Extending Science: NASA's Space Science Mission Extensions and the Senior Review Process
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Extending Science: NASA's Space Science Mission Extensions and the Senior Review Process Committee on NASA Science Mission Extensions Space Studies Board Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences A Report of Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Extending Science: NASA's Space Science Mission Extensions and the Senior Review Process THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 This report is based on work supported by Contract NNH11CD57B with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the view of any organization or agency that provided support for the project. International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-44878-9 International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-44878-6 Digital Object Identifier: 10.17226/23624 Copies of this report are available free of charge from Space Studies Board National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 Additional copies of this report are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu. Copyright 2016 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Extending Science—NASA’s Space Science Mission Extensions and the Senior Review Process. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/23624. Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Extending Science: NASA's Space Science Mission Extensions and the Senior Review Process The National Academy of Sciences was estaBlished in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for out- standing contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president. The National Academy of Engineering was estaBlished in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineer- ing. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president. The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was estaBlished in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contribu- tions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president. The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, oBjective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contribu- tions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine. Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.national-academies.org. Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Extending Science: NASA's Space Science Mission Extensions and the Senior Review Process Reports document the evidence-Based consensus of an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations Based on informa- tion gathered by the committee and committee deliberations. Reports are peer reviewed and are approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Proceedings chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other convening event. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and have not been endorsed by other participants, the planning com- mittee, or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. For information aBout other products and activities of the Academies, please visit nationalacademies.org/whatwedo. Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Extending Science: NASA's Space Science Mission Extensions and the Senior Review Process COMMITTEE ON NASA SCIENCE MISSION EXTENSIONS VICTORIA E. HAMILTON, Southwest Research Institute, Co-Chair HARVEY D. TANANBAUM, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Co-Chair ALICE BOWMAN, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory JOHN R. CASANI, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Retired) JAMES H. CLEMMONS, The Aerospace Corporation NEIL GEHRELS, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center FIONA A. HARRISON, California Institute of Technology MICHAEL D. KING, University of Colorado Boulder MARGARET G. KIVELSON, University of California, Los Angeles RAMON E. LOPEZ, The University of Texas at Arlington AMY MAINZER, Jet Propulsion Laboratory ALFRED S. McEWEN, University of Arizona DEBORAH VANE, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Staff DWAYNE DAY, Senior Program Officer, Study Director KATIE DAUD, Research Associate ANESIA WILKS, Senior Program Assistant NATHAN BOLL, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellow CHERI ACHILLES, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern CAROLINE JUANG, Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Intern MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director, Space Studies Board and Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board v Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Extending Science: NASA's Space Science Mission Extensions and the Senior Review Process SPACE STUDIES BOARD DAVID N. SPERGEL, Princeton University, Chair ROBERT D. BRAUN, University of Colorado, Boulder, Vice Chair JAMES G. ANDERSON, Harvard University JEFF M. BINGHAM, Consultant JAY C. BUCKEY, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center MARY LYNNE DITTMAR, Dittmar Associates, Inc. JOSEPH FULLER, JR., Futron Corporation THOMAS R. GAVIN, Jet Propulsion Laboratory NEIL GEHRELS, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center SARAH GIBSON, National Center for Atmospheric Research WESLEY T. HUNTRESS, JR., Carnegie Institution of Washington ANTHONY C. JANETOS, Boston University CHRYSSA KOUVELIOTOU, The George Washington University BARBARA SHERWOOD LOLLAR, University of Toronto ROSALY M. C. LOPES, Jet Propulsion Laboratory DAVID J. MCCOMAS, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory LARRY PAXTON, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory SAUL PERLMUTTER, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ELIOT QUATAERT, University of California, Berkeley HARLAN E. SPENCE, University of New Hampshire MARK H. THIEMENS, University of California, San Diego MEENAKSHI WADHWA, Arizona State University Staff MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director CARMELA J. CHAMBERLAIN, Administrative Coordinator TANJA PILZAK, Manager, Program Operations CELESTE A. NAYLOR, Information Management Associate MARGARET KNEMEYER, Financial Officer SU LIU, Financial Assistant Limited copies of SSB reports are available free of charge from Space Studies Board National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 (202) 334-3477/[email protected] www.nationalacademies.org/ssb/ssb.html vi Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Extending Science: NASA's Space Science Mission Extensions and the Senior Review Process Preface In fall 2014, NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate John Grunsfeld discussed with members of the Space Studies Board the possibility of a study of the value of NASA’s extended science mis- sions and how the agency evaluates mission extension proposals, known as Senior Reviews. NASA’s Astrophysics Division has conducted Senior Reviews on a regular basis since the early 1990s; the agency’s other divisions started following similar procedures afterwards, and they were formally required by the NASA Authorization Act of 2005, which states: The Administrator shall carry out biennial reviews within each of the Science divisions to assess the cost and ben- efits of extending the date of the termination of data collection for those missions that have exceeded their planned mission lifetime. Although that Act (which was reaffirmed in 2010) requires biennial reviews, it does not define how NASA should conduct them, leaving the details to NASA, which has codified its requirements in internal management and other policy documents. In summer 2015 NASA formally requested that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conduct a study on this subject. The Academies established a committee in fall 2015. The committee held an organizing teleconference in December, and its first in-person meeting was held at the National Acad- emies’ Keck Center in Washington, D.C., on February 1-2, 2016. The committee heard from the NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science as well as each of the division directors and other speakers. The committee’s second meeting was held at the Beckman Center in Irvine, California, on March 2-4. At this meeting the commit- tee heard from the former chairs of several Senior Review panels, as well as persons in charge of large and small missions currently in their extended phase. The committee’s third meeting was held at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, D.C., on April 18-20 and was primarily devoted to writing this report, which was delivered to NASA in late August. vii Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Extending Science: NASA's Space Science Mission Extensions and the Senior Review