Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
30
SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: A SCIENCE FOR A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY
OPTIMIZING A SCIENCE PROGRAM
With the above key science goals in mind, and recognizing that many of the outstanding problems
in solar and space physics require an integrated observational approach, the survey committee’s strategy
was to construct a program that can achieve progress across the coupled domains that define the entire
field. The strategy builds on existing and planned programs, optimally deploys recommended new assets
at an appropriate cadence, and includes actions and decisions that should be taken in the event that the
expected funding profile cannot be attained or, conversely, if it is augmented. The survey committee’s
overall strategy is summarized in the seven steps outlined in Box 1.3.
The Heliophysics Systems Observatory, made up of NASA’s existing heliophysics flight missions and
NSF’s ground-based facilities, is an ever-rich source of observations that address increasingly interdisciplinary and long-term science objectives. The success of these exciting and productive activities at NASA
and NSF is fundamentally important to long-term scientific progress in solar and space physics. With
prudent management and careful cost containment, the survey committee concluded that completion
of the ongoing program is precisely the right first step for the next decadal interval and as such represents
the baseline priority.
In framing its recommendations for progress over the next decade, the survey committee identified
five assets of the solar and space physics program as necessary to realize the full scientific potential of the
field. They are the (cross-agency) enabling foundation, ground-based facilities, and small, moderate-scale,
and large-scale (major) space missions. Making optimal use of these assets, which differ widely in cost
and expected operating lifetime, requires careful attention to deployment cadence and overlap. Further
details are presented below.
BOX 1.3 STEPS OF A STRATEGY FOR OPTIMIZING A SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS SCIENCE
PROGRAM FOR 2013-2022
1. Identify the highest-priority science goals and major programmatic assets for each of the subdisciplines
of solar and space physics.
2. Recognize that to make meaningful scientific progress, the Sun-heliosphere-Earth system must be
studied as a coupled system.
3. Recognize that understanding the coupled Sun-heliosphere-Earth system requires that each subdiscipline must be able to make reasonable progress in achieving its highest-priority science goals.
4. Recognize that to make balanced progress across the subdisciplines, all the assets available to solar and
space physics—the enabling foundation of theory, modeling and data analysis; ground-based facilities; and
small, moderate, and large space missions—must be optimally deployed.
5. Recognize that each asset available to solar and space physics has a cadence at which it can most effectively be a successful contributor.
6. Construct a program that can achieve such balanced progress across the subdisciplines, optimally
deploying all of the assets, each with a reasonable cadence.
7. Determine the actions and decisions that will be taken in the event that the expected funding profile
cannot be attained or some other disruptive event occurs or, conversely, in the event that the budget is augmented or the cost to missions is reduced.
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
30
SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: A SCIENCE FOR A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY
OPTIMIZING A SCIENCE PROGRAM
With the above key science goals in mind, and recognizing that many of the outstanding problems
in solar and space physics require an integrated observational approach, the survey committee’s strategy
was to construct a program that can achieve progress across the coupled domains that define the entire
field. The strategy builds on existing and planned programs, optimally deploys recommended new assets
at an appropriate cadence, and includes actions and decisions that should be taken in the event that the
expected funding profile cannot be attained or, conversely, if it is augmented. The survey committee’s
overall strategy is summarized in the seven steps outlined in Box 1.3.
The Heliophysics Systems Observatory, made up of NASA’s existing heliophysics flight missions and
NSF’s ground-based facilities, is an ever-rich source of observations that address increasingly interdisciplinary and long-term science objectives. The success of these exciting and productive activities at NASA
and NSF is fundamentally important to long-term scientific progress in solar and space physics. With
prudent management and careful cost containment, the survey committee concluded that completion
of the ongoing program is precisely the right first step for the next decadal interval and as such represents
the baseline priority.
In framing its recommendations for progress over the next decade, the survey committee identified
five assets of the solar and space physics program as necessary to realize the full scientific potential of the
field. They are the (cross-agency) enabling foundation, ground-based facilities, and small, moderate-scale,
and large-scale (major) space missions. Making optimal use of these assets, which differ widely in cost
and expected operating lifetime, requires careful attention to deployment cadence and overlap. Further
details are presented below.
BOX 1.3 STEPS OF A STRATEGY FOR OPTIMIZING A SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS SCIENCE
PROGRAM FOR 2013-2022
1. Identify the highest-priority science goals and major programmatic assets for each of the subdisciplines
of solar and space physics.
2. Recognize that to make meaningful scientific progress, the Sun-heliosphere-Earth system must be
studied as a coupled system.
3. Recognize that understanding the coupled Sun-heliosphere-Earth system requires that each subdiscipline must be able to make reasonable progress in achieving its highest-priority science goals.
4. Recognize that to make balanced progress across the subdisciplines, all the assets available to solar and
space physics—the enabling foundation of theory, modeling and data analysis; ground-based facilities; and
small, moderate, and large space missions—must be optimally deployed.
5. Recognize that each asset available to solar and space physics has a cadence at which it can most effectively be a successful contributor.
6. Construct a program that can achieve such balanced progress across the subdisciplines, optimally
deploying all of the assets, each with a reasonable cadence.
7. Determine the actions and decisions that will be taken in the event that the expected funding profile
cannot be attained or some other disruptive event occurs or, conversely, in the event that the budget is augmented or the cost to missions is reduced.