Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
APPENDIX A
331
In the context of the committee’s charge to establish criteria on which its recommendations depend
and to identify developments of sufficient significance that they would warrant a reexamination of the committee’s recommendations, the committee will also make recommendations in order to maintain program
scientific balance. The committee will make recommendations to NASA (including for SPP) on programmatic or cost trigger points for consideration of possible rescoping, deferral, cancellation, application of
additional resources at the possible expense of other Heliophysics Division programs, or a reassessment
by the NRC or by the NASA Advisory Council’s Heliophysics Subcommittee.
Other welcome recommendations would include those that address NASA-funded supporting research
programs to maximize the science return from the currently operating and pending flight mission investigations and a discussion of strategic technology development needs and opportunities relevant to NASA
heliophysics science programs. All such recommendations must be achievable within the constraints of
anticipated funding.
The committee report shall reflect an awareness of the science and space mission plans and priorities
of potential foreign and U.S. agency partners and identify opportunities for cooperation, as appropriate
and achievable within budget constraints. Examples would be the proposed Japanese Solar-C or SCOPE
projects. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate will provide authoritative, formal NASA policy and heliophysics program documentation, as required.
C. Implementation Recommendations for NSF
For NSF, the survey and report shall encompass all ground-based observational techniques, as well as
analysis of data collected and relevant laboratory and theoretical investigations (including modeling and
simulation). Thus, the study will assess the NSF-supported infrastructure of the field, including research and
analysis support, the educational system, instrumentation and technology development, data distribution,
analysis, and archiving, and theory programs. The committee shall also recommend any changes to this
infrastructure that it deems necessary to advance the science and to capture the value of facilities in place.
In addition, the survey will examine the NSF’s “CubeSat” program, which is developing small-satellite
science missions to advance space weather and atmospheric research, as well as providing opportunities
to train the next generation of experimental space scientists and aerospace engineers.
The committee shall review relevant programs of other nations and will comment on NSF opportunities for joint ventures and other forms of international cooperation.
Committee Meetings and Workshops
We expect an approximately 16-member survey steering committee to meet approximately six times
during the course of the study. The steering committee will be supported by approximately four 12-member study panels that will meet three times during the course of the study. We also may convene topical
workshops to explore particular subjects in more depth, e.g., the transition to operations for space weather
models and the potential for smaller satellites to conduct research currently performed by larger spacecraft.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
APPENDIX A
331
In the context of the committee’s charge to establish criteria on which its recommendations depend
and to identify developments of sufficient significance that they would warrant a reexamination of the committee’s recommendations, the committee will also make recommendations in order to maintain program
scientific balance. The committee will make recommendations to NASA (including for SPP) on programmatic or cost trigger points for consideration of possible rescoping, deferral, cancellation, application of
additional resources at the possible expense of other Heliophysics Division programs, or a reassessment
by the NRC or by the NASA Advisory Council’s Heliophysics Subcommittee.
Other welcome recommendations would include those that address NASA-funded supporting research
programs to maximize the science return from the currently operating and pending flight mission investigations and a discussion of strategic technology development needs and opportunities relevant to NASA
heliophysics science programs. All such recommendations must be achievable within the constraints of
anticipated funding.
The committee report shall reflect an awareness of the science and space mission plans and priorities
of potential foreign and U.S. agency partners and identify opportunities for cooperation, as appropriate
and achievable within budget constraints. Examples would be the proposed Japanese Solar-C or SCOPE
projects. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate will provide authoritative, formal NASA policy and heliophysics program documentation, as required.
C. Implementation Recommendations for NSF
For NSF, the survey and report shall encompass all ground-based observational techniques, as well as
analysis of data collected and relevant laboratory and theoretical investigations (including modeling and
simulation). Thus, the study will assess the NSF-supported infrastructure of the field, including research and
analysis support, the educational system, instrumentation and technology development, data distribution,
analysis, and archiving, and theory programs. The committee shall also recommend any changes to this
infrastructure that it deems necessary to advance the science and to capture the value of facilities in place.
In addition, the survey will examine the NSF’s “CubeSat” program, which is developing small-satellite
science missions to advance space weather and atmospheric research, as well as providing opportunities
to train the next generation of experimental space scientists and aerospace engineers.
The committee shall review relevant programs of other nations and will comment on NSF opportunities for joint ventures and other forms of international cooperation.
Committee Meetings and Workshops
We expect an approximately 16-member survey steering committee to meet approximately six times
during the course of the study. The steering committee will be supported by approximately four 12-member study panels that will meet three times during the course of the study. We also may convene topical
workshops to explore particular subjects in more depth, e.g., the transition to operations for space weather
models and the potential for smaller satellites to conduct research currently performed by larger spacecraft.