Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
REPORT OF THE PANEL ON SOLAR AND HELIOSPHERIC PHYSICS
299
creative ideas and suggestions, and insight into issues that affect the health of the solar and heliospheric
physics discipline.
10.5.1 NASA Missions in Development
The IRIS, SPP, and Solar Orbiter missions are in development. The new NASA mission concepts and
other initiatives proposed here are predicated on the assumption that NASA will complete the development and launch of those three missions, each of which will make critical progress toward achieving SHP
science goals 1-3 outlined above (§10.1).
10.5.2 New Imperatives for NASA
Sections 10.5.2.2-10.5.2.4 review three high-priority mission concepts that the SHP panel recommends
for consideration during the coming decade. Two of the concepts—IMAP (§10.5.2.2) and SEE (§10.5.2.4)—
underwent an independent cost and technical evaluation (CATE) that is described in Appendix E and briefly
summarized in §10.5.2.1). Solar-C (§10.5.2.3) is an opportunity for NASA to participate in an international
mission developed under the leadership of Japan. It is discussed below, but as an international mission it
could not be reviewed in the same manner as other concepts and, in particular, it could not undergo an
independent cost and technical review.
Sections 10.5.2.5-10.5.2.7 discuss one high-priority concept (L5) that should be considered for the
following decade and two concepts—the Solar Polar Imager and the Interstellar Probe—that address highpriority goals but require new propulsion technology and possibly other new technologies.
10.5.2.1 Solar and Heliospheric Physics Panel Participation in the Cost and Technical Evaluation
Process
At the SHP panel’s first meeting in November 2010, it reviewed 30 white papers (for a list of titles,
see Appendix I) describing future mission concepts, including potential strategic and Explorer missions for
this decade and beyond. The SHP panel’s second meeting included 19 invited talks on mission concepts,
ground-based facilities, theory, modeling and data centers, and new technology. The panel selected four
candidates for consideration by the steering committee for submission to the CATE process (SEE, IMAP, L5,
and Reconnection and Microscale [RAM]) and reviewed two concepts for Solar-C.
The survey committee decided to include all four SHP-endorsed concepts in the CATE process; it also
gave the SHP panel and the other panels uniform guidance that included a request to focus mission concepts around key objectives so as to minimize the required payload and cost. “Captains” later documented
science objectives, measurement requirements, and mission and instrument concepts. Those “pre-CATE”
activities resulted in schematic spacecraft and mission designs, refined science objectives, identification of
potential risks, and estimated costs. Using that information, the survey committee selected IMAP and SEE for
the full CATE process. The panels and the survey committee used the CATE results for final priority setting.
The IMAP, SEE, and L5 concepts are described below, as is an opportunity for NASA to participate in
the Solar-C mission, which addresses objectives similar to those of the RAM concept.
10.5.2.2 Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe
Our heliosphere, its history, and its future in the galaxy are key to understanding conditions on our
evolving planet and its habitability over time. By exploring our global heliosphere and interactions, we
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
REPORT OF THE PANEL ON SOLAR AND HELIOSPHERIC PHYSICS
299
creative ideas and suggestions, and insight into issues that affect the health of the solar and heliospheric
physics discipline.
10.5.1 NASA Missions in Development
The IRIS, SPP, and Solar Orbiter missions are in development. The new NASA mission concepts and
other initiatives proposed here are predicated on the assumption that NASA will complete the development and launch of those three missions, each of which will make critical progress toward achieving SHP
science goals 1-3 outlined above (§10.1).
10.5.2 New Imperatives for NASA
Sections 10.5.2.2-10.5.2.4 review three high-priority mission concepts that the SHP panel recommends
for consideration during the coming decade. Two of the concepts—IMAP (§10.5.2.2) and SEE (§10.5.2.4)—
underwent an independent cost and technical evaluation (CATE) that is described in Appendix E and briefly
summarized in §10.5.2.1). Solar-C (§10.5.2.3) is an opportunity for NASA to participate in an international
mission developed under the leadership of Japan. It is discussed below, but as an international mission it
could not be reviewed in the same manner as other concepts and, in particular, it could not undergo an
independent cost and technical review.
Sections 10.5.2.5-10.5.2.7 discuss one high-priority concept (L5) that should be considered for the
following decade and two concepts—the Solar Polar Imager and the Interstellar Probe—that address highpriority goals but require new propulsion technology and possibly other new technologies.
10.5.2.1 Solar and Heliospheric Physics Panel Participation in the Cost and Technical Evaluation
Process
At the SHP panel’s first meeting in November 2010, it reviewed 30 white papers (for a list of titles,
see Appendix I) describing future mission concepts, including potential strategic and Explorer missions for
this decade and beyond. The SHP panel’s second meeting included 19 invited talks on mission concepts,
ground-based facilities, theory, modeling and data centers, and new technology. The panel selected four
candidates for consideration by the steering committee for submission to the CATE process (SEE, IMAP, L5,
and Reconnection and Microscale [RAM]) and reviewed two concepts for Solar-C.
The survey committee decided to include all four SHP-endorsed concepts in the CATE process; it also
gave the SHP panel and the other panels uniform guidance that included a request to focus mission concepts around key objectives so as to minimize the required payload and cost. “Captains” later documented
science objectives, measurement requirements, and mission and instrument concepts. Those “pre-CATE”
activities resulted in schematic spacecraft and mission designs, refined science objectives, identification of
potential risks, and estimated costs. Using that information, the survey committee selected IMAP and SEE for
the full CATE process. The panels and the survey committee used the CATE results for final priority setting.
The IMAP, SEE, and L5 concepts are described below, as is an opportunity for NASA to participate in
the Solar-C mission, which addresses objectives similar to those of the RAM concept.
10.5.2.2 Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe
Our heliosphere, its history, and its future in the galaxy are key to understanding conditions on our
evolving planet and its habitability over time. By exploring our global heliosphere and interactions, we