shuttle, impact on both flight rate and manifest of the existing 3 Orbiter fleet with no fourth Orbiter replacement and an estimate of the cost trade-offs of these assumptions. It is available in HTML and PDF format. Post-Challenger Evaluation of Space Shuttle Risk Assessment and Management This is a full text book available from National Academies Press and produced by Committee on Shuttle Criticality Review and Hazard Analysis Audit, Space Applications Board, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, National Research Council. Following the Challenger accident, NASA initiated a wide range of actions designed to ensure greater safety in various aspects of the Shuttle system and improved focus on safety throughput the National Space Transportation System (NSTS) Program. NASA reviewed the certain safety critical items on the shuttle as well as the existing analyses of hazards that could affect shuttle operations and identified the needed improvements in the shuttle program. The specific features on which the study was focussed were: the Critical Items List; the Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA); and the Hazards Analysis and their Review. The report is available in open book PDF form. Post-Challenger Evaluation of Space Shuttle Risk Assessment and Management This report (1988) is the result of the Committee on Shuttle Criticality Review and Hazard Audit's review of NASA's evaluation to ensure the safety of the National Space Transportation System (NSTB) following the Challenger accident of 1986. The general impression of the Committee was favourable, although recommendations for improvement are made. The report is published by the National Academies Press and is available in HTML and PDF format. Preliminary Considerations Regarding NASA's Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap : Interim Report This is a full text book produced by the Committee on Review of NASA s Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap and is published by National Academies Press in 2005. The NASA�s Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap (BCPR) defines risk as �the conditional probability of an adverse event occurring, or a system performance-related inefficiency.� Potential hazards include exposure of the crew to space radiation, degraded crew performance related to human behavioral and other health changes, failure of life support systems, and the adverse effects of space flight on human biological systems including the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, neurovestibular, endocrine, neuropsychiatric, and immune systems. Human factors are critically important in risk assessment and countermeasure development, including engineering design for human space flight. The BCPR is designed to provide summary assessments of the importance of each risk, and the current state of science and technology with respect to minimizing them. This is the interim report of the IOM (Institute of Medicine) committee�s review of NASA�s BCPR. The purpose of this report is to provide NASA with preliminary conclusions regarding the strengths and weakness of the BCPR. The committee�s final report, due in August 2005, will elaborate on these preliminary conclusions and provide NASA with recommendations about how to address the issues that are identified by the committee. Preparing for a 21st Century Program of Integrated, Lunar and Martian Exploration and Development : 5th Cosmic Study of the IAA This web site provides access to an International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) cosmic study prepared by H.H. Koelle (Editor-in-Chief), D.G. Stephenson (Assistant editor) and others, dated July 2000. The study reviews the most recent results of a continuing effort to predict and analyse the course, manner and ultimate aims of the twenty first century exploration and development of the Moon and the planet Mars. It assumes that a human presence on these bodies will be essential and emphasizes the rationale, the strategic restraints, the program structure, stages in the development of the programme and initial organization. The executive summary (19 pages) is available in HTML format, and a link is provided to the full text (101 pages, 64 tables and 16 figures) in PDF format. Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars This is a full text book by the United States Committee on Preventing the Forward Contamination of Mars, National Research Council made available by the National Academies Press. Recent spacecraft and robotic probes to Mars have yielded data that are changing our understanding significantly about the possibility of existing or past life on that planet. Coupled with advances in biology and life-detection techniques, these developments place increasing importance on the need to protect Mars from contamination by Earth-borne organisms. To help with this effort, NASA requested that the NRC examine existing planetary protection measures for Mars and recommend changes and further research to improve such measures. This report discusses policies, requirements, and techniques to protect Mars from organisms originating on Earth that could interfere with scientific investigations. It provides recommendations on cleanliness and biological burden levels of Mars-bound spacecraft, methods to reach those levels, and research to reduce uncertainties in preventing forward contamination of Mars. The full text can be read online in open book format and a summary is available for downloading in PDF format. Principal-Investigator-Led Mission in the Space Sciences This is a full text book by the United States Committee on Principal-Investigator-Led Missions in the Space Sciences, National Research Council, made available by the National Academies Press. Principal Investigator-Led (PI-led) missions are an important element of NASA s space science enterprise. While several NRC studies have considered aspects of PI-led missions in the course of other studies for NASA, issues facing the PI-led missions in general have not been subject to much analysis in those studies. Nevertheless, these issues are raising increasingly important questions for NASA, and it requested the NRC to explore them as they currently affect PI-led missions. Among the issues NASA asked to have examined were those concerning cost and scheduling, the selection process, relationships among PI-led team members, and opportunities for knowledge transfer to new PIs. This report provides a discussion of the evolution and current status of the PIled mission concept, the ways in which certain practices have affected its performance, and the steps that can carry it successfully into the future. The study was done in collaboration with the National Academy of Public Administration. The full text can be read online in open book format and a summary is available for downloading in PDF format. Private, Commercial and Student-Oriented Low-Cost Deep-Space Missions : A global survey of activity Written by Rex Ridenoure and Kevin Polk, this paper was presented at the 3rd IAA International Conference on Low-Cost Planetary Missions on April 27 - May 1, 1998 at Pasadena, CA. It examines the motivations underlying a new class of deep space mission. Some of the most visible and credible projects are highlighted and described in terms of mission attributes, team composition and unconventional features. This is a PDF file so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it. Project Apollo : The Tough Decisions This is a link to a monograph, a comprehensive report to the Apollo Manned Landing Lunar Program from 1 September 1960 to 5 January 1968 and outlines chronologically and in detail, the steps taken from the early Mercury and Gemini missions towards Apollo program. It has been written by Dr. Roberts C. Seamans Jr., who was the Deputy Administrator at NASA at the time. The report also describes the major and often complex deliberations that encouraged inputs from the broad range of informed internal Agency individuals in order to arrive at the resulting actions taken; it recognizes differences among their various views, including even sensitivities within the leadership of the Agency, and it acknowledges NASA�s relationships with the President and key executive branch personnel, as well as the very important and often complex relationships with members of Congress. Protecting the Space Shuttle from Meteoroids and Orbital Debris This is a full text book, available from National Academies Press and produced by Committee on Space Shuttle Meteoroid/Debris Risk Management, National Research Council. The space shuttle orbiter has already been struck many times by small meteoroids and orbital debris, but it has not been damaged severely. There is a real risk, however, that a meteoroid or debris impact could one day force the crew to abort a mission or might result in loss of life or loss of the shuttle itself. The present study assesses the magnitude of the problem and suggests changes that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration can make to reduce the risk to the shuttle and its crew. The text is available in open book format. QuikSCAT : Quick Scatterometer QuikSCAT mission is intended to record sea-surface wind speed and direction data under all weather and cloud conditions over Earth's oceans. QuikSCAT was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, aboard a Titan II vehicle. The mission science objectives; spacecraft and instrument description; measurements; and news updates are available from this website. Readiness Issues Related to Research in the Biological and Physical Sciences on the International Space Station This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press and produced by Task Group on Research on the International Space Station, Space Studies Board, National Research Council in the year 2001. The International Space Station has been officially under development by NASA since the late 1980s. Numerous changes in schedule and cost projections throughout the 1990s have prompted reevaluations of the number and scale of the major facilities that would eventually be placed on board; the schedule for developing, deploying, and utilizing those facilities; and the critical resources such as crew time and power needed to support ISS science research. As a result, specific concerns over schedule delays and potential downgrading of the ISS research capabilities have been growing for several years in the scientific community. In the fall of 2000, Congress directed the National Research Council (NRC) and the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) to organize a joint study of the status of microgravity research in the life and physical sciences as it relates to the International Space Station (ISS). The study is being conducted in two phases. This phase-1 report addresses the question of the scientific communitys readiness to use the ISS for life and physical sciences and assesses the relative costs and benefits of dedicating an annual space shuttle mission to research versus simply maintaining the current schedule for assembly of the ISS. The text is available in open book PDF form. Reducing Planetary Mission Cost by a Modified Launch Mode Written by Hans Meissinger and Simon Dawson, this paper was presented at the 3rd IAA International Conference on Low-Cost Planetary Missions on April 27 - May 1 1998 at Pasadena, CA. It describes a modified launch mode and examines the various cost saving categories it offers. It compares the different mission and system requirements associated with the conventional and the modified launch mode, and describes cost differences and implementation factors. This is a PDF file [61k] so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it. Reducing the Costs of Space Science Research Missions : Proceedings of a Workshop Published by the US National Research Council's Joint Committee on Technology for Space Science and Applications, this site provides the full text of a workshop held in 1996. The aim of the workshop was to identify ways in which the cost of space science missions can be reduced. The proceedings describe the methodology used, provide a summary of findings and include appendices. It is available in HTML format. Remembering Columbia STS-107 This website presents detailed description and investigation of the catastrophic failure of the Columbia Space Shuttle on February 1, 2003, which led to the loss of all its seven crew members approximately 15 minutes before the shuttle was scheduled to touch down at the Kennedy Space Centre. The site covers information about the Columbia Shuttle; biographies and profiles of the crew members; accident related events timeline; documents pertinent to the accident and investigation; and Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) recommendations. There is also a link to an image gallery and bibliography. Report of the Presidents Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy This report was created by the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy, otherwise known as the Aldridge Commission, in response to an executive order signed on 27 January 2004 by President George W. Bush. The executive order called for the creation of a commission to study, make recommendations for, and report on implementing the new space vision announced by President Bush on 14 January 2004. The Commission had 120 days to complete its study, which resulted in this 60-page document. Reusable Launch Vehicle : Technology Development and Test Program This report (1996) is the result of the Committee on Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology and Test Program's work. It is available in PDF and HTML format. The objective of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Program is to develop technology and demonstrations for providing reliable, low cost access to space. Phase I of the RLV program consists of concept definition and technology development leading to a Phase II subscale flight demonstration vehicle, the X-33. Shortly after the NASA Office of Space Access and Technology requested that the National Research Council (NRC) examine the RLV Phase I technology development and test program, decision criteria for this phase were developed by NASA, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP); these criteria are cited in the body of the report. The NRC committee took these criteria into consideration when making judgments about whether the Phase I program would provide adequate information to "support a decision no later than December 1996 [whether] to proceed with a subscale launch vehicle flight demonstration which would prove the concept of single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO)." However, it needs to be emphasized that the committee assessed the extent to which the technology development programs represent rational paths (and alternatives) toward RLV goals. The NRC task was limited to the Phase I propulsion and materials technology programs; the NRC was asked not to assess the feasibility of SSTO. However, the technologies required for an SSTO vehicle were considered throughout the study because the Phase I development and test programs are structured to focus on three crucial areas in the development of a cost-effective SSTO vehicle: lightweight materials for the tanks and primary structure, efficient propulsion systems, and multimission reusability and operability. Materials considerably lighter than those currently used for the tanks and primary structure are required because reaching orbit with an SSTO vehicle (using current technologies) requires that about 90 percent of the vehicle's total mass at launch be propellant. In the propulsion area, a significant improvement in the thrust-to-weight (F/W) ratio (sea-level) of the engines is necessarycompared to the F/W ratio of the two existing large-thrust liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen engines, the Russian RD-0120 and the U.S. space shuttle main engine (SSME). Achieving orbit with the required payload is only part of the challenge that has been undertaken in the NASA/industry RLV program. The other, equally important challenge is to demonstrate a system that is capable of achieving a lower cost per launch. [Taken from abstract] RHESSI : Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager RHESSI is a NASA Small Explorer and was launched on February 5, 2002. RHESSI's primary mission is to explore the basic physics of particle acceleration and explosive energy release in solar flares. The quick science and technical facts about the RHESSI explorer are available from this site. The website also provides news updates; instrument and spacecraft desriptions; and presentations and publications. Links are available to related resources. Robert Heinlein : Looking into the Future Robert A.Heinlein (1907 - 1988) was a renowned American author who advocated human advancement into space through commercial endeavors. This site provides biographies and bibliographies of Heinlein and his wife, information about the Heinlein fund and its activities, the Heinlein Society and the Heinlein Prize. This is an award (possibly annual) of $500,000 open to citizens of the European, African and Middle Eastern countries, specifically students, post-graduate students and young professionals who will be under age 30 at the time of the Prize awarding ceremony on July 7th, 2005. The participants should describe their prospective project in the field of space exploration, its peaceful use, and its potential for significant economic benefit to humanity. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory : Space Science and Technology Department This web site describes the work of the department, much of which is carried out in collaboration with UK university research groups. Current projects are outlined and missions and facilities are described. Safe on Mars : Precursor Measurements Necessary to Support Human Operations on the Martian Surface The site provides access to a report prepared by the Committee on Precursor Measurements Necessary to Support Human Operations on the Surface of Mars, published by National Academy Press, 2002. The study, commissioned by NASA, examines the role of robotic exploration missions in assessing the risks to the first human missions to Mars. Hazards arising from exposure to environmental, chemical, and biological agents on the planet are assessed. The text of the report is available in Open Book format. Science in NASA's Vision for Space Exploration This is a full text book from the National Academies Press and produced by the Committee on the Scientific Context for Space Exploration, National Research Council in 1995. In January 2004, President Bush announced a new space policy directed at human and robotic exploration of space. The National Academies released a report at the same time that independently addressed many of the issues contained in the new policy. In June, the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy issued a report recommending that NASA ask the National Research Council (NRC) to reevaluate space science priorities to take advantage of the exploration vision. Congress also directed the NRC to conduct a thorough review of the science NASA is proposing to undertake within the initiative. This report provides an initial response to those requests. It presents guiding principles for selecting science missions that enhance and support the exploration program. The report also presents findings and recommendations to help guide NASA's space exploration strategic planning activity. Separate NRC reviews will be carried out of strategic roadmaps that NASA is developing to implement the policy. The book is available in full text in Open Book format. Science@NASA : the Space Mission Directorate Website Recently NASA began the transformation of its Earth and space science programs by combining them into an integrated Science Mission Directorate. The new Directorate will be closely involved in the Vision for Space Exploration through its support of science that both enables, and is enabled by, NASA's exploration activities. The site provides multimedia resources, mission information and resources for scientists, engineers, teachers and children. Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon : Final Report This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press written by Committee on the Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon, National Research Council and dated 2007. Because of the Moon s unique place in the evolution of rocky worlds, it is a prime focus of NASA s space exploration vision. Currently NASA is defining and implementing a series of robotic orbital and landed missions to the Moon as the initial phase of this vision. To realize the benefits of this activity, NASA needs a comprehensive, well-validated, and prioritized set of scientific research objectives. To help establish those objectives, NASA asked the NRC to provide guidance on the scientific challenges and opportunities enabled by sustained robotic and human exploration of the Moon during the period 2008-2023 and beyond. This final report presents a review of the current understanding of the early earth and moon; the identification of key science concepts and goals for moon exploration; an assessment of implementation options; and a set of prioritized lunar science concepts, goals, and recommendations. An interim report was released in September 2006. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available to read online in open book format. Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon : Interim Report This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press and published in 2006. Because of the Moon's unique place in the evolution of rocky worlds, it is a prime focus of NASA's space exploration vision. Currently NASA is defining and implementing a series of robotic orbital and landed missions to the Moon as the initial phase of this vision. To realize the benefits of this activity, NASA needs a comprehensive, well-validated, and prioritized set of scientific research objectives. To help establish those objective, NASA asked the NRC to provide guidance on the scientific challenges and opportunities enabled by sustained robotic and human exploration of the Moon during the period 2008-2013+. This interim report, which focuses on science of the Moon, presents a number of scientific themes describing broad scientific goals important for lunar research, discussions of how best to reach these goals, a set of three priority areas that follow from the themes, and recommendations for these priorities and related areas. A final report will follow in the summer of 2007. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report can be read online in open book format from the website of the National Academies Press. SeaWiFS Project This is a NASA web site that brings together a range of information regarding the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Project. The purpose of this work is to provide quantitative data on global ocean bio-optical properties to the Earth science community. The slight changes in the ocean colour indicate various types and quantities marine phytoplankton (microscopic marine plants), the knowledge of which has both scientific and practical applications. The SeaWiFS Project will develop and operate a research data system that will process, calibrate, validate, archive and distribute data received from an Earth-orbiting ocean color sensor. A detailed description of the objectives, organization and operations as well as the current status of the SeaWiFS Project is available via the website given below: http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/SeaWiFS/ Sentinels The NASA Solar Sentinels mission is an inner heliophysics mission to investigate, characterize, and understand how the Sun determines the environment of the inner solar system, and more broadly how the heliosphere is formed. The Sentinels mission will provide multipoint in situ science measurements of the plasma, energetic particles, and fields’ environment close to the Sun in order to study the acceleration and propagation of solar energetic particles (SEPs), as well as the initiation and evolution of CMEs from the solar corona through the inner heliosphere, as depicted in Figure 1-1. The NASA Sentinels mission consists of four identically instrumented spinning spacecraft that will observe the energetic particle environment, the solar wind, and CME structures in the inner heliosphere by operating from 0.25 to 0.73 AU. Concepts for Sentinels missions have been studied for several years. However, the costs of producing and launching several spacecraft that can accommodate the required suite of instruments and survive the solar environment have been prohibitive. On 22 August 2007, NASA tasked The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) to conduct a new study, called Sentinels Lite, to re-evaluate the Solar Sentinels mission implementation with the goal of producing a technically feasible and low-risk mission design that would meet as many of the Sentinels science objectives as possible, for a total mission cost of less than $900M in real year dollars. The result of this study is a mission that meets all of these objectives for an estimated total mission cost of $875M. For cost estimating purposes, the study assumes a baseline project start date of January 2010 with a launch in August 2015. The launch window is several months long and reoccurs every 20 months for a similar mission trajectory profile and launch energy. A backup launch in 2017 has been included in this mission design; launch dates further out exist but were not evaluated in detail for this study. This new engineering and mission study led to the technical mission implementation described in this report, which clearly demonstrates a detailed mission concept that (1) is technically and programmatically feasible, (2) fully addresses the in situ science objectives, and (3) minimizes risk and cost of implementation. A pdf report for download can be found here Solar Sentinels: Report of the Science and Technology Definition Team, August 2006 (10.8MB) and Solar Sentinels: Mission Study Report, February 2008 (53.1MB) . SETI Institute : Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence The SETI Insitute's main mission is to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe. Founded in 1984, it is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific research, education and public outreach and employs over 150 scientists, educators and support staff. The site has links to educational material and publications. SETI@home : The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence SETI@home is an experiment that uses the internet to search for extraterrestrial intelligence. By downloading a screensaver you and your computer can help analyse radio telescope data by listening for artificial radio signals coming from other stars, in the search. This site provides the downloads and further information including statistics, how the screensaver works, links to news and foreign SETI@home language sites. Signs of Life This full text report published by the US National Academy Press is based on a Workshop on Life Detection Techniques held in April 2000. The aim of the workshop was to assess the science and technology of life detection techniques and it was organised by the Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life (COEL) of the Board on Life Sciences (BLS) and the Space Studies Board (SSB). The report is available in PDF format, and the notice, executive summary, preface and appendices are available in HTML format. SIM Lite Astrometric Observatory This mission, formerly called Space Interferometry Mission, will determine the positions and distances of stars several hundred times more accurately than any previous program. The launch date for the mission set at early 2015. This accuracy will allow SIM to determine the distances to stars throughout the galaxy and to probe nearby stars for Earth-sized planets. The web site provides overviews of the mission and its scietific objectives; There is a section which covers aspects of spacecraft and instrumentation technology, including interferometry, planet imaging, and formation flying. There is an area of the site aimed specifically at engineers and scientists, which includes details of the science team, provides access to electronic Newsletter, technical resources such as a bibliography and a SIM PlanetQuest Whitepaper, announcements, research opportunities, and project schedules. There is also a multimedia gallery of games, simulations and film clips. Societal Impact of Spaceflight This is a NASA (SP-2007-4801) volume with title Societal Impact of Spaceflight by Steven J. Dick and Roger D. Launius dated 2007. This volume is consisted of two parts and the aim is to examine the effects of spaceflight on society through scholarly research, making use especially of the tools of the historian and the broader social sciences and humanities. The documents are dealing with the following questions: Has the Space Age indeed had a significant effect on society? If so, what are those influences? What do we mean by an “impact” on society? And what parts of society? Conversely, has society had any effect on spaceflight? What would be different had there been no Space Age? The full text of part 1(900KB) and part 2 (4.16MB) documents can be accessed online in PDF format. SOFIA : Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy The is a weblink to SOFIA, which is the NASA and the DLR, German Aerospace Center collaboration project. SOFIA is an airborne observatory that will study the universe in the infrared spectrum. The website consists of a variety of resources related to the project including the project background information, science objectives and intstruments, the SOFIA aircraft, SOFIA mission schedule, a section on information for researchers and FAQs. There is a link to the articles on SOFIA mission and its predecessor, the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. The articles are available in PDF form. There is also a link to the multimedia gallery which has a host of pictures of SOFIA mission. The news section is also available and consists of the latest updates of SOFIA mission. Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) This website brings together information regarding the SOHO (solar and Heliospheric Observatory) which is a project of international collaboration between ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA. The objective of SOHO spacecraft is to study the Sun from its deep core to the outer corona and the solar wind. The SOHO was built in Europe by an industry team led by Matra Marconi Space (now EADS Astrium) under overall management by ESA and officially launched on December 2, 1992. There are twelve instruments on board this spacecraft which provided by European and American scientists. NASA was responsible for the launch and the mission operation which is based on Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. There were large radio dishes around the world which form NASA’s Deep Space Network are used for data downlink and commanding. The website provides useful link for publications, archives gallery and many more. Solar Terrestrial Probes Program The STP programme is part of NASA's Sun-Earth Connection space science theme. The web site provides an overview of the programme objectives, mission schedules, and research opportunities. There are links to further information on each of the STP missions including: TIMED; STEREO; SOLAR-B; and MMS (Magnetospheric Multiscale). The site also contains sections devoted to news information, Education and Public Outreach activities and multimedia, which is under construction as of April 2005. Sorce : Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment SORCE is a NASA-sponsored satellite mission that is aimed at providing state-of-the-art measurements of incoming x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and total solar radiation. The SORCE spacecraft launched on January 25, 2003 on a Pegasus XL launch vehicle to provide NASA with precise measurements of solar radiation. This website provides an in depth information about the Sorce mission including the mission overview and background; science objectives and description of intruments; educational resources; news updates; and references. Space Calendar Maintained by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), this site provides a month-by-month listing of space-related activities and anniversaries for the coming year. The information available includes launch dates, conferences, and asteroid and planetary movements. There are links to homepages and further information for each calendar entry. Archives of the previous 3 years are available and there are entries for the following year too. Space Environments and Technology Archive System Provided by the NASA Langley Research Center, the Space Environments and Technology Archive System (SETAS) has been created to organise the collection of space environments and technology (SET) resources. The resources are organised according to technical disciplines and data sources. Subjects covered include ionizing radiation, meteoroids and debris, neutral external contamination, plasmas and fields, thermal and solar, electromagnetic effects, materials and processes, and systems. Space missions and experiments covered include the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the European Retrievable Carrier (EuReCa), and Clementine / Deep Space Probe Science Experiment (DSPSE). Space Exploration : Overview of President Bush's "Vision for Space Exploration" and Key Issues for Congress This is a Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report for Congress RS21720, prepared by Marcia S. Smith, update December 10, 2004. On January 14, 2004, President George W. Bush announced new goals for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), directing the agency to focus on returning humans to the Moon by 2020, and eventually sending them to Mars and "worlds beyond". This report examines the rationale for the speech, public reaction, funding, comparison with the 1989 space exploration initiative, and key issues for Congress. This report will be updated as events require. The text of the report is available in PDF format Space Exploration: Issues Concerning the "Vision for Space Exploration" This is a Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report for Congress RS21720 prepares by Marcia S. Smith dated January 2006. On January 14, 2004, President George W. Bush announced new goals for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), directing the agency to focus on returning humans to the Moon by 2020, and eventually sending them to Mars and “worlds beyond.” The President invited other countries to join. Most of the funding for this “Vision for Space Exploration” is to be redirected from other NASA activities, including terminating the space shuttle program in 2010, and ending U.S. participation in the International Space Station by 2016. NASA released an implementation plan for the Vision on September 19, 2005, and estimated the cost of returning humans to the Moon by 2018 (NASA’s current goal) at $104 billion. An estimate for sending people to Mars was not provided. This report identifies issues Congress has been considering as it debates the President’s Vision. This is the final edition of this report. {taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it. Space Future This site is aimed at those who would like to travel to space. It presents the growing body of work being done to bring about popular space travel, and introduces the people and organizations who are working to make it a reality. Amongst other features, the site contains four topic areas (space tourism, space vehicles, space power and space habitat), an archive of full text papers and publications, a glossary of terms, the full text of Space Future Journal and several mailing lists. Space Physics Data Availability Catalog (SPDAC) This catalog is an attempt to summarize the kinds and extent of data now being made available in current flight programs sponsored by the Sun-Earth Connection theme. This catalog and associated reports serve as a focused information source for NASA HQs management interests in availability and accessibility of mission data. As a secondary purpose, the catalog can also be used as an alternative way for the NASA science community to locate data of interest from current missions. The Sun-Earth Connection (SEC) Data Availability Catalog (SECDAC) interface starts with a Mission Overview Matrix where the mission names (and subsequent investigation names) link to the next level of SECDAC information. Appropriate updates (to edit existing information or to add entries) are possible at each level. Please note that updates submitted are manually reviewed and, while immediately acknowledged, will not be immediately reflected in the displayed catalog. Last modified: 05/17/2005 Space Radiation Hazards and the Vision for Space Exploration : Report of a Workshop This is the full text book made available by National Academies Press and published in 2006. Fulfilling the President's Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) will require overcoming many challenges. Among these are the hazards of space radiation to crews traveling to the Moon and Mars. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report can be read online in open book format from the web site of the National Academies Press. Space Research Institute (IKI)
As one of the organisations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Space Research Institute (IKI) is concerned with the space exploration and the investigation of solar system planets. It is primarily involved in planning long-term space research programs, many of which forward international space research cooperation. The site includes details of current and future missions and details of the following programmes: Space Science Enterprise 2000 Strategic Plan This is NASA's strategic plan and it was published in 2000. The plan outlines the goals and objectives of the Program with regard to missions, education/outreach and technological development. Potential collaborations and partnerships are also discussed. The plan is available in PDF format and can be downloaded complete as a single document, or in sections. NASA's 2011 strategic plan can be found here. Space Studies Board The Space Studies Board (SSB) is a program office within the Commission of Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications of the National Research Council, which is in turn the operational arm of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The SSB operates a number of standing committees, task groups, and workshops that perform studies in space science and policy for the federal government. Information resources available from the site include the latest operating plan, links to the various standing committees, details of ongoing and recently completed projects, a bibliography of reports (some of these are in full-text) and access to the Space Studies Bulletin (quarterly newsletter). Space Technology 6 (ST6) This is a NASA web site part of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that brings together a range of information regarding the Space Technology 6 (ST6) project. This project has developed two advanced experimental technologies for use on spacecraft of the future. The names of these technologies are Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment and the Initial Stellar Compass. Sciencecraft enables a spacecraft to decide what science observations to make, and then process and return data. Compass enables a spacecraft to continuously sense its position and recover after a temporary malfunction or power loss. Many features of these two technology systems are "firsts" that have never before been used in space. The aim is first to improve a spacecraft’s ability to make intelligent decisions on what information to gather and what to send back to the ground, and second to determine its own attitude and adjust it pointing. The website provides a detail overview of the ST6 project with links to archives, benefits, education, partners and many more. Space Technology 6 Space Technology 6 (ST6) has developed two advanced experimental technologies for use on spacecraft of the future. These technologies are the Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment and the Inertial Stellar Compass. These will improve a spacecraft's ability to make intelligent decisions on what information to gather and what to send back to the ground, and to determine its own attitude and adjust its pointing without human intervention. This mission is a NASA project based at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The site provides an introduction to the mission, information about the technology behind it, benefits, quick facts and educational resources. Space Technology 7 The Space Technology 7 (ST7) mission is managed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Astronomy and Physics Directorate manages ST7's DRS (Disturbance Reduction System) technology development, in partnership with Goddard Space Flight Center, Stanford University, and the Busek Company, Incorporated. This mission is aimed at aiding NASA scientists in their quest to detect and measure gravitational waves, and will be flight tested in late 2009 or 2010 according to NASA's New Millenium Program (NMP). This website consists of background information about the mission; detailed information about the spacecraft technology and scientific instruments; benefits of the mission; educational links; quick facts about the mission and launch information; and details of the partners. A Spanish version of the site is also available. Space: UK Magazine Published by the UK Space Agency which is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). This monthly magazine provides news and comment about the British space programme. Each issue is available in PDF format. Previous issues are available back to issue 12, 2004. SpaceDaily This site is devoted to reporting the latest news from the industry. Current news headlines are available in brief from the home page, clicking on the title expands the story. 'Channels' are available such as MarsDaily and Station News. The site can also be searched and there is a free daily email newsletter which can be received after free registration Spaceflight Now This is news source provides international coverage of space missions and programmes. It contains previews of forthcoming launches and gives status reports on current missions. There is a regularly updated listing of planned missions from around the globe. The site also contains a news archive and an online store for the purcase of books, DVDs, Videos, computer software and other collectibles. The Spaceflight Now plus service offers enhanced coverage with with additional video, audio, image and virtual reality coverage for subscribers. SpaceShipOne : Tier One Private Manned Space Program Tier One project, by Scaled Composites, is the world's first privately funded manned space program and this site provides information on SpaceShipOne and its carrier aircraft White Knight. Information on the site covers the latest news, test logs (with details from every flight, press releases, photographs and FAQs. Spacewatch Project This project is based at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. The aim of the project is to investigate small objects in the solar system, and study the statistics of asteroids and comets in order to explore the evolution of the solar system. The site provides background information to the project including a history, latest news, information on discoveries, pictures, the telescopes and details of selected publications. Spitzer The Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly SIRTF, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility)is a space-borne, cryogenically-cooled infrared observatory capable of studying objects ranging from our Solar System to the distant reaches of the Universe. It was launched into space by a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida on 25 August 2003. During its 2.5-year mission, Spitzer will obtain images and spectra by detecting the infrared energy, or heat, radiated by objects in space between wavelengths of 3 and 180 microns (1 micron is one-millionth of a meter). Spitzer will be the final mission in NASA's Great Observatories Program - a family of four orbiting observatories, each observing the Universe in a different kind of light (visible, gamma rays, X-rays, and infrared). Other missions in this program include the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO), and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory(CXO). Spitzer is also a part of NASA's Astronomical Search for Origins Program, designed to provide information which will help us understand our cosmic roots, and how galaxies, stars and planets develop and form. This website provides information about the mission history, science and spacecraft technology and mission current status. There is a news gallery which consists of host of images and videos related to the spacecraft hardware, launch and collected data. Links are also available to feature articles and news updates. SPUTNIK Home Page This site is a joint project between the Russian Committee for Hydrometeorology and the Space Research Institute. The main aim of the site is to provide information about Russian and NOAA (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather satellites. Information made available includes technical information, an operational archive and data search for each satellite. Stardust : Bringing Cosmic History to Earth This is the site for NASA's Discovery mission 'Stardust'. The aim of the mission was to collect particles from Comet Wild 2 using a material called aerogel. This mission was successful and lead to Stardust- Next.The site provides a history and overview of the mission, frequently asked questions (FAQ), information about comets themselves and factsheets and models in PDF format. In addition, there is a latest news facility and a gallery containing images relevant to the project including launch and mission photographs. Stardust : NASA's Comet Sample Return Mission Stardust is the first U.S. space mission dedicated solely to the exploration of a comet, and the first robotic mission designed to return extraterrestrial material from outside the orbit of the Moon. The Stardust spacecraft was launched on February 7, 1999, from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, aboard a Delta II rocket. The primary goal of Stardust is to collect dust and carbon-based samples during its closest encounter with Comet Wild 2 - pronounced "Vilt 2" after the name of its Swiss discoverer - is a rendezvous scheduled to take place in January 2004, after nearly four years of space travel. This website brings together wealth of information about the mission like mission timeline; mission current status; and spacecraft and instrument details. There is also background information available about the mission goals and science objectives. Links are available to news updates, reference publications and sites and other educational resources. There is also an image gallery which has spacecraft and mission pictures. Statistical Software Engineering This is a full text book made available by National Academies Press and produced by Panel on Statistical Methods in Software Engineering, National Research Council. The book identifies challenges and opportunities in the development and implementation of software that contain significant statistical content. While emphasizing the relevance of using rigorous statistical and probabilistic techniques in software engineering contexts, it presents opportunities for further research in the statistical sciences and their applications to software engineering. It is intended to motivate and attract new researchers from statistics and the mathematical sciences to attack relevant and pressing problems in the software engineering setting. It describes the "big picture," as this approach provides the context in which statistical methods must be developed. The book's survey nature is directed at the mathematical sciences audience, but software engineers should also find the statistical emphasis refreshing and stimulating. The text is available in open book PDF form. STEREO : Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory Mission The STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program (STP). It is a 2-year mission employing two nearly identical observatories to provide 3-D measurements of the Sun to study the nature of coronal mass ejections. This site consists of the background information of the mission; details of the spacecraft, instruments and launch schedule; news sections about the current status of the mission; learning centre; gallery of images of the mission; and links to related resources. Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE-3) Meteor SAGE III is a joint mission between NASA and the Russian Space Agency (RSA). The SAGE III instrument was developed and managed by NASA Langley Research Center and was built by Ball Aerospace in Boulder, CO. It is one of nine experiments on the Russian Meteor-3M (1) spacecraft. It provides accurate, long-term measurements of ozone, aerosols, water vapor and other key parameters of Earth's atmosphere. NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) consists of a series of spaceborne instruments to monitor crucial components of the Earth system, an advanced data handling system, and teams of scientists who will evaluate on-going climate change and predict future changes. SAGE III's role in the EOS program is to provide global, long-term measurements of key components of the Earth's atmosphere. In addition, SAGE III also provides unique measurements of temperature in the stratosphere and mesosphere and profiles of trace gases such as water vapor and nitrogen dioxide that play significant roles in atmospheric radiative and chemical processes. The SAGE III was successfully launched onboard a Meteor-3M spacecraft on December 10, 2001 at 17:18:57 UTC from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The satellite is in a sun-synchronous orbit with an ascending node time of about 9 AM. This website brings together information about the mission like mission, spacecraft and science details, library of reference articles and publications and a link to access satellite measured data. Suzaku (Astro-E2) This is a NASA web site part of the Goddard Space Flight Centre that brings together a range of information regarding the Suzaku (formerly known as Astro-E2) mission. This mission is Japan’s fifth X-ray astronomy developed at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Japan, in collaboration with U.S (NASA/GSFC, MIT) and Japanese institutions. The spacecraft launched on 2005 July 10, and is the recovery mission for ASTRO-E, which did not achieve orbit during launch in February 2000. Suzaku has three major instruments that covers the energy range 0.2 – 700 keV. The instruments are X-ray micro-calorimeter (X-ray Spectrometer, or XRS), four X-ray CCDs (the X-ray Imaging Spectrometers, or XISs), and a hard X-ray detector, or HXD. However, XRS prematurely lost all its liquid helium cryogen and is no longer necessary. The spacecraft has four foil X-ray telescopes (XRTs) focusing X-rays onto each of the four XISs, along with a fifth XRT used with the XRS. The US has contributed to the XRTs, the XRS, and the XISs. The Suzaku Guest Observer Facility (GOF) is located at Goddard Space Flight Centre, Maryland, and its primary responsibility is to enable astronomers to get the best out of this mission by performing activities such as supporting the U.S. side of the Suzaku proposal selection process, distributing usable data to U.S. Guest Observers, helping Guest Observers to analyze their data, and creating the mission archive. Additionally, the website provides useful links to data processing, gallery and many more. Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer Although gamma ray bursts are the largest known explosions in the Universe, outshining the rest of the Universe when they explode unpredictably in distant galaxies, their underlying nature and the cause of the explosion are true mysteries of astrophysics. Swift, a US, UK and Italian collaboration project, is a three-telescope space observatory for studying the position, brightness, and physical properties of gamma ray bursts. Within seconds of detecting a burst, Swift will relay a burst's location to ground stations, allowing both ground-based and space-based telescopes around the world the opportunity to observe the burst's afterglow. Swift is part of NASA's medium explorer (MIDEX) program and was launched into a low-Earth orbit on a Delta 7320 rocket on November 20, 2004. The site provides the background information about the Swift telescope. Information is also available on Swift results and latest updates. There are links to operations and timelines; supporting information about Swift science objectives and other educational resources. Swift Home Page This NASA mission was launched in September 2004 with the objective of studying gamma-ray burst (GRB) science. It will determine the origin of GRBs, classify them and search for new types, determine how the blastwave evolves and interacts with the surroundings, use them to study the early universe and perform a sensitive survey of the sky in the hard X-ray band. The site provides background information for the public and for the scientific community outlining the instrumentation, science and objectives. There is also an education and public outreach area of the site which provides classroom materials, amongst other things. The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) : Implications of a Potential Descope This is a full text report produced by the Committee to Review the Science Requirements for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, National Research Council and has been published by National Academies Press in 2005. The committee conducted a study to evaluate the consequences of a descope of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), which is intended to be the major, ground based observational facilityfor millimeter and submillimeter astronomy for the next three decades. The committee was asked to consider the scientific consequences of reducing the number of active antennas from 60 to either 50 or 40. The report presents the conclusions and recommendations of the study led by the committee. The Cassini-Huygens Mission : Lifting the Veil of Secrecy This is one of CSA's (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts) series of Hot Topics. It was released in October 2004 and provides an overview of the Cassini-Huygens Mission, whose aim is to orbit Saturn for four years to probe its rings, its atmosphere, and its moons. Key citations, web sites and a glossary are also provided. Further information regarding the mission can be found at NASA's website: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm The Cosmos on a Shoestring : Small Spacecraft for Space and Earth Science This provides access to a RAND study for the Office of Science and Technology (OSTP). The report was prepared by Liam Sarsfield, MR-864-OSTP, dated 1998. It presents a review of the factors which have led to the growth in small spacecraft programmes and the effects of the associated cost reduction approaches. It examines spacecraft development trends in order to highlight areas in which new strategies have proven effective in reducing cost and increasing performance. The text is available in PDF format. The Human Exploration of Space This is a full text book available from National Academies Press and was produced by Committee on Human Exploration, National Research Council in the year 1997. The Space Studies Board (SSB) constituted the Committee on Human Exploration (CHEX) in 1989 to examine the general question of the space science component of a future human exploration program. Earlier two reports were produced addressing issues like the the need for scientific knowledge to enable prolonged human space missions and scientific opportunities that might be derived from prolonged human space missions. During the development of these first two reports, it became evident to the committee that the mode of interaction between space science and human exploration has varied over the years, as evidenced by a succession of different NASA organizational structures. The committee reviewed the history of this interaction with the objective of developing a 'lessons-learned' set of principles and recommendations for the future. The principles and recommendations thus evolved for managing the science component of a Moon/Mars program, whenever and however it is pursued, transcend political and administrative changes. While this report is not intended to dictate precise organizational models, application of these principles and recommendations should facilitate a productive integration of science into a program of human exploration. The International Exploration of Mars : 4th Cosmic Study of the IAA This web site provides access to an International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) cosmic study prepared by the Subcommittee on the International Exploration of Mars, dated November 1997. It examines the possibilities and implications of establishing an international robotic and human space exploration program leading to the establishment of an International Mars Base. The study contains chapters on Mars automated missions and precursors, options for human expeditions, Mars surface systems and operations, human factors and physiological aspects, and economic and resource considerations. The final report comprises four parts: The study itself, addendum I, Update Of Mars Exploration Programs - c1995; addendum II, Mars Direct: A Practical Low-Cost Approach To Near-Term Piloted Mars Missions; and addendum III, Mission Planning and Mars Architecture Trade-Offs.
no title available no description supplied The Planetary Society
The Planetary Society is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation whose aim is to encourage the exploration of the solar system and the search for extraterrestrial life. Its web site provides an introduction to its aims, news headlines and events, a Learning Center The Quarantine and Certification of Martian Samples This provides access to a National Research Council, Space Studies Board report, prepared by the Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration, 2002. The report examines a number of issues relating to the quarantine and subsequent release of samples returned from Mars. This is a prepublication version of the text in Open Book page image format. The images are linked to pdf files for ease of printing. The Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer Mission This is a NASA web site that brings together a range of information regarding the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) mission. This is a satellite with main objective to observe the fast moving, high energy worlds of black holes, neutron stars, X-ray pulsars and bursts of X-rays that light up the sky and then disappear forever. The satellite was lanched into low-Earth orbit on December 30, 1995 and is still operating making contributions in order to improve the understanding of cosmic objects, such as stars and galaxies. The trick to observe these objects is all in the timing i.e. an ability to observe changes in the X-ray brightness that occur in a mere thousandths of a second, or over several years. The website is part of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and contains various links to related sites, RXTE results, images, videos and tales from the world of extremes. The Space Shuttle and its Replacement This is an article which is part of the Hot Topics Series from Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA). It provides an overview of the history of the Space Shuttle and discusses options for the future after the Challenger and Columbia tragedies. There is a list of key citations from the article, a collection of related Web-sites, a glossary of terms used and further details of the original source. The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) SWAS is one of NASA's Small Explorer Program (SMEX) missions. The overall goal of the mission is to gain a greater understanding of star formation by determining the composition of interstellar clouds and establishing the means by which these clouds cool as they collapse to form stars and planets. It was launched into low Earth orbit on December 05, 1998. The SWAS Science Operations Center is located at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This website brings together information about the mission like spacecraft and instrument details, satellite current status, and images and photos. There is a link to reference publications and other educational resources. The Viking Mission Vikings 1 and 2, designed to study Mars in detail, were launched in 1975 and arrived at Mars in 1976. Each spacecraft consisted of two parts: an Orbiter and a Lander. The Viking 1 and 2 Orbiters studied Mars from orbit for six and for years respectively while the two Viking Landers descended through the thin atmosphere and landed on the surface of Mars. The Web site gives details of the Viking mission, including pages on the touchdown on Mars, experiments from the laboratory, the deep space network for receiving data from Viking spacecraft and images of the surface of Mars. The site is maintained by the US National Air and Space Museum. The Vision for Space Exploration This document (February 2004) sets out NASA's framework for exploring the solar system following the President's new vision for exploration after the Columbia tragedy in 2003. It is available in PDF format. THEMIS : Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions During Substorms This mission is being undertaken by the University of California, Berkeley and is funded by NASA. It will launch in 2007 and is a five-satellite mission with the job of determining the causes of the global reconfigurations of the Earth's magnetosphere that are evidenced in auroral activity. The site provides a mission summary, fact sheet, information about the scientific goals and objectives, and has an education and public outreach area. TIMED : Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics The TIMED mission is aimed at studying the influence of the Sun and humans on the least explored region of Earth's atmosphere- the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere/Ionosphere (MLTI). The TIMED spacecraft was launched in December, 2001, from Vanderberg Air Force Base, California aboard Delta II launch vehicle. The TIMED current mission data and news updates are available from this site. There are also links to educational resources which contain the TIMED mission details. Links to TIMED mission photos and movies are available. Timing of Increasing Electron Counts From Geosynchronous Orbit to Low Earth Orbit This is the full text of a Master's thesis by Captain Kirk M. Olson, USAF, AFIT/GAP/ENP/05-06, which was presented to the Faculty Department of Engineering Physics of Air University's Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), in January 2005. Under certain conditions, high energy electron fluxes can increase over short periods of time in the outer radiation belt and diffuse to low altitudes. Sudden increases of high energy electron densities at low altitudes can drastically damage unsuspecting low-earth-orbit satelites. The progression of electron flux increases from a geosynchronous orbit to low-earth orbit during an electron event is somewhat unknown. If the beginning of electron flux increases at low-earth-orbits could be anticipated, warnings could be issued to space system operators allowing time to take proper measures to protect and minimize satellite damage extending satellite lifetimes and space mission operations. The Compact Environment Anomaly Sensors (CEASE) onboard the DSP-21 and TSX-5 satellites collected dosimeter data of electrons > 1.2 MeV and protons > 25 MeV. The orbits of the satellites and the particle detection of CEASE provided an opportunity to sample the high energy electron population fluxes at GEO and LEO during electron events. The high energy electron CEASE data was extracted from DSP-21 and TSX-5 when each satellite crossed an approximate geosynchronous L-Shell range (L=6.5-6.7). Onsets of electron events at each orbit were determined from the data. Onset comparison showed the progression of elevated electron fluxes from GEO to LEO to be between one and four days. Further comparison of the electron events to solar wind data suggests that high speed streams are necessary, not sufficient, for an electron event to occur. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format on the Scientific and Technical Information Network (STINET) which is provided by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) - Earth Probe (EP) The Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer, launched in July 1996 onboard an Earth Probe Satellite (TOMS/EP), continues NASA's long-term daily mapping of the global distribution of the Earth's atmospheric ozone. The TOMS instrument has mapped in detail the global ozone distribution as well as the Antarctic "ozone hole," which forms September through November of each year. In addition to ozone, TOMS measures sulfur dioxide released in volcanic eruptions. The extremely high quality of TOMS ozone data has also helped scientists in detecting a small but steady long-term damage to the ozone layer over several parts of the globe, including most of the heavily populated areas in the northern mid-latitudes. This website brings together information on the TRMM mission, spacecraft and instrument details, and plots of measured data. There are links available to images and video, educational resources and reference publications. TRACE : Transition Region And Coronal Explorer The Transition Region and Coronal Explorer is a NASA Small Explorer (SMEX) mission to image the solar corona and transition region at high angular and temporal resolution. The TRACE spacecraft was launched on a Pegasus launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base in April 1998. The TRACE project maintains an Open Data Policy and current data are available from this site. The site also provides information about TRACE mission background; spacecraft and instrument details; operations information; news updates; and TRACE image and movie gallery. Transforming Remote Sensing Data into Information and Applications This is a full text report produced by the Steering Committee on Space Applications and Commercialization, National Research Council and was published by National Academies Press in 2001. This report draws on data and information obtained in the workshop planning meeting with agency sponsors, information presented by workshop speakers and in splinter group discussions, and the expertise and viewpoints of the authoring Steering Committee on Space Applications and Commercialization. The recommendations are the consensus of the steering committee and not necessarily of the workshop participants. The steering committee focused on civilian remote sensing applications in the coastal environment. The workshop featured three case studies in coastal management involving (1) the application of Sea-viewing Wide-Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) data in monitoring harmful algal blooms, (2) the use of airborne lidar bathymetry for monitoring navigation channels, and (3) the use of both satellite and aerial remote sensing to identify sewage outflows. All three provided detailed information on the applications as well as problems encountered in developing them, allowing the steering committee to learn from the real-world experiences of particular users. In addition, participants in five workshop splinter sessions on education and training, institutional, technical, and policy issues in technology transfer, and user awareness and needs identified and discussed more general barriers and bottlenecks that interfere with the development of remote sensing applications and also explored ways to overcome such problems.This material provided a basis for much of the steering committee's analysis and figured significantly in its development of the report's findings and recommendations. The report is available in PDF. TransOrbital Inc This site belongs to a company whose goal is the commercial exploration and development of space. Details are given of TransOrbital's planned lunar missions and the products that will arise from these missions including a high resolution lunar atlas, still photographs and video. Other engineering support and analysis services are also provided and these are outlined. The 'Library' section contains press releases, notes from conferences attended by employees and full text papers in both HTML and PDF format. Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall. TRMM is particularly devoted to determining rainfall in the tropics and subtropics of the earth. These regions make up about two thirds of the total rainfall on Earth and are responsible for driving our weather and climate system. This website provides information on the mission details, spacecraft and instrument description, news updates and images and videos. There are also links available to educational resources and reference publications. U.S. Space Programs : Civilian, Military, and Commercial This is the full text of a CRS issue brief for Congress, order code no. IB92011, updated in February 2005 and written by Marcia S. Smith. This addresses US space funding issues and the appropriate role of the government in facilitating commercial space businesses. U.S. Space Programs: Civilian, Military, and Commercial This is a Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report for Congress IB92011 prepared by Marcia S, Smith dated February 2006. The 109th Congress is addressing a broad range of civilian, military, and commercial space issues. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducts the most visible space activities. For FY2006, NASA received $16.623 billion when adjusted for two rescissions and an augmentation for hurricane recovery. The FY2007 request is $16.792 billion. The future of the U.S. human space flight program is dominating debate about NASA. The space shuttle returned to flight in July 2005 after a two and one-half year hiatus following the 2003 Columbia tragedy, but the next launch has been indefinitely postponed because of a foam-shedding event during that launch similar to what led to the loss of Columbia. Pursuant to the “Vision for Space Exploration” announced by President Bush in January 2004, the shuttle program is to be terminated in 2010. The Vision directs NASA to focus its activities on returning humans to the Moon by 2020 and eventually sending them to Mars. The Vision has broad implications for the agency, especially since most of the money to implement it is expected to come from other NASA activities. Congress is debating the many issues raised by the Vision, including what the balance should be among NASA’s various space and aeronautics activities, and whether the United States should end the shuttle program before a replacement is available. The Department of Defense (DOD) has a less visible but equally substantial space program. Tracking the DOD space budget is extremely difficult since space is not identified as a separate line item in the budget. DOD sometimes releases only partial information (omitting funding for classified programs) or will suddenly release without explanation new figures for prior years that are quite different from what was previously reported. Figures provided to CRS show a total (classified and unclassified) space budget of $19.4 billion for FY2003, $20 billion for FY2004, $19.8 billion for FY2005, and a request of $22.5 billion for FY2006. The final figure for FY2006 and the FY2007 requests are not yet available. How to manage DOD space programs to avoid the cost growth and schedule delays that have characterized several recent projects is a key issue facing DOD. The appropriate role of the government in facilitating commercial space businesses is an ongoing debate. For many years, the focus has been on space launch services, but commercial remote sensing satellites also pose complex questions. President Bush signed a new commercial remote sensing policy in 2003, and a new space launch policy in 2004, that try to strike a balance between facilitating commercial activities while ensuring the U.S. government has needed data and services. International cooperation and competition in space are affected by the world economic situation and the post-Cold War political climate. President Clinton’s 1993 decision to merge NASA’s space station program with Russia’s is symbolic of the dramatic changes, and the risks. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it. UARS : Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite UARS is the first spacecraft launched as part of NASA's systematic, comprehensive study of the Earth system. It was launched on 12 September 1991 and deployed in a near polar orbit on 15 September 1991 from the Space Shuttle Discovery. UARS, the first satellite dedicated to studying stratospheric science, focuses on the processes that lead to ozone depletion, complementing and amplifying the measurements of total ozone made by the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) onboard NASA's Nimbus-7 and the Russian Meteor-3 satellites. UARS also measures winds and temperatures in the stratosphere as well as the energy input from the Sun. In its first two weeks of operation, UARS data confirmed the polar ozone-depletion theories by providing three-dimensional maps of ozone and chlorine monoxide near the South Pole during development of the 1991 ozone hole. UARS, developed and managed by GSFC, in Greenbelt, Md., provides information that nations around the world can use to guide decisions on environmental policies, according to scientists. UARS was designed to last 18 months, but parts of it are still operational. The United Kingdom and Canada both provided instruments for this mission. This website provides a detailed description of UARS project including information about its instruments; movies and images; project's current status; data plots; orbital information; and UARS brochure and link to publications and reference material. Ulysses Ulysses is a joint NASA and ESA mission to study the sun at all altitudes. ESA provided the spacecraft and NASA provided the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG), the launch vehicle, the payload assist module and is providing data reception via deep space network. The Shuttle Discovery launched the Ulysses spacecraft on October 6, 1990. To reach high solar latitudes, the spacecraft was aimed close to Jupiter so that Jupiter's large gravitational field would accelerate Ulysses out of the ecliptic plane to high latitudes. After more than 12 years in flight, Ulysses has returned a wealth of data that has led to a much broader understanding of the Global Structure of the Sun's environment-the heliosphere. This website brings together mission information; science and spacecraft details; and image and photo gallery. There is a link to news updates and information resources. UNISPACE III: Third United Conference on Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space This conference was sponsored by the United Nations (UN), and was held in Vienna in July 1999. This site is the Index of Online Reports of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and provides the full text of the UNISPACE III report and background papers in PDF format. United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs This site presents information on the activities of the United Nations in the field of peaceful uses of outer space. It includes the full text of the reports of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its Scientific and Legal Subcommittee published since 1995, and other documents such as International Agreements and Principles on Outer Space. There are links to the recent activities of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications, and information is also provided by member states on their space related activities. The latter includes the registration of objects launched into space, the use of nuclear power sources in outer space, research on space debris and their mitigation techniques. The site also provides access to a searchable index of signatures and ratifications of the international treaties governing activities in outer space which have been elaborated under the auspices of the United Nations. Utilization of Operational Environmental Satellite Data : Ensuring Readiness for 2010 and Beyond This a a full text book produced by the Committee on Environmental Satellite Data Utilization (CESDU), National Research Council and was published by National Academies Press in 2001. The focus of this report is the use of satellite data for civilian rather than defense or national security purposes. It is expected that as a result of expanding Earth-observing capability, novel ways of using satellite data that will have an increasing impact on citizens' daily lives will be developed. Thus satellite data providers will have to continuously evolve, revise, and in some cases radically redefine their role as well as plan for increased research, operations, and infra- structure. The high-level training required by such personnel and the continuing education of users are equally important and also must be planned and provided for. In this report, the CESDU offers findings and recommendations aimed at defining specific approaches to resolving the potential overload faced by the two agencies, NOAA and NASA, responsible for satellite data. The committee has focused on the end-to-end utilization of environmental satellite data by characterizing the links from the sources of raw data to the end requirements of various user groups, although, given its limited scope, the committee could not thoroughly examine every link in the chain. CESDU's goal is to characterize and provide sensible recommendations in three areas, namely, (1) the value of and need for environmental satellite data, (2) the distribution of environmental satellite data, and (3) data access and utilization. The committee's findings are based on its members knowledge of trends in technology; past lessons learned; users stated requirements; and other supporting information. The text is available in open book PDF form. Venus Express This site has been created by The European Space Agency (ESA) to provide ongoing coverage of the Venus Express mission. The site provides access to news bulletins and progress updates, VideoTalk, a multimedia feature that discusses the latest developments in space exploration, a webcam from the ESOC Main Control Room, a press kit, brochure (PDF format), image gallery, video clips, and a 3D Flash 'model'. In addition to this emphasis on live coverage the site also provides access to more in depth information sources on Venus and on the mission. The latter includes mission facts, objectives, and descriptions of the spacecraft, the orbiter instruments, the launcher and communications and control. Voyager : the Interstellar Mission The twin Voyager spacecraft were launched in 1977 and are still sending data regarding new characteristics of the effects of the sun in the distant solar wind. The site provides an overview of the mission and its history, the science behind the mission and what it aims to achieve, details about the spacecraft, and related news, images and multimedia. What's the Price of Low Cost? This paper was presented at the 10th Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites in September 1998 at Logan, UT by staff at Microcosm Inc. It examines ten case studies of space missions from the perspective of possible cost reduction strategies. Consideration is given to all mission segments including spacecraft, payload, ground systems. and mission operations. This is a PDF file [63k] so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it. Wind mission (Understanding Interplanetary Dynamics) This is a NASA website that brings together a range of information regarding related to Wind mission. Wind was launched on November 1, 1994 and is the first of two NASA spacecraft in the Global Geospace Science initiative and part of the ISTP Project. The objectives of the mission are to provide complete plasma, energetic particle, and magnetic field input for magnetospheric and ionospheric studies. Its mission also aims to determine the magnetospheric output to interplanetary space in the up-stream region and investigate basic plasma processes occurring in the near Earth solar wind. Finally, another objective is to offer the baseline ecliptic plane observations to be used in the helliospheric latitudes from ULYSSES. The website offers useful links to data, instrumentation, educational links, orbits and many more. Windows to the Universe Funded by NASA, this is a learning system on the Earth and Space sciences for the use of the general public. Documents, images, movies, animations, and data sets that explore the Earth and Space sciences and the historical and cultural ties between science, exploration and the human experience are included. Whilst it is more appropriate to a general audience rather than a purely academic one, the space missions section contains brief descriptions of manned and unmanned missions. The information relating to the various celestial bodies, eg planets, asteroids, comets etc, may be useful for quick reference purposes. WMAP : Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe WMAP is NASA Explorer mission measuring the temperature of the cosmic background radiation over the full sky with unprecedented accuracy. The WMAP mission reveals conditions as they existed in the early universe by measuring the properties of the cosmic microwave background radiation over the full sky. This microwave radiation was released approximately 380,000 years after the birth of the universe. WMAP creates a picture of the microwave radiation using temperature difference measured from opposite directions (anisotropy). WMAP was launched in June of 2001 and has made a map of the temperature fluctuations of the CMB (Cosmic Microwave Background) radiation with much higher resolution, sensitivity, and accuracy than NASA's earlier satellite COBE(Cosmic Background Explorer). This site provides in depth information about the mission, spacecraft and instrument details, current status and image gallery of collected data. Background information and news updates are also available. Xeus : X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy mission The web site brings together a range of information relating to this European Space Agency mision to establish a permanent space-borne X-ray observatory. The introduction includes an MPG format (8.7 Mb) video clip. The mission concept section presents information on the mission profile, spacecraft design, current status and design goals. There are also explanations of the science goals of the mission and the specific technologies that will be employed. A resources section provides access to other supporting material available on the web. XMM-Newton Mission This is an ESA (European Space Agency) web site that brings together a range of information regarding the XMM-Newton mission. XMM-Newton is ESA's second 'Cornerstone' mission. Development and construction of the spacecraft has overcome major technological hurdles. The spacecraft was first launched in December 10, 1999 and carries three very advanced X-ray telescopes. They each contain 58 high-precision concentric mirrors. These Mirror Modules allow XMM-Newton to detect millions of sources, far more than any previous X-ray mission. Main achievements were X-rays from accretion onto black holes, properties of exploding stars, nature of exotic matter, observations of GRB. The mission is still operating with an estimated completion date being March 31, 2010. There is a wealth of information aimed at the general public, teachers, learners of all ages, as well as members of the scientific and engineering community. The site provides information on instrumentation used, spacecraft facts, archive data, image sources and links to related sites. A suite of educational resources is also provided for the use of both teachers and students through the ESA science. Additonal information about this mission can be found on the ESA web page: http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=23 |
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