| MISSION TO PLANET EARTH | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | FY 1998 |
| Earth observing system | 554,200 | 586,700 | 679,700 |
| Earth observing system data information system | 247,200 | 254,600 | 244,700 |
| Earth probes | 80,100 | 57,200 | 40,700 |
| Applied research and data analysis | 350,100 | 373,400 | 325,300 |
| Global observations to benefit the environment | 5,100 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Launch services | 107,100 | 84,700 | 121,900 |
| Construction of facilities | 17,000 | --- | --- |
| (Earth system science building) | (17,000) | (---) | (---) |
| Total | 1,360,800 | 1,361,600 | 1,417,300 |
| Distribution of Program Amount by Installation | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | FY 1998 |
| Johnson Space Center | 100 | --- | --- |
| Kennedy Space Center | 4,900 | 4,700 | 6,600 |
| Marshall Space Flight Center | 4,200 | 5,400 | 4,000 |
| Stennis Space Center | 17,200 | 66,200 | 16,200 |
| Ames Research Center | 38,100 | 8,200 | 5,500 |
| Dryden Flight Research Center | 5,100 | 19,000 | 18,700 |
| Langley Research Center | 27,000 | 42,500 | 30,600 |
| Lewis Research Center | 68,400 | 16,300 | 36,000 |
| Goddard Space Flight Center | 922,400 | 991,300 | 1,067,600 |
| Jet Propulsion Laboratory | 68,600 | 97,200 | 103,100 |
| Headquarters | 204,800 | 110,800 | 129,000 |
| Total | 1,360,800 | 1,361,600 | 1,417,300 |
PROGRAM GOALS
The purpose of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth(MTPE) Enterprise
is to understand the total Earth system and the effects of natural
and human-induced changes on the global environment. MTPE is pioneering
the new interdisciplinary field of research called Earth system
science, born of the recognition that the Earth's land surface,
oceans, atmosphere, ice sheets and biota are both dynamic
and highly interactive. It is an area of research with immense
benefits to the nation, yielding new knowledge and tools for weather
forecasting, agriculture, urban and land use planning, and other
areas of economic and environmental importance. In concert with
other agencies and global research community, MTPE is providing
the scientific foundation needed for the complex policy choices
that lie ahead on the road to sustainable development. MTPE has
established three broad goals:1) expand scientific knowledge of
the Earth system using NASA's unique capabilities from the vantage
points of space, aircraft and in situ platforms;2) disseminate
information about the Earth system; and3) enable productive use
of MTPE science and technology in the public and private sectors.
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
The pursuit of Earth system science would be impractical without
the continuous, global observations provided by satellite-borne
instruments. MTPE comprises an integrated slate of spacecraft
and in situ measurement capabilities; data and information
management systems to acquire, process, archive and distribute
global data sets; and research and analysis programs to convert
data into new knowledge of the Earth system. Numerous users in
academia, industry, federal, state and local government tap this
knowledge to produce products and services essential to achieving
sustainable development. MTPE is NASA's contribution to the U.S.
Global Change Research Program(USGCRP), an interagency effort
to understand the processes and patterns of global change.
The Earth Observing System(EOS), the centerpiece of MTPE, is a
program of multiple spacecraft(the AM, PM, Chemistry series, Landsat-7,
and others) and interdisciplinary science investigations to provide
a 15 year data set of key parameters needed to understand global
climate change. The first EOS satellite launches begin in 1998.
Preceding EOS are a number of individual satellite and Shuttle-based
missions which are helping to reveal basic processes. The Upper
Atmosphere Research Satellite(UARS), launched in 1991, collects
data on atmospheric chemistry. The Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer(TOMS)
instrument, launched in 1978 and 1991, measures ozone distribution
and depletion. Two TOMS instruments were launched in 1996, one
on the Japanese Advanced Earth Observing System(ADEOS) mission
and the other on a dedicated U.S. Earth probe. The French and
U.S. collaborated on the Ocean Topography Experiment(TOPEX/Poseidon),
launched in 1992, to study ocean topography and circulation. The
NASA Scatterometer(NSCAT), also launched on the Japanese ADEOS
in 1996, maps ocean winds. In 1997 the Tropical Rainfall Measuring
Mission(TRMM) will measure tropical precipitation. Complementing
EOS will be a series of small, rapid development Earth System
Science Pathfinder(ESSP) missions to study emerging science questions
and make innovative measurements in parallel with the 15 year
mission of EOS. The first ESSP mission should be ready for launch
in 2000.
Data from MTPE missions, both current and future, are captured,
processed into useful data products, and broadly distributed by
the EOS Data and Information System(EOSDIS). EOSDIS will ensure
that data from these diverse missions will remain available in
active archives for use by current and future scientists. Since
these data are useful beyond the Earth system science research
community, EOSDIS will be accessible by environmental decision-makers,
resource managers, commercial firms, social scientists and the
general academic community, educators, state and local government--anyone
who wants the information. Following the recommendation of the
National Research Council, MTPE is exploring the creation of a
federation of Earth science information partners in academia,
industry and government to broaden the participation in the creation
and distribution of EOSDIS information products.
The intellectual capital for these missions, and the key to generating
new knowledge from them, is vested in an active program of research
and analysis. MTPE's research and analysis program funds over
1,700 researchers from nearly every U.S. state. There are also
scientists from seventeen other nations, funded by their own countries
but, collaborating with U.S. researchers. These researchers develop
Earth system models from MTPE data, conduct laboratory experiments,
run aircraft campaigns, develop new instruments, and thus expand
the frontier of our understanding of our home planet. MTPE-funded
scientists are recognized as world leaders in their fields, as
exemplified by the awarding of the 1995 Nobel Prize in chemistry
to two who identified the threat of cholorflorocarbons to upper
atmospheric ozone. The research and analysis program is also the
basis for generation of application pilot programs which enable
universities, commercial firms, and state and local governments
to turn scientific understanding into economically valuable products
and services.
In 1996, the first MTPE Science Research Plan was published. The
plan lays out a strategy for study in five Earth system science
areas of maturing scientific understanding and significant societal
importance: land-cover and land use change; seasonal-to-interannual
climate variability and prediction; natural hazards research and
applications; long-term climate natural variability and change
research; and atmospheric ozone research. The plan also outlines
some twenty related areas of research which round out the MTPE
contribution to Earth system science.
The challenges of Earth system science, sustainable development,
and protection of people, property and the environment from natural
disasters, require collaborative efforts among a broad range of
national and international players. As mentioned above, the USGCRP
coordinates research among thirteen U.S. government agencies.
MTPE has extensive collaborations with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) on seasonal-to-interannual climate
prediction. MTPE is the responsible agent in NASA for managing
the development of NOAA's operational environmental satellites.
NOAA, NASA, and the Department of Defense(DOD) are collaborating
on a convergence of the civilian and military weather systems.
MTPE collaborates with the U.S. Geological Survey(USGS) on a range
of land surface, solid Earth and hydrology research. NASA, NOAA
and USGS collaborate in the Landsat-7 program, and NASA, DOD and
USGS are working together on a third flight of the shuttle radar
laboratory modified to yield digital terrain data on most of the
Earth's surface. MTPE participates in the World Climate Research
Program, the International Geosphere/Biosphere Program, and the
ozone assessments of the World Meteorological Organization. Most
of MTPE's satellite missions have international participation,
ranging from simple data sharing agreements to joint missions
involving provision of instruments, spacecraft, and launch vehicles.
MTPE has adopted an evolutionary approach to fulfilling its mission
and goals. During 1995, NASA conducted a comprehensive review
of the entire MTPE Enterprise. The goal was to enable: a focus
on near-term science and associated applications; explicit provision
for new technology infusion; reduction in life-cycle cost of the
EOS program; provision of new science opportunities through smaller,
quicker and less expensive missions (the genesis of ESSP); and
closer participation with other Federal agencies (especially NOAA),
commercial firms and international partners. The result of this
review is an EOS which is lower in life-cycle cost, more flexible
in implementation, and of greater utility to the science community
and more adaptable to commercial opportunities. Out of this review
came planning for MTPE involvement in the new millennium program
which conducts the development and flight demonstration of advanced,
smaller instruments for the EOS second series. Our basic approach
has been endorsed by the National Research Council(NRC) through
its Board on Sustainable Development.
We continue to refine this plan and seek the advice of the NRC
and other external groups as we progress. In 1997, NASA will conduct
the first biennial review of MTPE. The biennial review will examine
all aspects of MTPE with a view toward incorporating new scientific
understanding, technology development, and expanded collaborations
with national and international operational and research satellite
systems. The product of the biennial review will be reviewed by
an NRC-organized panel of external experts, and will be the basis
for MTPE's FY1999 budget request development.
This budget fully supports the baseline program presented in the
FY1997 budget. The requested funding provides for a robust science
program. MTPE has developed an integrated science plan that relates
research plans to space observations, and fully integrates EOS
and non-EOS science. The basic themes of this plan are consistent
with the USGCRP and contain five areas of emphasis. Three initiatives
which will further contribute to a robust science program as well
as to technology infusion have been incorporated. These initiatives
include an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle(UAV) scientific research program,
an instrument incubator, and an advanced geostationary study.
The UAV-based research program will focus on making in situ
atmospheric measurements in the tropopause and lower stratosphere.
UAV's will measure detailed temporal changes by staying over a
target area for an extended period, providing unique views of
cloud structure and calibration and verification of MTPE's satellite
instrumentation. These UAV-based measurement strategies are based
on emerging technology which should increase scientific return
at a reduced cost to the government.
The instrument incubator is a technical and managerial approach
for enabling rapid deployment of new, less costly, and less resource-intensive
(i.e., less power, weight, volume, etc.) scientific instruments.
It will focus on ground-based development and testing of instrument
system and subsystem technologies by applying the results of the
core technology (funded in space science) program to MTPE-specific
requirements.
The advanced geostationery study provides for concept studies
of the application of the latest technology to the development
of small, compact, geostationary satellites that will support
research and technology objectives. Data from advanced geostationary
studies will be used for both global climate change and research
missions.
These initiatives will be funded out of the savings realized elsewhere
in the MTPE program, including the common spacecraft procurement.
In addition to these savings, MTPE is committed to continue to
look for ways to reduce near-term funding requirements. The Chemistry-1,
Laser Altimetry, and AM-2 missions are all under study to determine
if cost savings can be achieved through the use of new approaches
to these missions such as the utilization of smaller spacecraft.
Two significant changes in the management approach to MTPE were
implemented in 1996. The MTPE program office, at the Goddard Space
Flight Center(GSFC), assumed a larger role when program management
responsibilities migrated from NASA Headquarters to GSFC. Further,
the NASA Office of Space Access and Technology was disestablished
with advanced technology development to be managed by the enterprises
and coordinated by a chief technologist in the Office of the Administrator.
With this change, MTPE assumed responsibility for the small spacecraft
technology initiative (Lewis & Clark) and the commercial remote
sensing program.
Upcoming activities over the next two years in the MTPE program
include, in the Earth probes program, launch of the Tropical Rainfall
Measuring Mission(TRMM) in late 1997. The Lewis and Clark land
imaging spacecraft, developed in partnership with commercial firms,
will be launched in 1997. The MTPE mission operations program
will begin operations and data processing of the TRMM as well
as activities for currently orbiting satellites, including TOPEX/Poseidon,
UARS, NSCAT and TOMS. The experiments of opportunity program will
be focused on Shuttle Imaging Radar-C(SIR-C) and launch the Measurement
of Air Pollution from Satellites(Maps) on MIR, a cooperative commercial
venture. Within the EOS, a preliminary design review will be held
for PM-1 in 1997. Instruments for AM-1 and Landsat-7 will be delivered
in 1997. The EOSDIS will release Version1 in 1997, and prepare
for the release of Version2.
The EOSAM-1 will be launched in June1998. This mission will provide
key measurements that will significantly contribute to our understanding
of the total Earth system. The AM-1 instrument complement will
obtain information about the physical and radiative properties
of clouds, air-land and air-sea exchanges of energy, carbon, and
water, measurements of trace gases, and volcanology.
Landsat-7 will be launched no later than December 1998. Landsat-7
will carry a single instrument, the enhanced thematic mapper plus,
which will make high spatial resolution measurements of land surface
and surrounding coastal regions. This mission will provide data
continuity with previous Landsat measurements. Landsat data is
used for global change research, regional environmental change
studies, national security and other civil and commercial purposes.
The measurements to be made by these and other future MTPE missions as well as current on-orbit missions provide data products that are used extensively in the MTPE science program. The program encompasses over 1,700scientific activities at universities, research laboratories, and government research organizations. These activities are providing an ever increasing scientific understanding of global environment and the effects of natural and human sources of change.
| BASIS OF FY1998 FUNDING REQUIREMENT (Thousands of Dollars) | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | FY 1998 |
| AM series | 178,700 | 82,800 | 49,100 |
| PM series | 103,700 | 149,700 | 218,000 |
| Chemistry | 27,300 | 63,300 | 100,600 |
| Special spacecraft | 60,500 | 83,100 | 91,700 |
| Landsat-7 | 85,200 | 76,200 | 52,100 |
| Algorithm development | 73,300 | 84,900 | 102,700 |
| Technology infusion | 25,500 | 46,700 | 65,500 |
| (New millennium program) | (20,000) | (35,000) | (40,000) |
| (Sensor & detector technology) | (5,500) | (4,700) | (5,500) |
| (Instrument incubator) | (--) | (7,000) | (20,000) |
| Total | 554,200 | 586,700 | 679,700 |
PROGRAM GOALS
The overall goal of the Earth Observing System(EOS) is to advance
the understanding of the entire Earth system on a global scale
by improving our knowledge of the components of the system, the
interactions between them, and how the Earth system is changing.
The EOS data will be used to study the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere,
biosphere, land surface and solid Earth, particularly as their
interrelationships are manifested in the flow of energy and in
the cycling of water and other chemicals through the Earth system.
The EOS program mission goals are: (1)to create an integrated, scientific observing system emphasizing climate change, that will enable multi-disciplinary study of the Earth's critical, life-enabling, interrelated processes; (2)to develop a comprehensive data and information system, including a data retrieval and processing system; (3)to serve the needs of scientists performing an integrated multi-disciplinary study of planet Earth and to make MTPE data and information publicly available; and, (4)to acquire and assemble a global database for remote sensing measurements from space over a decade or more to enable definitive and conclusive studies of Earth system attributes.
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
The EOS contributes directly to accomplishing the goal of understanding
global climate by providing a combination of observations made
by scientific instruments, which will be integrated with the EOS
spacecraft, and the data received, archived, processed, and distributed
by the EOSDIS. The selection of scientific priorities and data
products responds directly to the USGCRP global change science
priorities and the assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change of the scientific uncertainty associated with global
change.
The three main EOS spacecraft that will support observations by
the scientific instruments include the morning(AM), afternoon(PM),
and Chemistry series. Beginning in 1998, 2000, and 2002 respectively,
the first satellite in each series will be flown for a period
of six years in order to obtain, at a minimum, a data set that
will span fifteen years. Additional observations will be provided
by the Landsat-7 mission beginning in 1998. Data continuity for
the Landsat program will be maintained by flying an advanced technology
Landsat-like instrument on the AM-2 mission in 2004.
International participation is a highly valued element of the
EOS program. Understanding global climate requires a global effort.
In addition to the fiscal benefits from integrating our complimentary
science programs, it is critical to ensure that the world's decision
makers have a common body of information that is credible and
well understood. AM-1 includes instruments provided by Canada
and Japan. International partners contribute to several other
key EOS missions. Within the special spacecraft program, flights
of the Radar Altimetry and Laser Altimetry satellites, as well
as Stratospheric Gas and Aerosol Experiment-III(SAGE-III), SeaWinds,
Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor(ACRIM), Solar Stellar
Irradiance Comparison Experiment(SOLSTICE), and Clouds and Earth's
Radiant Energy System(CERES) instruments will be accomplished
with a combination of domestic dedicated spacecraft and international
participation by Japan, Russia, France, and potentially other
countries.
EOS program planning began in 1983 with the definition of the
science and mission requirements by the EOS Science and Mission
Requirements Working Group(SMRWG). The SMRWG charter was to examine
the major Earth science questions for the 1990's and to define
the requirements for low-Earth-orbit observations needed to answer
these questions on a comprehensive multi-disciplinary basis. The
SMRWG's report, issued in 1984, listed five basic recommendations
concerning Earth science in the 1990's:
The Earth System Sciences Advisory Committee(ESSAC) was appointed
in November 1983 by the NASA Advisory Council to consider directions
for NASA's Earth sciences program. The committee's report, issued
in May 1986, recognized EOS as the centerpiece of the future Earth
sciences implementation strategy. It stated the following goal
of Earth system science: "To obtain a scientific understanding
of the entire Earth system on a global scale by describing how
its component parts and their interactions have evolved, how they
function, and how they may be expected to continue to evolve on
all time scales." It also identified the following challenge
to Earth system science: "To develop the capability to predict
those changes that will occur in the next decade to century, both
naturally and in response to human activity."
The successor to the SMRWG, the EOS Science Steering Committee(SSC),
continued the definition of the EOS program and provided an overall
implementation strategy in its report issued in 1987. Concurrent
with the SSC work, NASA included the EOS program under a broader
Agency initiative termed MTPE, which included other efforts such
as the Earth probe missions and NASA's participation in the International
Geosphere Biosphere Program(IGBP) and the World Climate Research
Program(WCRP). By proceeding to carry out the recommendations
of the SMRWG and the ESSC, including EOS, the SSC argued that
it would be possible to move from a single-discipline research
mission to a comprehensive mission addressing all aspects of the
Earth as a system. Thus, the concept of an Earth system was adopted
as the EOS scientific thrust.
An announcement of opportunity(AO) to solicit proposals for EOS
investigations was issued in January 1988. The EOS program objectives
were based on the requirements and goals of the SMRWG, SSC, and
ESSAC. In responding to the AO, proposers could offer to do interdisciplinary
studies to carry out integrated Earth system research leading
to the development of comprehensive Earth system models, to be
members of research facility teams (formed to provide scientific
guidance for the development of the research Facility Instruments(FI)
and to analyze and interpret data from them), or to be Principal
Investigators(PI) of proposed instruments and data products. The
EOS selection process was completed in February 1989, with the
selection of six team leaders and 93 team members for the six
NASA research FI's, 24 instrument PI's, and 29 interdisciplinary
team PI leaders to participate in the definition phase of the
EOS program.
The EOS Investigators Working Group(IWG), formed in 1989, consists
of PI's (instrument and interdisciplinary), and team leaders to
provide scientific advice and guidance for the program. The program
scientist (from NASA Headquarters) and the senior project scientist
(from GSFC) co-chair the IWG. The working bodies of the IWG include
twelve science panels. The chairpersons of each of these panels,
together with the program scientist and senior project scientist,
constitute the Science Executive Committee(SEC) of the IWG. Membership
on the panels is generally open to all EOS investigators, including
co-investigators on any EOS investigation and members of EOS FI
teams. Scientists outside the group of EOS investigators are also
included in the various panels.
The IWG plays a leading role in defining the overall science thrust
for the EOS program. It coordinates the research efforts and provides
guidance and advice to the EOS program and project, as appropriate,
concerning all major scientific issues. It will meet regularly
throughout the lifetime of the program.
The EOS study project was established at GSFC in 1983. During
the PhaseA andB study periods, GSFC and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL)
performed mission, data system and spacecraft studies resulting
in a conceptual design of a dual series of spacecraft missions
that would satisfy the EOS requirements. The spacecraft were designated
EOS-A and EOS-B, with GSFC and JPL having the respective managerial
responsibilities. Following the EOS Non-Advocacy Review(NAR),
held in June 1989, management responsibilities for the EOS-B series,
as well as the project management role for the execution phase
of EOS, were transitioned to GSFC. The synthetic aperture radar(SAR),
which was an FI to be launched on EOS-B, was identified as an
independent mission, to be managed by JPL, and a candidate for
separate program approval. In 1990, responsibility for development
of the platform was transferred from the space station program
to EOS. EOS management became centralized within the EOS project
at GSFC.
The EOS program was approved by Congress as an FY1991 budget initiative.
The payload for the first flight (EOS-A1) was selected in January
1991, following conceptual design and cost reviews of the selected
instruments and IWG Payload Panel recommendations on scientific
priorities and synergism. The baseline flight segment consisted
of two series of large observatories, EOS-A and-B, in 1:30PM ascending,
sun-synchronous orbit, launched by a Titan-IV with solid rocket
motor upgrades from the Western Space and Missile Center(WSMC).
Each observatory had a five-year life and each was to be replaced
twice to provide a 15-year mission. The budget runout through
FY2000 was $17billion.
The NRC advises the federal government through reports of reviews
it conducts using its various committees, which involve the broad
community of science and technology experts. Prior to the EOS
new start approval in FY1991, their report, "The U.S. Global
Change Research Program: An Assessment of FY1991 Plans,"
provided a critical review of the EOS program.
In the July 1991, report, "Assessment of Satellite Earth
Observation Programs 1991," the NRC was in general agreement
with the EOS plan for the large EOS-A observatory and its selected
payloads. It expressed concern that the total EOS budget size
could lead to potential delays, noted data gaps in key areas,
and endorsed the MTPE Earth probe concept. These reviews were
the beginning of a series of reviews and evaluations of the program
to ensure the proper scientific return on the EOS investment.
As part of the FY1992 budget process, the Committees on Appropriations
directed NASA to restructure the EOS program to:
In the summer and fall of 1991, NASA conducted a restructuring
of the program to meet the Congressional mandate. This process
included an independent review by the External Engineering Review
Committee, which issued its report in September 1991. The process
also involved assessment by the scientists who will use the data
from EOS, including both the EOS IWG and the EOS Payload Advisory
Panel. The EOS project at GSFC conducted studies to determine
how the EOS instruments could most effectively be configured on
small spacecraft. In December 1991, the NASA Administrator reviewed
and approved the restructured EOS program, and in March 1992,
NASA submitted its report on the restructured program to Congress.
Congress approved the restructured program in 1992.
Recognizing that the subsequent budget environment would not support
the complete and timely implementation of the restructured EOS
program described in the March 1992, report to Congress, the NASA
Administrator directed that the program be rescoped with a goal
of further reducing its costs through FY2000 by 30% to $8billion.
The EOS rescope was completed in June 1992, satisfying the 30%
reduction by capitalizing on efficiencies, reducing at-launch
science data products, by rephasing work, by increasing international
participation, and by deleting the High-Resolution Imaging Spectrometer(HIRIS)
flight instrument. As a result of the rescoping process, EOS became
recognized by NASA as a cost-driven program.
In the 1995 Congressional budget cycle, the EOS budget was reduced
by $758.5million through FY2000, to $7,243.4million, of which
$131.3million was due to a funding responsibility transfer. The
EOS rebaselining effort conducted in 1994, with the following
results, was reflected in the FY1996 budget submission.
Public Law102-555 returned the development, operations and data
distribution of the Landsat-7 program to the federal government
in 1992. It established the Landsat Program Management(LPM) team
comprised of the DOD and NASA. DOD was responsible for the acquisition
of the satellite and NASA was responsible for the development
of the ground system. In the fall of 1993, DOD withdrew from the
program. At the direction of the National Science and Technology
Council(NSTC), the Office of Science and Technology(OSTP) initiated
a review and restructuring of the Landsat-7 program. Under Presidential
Decision Directive(PDD)/NSTC-3, the Land Remote Sensing Strategy
was established. This strategy implemented a program management
structure for the Landsat-7 program, which made NASA responsible
for development of the satellite, instrument and ground system,
USGCRP responsible for operations, and the USGS, in conjunction
with the EOSDIS Land Process Distributed Active Archive Center(LPDAAC),
responsible for data archive and distribution. During the EOS
rebaselining process, the Landsat-7 program was integrated with
EOS. As another aspect of the rebaselining, the EOS science program
was reorganized. The funding to support the activities of the
EOS instrument investigators and interdisciplinary science investigators
was moved to research and analysis. The science algorithm development
and maintenance remains in the EOS budget.
During 1995, NASA conducted a comprehensive review of EOS to reshape
mission planning to accomplish a number of interrelated objectives:
substantially reduce EOS life-cycle costs while preserving the
basic measurement set; provide now for technology infusion so
that it will be available in time to be able to lower the cost
of the second and third EOS series; provide new science opportunities
through small satellites; and, adjust program management to an
evolutionary approach.
This "reshaping" exercise recognized that the first
series already employs or advances the state-of-the-art in spacecraft
and instruments. Even so, savings achieved in the EOS Data and
Information System(EOSDIS) implementation and other changes enable
some savings and improvements in the first series. These include
accelerating Laser Altimetry and ACRIM by one year, providing
a spacecraft for SOLSTICE (previously awaiting a flight of opportunity),
and the explicit provision of funding within the EOS budget for
new technology missions.
The second series relies upon technology development to reduce
the size of instruments, and therefore, the size of the spacecraft
required--cutting the total weight approximately in half for the
multi-instrument missions. This should enable movement from Medium
Class Expendable Launch Vehicles (MELV's) in the first series
to Medium-Light Class ELV's(MLELV's) in the second series, when
we expect these launch capabilities to be available. One key to
the development of these advanced instruments is NASA's new millennium
program, in which NASA's programs for MTPE and Space Science are
engaged in demonstration flights of much smaller prototype component
technologies.
The reshaped second series also provides for an advanced Landsat-type
instrument to be incorporated on EOSAM-2, saving the government
the cost of a separate spacecraft and launch (approximately $325
million in the Landsat-7 program). The EOSPM-2 spacecraft can
be substantially downsized if the National Polar-Orbiting Operational
Environmental Satellite System(NPOESS) can incorporate an infrared
sounder with adequate specifications and calibration. The first
NPOESS satellite will be ready for launch in 2007 with a probable
launch date of 2009. NASA will work with NOAA and the DOD through
the NPOESS Integrated Program Office(IPO) over the next three
years to find common requirements in sounding as well as other
areas. Downsizing the remaining EOSPM-2 instruments enables them
to be flown on a small spacecraft. The second EOSChemistry mission
is planned to be split into two smaller missions; one for largely
stratospheric measurements taken in a monitoring mode and one
largely for tropospheric measurements taken in a process study
mode. Autonomous operations will be adopted in the second series
to further reduce the cost of ground operations.
The third EOS series is left relatively undefined to allow maximum
flexibility to accommodate emerging science requirements, technology
infusion, and greater international and commercial participation
to reduce the cost of completing the basic commitment to the EOS
measurement set. By this point in the development program, the
process for infusion of new technology from the new millennium
program and other sources will be routine. Further advances in
computing and network technology should continue to decrease EOSDIS
operations costs.
AM Series
The global climate change research emphasized by the AM instrument
data set will include cloud physics, atmospheric radiation properties,
and terrestrial and oceanic characteristics. Because the AM series
primarily observes terrestrial surface features, a morning equatorial
crossing time is preferred to minimize cloud cover over land.
The primary contractors associated with the program are Lockheed
Martin Missiles and Space(LMMS) for the AM-1 spacecraft, Hughes
Santa Barbara Remote Sensing(SBRS) for the Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectrometer(MODIS) instrument, TRW for the CERES instrument
(the instrument will also be flown on the TRMM in 1997 and PM
series spacecraft, and as a flight of opportunity), and Lockheed
Martin Commercial Launch Services for the AM-1 Atlas Centaur/IIAS
launch service. The Multi-Angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer(MISR)
instrument is being built in-house at JPL. The Japanese will provide
the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer(ASTER)
instrument and the Canadians will provide the Measurement of Pollution
in the Troposphere(MOPITT) instrument for the AM-1 spacecraft.
PM Series
The research focus of the PM series is atmospheric temperatures
and humidity profiles, clouds, precipitation, and radiative balance;
terrestrial snow and sea ice; sea-surface temperature and ocean
productivity; soil moisture; and the improvement of numerical
weather prediction. With the emphasis of the instrument complement
being cloud formation, precipitation, and radiative properties,
an afternoon equatorial crossing is more suitable for acquiring
the data. The primary contractors associated with the program
are TRW for the common spacecraft to be used for PM-1 and Chemistry-1;
Lockheed Martin Infrared and Imaging Systems(LMIRIS) and JPL for
the Advanced Infrared Sounder(AIRS) instrument; and Aerojet General
Corporation for the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit(AMSU) instrument.
Japan will provide the Advanced Microwave Scanner Radiation(AMSR)
instrument for the PM-1 spacecraft and Brazil will provide a microwave
instrument, the Humidity Sounder from Brazil(HSB).
Chemistry Series
The study area for the Chemistry series will be atmospheric chemical
species and their transformations. The Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer(TES)
and the Microwave Limb Sounder(MLS) instruments are planned to
be built in-house at JPL. The Japanese will provide the Ozone
Dynamics Ultraviolet Spectrometer(ODUS) instrument and the University
of Colorado and Rutherford Appleton Lab/Oxford University in the
United Kingdom will provide the High Resolution Dynamics Limb
Sounder(HIRDLS) instrument for the Chemistry-1 spacecraft.
Special Spacecraft
The special spacecraft will be designed to study atmospheric aerosols,
ocean circulation, ice-sheet mass balance, cloud physics, atmospheric
radiation properties, and solar irradiance. Ball Aerospace is
responsible for developing SAGE-III that will fly on a Russian
spacecraft in 1998 and on the International Space Station in 2001
and will take advantage of both solar and lunar occulations to
measure aerosol and gaseous constituents of the atmosphere. The
Japanese will provide the Advanced Earth Observing SystemII(ADEOSII)
spacecraft for the SeaWinds instrument to measure ocean surface
wind velocity as a follow-on to the NSCAT instrument on ADEOS-I.
The first Radar Altimetry mission, Jason-1, will be as a follow-on
to the TOPEX/Poseidon as a joint mission with the French Space
Agency(CNES), with data provided to NOAA for operational purposes.
The Laser Altimetry mission is presently planned as a dedicated
domestic mission. There remain a number of instruments in the
program that are also identified as flights of opportunity (i.e.,
ACRIM, SOLSTICE, and CERES).
Landsat
With the launch of Landsat-7 in 1998, substantially cloud-free,
sun-lit land surface imagery for detecting and characterizing
regional and global change will continue. The primary contractors
are Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space(LMMS) for the Landsat-7
spacecraft, Hughes Santa Barbara Research Sensing(SBRS) for the
Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus(ETM+), and McDonnell Douglas for
the Landsat-7 Delta 2 launch service. The Landsat-7 estimate includes
funding for ground segment development. NOAA will be responsible
for operating the satellite and the USGS will archive the data.
Technology Infusion
This New Millennium Program(NMP) budget reflects a commitment
to develop new technology to meet the scientific needs of the
next few decades and to reduce future EOS costs through focused
technology demonstrations for Earth orbiting missions. Two Headquarters
enterprises offices are coordinating their program plans to do
these missions. OMTPE has joined the Office of Space Science in
the New Millennium Program in order to capitalize on common work
from core technology development programs and specific spacecraft
and instrument studies. The program will identify and demonstrate
advanced technologies that reduce cost or improve performance
of all aspects of mission for the next century, (i.e., spacecraft,
instruments and operations). The program objectives are to spawn
"leap ahead" technology by applying the best capabilities
available from several sources within the government, private
industries and universities. These low cost, tightly controlled
developments will take more risk in order to demonstrate the needed
technology breakthroughs and thus reduce the risk of using that
technology in future science missions. Missions will be selected
based on their ability to meet the science needs of the future
by innovative technology that would also decrease the cost and
improve the overall efficiency of space flight missions.
Increased technology work will be pursued in the areas of sensor
and detector systems. Emphasis is being placed on developing new
capabilities for Earth science sensors and integrated, autonomous,
self-calibrating instruments. Studies are being conducted in the
areas of differential absorption Light Direction and Ranging(LIDAR)
and OH(hydroxyl) radiometer.
The instrument incubator initiative is expected to reduce the
cost and development time of future scientific instruments for
MTPE. The instrument incubator program will aggressively pursue
emerging technologies and proactively close the technology transfer
gaps that exist in the instrument development process. The program
will take detectors and other instrument components coming from
NASA's fundamental technology development programs and other sources
and focus on combining them into new instrument systems which
are smaller, less costly, less resource intensive, and which can
be developed into flight models more quickly for future MTPE missions.
This includes the key follow-on instruments for the EOS.
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
Preliminary Design Reviews - Confirms that the proposed
project baseline is comprehensive (meets all program-level performance
requirements), systematic (all subsystem/component allocations
are optimally distributed across the system), efficient (all components
relate to a parent requirement), and represent acceptable risk.
| Performance Milestone | Plan | Actual/Revised | Description/Status |
| EO-1 | February 1997 | -- | Spacecraft review held November 1996; instrument review to be held in February 1997 |
| PM-1 | April 1997 | -- | -- |
| Chemistry-1 | March 1998 | March 1999 | Rescheduled to accommodate revised instrument schedule |
Critical Design Reviews - Confirms that the project system,
subsystem, and component designs, derived from the preliminary
design, is of sufficient detail to allow for orderly hardware
and software manufacturing, integration and testing, and represents
acceptable risk. Successful completion of the critical design
review freezes the design prior to actual development.
| Performance Milestone | Plan | Actual/Revised | Description/Status |
| SeaWinds | December 1995 | January 1996 | Minor schedule change |
| Landsat-7 | September 1995 | October 1995 | Minor schedule change |
| Aerosol SAGE III (Russian) | August 1996 | TBD | -- |
| EO-1 | April 1997 | July 1997 | Schedule changed to accommodate a grating spectrometer, which was recently added to the mission |
| PM-1 | April 1998 | August 1998 | Revised schedule due to late start |
| Chemistry-1 | June 1999 | April 2000 | Revised instrument schedule |
Instruments Delivered - Confirms that the fabrication,
integration, certification, and testing of all system hardware
and software conforms with their requirements and is ready for
recurring operation. Throughout system development,testing procedures
or, as appropriate, engineering analysis have been employed at
every level of system synthesis in order to assure that the fabricated
system components will meet their requirements.
| Performance Milestone | Plan | Actual/Revised | Description/Status |
| Landsat-7 | December 1996 | February 1997 | Delays due to miscellaneous technical problems and inefficiencies at Santa Barbara Remote Sensing |
| AM-1 last instrument | February 1997 | -- | -- |
| Aerosol SAGE-III (Russian) | December 1997 | -- | -- |
| SeaWinds | March 1998 | -- | -- |
| EO-1 | October 1998 | December 1998 | Schedule changed to accommodate a grating spectrometer, which was recently added to the mission |
| PM-1 last instrument | December 1998 | June 1999 | Instrument deliveries delayed |
| Chemistry-1 last instrument | June 2001 | -- | -- |
Algorithm Development (Version 2) - Confirms that the second
version of the science software necessary for the production of
the standard data products for each mission has been developed
and is ready to support launch.
| Performance Milestone | Plan | Actual/Revised | Description/Status |
| AM-1 | February 1998 | -- | -- |
| Aerosol SAGE-III (Russian) | December 1997 | March 1998 | Added time needed to complete algorithm development |
| Jason-1 | December 1998 | -- | -- |
| EO-1 | April 1999 | -- | -- |
| PM-1 | July 2000 | -- | -- |
| Chemistry-1 | December 2001 | -- | - |
| Laser Altimetry-1 | July 2002 | -- | -- |
Launch Readiness Dates - Verifies that the system elements
constructed for use, and the existing support elements, such as
launch site, space vehicle and booster, are ready for launch.
| Performance Milestone | Plan | Actual/Revised | Description/Status |
| AM-1 | June 1998 | -- | -- |
| Landsat-7 | December 1998 | -- | -- |
| ACRIM | late 1998 | -- | - |
| Aerosol SAGE-III (Russian) | December 1998 | -- | -- |
| EO-1 | 1998 | May 1999 | Schedule changed to accommodate a grating spectrometer, which was recently added to the mission |
| SeaWinds | August 1999 | -- | -- |
| Jason 1 | December 1999 | -- | -- |
| PM-1 | December 2000 | -- | -- |
| Chemistry-1 | December 2002 | -- | -- |
| Laser Altimetry-1 | July 2002 | -- | -- |
| SOLSTICE | December 2002 | -- | -- |
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PLANS
AM Series
Fabrication and assembly of all AM-1 spacecraft subsystems are
nearing completion. The project spacecraft effort has been begun
the transition from fabrication to integration and test. The propulsion
subsystem will be complete in the second quarter of FY1997. Test
of the fully integrated ASTER engineering model was completed
in the first quarter of FY1996. Fabrication and assembly of all
AM-1 instruments (ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS, and MOPITT), and
integration and test of the instruments is scheduled to begin
in the first half of FY1997.
Integration and test of the AM-1 spacecraft will be completed
in FY1997. Version 1 of the science software will be delivered
in the second quarter of FY1997. The second external independent
readiness review will be held prior to the start of environmental
testing of AM-1 (with all instruments integrated onto the spacecraft).
Environmental testing will begin in mid-FY1997 and continue into
FY1998.
The spacecraft will be delivered to Astrotech commercial launch
processing facility at the Vandenberg AFB in California where
system end-to-end testing will be performed and preparation for
launch will be completed. Launch is scheduled for June 1998.
PM Series
The Request for Proposals(RFP) for the common spacecraft to provide
medium-size platforms for the PM-1 and Chemistry-1 flights was
released in September 1994. The planned procurement included two
firm-buy and two operational spacecraft. In September 1995, TRW
was selected for the common spacecraft contract. After protests
were filed with the General Accounting Office, a stop work order
was issued to TRW. The spacecraft protest was resolved in NASA's
favor. The spacecraft contract has completed PhaseB development
including a Spacecraft Configuration Audit(SCA) and Bus Requirements
Review(BRR). CERES flight models 3 and 4, and MODIS flight model
1 are proceeding satisfactorily. The Brazilian Space Agency has
signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) to provide a Brazilian
instrument, the HSB, for the PM-1 platform. This instrument has
a significant heritage to the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B(AMSU-B),
which is being developed for the U.S. meteorological satellites.
Japan (NASDA) has agreed to seek funding to provide an AMSR instrument.
This instrument is a replacement for the Multi-frequency Imaging
Microwave Radiometer(MIMR) instrument which ESA was to provide,
but withdrew. PhaseB development of AMSR is on schedule and proceeding
satisfactorily. Final commitment by NASDA is subject to the Japanese
budget process, with determination expected in April 1997.
The PM-1 spacecraft PDR will be held in the second quarter of
1997. Fabrication and assembly of the AIRS engineering model will
continue through FY1997. Assembly of the AIRS protoflight model
will begin in late 1997. AMSU, CERES and MODIS will be in various
stages of fabrication, test and integration. AMSR PDR and CDR
will be completed in 1997. HSB PDR will also be completed in 1997.
The PM-1 spacecraft CDR will be held in the third quarter of 1998.
The AIRS, AMSU, CERES and MODIS will complete fabrication, test
and assembly and will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 1998.
HSB will complete CDR and will be in advanced stages of fabrication,
test and assembly along with the AMSR instrument. The EOS common
spacecraft design will be completed. The system CDR will be completed.
Fabrication of the PM-1 flight subsystems will begin in FY1998.
Chemistry Series
The TES System Concept Review(SCR) was completed in FY1996. The
HIRDLS SCR has also been completed. MLS is proceeding satisfactorily
during its Phase-B development process. TES, MLS and HIRDLS have
shown progress and maturity in their overall design concepts including
the infusion of advanced technologies such as Monolithic Microwave
Integrated Circuit(MMIC) and laser based local oscillators in
tera herz (THz) frequency range. The HIRDLS PhaseC/D RFP was released
in the fourth quarter of 1996. The Chemistry-1 mission is scheduled
to fly on the second common spacecraft. During the second quarter
of 1996, a special assessment study was conducted on the Chemistry-1
mission. It was aimed at reducing cost through aggressive pursuit
of new technology and launch configurations. Attempts have been
made to streamline each instrument's mass, power and volume without
jeopardizing the science requirements. The successful completion
of this study allowed the award of three-month cooperative agreement
contracts to eight U.S. commercial aerospace companies. The purpose
of these agreements is to explore the feasibility of low cost,
mid-range spacecraft based upon existing or imminent production
line commercial busses.
The HIRDLS PhaseC/D contract is planned for award in the first
quarter of 1997. The HIRDLS PDR will be held in June 1997. MLS
and ODUS SCR's are also scheduled in 1997. MLS and TES are also
planned to be in PhaseC/D by late 1997. In FY1997, the cooperative
agreement results will be evaluated and a Chemistry mission decision
implementation mode will be made.
During FY1998, the HIRDLS instrument team will procure hardware
for the Engineering Model(EM), and complete EM fabrication, integration,
test, and calibration. This work will complete the HIRDLS detailed
design phase, with culmination to the CDR in December1998. The
TES instrument PDR design and brassboard test will be completed
with PDR in 1998, followed by fabrication, integration, and test
of the EM in preparation for CDR, in 1999. The MLS instrument
will complete PDR brassboard test by the end of FY1998. Long-lead
procurement of certain parts will be initiated in FY1998 for TES
and MLS. In FY1998, the spacecraft for the Chemistry-1 mission
will begin.
Special Spacecraft
The FY1995 National Defense Authorization Act asked that NASA
and the Navy jointly study the possible convergence of their Radar
Altimetry missions (EOS Radar Altimetry program based on TOPEX/Poseidon
Follow-On(TPFO) and the Navy's Geosat Follow-On(GFO) program).
The final study report recommends that the EOS Radar Altimetry
program, based on TPFO, be modified to meet the Navy's operational
requirements. This approach would preserve NASA's science objectives,
provide a timely follow-on to the TOPEX/Poseidon mission, continue
established international collaboration with France, fit within
the NASA budget, and satisfy Navy operational requirements with
acceptable risk, at the least cost to DOD. Subsequently, the Navy
withdrew from the program.
With Congressional approval to implement the Radar Altimetry mission
as a modified follow-on to the successful TOPEX/Poseidon mission,
NASA and CNES drafted the initial MOU between the U.S. and France.
The MOU has renamed the mission as Jason-1 and divided responsibilities:
CNES will provide the spacecraft and altimeter, NASA will provide
the radiometer, ground system, and launch. During FY1996, CNES
initiated contracts with Aerospatiale and Alcatel for the spacecraft
and altimeter, respectively, with the altimeter completing preliminary
design in March 1996. The NASA radiometer design is under way
at JPL and proceeding normally.
The MOU between the U.S. and France will be signed early this
fiscal year. The design for the US-provided radiometer will be
complete by the end of FY1997, with both PDR and CDR scheduled
to occur this year. The PDR's for the French-provided Jason-1
satellite and the US-provided ground system are scheduled for
the second quarter.
During FY1998, the US-provided radiometer will be delivered to
CNES for integration with the Jason-1 satellite. The ground system
will complete design.
The Laser Altimetry mission, focusing on ice topography and mass
balance, continued PhaseA technology development for the Geoscience
Laser Altimeter System(GLAS) instrument. New mission implementation
studies to reduce mission cost and shorten schedule while still
achieving science objectives, were conducted. During FY1997, the
Laser Altimetry mission implementation studies will be completed,
with a cooperative industry study early in the fiscal year. An
approach will be selected for detailed planning, and an acquisition
strategy will be developed. The GLAS instrument team will complete
the technology development phase. In FY1998, the GLAS instrument
will enter PhaseC/D, completing preliminary design before the
end of the first quarter. The spacecraft PhaseB/C/D procurement
will be concluded with a fourth quarter FY1998 contract award.
The SAGE-III instrument began PhaseC/D development in November
1994. An implementing agreement was signed in December1994 with
the Russian Space Agency for flight of the first SAGE-III in a
polar orbit on a Russian Meteor-3M(1) spacecraft in late 1998.
A second SAGE-III instrument is planned to fly in an inclined
orbit on the International Space Station in 2001. Design and development
activities have progressed on schedule with the CDR completed
in August 1996. Delivery of the first SAGE III instrument is planned
for December 1997. A flight opportunity for a third SAGE III Instrument
with CNES is under study.
The SeaWinds CDR was completed in January 1996. The SeaWinds instrument
will continue to undergo protoflight model fabrication and assembly
during FY1997. The first SeaWinds instrument activities will consist
of integration and test of the instrument, with the engineering
model being delivered to the Japanese in mid FY1997. The protoflight
model, the second SeaWinds instrument, is scheduled for delivery
to Tsukuba, Japan in March 1998 for an August 1999 launch on the
ADEOS III spacecraft by a NASDA H-II rocket from Tanegashima,
Japan.
PhaseB activities for the SOLSTICE instrument continue on schedule
with the goal of supporting a flight opportunity in 2002. SOLSTICE
PhaseB activities will continue, with a critical design and cost
review in early FY1998.
The ACRIM instrument will begin PhaseC/D development in early
1997. A contract was awarded to Orbital Sciences Corporation in
late 1996 for a dedicated flight on a small spacecraft as a secondary
Pegasus payload in the late 1998. Discussions are under way with
the Canadian Space Agency(CSA) regarding a possible flight of
a follow-on SOLSTICE instrument, on a CSA small spacecraft in
the 2001.
Landsat
The Landsat-7 ETM+ instrument will be delivered in early 1997.
The solid state recorder will be ready for integration into the
spacecraft by spring of 1997. The ground station and data handling
facility will be completed in mid FY1997.
The spacecraft will be delivered to California Space Port commercial
launch processing facility at the Vandenberg AFB in California
where systems end-to-end testing will be performed and preparation
for launch will be completed. Launch is no later than December
1998.
Technology Infusion
In FY1996, a series of workshops were conducted to inform other
government agencies, industry, academia and non-profit research
and development organizations and to solicit inputs and partnerships
for new millennium implementation. Integrated Product Development
Teams(IPDT) were established to coordinate a cooperative effort
to identify, develop and deliver focused advanced technologies
for flight validation. This resulted in formation of the first
NMP Earth Observing mission known as EO-1. An Advanced Land Imager(ALI)
instrument has been selected to fly on its own dedicated spacecraft.
The instrument, to be built by the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology's Lincoln Laboratory, is in PhaseB development. The
spacecraft has successfully completed the Design Convergence Review(DCR)
in the last quarter of 1996.
In FY1997, the NMP IPDT's will establish and maintain phased technology
development plans for each technology in priority order and determine
the costs. NASA Headquarters will select the additional future
mission sets, and contractor teams will be chosen for the design
and integration of the demonstration flight. The EO-1 instrument,
ALI, and spacecraft CDR's will be held in 1997. Spacecraft and
instrument fabrication, assembly and test will begin in late 1997.
The second NMP mission (EO-2), will be selected in FY1997.
Formal definition of EO-2 will be initiated in FY1998. The EO-1
payload and spacecraft will go through integration and test during
1998, with launch planned for May 1999.
During FY1997 and FY1998, specific tests and demonstrations will
take place in the sensor and detector technologies as we attempt
to reduce existing differential absorption LIDAR systems by at
least an order of magnitude in mass, power, and volume. Work will
continue in the development of ultra-stable, solid state laser
local oscillators for atmospheric and astronomical spectrometers
suitable for measurements of atmospheric hydroxyl.
In FY1998, funding for instrument concept exploration, which was stated in FY1997, will continue, These first grants will explore new instrument systems and measurement techniques. The more promising concepts will then be funded to begin development of instrument brassboards or prototypes to further characterize the benefits of each approach. A second round of concept exploration grants will also be funded in FY1998.
| BASIS OF FY1998 FUNDING REQUIREMENT (Thousands of Dollars) | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | FY 1998 |
| Earth observing system data and information system | 247,200 | 254,600 | 244,700 |
PROGRAM GOALS
The goals for the EOS Data and Information System(EOSDIS) are
the development and operation of a highly integrated system which
can: (1) operate the EOS satellites; (2) acquire instrument data;
(3) produce data and information products from the EOS, to preserve
these and all other MTPE environmental observations for continuing
use; and (4) make all these data and information easily available
for use by the research, education, government agencies and all
those who can benefit from them in making economic and policy
decisions. The EOSDIS facilitates the goals of MTPE by enabling
the public to benefit fully from increased understanding and observations
of the environment.
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
The EOSDIS is based on an evolutionary design to develop capabilities
with the phased deployment of the EOS satellites and to enable
adaptation to changes in user needs and technology. The design
is also modular, allowing the replacement of individual components
without costly overall system changes or disruptions in service.
NASA is making extensive use of prototypes to assure that EOSDIS
will effectively meet the needs of the satellites and users. A
limited amount of technology development and adaptation is focused
specifically on meeting EOSDIS evolutionary needs while relying
on other programs at NASA and other agencies to fund needed technology
development efforts of a more generic nature, i.e., communications
technology. An initial version of the system, Version 0, implemented
at nine Distributed Active Archive Centers(DAAC) and through cooperative
efforts with NOAA, the USGS, and international partner space agencies,
became operational in 1994. Plans for development of subsequent
versions of the system have been redrawn. Unique developmental
activity in Version1, ReleaseA, in support of the first flight
of two EOS instruments on TRMM in 1997, has been redirected from
the EOSDIS Core System(ECS) contractor to the GSFC and LaRC DAAC
contractors. The remaining developmental effort previously in
ReleaseA and performed by the ECS contractor, has been folded
into Version2.0 in support of Landsat-7 and AM-1 in 1998, still
to be performed by the ECS contractor.
The EOSDIS development has been divided into four major components:
the EOS Data Operations System(EDOS) which has been developed
by TRW, the EOSDIS Backbone Network(EBNET) which has been developed
in-house by GSFC using Computer Sciences Corporation and Allied
Signal, the ECS which is under development by Hughes Information
Technology Systems, and the DAAC's. The EDOS receives the raw
data stream from the satellites, separates the data by instrument,
and performs the initial processing and back-up archiving. The
EBNET delivers the real-time data to and from the operations control
centers and the science data to the DAAC's. The ECS includes the
flight operations segment which provides satellite and instrument
command and control; the communications and systems management
segment which provides data product generation archival, and distribution;
and the science data processing segment, which provides the systems
to integrate all EOSDIS user functions. The DAAC's currently have
a limited operational capability using EOSDIS Version 0. The EOSDIS
Independent Verification and Validation(IV&V) contract is
with Intermetrics Systems Services Corporation.
The EOS Data and Operations System(EDOS) element of the EOSDIS
has been replanned in an effort to reduce cost and improve efficiency.
Trade-off studies between the space network and ground stations
for EOS data acquisition were performed. These studies resulted
in changes to the architecture of EDOS, with some minor architectural
implications on other elements of EOSDIS. The previous baseline
architecture was to perform Level0 data processing at the White
Sands Complex(WSC). The processed data would then be distributed
from WSC to the DAAC's. The assumption for that architecture was
that all EOS missions would be supported via the space network.
The current architecture calls for missions beyond AM-1 to be
supported by EOS ground stations(to be built in Alaska and Norway)
instead of the space network. The AM-1 mission can use either
space network or ground stations. Under this new architecture,
Level0 processing will be performed at GSFC and the processed
data will be distributed to the DAACs. This architecture saves
money in hardware development costs for EOS spacecraft, reduces
risk to PM-1 development, saves money in data transport costs,
streamlines data flow, and allows for the potential commercialization
of data acquisition.
Using the ECS, the nine DAAC's will process the raw data from
the satellites into useful products, handle all user product searches,
requests, and orders, and distribute data and information directly
to the user community primarily via the national information infrastructure.
The DAAC's also permanently archive all MTPE data and information
for future use. To serve the user community, each DAAC focuses
on the data needs of a specific segment of the user community.
Any user may access the entire MTPE data holdings from any DAAC
via the Internet/world wide web as well as gaining access to affiliated
systems at other agencies nationally and internationally. Each
DAAC is guided by a user working group. In response to recommendations
by the NRC Board on Sustainable Development, NASA is currently
evaluating alternative concepts to perform the DAAC functions.
The nine DAAC's are:
Currently, EOSDIS Version 0 allows direct access to selected pathfinder
data holdings from the USGS and NOAA. Relationships with Canada,
Japan, Russia, Israel, Australia and several European countries
have been established for the exchange of data for EOSDIS. Many
multi-agency efforts, in addition to the NASA EOSDIS, are working
to improve environmental data available to the public, especially
in the Interagency Working Group on Data Management for Global
Change and the Federal Geographic Data Committee.
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
| Performance Milestone | Plan | Actual/Revised | Description/Status |
| EOSDIS Version1 | January 1997 | -- | Support the archival and management of data from the two EOS instruments on TRMM. The ECS contractor failed the initial test readiness review of Version1, ReleaseA. NASA issued a stop work order for developing software unique to supporting the two EOS instruments on TRMM. This work will now be performed by contractors at the GSFC and LaRC DAAC's funded by EOSDIS. |
| EOSDIS Version2
Release V. 2.0 January 1998
V. 2.1 September 1998 Operational V. 2.0 May 1998 V. 2.1 January 1999 | October 1997 | -- | Support the launch of AM-1 and Landsat-7. Version2 will be broken into two incremental deliveries. Version2.0 will provide all mission essential functions to support AM-1 and Landsat-7 launches. Version2.1 will add all the functions needed for long-term data operations to support AM-1 and Landsat-7. |
| EOSDIS Version3 | December 1999 | January 2000 | Support the launch of the PM-1 mission |
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PLANS
The critical design review for the ECS was completed in June 1996,
the EOS AM-1 and TRMM instrument teams made their first deliveries
of algorithm software and documentation to the DAACs and integration
and testing of the science product software with the ECS Incremental
Release 1 was completed with no major problems. EOSDIS deployed
an early, test version of the EDOS. Another key activity in FY1996
was NASA's response to NRC Board on Sustainable Development's
recommendations for EOSDIS. MTPE streamlined the EOSDIS ground
and networks segments, achieving significant savings. After careful
review by MTPE's science and interagency advisors, NASA formulated
plans to evaluate an alternate approach to providing the DAAC
functions that begin to shift the responsibility for product generation
and publication and user services to a federation of Earth Science
Information Partners(ESIP's). EOSDIS Version 0 continued successful
operations in FY1996 with the number of user accesses, products
delivered, and total volume of data delivered, all showing large
increases. April 1996 was the most active month thus far with
over 80,000 user accesses and just short of three tera bytes of
data delivered. A key milestone for Version 0 was the deployment
of a web-based search and order tool that allowed system access
to a wider range of users. The EOSDIS ECS development slipped
significantly in FY1996. The slip was identified during an ECS
Version 1, release A test readiness review. After NASA managers
predicted a five-month delay in delivery of EOSDIS Version1, changes
to EOSDIS implementation sequence were made to maintain essential
data production and distribution systems on a schedule acceptable
to the users. The portions of ReleaseA to support the TRMM mission
will be implemented by upgrading existing DAAC systems. The remaining
non-TRMM unique will be incorporated into Version2, freeing the
ECS contractor to focus on the AM-1 and Landsat-7 requirements.
Adverse impacts to the TRMM data products are manageable, in part,
because of the launch delay due to Japanese launch vehicle scheduling.
Termination of EOSDIS activities at the Marshall Space Flight
Center(MSFC) DAAC has started, including the transitioning of
the MSFC Version 0 data products to other DAACs and federal data
centers.
In FY1997, NASA will begin a prototyping phase for formation of
the environmental information federation by selecting Working
Prototype Earth Science Information Partners(WP-ESIP's) from a
variety of industry, research, educational, and government institutions.
These WP-ESIP's will develop research data products, provide data
products and services having potential commercial value, apply
technology to reduce future EOSDIS cost, and collaboratively establish
a working prototype federation to begin exploring federation governance
and data center inter-operations. In conjunction with the other
on-going activities, MTPE will begin a complete peer-review and
re-certification of all the current DAACs in FY1997.
In FY1998, EOSDIS will begin routine production and distribution of the first EOS standard data products from the CERES and LIS instruments on the TRMM spacecraft and will provide all mission essential functions to support the AM-1 and Landsat-7 launches. Also during FY1998, the WP-ESIP's will begin to deliver "tailored" information products and services to a broad group of science researchers, state and local agencies, commercial customers, and general interest users, furthering public access to MTPE science products and information.
| BASIS OF FY1998 FUNDING REQUIREMENT (Thousands of Dollars) | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | FY 1998 |
| NASA scatterometer | 3,200 | --- | --- |
| Total ozone mapping spectrometer | 3,000 | 1,000 | 5,700 |
| Tropical rainfall measuring mission | 25,500 | 17,700 | --- |
| Earth system science pathfinders | 1,000 | 19,400 | 29,400 |
| Lewis & Clark | 42,600 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| "LightSAR" | --- | 12,000 | --- |
| Experiments of opportunity | 4,800 | 2,100 | 600 |
| Total | 80,100 | 57,200 | 40,700 |
PROGRAM GOALS
The Earth probes program is the component of MTPE that addresses
unique, specific, highly-focused mission requirements in Earth
science research. The program was designed to have the flexibility
to take advantage of unique opportunities presented by international
cooperative efforts or technical innovation, and to complement
the Earth Observing System by providing the ability to investigate
processes that require special orbits or have unique requirements.
The currently approved Earth probes are the Total Ozone Mapping
Spectrometer(TOMS), NASA Scatterometer(NSCAT), Tropical Rainfall
Measuring Mission(TRMM), Lewis & Clark, and Earth System Science
Pathfinders(ESSP).
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
NSCAT
Because winds are a critical factor in determining regional weather
patterns and global climate, NSCAT has been developed to measure
near-surface wind speeds and directions over the global oceans
every two days, under all weather and cloud conditions. The NSCAT
data will be useful for both oceanography and meteorology, and
will permit the first global study of the influence of winds on
ocean circulation, providing data on the effects of the oceans
on the atmosphere and improved marine forecasting on winds and
waves. The lead center for this program is JPL, and the main contractor
for the instrument development is the Harris Corporation.
The NSCAT was launched in August1996. When NSCAT was first initiated
in October 1984, it was planned for launch aboard the Navy Remote
Sensing Satellite(N-ROSS). After final cancellation of N-ROSS
in March 1988, NSCAT was selected in August 1989, for flight on
the Japanese Advanced Earth Observing System(ADEOS). Since a majority
of the instrument design had been completed during the period
that NSCAT was to fly on N-ROSS, the last few years of the program
centered on making design changes to the instrument so that it
could be accommodated on the ADEOS spacecraft and completing the
instrument. The launch of the Japanese ADEOS spacecraft was slipped
from February 1996 when the Japanese experienced anomalies with
the spacecraft during integration and test. The ADEOS spacecraft
was launched on a NASDA H-II rocket from Tanegashima, Japan on
August 17, 1996.
TOMS
The scientific objectives of the TOMS program are to measure the
long-term changes in total ozone and to verify the chemical models
of the stratosphere used to predict future trends. The TOMS flights
build on the experience that began in 1978 with the launch of
a TOMS instrument (flight model1) on Nimbus-7 and continued with
the TOMS instrument (flight model2) on the Russian Meteor-3, launched
in 1991. As with the earlier developments, GSFC has the responsibility
for flight project development, and post-launch mission operations
and data analysis. Prime contractors are Orbital Sciences Corporation(OSC)
for the TOMS instruments and Pegasus launch services, and TRW
for the TOMS-EP spacecraft. The TOMS program consists of a set
of instruments (flight models3,4,and5, designated FM-3, FM-4,
and FM-5) and one spacecraft. Launch of the EP spacecraft by a
Pegasus XL launch vehicle occurred on July 2, 1996. The FM-4 launched
on the Japanese ADEOS satellite on August17,1996. The FM-5 was
completed in 1995 and is planned for a cooperative mission with
Russia in 2000.
TRMM
The latent heat released during precipitation is a significant
factor in the large-scale computer models used to predict weather
and climate change, yet two-thirds of the global rainfall occurs
over the tropics where rain measurements are scarce. The TRMM
objective is to obtain a minimum of three years of climatologically
significant observations of tropical rainfall. In addition, TRMM
will provide precise estimates of the vertical distribution of
latent heat in the atmosphere. The TRMM data will be used to understand
the ocean-atmosphere coupling, especially in the development of
ElNiÒo events, which form in the tropics but effects of
which are felt globally, causing floods in some areas, yet droughts
in others. GSFC has the responsibility for flight project development,
and post-launch mission operations and data analysis. The contractors
for the instruments are Hughes Santa Barbara Research Center for
the Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS), and Hughes Space and Communications
for the TRMM Microwave Imager(TMI). The TRMM PhaseA study was
completed in July 1988, and PhaseB completed in February 1991.
Award of major contracts began in May 1992. The TRMM launch is
planned for November1997.
The Japanese space agency (NASDA) is an active partner with three Earth probes, providing the ADEOS spacecraft and H-II launch vehicle for the TOMS(FM-4) and NSCAT, and the Precipitation Radar instrument and H-II launch vehicle for TRMM.
Earth System Science Pathfinder
The Earth System Science Pathfinder(ESSP) is a science-driven
program intended to identify and develop short development time,
small satellite missions to accomplish scientific objectives in
response to national and international research priorities not
addressed by current programs. ESSP will provide periodic "windows
of opportunity" to accommodate new scientific priorities
and infuse new scientific participation into the MTPE program.
By launching ESSP missions on a regular basis, NASA will provide
a mechanism by which pressing questions in Earth system science
may be addressed in a timely fashion, permitting a continual improvement
in our understanding of the Earth system and the processes that
affect it.
The programmatic guidelines for the first ESSP AO were specific.
The first two ESSP missions will be focused on high-priority Earth
system science research, limited to a total mission life cycle
cost from NASA of $60 million and $90 million respectively. They
will be managed by the principal investigator as a single point
of contact accountable for total mission implementation and success,
developed in less than 36 months from development authority to
proceed, and compatible with EOSDIS standards, including the immediate
release of mission data to the scientific community.
Lewis & Clark
The Lewis and Clark missions will demonstrate different land imaging
capabilities and other measurements of scientific interest to
MTPE. The Lewis mission is a medium resolution hyperspectral instrument.
The Clark mission is a high resolution multispectral imager. Both
spacecraft will be launched in FY1997. The "Clark" spacecraft
is being built by CTA Incorporated of Rockville, Maryland. The
"Lewis" spacecraft is being built by TRW and managed
out of their Redondo Beach, CA office. NASA is managing both projects
from NASA Headquarters. Lewis will carry 25 new technologies and
Clark will carry 36, including composite structures, advanced
avionics and high-efficiency power systems. Lewis will also have
three advanced sensors to meet the needs of the commercial remote
sensing and Earth science communities: a 384-band hyperspectral
imager; a Linear Etalon Array to scan the Earth and its horizons;
and an instrument to measure the Ultra-Violet UV cosmic background.
Clark will have a high-resolution imager capable of 15-meter multi-spectral
and 3-meter panchromatic measurements; an instrument to measure
pollution in the troposphere; and an x-ray spectrometer to capture
bursts from solar flares.
"LightSAR"
The "LightSAR" program is consistent with direction
included in House Report 104-812 which stipulates that NASA's
FY1998 budget request should include additional funding to accomplish
this program. The "LightSAR" program is currently one
of the missions competing for possible funding under NASA's Earth
Systems Science Pathfinder (ESSP) program and may also compete
in the upcoming MTPE Data Purchase solicitation.
Experiments Of Opportunity
This program offers a unique capability to undertake short duration
flights of instruments on the Space Shuttle and other platforms.
The MTPE program has used the capability of Shuttle/Spacelab development
in the important areas of design, early test and checkout of remote
sensing instruments for free flying missions, and short term atmospheric
and environmental data gathering for scientific analysis. Instrument
development activities have supported a wide range of instrumentation,
tailored for Space Shuttle and airborne missions.
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
| Performance Milestone | Plan | Actual/Revised | Description/Status |
| Launch of TOMS flight model3 | March 1996 | July 1996 | PegasusXL/L1011 launch. Turnover of TOMS to the GSFC mission operations and data analysis team expected thirty days after launch, with data calibration and validation completed successfully. Successfully launched on a Pegasus/L1011 from VAFB on July 2, 1996. |
| Launch Lewis & Clark | Plan : June 1996 (Clark) and July 1996 (Lewis) | Under review | NASA and industry plan to meet the commitment for a 24-month period between contract initiation and launch of each spacecraft. Planned launch dates are currently under review. |
| Launch of TOMS flight model4 & NSCAT | August 1996 | August 1996 | Launched aboard the Japanese ADEOS spacecraft and H-II launch vehicle aboard ADEOS. Turnover of TOMS and NSCAT to the respective mission operations and data analysis teams at GSFC and JPL thirty days after launch, with data calibration and validation completed successfully. The successful launch on a Japanese H-II Rocket from Tanegashima, Japan occurred on August 17, 1996. |
| Launch of TRMM | August 1997 | November 1997 | Launch is planned aboard the Japanese H-II launch vehicle, with turnover of TRMM operations and data analysis to TRMM ground system and science data and information system at GSFC thirty days after launch, with data calibration and validation completed. Changes in the Japanese H-II launch vehicle manifest, unrelated to TRMM, have delayed the TRMM launch. |
| Launch of first ESSP mission | 1999 | 2000 | First mission launch and other characteristics will be based on mission selection through the AO. Mission selection currently scheduled for mid FY1997. |
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PLANS
TOMS EP/flight model 3 was successfully launched on a Pegasus
XL from Vandenberg AFB on July 2, 1996. The TOMS flight model-4
and NSCAT instruments on the Japanese ADEOS spacecraft was also
successfully launched on a Japanese rocket from Tanegashima, Japan
on August 17, 1996.
In FY1997, the interface adapter module for the interface to the
Russian Meteor will begin development for the TOMS flight model-5.
In FY1996, all remaining instruments, including Japan's precipitation
radar, were delivered and integrated on the TRMM observatory.
The pre-environmental test review was conducted. After performing
the initial series of baseline comprehensive performance tests,
the thermal vacuum test program for on-orbit performance was initiated
and completed successfully. The science team delivered the at-launch
algorithms which were successfully coded and tested in the TRMM
Science Data and Information System(TSDIS). During FY1997, TRMM
will complete its environmental test program and perform the final
comprehensive performance tests in preparation for launch from
Japan. The observatory will be shipped to Japan in summer 1997
where our Japanese partner, NASDA, will begin integration to the
H-II launch vehicle. The ground validation sites will be brought
on-line to verify the in-situ products in TSDIS. The TRMM observatory
will launch from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center in the fall
1997, and begin normal mission operations two months later. An
extensive ground validation program that takes advantage of international
field campaigns, as well as the verified ground sites supported
by various science team members, is planned. Since the TRMM products
will provide the first rainfall/latent heat profiles from space,
the validation program is essential to TRMM mission success.
The first ESSPAO was released in FY1996 with selection to occur
in mid FY1997. We are currently evaluating the proposals submitted
in response to the first AO. The second ESSP AO is currently scheduled
for release in FY1998. The ESSP program will emphasize flexible
approaches for augmenting the global measurement objectives of
the U.S. Global Change Research Program. The recent study by the
National Academy of Sciences Board on Sustainable Development
(1995) outlines strategic areas for which scientific research
is needed in the context of critical Earth system science issues.
While these areas do not exclusively define the scientific focus
for early ESSP missions, the potential, key measurement needs
for which new missions may be required in the next five years
are outlined. In the ESSP two-step AO process, forty-four proposals
were received in response to the step one request. Thirteen of
those were encouraged to respond to the second and final step
based on science evaluation. Selection of ESSP teams will be accomplished
and design and development of the initial missions will begin
in FY1997.
The planned launch dates for Lewis & Clark are currently under
review due to the failure of the initial launch of the Lockheed
Launch Vehicle (LLV-1) and development delays on Clark. The requirement
for an additional LLV-1 test launch prior to launch of the Smallsats
would delay their flights.
The second flight of SIR-C as part of the Shuttle Radar Laboratory(SRL-2)
mission in October, 1994, was the last MTPE full space shuttle
payload. Several smaller payloads were flown on the space shuttle
including the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science(ATLAS-3)
mission flown in November, 1994, and the Shuttle Solar Backscatter
Ultraviolet(SSBUV) instrument in early FY1996. Funding will allow
for wrap-up activities for the SSBUV, ATLAS, and the Measurement
of Air Pollution from Satellites(MAPS) instrument. Funding for
post flight activities for SRL-1 and SRL-2 missions will continue.
In addition, the experiments of opportunity program supports flight instrument opportunities on foreign spacecraft, such as the cooperative commercial flight of MAPS on the MIR space station in FY1997 and the provision of Global Positioning Satellite(GPS) receivers for the Satellite de Applicaciones Cientificas-C(SAC-C) satellite with the Argentine Space Agency. Launch of STS 85 is scheduled for July 1997. This mission will include the following instruments: Solar Constant(SOLCON), Shuttle Laser Altimeter #2(SLA-02); and Infrared Spectrol Imaging Radiometer(ISIR).
| BASIS OF FY1998 FUNDING REQUIREMENT (Thousands of Dollars) | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | FY 1998 |
| MTPE Science | 276,600 | 295,400 | 271,100 |
| Data purchase | (--) | (50,000) | (--) |
| Research and analysis | (184,800) | (148,700) | (161,800) |
| EOS science | (16,700) | (22,400) | (30,300) |
| Mission science teams and guest investigators | (30,800) | (36,300) | (35,800) |
| Airborne science and applications | (27,300) | (19,000) | (18,700) |
| Uncrewed aerial vehicles(UAV) | (--) | (2,000) | (5,500) |
| Advanced geostationery studies | (--) | (1,000) | (3,000) |
| Commercial remote sensing | (17,000) | (16,000) | (16,000) |
| Operations, Data Retrieval, and Storage | 73,500 | 78,000 | 54,200 |
| Mission operations | (37,800) | (41,200) | (31,600) |
| High performance computing and communications | (26,100) | (28,300) | (18,300) |
| Information systems | (9,600) | (8,500) | (4,300) |
| Total | 350,100 | 373,400 | 325,300 |
PROGRAM GOALS
The goal of applied research and data analysis is to advance our
understanding of the global climate environment, the vulnerability
of the environment to human and natural forces of change, and
the provision of numerical models and other tools necessary for
understanding global climate change.
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
The applied research and data analysis program is divided into two major components: MTPE science and MTPE operations, data retrieval, and storage. The activities that report MTPE science include research and analysis, EOS science, airborne science and applications, commercial remote sensing and Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle(UAV) science program. Operations, data retrieval and storage consists of several independent activities responsible for the operation of currently functioning spacecraft and flight instruments, the purchase and management of scientific data, high performance computing and communications, and the provision of computing infrastructure. Each of the major components of applied research and data analysis has its own set of goals, strategies for achieving goals, performance measures, and accomplishments and plans.
| BASIS OF FY1998 FUNDING REQUIREMENT (Thousands of Dollars) | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | FY 1998 |
| Data purchase | --- | 50,000 | --- |
| Research and analysis | 184,800 | 148,700 | 161,800 |
| EOS science | 16,700 | 22,400 | 30,300 |
| Mission science teams and guest investigators | 30,800 | 36,300 | 35,800 |
| Airborne science and applications | 27,300 | 19,000 | 18,700 |
| Uncrewed aerial vehicles(UAV) | --- | 2,000 | 5,500 |
| Advanced geostationary studies | --- | 1,000 | 3,000 |
| Commercial remote sensing | 17,000 | 16,000 | 16,000 |
| Total | 276,600 | 295,400 | 271,100 |
PROGRAM GOALS
The goal for the MTPE science program is to contribute to the
integration of the Earth and environmental sciences into an interdisciplinary
scientific understanding of the Earth system and the effects of
human-kind on the global environment. Major emphasis is placed
on providing early warning and fast response to global environmental
changes which pose risks to society. The science program also
provides the analysis and integration of critical data and models
needed for national and international assessments. An objective
of current planning is to achieve the most essential long-term
objectives of EOS, and to increase effort on science with near-term
payoff, within a sustainable level of funding. The observational
program will become resilient, better, and cheaper in the future
by (1) taking advantage of the experience being gained in preparation
of the first round of EOS flight missions to reduce observing
requirements in the future and to simplify the design of instruments
for more cost-effective continued operation, (2) finding alternative
means to carry out some of the essential measurements at the same
level of quality through cooperation with other agencies and nations,
and (3) infusing new ideas and technologies into the EOS program
through small satellite missions which have lower infrastructure
and flight costs.
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
The Research and Analysis(R&A) science program is essential
to the discovery of new concepts and to the design of future missions.
The primary mode of research coordination occurs through the USGCRP,
the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources(CENR) Subcommittee
on Global Change Research, and the various boards and committees
at the National Academy of Sciences.
The strategy of interdisciplinary research is to increase scientific
understanding of the global environment and its vulnerability
to both human and natural forces of change (e.g. pollution, climate
variability, deforestation). Viewing the Earth from space is essential
to comprehending the cumulative influence of human activities
on its natural resource base. An important priority is to provide
accurate assessment of the extent and health of the world's forest,
grassland, and agricultural resources. Observations from space
are the only source of objective information on the human use
of land in a time of rapid land use change. A related priority
is to improve understanding and prediction of seasonal-to-interannual
climate variation. Reducing uncertainties in climate predictions
to a season or a year in advance will dramatically improve agriculture
and energy planning. In addition, the natural hazards research
priority places emphasis on the use of remote sensing observations
for the characterization and mitigation of drought and flood impacts.
There is increasing evidence that predictions of extreme weather
events can be improved by understanding their links to interannual
climate phenomena like ElNiÒo events. Special attention
in measuring and modeling the relative forces like clouds, aerosols
and greenhouse gases in long-term climate change, in order to
improve our understanding of and prediction of climate on time
scales of decades to centuries. A continuing priority is understanding
the causes and consequences of changes in atmospheric ozone. Efforts
are continuing to make excellent progress on resolving questions
related to stratospheric ozone depletion. Emphasis is now being
placed on the changing composition of the lower atmosphere, which
is sensitive to the unprecedented growth of pollutant emissions
in rapidly developing regions throughout the world. Work will
continue in the core research programs in MTPE. These programs
provide the disciplinary strength that we draw from to solve interdisciplinary
priority problems.
EOS interdisciplinary science consists of focused research centered
around a specific Earth science data set and interdisciplinary
research geared toward a broader probe into Earth science systemic
functions. The quality of data utilized is monitored by the scientists
at interdisciplinary instrument computing facilities and the research
is supplemented by graduate student participation in the EOS science
fellowship program.
There are currently over 1,700 scientific activities being funded
under the research and analysis program. Approximately 900 are
carried out by universities, 100 by national research laboratories,
and 700 by the federal government. The distribution of the activities
encompasses forty-five of the fifty states. A policy change has
been implemented where support contractors will no longer perform
in-house science and research.
The airborne science program funds operations of two ER-2's and
a DC-8 aircraft. A C-130Q is needed to support selected Earth
science investigations. The program also funds operation and support
of a core of remote sensing instruments and a facility for analyzing
and calibrating data from those instruments. The specifically
modified aircraft serve as test beds for newly developed instrumentation
and their algorithms prior to spaceflight. The instrumented aircraft
provide remote sensing and in situ measurements for many
Earth science research and analysis field campaigns, including
stratospheric ozone, tropospheric chemistry, and ecological studies
throughout the world. The ER-2 aircraft, in particular, are unique
in that they are the highest flying subsonic civilian research
aircraft and were key in collecting in situ data for our
understanding of ozone depletion and stratospheric transport mechanisms.
The Commercial Remote Sensing Program(CRSP), transferred from
the Office of Space Access and Technology, will continue to fund
cooperative efforts with industrial partners aimed at enabling
development of a viable commercial remote sensing industry. The
cooperative effort will work to apply space-based data and instrument
technology in the development of usable, customer-defined information
products. Industry will make significant co-investments, funding
the CRSP at about an equal level with NASA.
The Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle(UAV) science program, a new initiative
beginning in FY1997, will augment the MTPE airborne program by
making in situ and remote sensing measurements initially
focused on the atmosphere; staying over a target for extended
periods to measure detailed temporal changes, provide unique views
of cloud structures and provide calibration and verification of
MTPE's satellite instrumentation. During FY1997 an AO will be
initiated for the selection of three or four scientific investigations
carried out using commercially available UAV flight time.
The advanced geostationary studies will investigate the application
of the latest technology in developing small compact geostationary
satellites that will support both research and operational objectives.
For example, one candidate under consideration has the capability
to provide the first adequately calibrated observations from geostationary
orbit that support climate research. The satellite and instrument
would be developed over a four year time period. The first spacecraft
would carry an imager and a second spacecraft would carry a sounder.
The imager has spectral bands which provide data on cloud albedo,
vegetation, cirrus clouds, cloud ice, limited ozone, and both
high-level and low-level water vapor along with total water vapor.
This would provide stable measurements for MTPE research that
have previously been unattainable from geostationary orbit.
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
The scientific issues of concern to MTPE are among the most complex
and most policy relevant of any major scientific research program.
The results of MTPE science are critical to the development of
sound U.S. and global environmental policy, necessary for the
long-term sustainable development.
| Land Cover/Land Use Change | |||
| Last Year: | Evaluate hyperspectral remote sensing of land ecosystems | Tropical rain forest-climate: international field campaign | -- |
| This Year: | Evaluated hyperspectral remote sensing of land ecosystems. | Participate in International Field campaign on tropical rain forest climate. | Use satellite methods determined deforestation rate in South America. |
| Seasonal-to-Interannual Climate Variability | |||
| Last Year: | Evaluate role of El NiÒo in tropical droughts. | Provide improved sea surface winds to prediction models. | -- |
| This Year: | Evaluated role of El NiÒo in tropical droughts. | Provide improved sea surface winds for prediction models. | Improve prediction with coupled ocean-atmosphere models. |
| Long-Term Climate System Variability | |||
| Last Year: | Role of total aerosol burden in climate. | Tropospheric ozone as a climate driver | -- |
| This Year: | Studied role of total aerosol burden in climate. | Evaluate tropospheric ozone as a climate driver. | Determine role of volcanic aerosols in climate.
|
| Natural Hazards | |||
| Last Year: | Strategic plan for remote sensing of flooding/droughts. | Initiate program on flood/drought assessment. | -- |
| This Year: | Completed strategic plan for remote sensing of flooding and droughts. | Initiate program on flood/drought assessment. | Utilize dense array GPS for earthquake studies in southern California. |
| Atmospheric Ozone | |||
| Last Year: | Ozone transport field campaign. | Establish role of Asian emissions in ozone levels. | -- |
| This Year: | Deployed an ozone transport field campaign. | Establish role of Asian emissions in ozone levels. | Complete assessment of stratospheric chlorine sources. |
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PLANS
In FY1997, NASA will initiate a data purchase program designed
to acquire from commercial sources data sets not otherwise available
that are necessary to accomplish broad research goals of Earth
system science. The budget authority will be liquidated only as
acceptable data is delivered and the proposed contract(s) will
be executed with FY1997 funds only after a broad, agency competition.
The purchase will be managed by the Stennis Space Center. A RFP
will be issued in FY1997 to solicit data purchase proposals. It
is anticipated that selection of more than one activity will occur.
Such innovative methods of procurement were suggested in the Vice
President's National Performance Review. Data product generation,
data archival, science analysis, and all other NASA requirements
are included in other elements of the MTPE budget.
In FY1996, continuing into FY1997 and FY1998, the following are
significant accomplishments in the five priority areas MTPE science
is focusing: land cover/land use change, seasonal-to-interannual
climate variability, long-term climate system variability, natural
hazards, and atmospheric ozone.
| Land Cover/Land Use | Major progress was made in characterizing the role of the northern forests as a control on water, heat, and momentum transfers between the surface and the lower atmosphere during the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study(BOREAS). Data has since been introduced into experimental weather prediction models significantly improving skill in predicting regional weather. |
| Seasonal-to-Interannual Climate Variability | Progress continues on forecasting of ElNiÒo events. A study was completed in FY1996 at GSFC that documented the critical importance of accurate characterization of soil moisture for accurate predictions of global precipitation patterns. |
| Long-Term Climate System Variability | Global observations by the SAGE and the ERBE provided a unique understanding of the climate effects of the Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption. The NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies(GISS) climate model produced a prediction of effects of Mount Pinatubo aerosols on surface temperature which showed excellent agreement with subsequent observations. Analysis of data obtained on the LIDAR In-Space Technology Experiment(LITE), using the Shuttle, demonstrated the capability of space-based LIDAR to improve significantly global measurements of both natural and anthropogenic aerosols. A national network, the Solar Irradiance Research Network, of aerosol measurements has been initiated at ten secondary schools nationwide. |
| Natural Hazards | Recent research has demonstrated the utility of SAR for accurately documenting changes in topographic features of the earth's surface. MTPE is implementing with other government agencies a high density global positioning system geodetic array in southern California to measure surface deformation produced by underlying geological faults. Preliminary design research for a "lightSAR" is investigating optimal mission characteristics for supporting the science of SAR interferometry as a method of surface change detection. |
| Atmospheric Ozone | Analysis of global data from the UARS confirmed that ozone depleting chemicals reaching the stratosphere are primarily of industrial origin. New analysis techniques developed for the TOMS provided the first global data set on surface UV radiation. These results provided the first confirmation of global trends in increasing UV radiation related to ozone depletion. The two TOMS that were launched in FY1996 (TOMS-EP and TOMS-ADEOS) will provide data for continued ozone and UV trends determination with improved resolution and precision. |
| BASIS OF FY1998 FUNDING REQUIREMENT (Thousands of Dollars) | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | FY 1998 |
| Mission operations | 37,800 | 41,200 | 31,600 |
| (Upper atmosphere research satellite) | (2,900) | (5,300) | (4,800) |
| (Total ozone mapping spectrometer) | (1,300) | (1,000) | (2,800) |
| (Ocean topography experiment) | (14,400) | (12,600) | (11,500) |
| (NASA scatterometer) | (2,400) | (4,200) | (4,200) |
| (Tropical rainfall measuring mission) | (--) | (800) | (7,900) |
| (Earth science) | (16,800) | (17,300) | (400) |
| High performance computing and communications- Earth and space sciences | 26,100 | 28,300 | 18,300 |
| Information systems | 9,600 | 8,500 | 4,300 |
| Total | 73,500 | 78,000 | 54,200 |
PROGRAM GOALS
The Operations, Data Retrieval and Storage(ODRS) program provides
the data and data products from EOS precursor missions, including
the UARS, TOPEX, TOMS, NSCAT and future missions such as TRMM,
required to understand the total Earth system and the effects
of humans on the global environment. The goals of the NASA High
Performance Computing and Communications(HPCC) program are to
accelerate the development, application and transfer of high performance
computing technologies to meet the engineering and science needs
of the U.S. aeronautics, Earth science, and space science communities
and to accelerate the implementation of a national information
infrastructure.
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
This program supports the observations and data management portion of the activities including process research, integrated modeling and prediction, and assessments that together produce a predictive understanding of the Earth system. The program will achieve its goals through the following: mission operations, high performance computing and communications, and information systems. The data and data products from this program have or will migrate to the EOSDIS.
Mission Operations
The objectives of the mission operations program are to acquire,
process, and archive long-term data sets and validated data products.
These data sets support global climate change research in atmospheric
ozone and trace chemical species, the Earth's radiation budget,
aerosols, sea ice, land surface properties, and ocean circulation
and biology. Funding provides for operating spacecraft such as
UARS, TOPEX, ERBS, SBUV/2, NSCAT, TOMS, TRMM and processing of
acquired data.
Key users of UARS data include NOAA, the Naval Research Laboratory,
GSFC, JPL, Canada, the United Kingdom, and a number of universities
including the University of Michigan, the Georgia Institute of
Technology, the University of Washington, the State University
of New York, and the University of Colorado. Key TOMS and SBUV/2
proponents include NOAA, Russia (manifested a TOMS on their Meteor3
satellite launched in 1991), Japan (manifested a TOMS on their
ADEOS satellite launched in 1996). Key ERBS users include a diverse
set of institutions including NOAA (manifested ERBE sensors on
NOAA-9and-10 launched in the 1980's), GSFC, LaRC, the State University
of New York, Oregon State University, and the Scripps Institution
of Oceanography.
The TOPEX users include France (shared in development of the mission),
Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany,
Norway, and South Africa as well as JPL, GSFC, Columbia University,
the University of Hawaii, the University of Texas, the University
of Colorado, Oregon State University, Ohio State University, and
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. SeaStar principal users
include the GSFC, the European community, Japan, Canada, and Australia
and a diverse group of universities in Florida, Washington, California,
Texas, Maryland, and Rhode Island. At present, the largest demand
for ocean color data arises from the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study(JGOFS),
an international program under the auspices of the Scientific
Committee for Oceanographic Research(SCOR), which is a core program
of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program(IGBP). The NSCAT
participants include JPL, NOAA, and Japan (manifested the NSCAT
for flight on their ADEOS spacecraft launched in 1996), and universities
in New York, Washington, Oregon, and Florida. TRMM is a joint
mission with the Japanese to measure tropical precipitation from
a low inclination orbit. Key participants involved in the Alaska
SAR Facility(ASF) include the European Space Agency(ERS-1 and
-2), Japan(JERS-1 and ADEOS), Canada(RadarSat), GSFC, JPL, and
the University of Alaska which hosts the ASF. Participants in
the analysis of SIR-C/X-SAR data, in addition to JPL, represent
nations in almost every continent including Italy, Saudi Arabia,
China, Australia, France, Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom,
and Germany.
High Performance Computing and Communications(HPCC) - Earth
and Space Sciences
The NASA HPCC program consists of four vertically integrated projects.
These projects are: Computational Aeroscience(CAS), Earth and
Space Sciences(ESS), Remote Exploration and Experimentation(REE),
and Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications(IITA).
The IITA project focuses on providing the technology base and
applications to accelerate the implementation of the national
information infrastructure.
The implementation of the NASA HPCC program is mainly through
coordinated activities at NASA field centers. The ESS project,
led by GSFC, will work in close partnership with industry, academia
and government. The project used the NASA research announcement
process to select eight principal investigator teams and twenty-one
grand challenge investigations. The IITA Remote Sensing Databases(RSD)
project uses remote sensing databases developed by NASA and other
federally funded agencies to expand the application outreach of
its programs to traditionally unserved communities. The Internet
is used as the primary means of providing access to and distribution
of science data and images as well as value-added products of
the data and images.
Information Systems
The MTPE information system program has been structured to provide
a balanced system of high performance computers, mass storage
systems, workstations, and appropriate network connectivity between
researchers and components of the system. A major portion of the
program funding supports operations of a supercomputing center
(the NASA Center for Computational Sciences) at GSFC. A full range
of computational services are provided to a community of approximately
1,400 users representing all disciplines of Earth and space sciences.
Users of the supercomputer complex select representatives to an
advisory committee who are integrally involved in strategic planning
for the evolution of the complex. They provide feedback on user
satisfaction with services provided and help establish priorities
for service and capacity upgrades. Offsite NASA-sponsored users
comprise 25% of the total. The program monitors and participates
in advanced technology programs, such as the HPCC program and
National Science Foundation's gigabit testbed programs. Program
elements at GSFC and the JPL are focused on providing early access
to emerging technologies for the Earth and space science communities.
The early access to new technology provides the program with the
opportunity to influence vendors and system developers on issues
unique to the Earth and space science researchers such as data
intensive computation and algorithm development. Early access
also prepares a subset of the research community to make changes
in research methodology to exploit the new technologies and to
champion promising technologies to their colleagues and peers.
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
OPERATIONAL SPACECRAFT / INSTRUMENTS
| Common to all missions: Archive 95% of planned data acquisition | The primary criteria for success of an operational spacecraft is to obtain 95% of the planned data acquisition. |
| Mission Specific: | |
| UARS
(launched September 1991) continuing operations | The success of UARS operations is judged on providing data to support improvement in monitoring the processes that control upper atmospheric structure and variability, the response of the upper atmosphere to natural and human-induced changes, and the role of the upper atmosphere in climate variability. |
| TOPEX/Poseidon
(launched August 1992) continuing operations | 10-cm surface height is required of the spacecraft's radar altimetry instruments in determinations of speed and direction of surface currents, oceanic heat transport, and ocean topography in support of climate change monitoring. |
| ERBS/ERBE/SAGE II
(launched Oct. 1984, December1984 and September1986) continuing operations | Data from the ERBE and SAGE II must continue to be of sufficient accuracy to (1) illuminate the temporal and spatial variations in the Earth's radiation budget which drive the Earth's climate and (2) provide global data for aerosols, ozone, water vapor and nitrogen dioxide altitude profiles. |
| SBUV/2-SSBUV
(launched Dec.1984 and Sept.1988) continuing operations | Data from the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet/2 (SBUV/2) instruments provide column abundances and vertical profiles of atmospheric ozone. A carefully calibrated version of the same instrument, called Shuttle SBUV (SSBUV) provides correlative measurements so that the TOMS and SBUV instruments flying on other spacecraft can be more accurately calibrated, and provides information on the diurnal variability of stratospheric ozone in low latitudes. |
| Alaska SAR Facility Missions:
ERS-1 (launched 1991) JERS-1 (launched 1992) ERS-2 (launched 1995) RadarSat (launched 1995) ADEOS (launched 1996) | Data received at the ASF must support determination of the properties and dynamics of sea ice and other land and sea processes in the polar regions. |
| OTD
(launched 1995) continuing operations | The Optical Transient Detector(OTD) provides early acquisition of science data to support research in determining global distribution of lightning and its effects on climate change. It allows for an early engineering flight model of the Earth Observing System Lightning Imaging Sensor(LIS) instrument and concept validation, including the high speed solid-state camera system and real-time event processor, and will be a pathfinder for commercial remote sensing applications of lightning data. |
| TOMS FM-3 and FM-4
(launched July 1996, August 1996) continuing operations | Ozone monitoring systems. The first global ozone image was produced and released September 13, 1996. Automated processing and distribution of science products began September 20, 1996 and Internet distribution started on October 7, 1996. |
| NSCAT
(launched August 1996) continuing operations | NSCAT will measure surface wind speeds and directions over at least 90% of the oceans every two days in all weather and cloud conditions. |
SPACECRAFT TO BE LAUNCHED
| Performance Milestone | Plan | Actual/Revised | Description/Status |
| SeaStar/Ocean Color | 1996 | 1997 | Measurements will be made of up-welling radiance at eight spectral bands in the visible and near infrared portions of the spectrum at a spatial resolution of 1- kilometer. The entire cloud-free globe will be imaged once per day. Data products will include daily global maps of oceanic pigment concentration; optical attenuation length scales; and visible, water-leaving radiance. The data delivered to NASA shall meet radiometric performance specifications set forth in the contract with Orbital Sciences Corporation. These include specifications for the instrument data bands, signal-to-noise ratio, and radiance levels. The data streams will also contain all necessary information required for processing the radiance data, including predicted ephemerides and calibrations, spacecraft attitude, time, tilt, gain, and other necessary spacecraft and sensor information. |
| TRMM | November 1997 | -- | TRMM is a joint United States-Japanese observatory program that will conduct systematic observations of tropical rainfall required for major strides in weather and climate research. TRMM is a U.S. spacecraft with both U.S. and Japanese instruments and will be launched on a Japanese H-II rocket. |
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PLANS
Data has been acquired, processed, disseminated, and archived
to meet mission requirements for user availability of timely and
accurate data products for global and/or regional monitoring purposes
from all operational spacecraft and instruments. The current emphasis
on global modeling in support of policy decision on such matters
as the impact of deforestation, ozone depletion, and environmental
quality worldwide has led to the acquisition and manipulation
of unprecedented amounts of environmental data. The accompanying
computational demand has led to a doubling of production computing
capacity and quadrupling of mass storage capacity in the last
two fiscal years. These added demands are being addressed in the
agency's initiative to consolidate supercomputer-based information
systems.
In the mission operations program, responsibility for assigned
missions is assumed 30 days after launch. Data are acquired, processed,
disseminated, and archived to meet mission requirements for user
availability of timely and accurate data products. The MTPE information
systems program will continue to provide a balanced computational
environment for NASA science researchers primarily through facilities
housed at GSFC and the JPL.
User requirements will be met in 1997 and 1998 by continuing operations
of on-orbit spacecraft and instruments including the UARS, TOPEX,
and ERBS missions; continuing support of the SBUV/2 sensor and
processing of data from the SSBUV, and continuing receipt of ERS-1
and JERS-1 data at the Alaska SAR Facility. In addition, NSCAT,
TOMS on ADEOS, and TOMS Earth probe are operational.
The MTPE information systems program will continue to provide
a balanced computational environment for NASA science researchers
primarily through facilities housed at GSFC and the JPL. Partnerships
with industry and other federal agencies will be used to assure
the presence of the program's requirements in the strategic planning
of new computational technologies. Recently initiated cooperative
agreements will allow the development of supercomputer applications
10 times faster than today, providing the computational studies
necessary to mesh with NASA's observational and theoretical programs.
| BASIS OF FY1998 FUNDING REQUIREMENT (Thousands of Dollars) | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | FY 1998 |
| Global observations to benefit the environment | 5,100 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
PROGRAM GOALS
The goal of the Global Observations to Benefit the Environment(GLOBE)
program is to link scientific discovery with the education process
in the study of the Earth as an integrated system. The objective
is to bring school children, teachers, and scientists together
to: (1) enhance environmental awareness of individuals throughout
the world; (2) contribute to scientific understanding of the Earth;
and (3) help all students reach higher levels of achievement in
science and mathematics.
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
The GLOBE program involves students (kindergarten through twelfth
grade or equivalent) in schools throughout the world, their teachers
and the research community. Participating schools are making core
sets of GLOBE measurements using GLOBE instruments and procedures
under the guidance of GLOBE-trained teachers. The results from
all over the world are reported into a central data processing
facility. The students then receive feedback and use GLOBE educational
materials to understand the compiled results and do their own
analyses of the data.
In order to meet the first objective of increasing international
environmental awareness, the program has been designed to be international
in scope, involving students, educators and researchers from all
over the world. By using the Internet to link the schools together,
a sharing of discoveries and analysis is encouraged that should
result in awareness beyond just the local community.
The second objective to contribute to the scientific understanding of the Earth, is achievable due to the expansive data sets that result from long term, repeated measurements made in areas where data has in some cases been extrapolated in the past. To ensure the greatest possible accuracy of the data, international environmental scientists have been involved from the beginning of the program to select a set of significant scientific measurements that can be made by students and define the experimental procedures and data reporting protocols for each.
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
| Performance Milestone | Plan | Actual/Revised | Description/Status |
| Double the number of participating schools | September 1996 | September 1996 | -- |
| Achieve participation of at least 4,000 schools | September 1997 | --
| -- |
| Achieve participation of at least 6,000 schools | September 1998 | --- | -- |
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PLANS
By the end of FY1996, 2,950 schools around the world had joined
GLOBE. This is nearly double the number of schools participating
at the end of FY1995. During this year, GLOBE also published a
second edition of the GLOBE Teacher's Guide with updates to the
GLOBE Measurement protocols and dozens of additional learning
activities for GLOBE schools.
In FY1997, GLOBE will seek to continue to increase the number
of partnerships with organizations, such as universities and school
districts, to help achieve program growth goals. GLOBE will also
work to expand participation in the program, including the possible
addition of more student measurement areas.
During FY1998, the program will seek to continue to train an increasing
number of teachers, thus facilitating the rapid growth in the
number of schools participating in the program.
| BASIS OF FY1998 FUNDING REQUIREMENT (Thousands of Dollars) | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | FY 1998 |
| Launch services | 107,100 | 84,700 | 121,900 |
PROGRAM GOALS
The goal of the launch services within the MTPE program is to
provide the flight programs with cost-effective, on-time Expendable
Launch Vehicle(ELV) launch services.
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
Funding for mission unique launch services is included under the
budget for the benefiting program. While funding for the ELV's
is found within the MTPE budget, program management for the ELV's
rests with the Launch Vehicles Office(LVO) within NASA. The LVO
aggregates NASA, NOAA, and international cooperative ELV mission
requirements, establishes appropriate acquisition strategies for
purchasing firm, fixed priced launch services from the U.S. industry,
and imposes the scope and level of technical oversight of the
commercial ELV operators' delivery of service that reflects the
criticality of the mission and the level of government resources
at risk. The objective is to provide affordable, 100% successful
delivery to space.
Since 1987, the LVO has been employing a national mixed fleet
strategy, with 100% successful launch services to MTPE payloads.
The administration, procurement, and technical oversight of launch
service delivery in the small and medium performance classes is
managed by the Goddard Space Flight Center (Atlas-E, Titan II,
Pegasus XL, and Delta II, Ultra-Lite and Med-Lite.) The intermediate
and large performance class launch services (AtlasI/IIAS and Titan
IV/Centaur) are managed by the Lewis Research Center. The Kennedy
Space Center is delegated responsibility for technical oversight
of vehicle assembly and testing at the launch site and is responsible
for launch site the spacecraft processing. The current corporate
participants include Lockheed Martin for AM-1 and McDonnellDouglas
for Landsat-7 and RadarSat.
MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
| Performance Milestone | Plan | Actual/Revised | Description/Status |
| Launch of TOMS-EP | July 1995 | July1996 | Successfully launched aboard the Pegasus XL/L1011. |
| EOS AM-1 | June 1998 | -- | To be launched on an Atlas IIAS from Vandenberg AFB. |
| Landsat-7 | December 1998 | -- | To be launched on a Delta II from Vandenberg AFB. |
| EO-1/SAC-C | May 1999 | --
| Med-lite class launch services. |
| JASON-1 | December 1999 | -- | Med-lite class launch services; co-manifest on Delta under review. |
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PLANS
Funding will continue in support of the EOS AM-1 and Landsat-7 launches in 1998. FY1998 funding will be used to provide launch services for Earth Observer1(EO 1) with Satellite de Applicaciones Cientificas-C(SAC-C), EO 2, Earth System Science Pathfinder1(ESSP 1), ESSP 2, ESSP 3, JASON 1, EOSPM 1, and RadaRSAT 2.
| BASIS OF FY1998 FUNDING REQUIREMENT (Thousands of Dollars) | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | FY 1998 |
| Earth system science building | 17,000 | -- | -- |
| Total | 17,000 | -- | -- |
PROGRAM GOALS
The goal of the Earth System Science Building(ESSB) project is
to construct a facility that will house civil service, contractor,
and visiting scientists conducting global climate change and Earth
system science research using the Earth Observation System(EOS).
STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS
Facility design and initial construction began in FY1994 for the
ESSB at the Goddard Space Flight Center. A second increment of
funding was provided in FY1995 for continuation of construction
with completion funded by the FY1996 Construction of Facilities
request.