I n s i d e April 7, 2006 Volume 36 Number 7 News Briefs . 2 CloudSat Launch Nears . 3 Special Events Calendar . 2 Passings, Letters . 4 Lew Allen Awards . 2 Classifieds. 4 Jet Propulsion Laborator y generation space instrument designed by JPL, called the BlackJack JPL space receiver, has been proven on missions including the Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP), the Argentine Satelite de Alicaciones Cientificas-C (SAC-C) and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment receiver (GRACE). This has led to the development of the Integrated GPS Occul- tation Receiver (IGOR) for COSMIC by industrial partner Broad Reach onboard Engineering. “Based on early analysis of CHAMP and SAC-C data and simulation weather studies,” noted Dr. George Hajj of JPL’s Orbiter and Radiometric Systems Group, “we expect COSMIC to have a significant impact on weather satellite analyses and forecasts.” He cited improved 24- to 96-hour forecasts, typhoon forecasts and cyclone prediction. “It is expected that the COSMIC data will become one of the main Launch due April 14 data streams for weather centers worldwide,” Hajj said. “It is a big accomplishment.” A globe-spanning constellation of six satellites JPL will be a processing center for COSMIC data. Hajj’s group will By Mark Whalen expected to improve weather forecasts, monitor climate change and provide preprocessing and data calibration. enhance space weather research is scheduled for an April 14 launch “The self-calibrating property of GPS occultations makes these mea- from Vandenberg Air Force Base. JPL designed the mission’s primary surements particularly attractive to establish a stable, long-term record instrument, a science Global Positioning System (GPS) space receiver, for climate monitoring,” Hajj added. “The COSMIC mission will give us and will provide instrument flight software and technical support for the average temperature measurements accurate to within 0.1 degree Cel- five-year project. sius, allowing us to measure climate variability and detect trends over A joint U.S.–Taiwan project, the Constellation Observing System for the next decade.” Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) is scheduled to launch at The Ionospheric and Atmospheric Remote Sensing Group, led by Tony 5:10 p.m. Pacific time. Mannucci, will provide temperature and water vapor profiles. The constellation is expected to capture 2,500 GPS occultations per “Right now, our focus is to build on what we’ve learned with precursor day and will be the first to provide atmospheric data daily in near-real missions to develop a truly unassailable climate record that can be relied time over all the oceans and continents for both research and opera- on for decades to come,” Mannucci said. “We expect constellations such tional weather forecasting. The six spacecraft will start at an initial orbit as COSMIC will continue to be deployed and that we can establish a near 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) above the Earth’s surface, and long-term stable and accurate atmospheric temperature record that the will be raised one-by-one to their final 800-kilometer orbit during the scientific community wants and needs.” first 13 months of the mission. JPL has also provided ground testing of engineering and flight model COSMIC will measure high vertical-resolution profiles of atmospheric equipment. temperature and water vapor in the troposphere and stratosphere and The mission is the product of an agreement between the American ionospheric electron densities at higher altitudes. Institute in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Each spacecraft will carry a JPL-designed GPS receiver. The technol- Office in the United States. The array is based on a system design pro- ogy is based on the radio occultation (limb sounding) technique that was vided by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. developed by the Laboratory in the 1960s for planetary atmospheric For more information, visit http://www.cosmic.ucar.edu to learn more studies. Since the 1990s JPL has been a leader in the adaptation of about the COSMIC mission and http://genesis.jpl.nasa.gov to learn more this technique for use in Earth orbit with the GPS. Recently, a second- about GPS occultation remote sensing. NASA senior management announced a decision and tight celestial mechanics most missions deal March 27 to reinstate the JPL-managed Dawn mis- with,” Rayman said. “We will have plenty of time Cassini finds sion, a robotic exploration of two major asteroids. to acquire a great science bounty at what I view Dawn had been canceled because of technical as some of the last unexplored worlds in the inner moonlet problems and cost overruns. solar system.” NASA The mission, named because it was designed to Patel said about 30 JPL staffers are currently evidence in reinstates study objects dating from the dawn of the solar working on the project. At launch, that number will system, would travel to Vesta and Ceres, the two be between 150 and 180 personnel, from both JPL Saturn’s rings Dawn most massive asteroids orbiting the sun between and industrial partner Orbital Sciences Corp. JPL Scientists with JPL’s Cassini Mars and Jupiter. Dawn will use an electric ion is responsible for project management, systems mission have found evidence that mission propulsion system validated on Deep Space 1 and engineering, mission design and navigation, deliv- a new class of small moonlets will orbit multiple objects. ering some portions of the spacecraft and mission resides within Saturn’s rings. Dawn originally was selected in December 2001 operations. Orbital will supply the spacecraft and There may be as many as 10 mil- By Mark Whalen and was set for launch in June 2006. Technical is responsible for assembly, test and launch opera- lion of these objects within one of problems and other difficulties increased costs and tions. In addition, two of the science instruments Saturn’s rings alone. delayed the projected launch date. Most project are provided by partners from Italy and Germany. The moonlets’ existence could work was put on hold for nearly six months while A NASA Discovery Program mission, Dawn will help answer the question of NASA assessed the overall project cost and risk. be the first spacecraft to orbit two target bodies whether the rings were formed Now that the project has been reinstated, the after leaving Earth. The principal investigator is through the breakup of a larger launch will occur about June 2007 and the cost Chris Russell of UCLA. body or are the remnants of the has risen from $373 million to $446 million. The reinstatement resulted from a review pro- disk of material from which Sat- “It will be a challenging year,” cess that is part of new management procedures urn and its moons formed. said Dawn Project Manager established by NASA Administrator Michael “We acquired this spectacular, Keyur Patel. “The technical is- Griffin. The process is intended to help ensure one-of-a-kind set of images im- sues are understood, and we are open debate and thorough evaluation of major mediately after getting into orbit moving forward.” decisions regarding space exploration and agency for the express purpose of seeing Dawn system engineer Dr. operations. fine details in the rings that we Marc Rayman noted that the “We revisited a number of technical and financial had not seen previously,” said mission’s science timeline is not challenges and the work being done to address Carolyn Porco, Cassini imaging affected by the delayed launch. them,” said NASA Associate Administrator Rex Ge- team leader and the study co- He said the targeted flyby of Mars in early 2009, veden, who chaired the review panel. “Our review author. “This will open up a new the arrival at Vesta in 2011 and encounter at Ce- determined the project team has made substan- dimension in our exploration of res in 2015 would stay the same as planned. tive progress on many of this mission’s technical Saturn's rings and moons, their “The use of the ion propulsion system gives us issues, and, in the end, we have confidence the origin and evolution.” so much maneuvering capability that we’re not mission will succeed.” For images and other informa- constrained by the normal planetary alignment tion, visit www.nasa.gov/cassini. MRO adjusts orbit teams during the regional competition 2 JPL’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter held in March at the Great Western U Forum. About 20 engineers from JPL n on March 30 began a crucial six-month Special Events Calendar i helped students in building the robots v campaign to gradually shrink its orbit e into the best geometry for the mission’s and provided technical advice during Ongoing Support Groups Thursday, April 13 r science work. the competition. s Alcoholics Anonymous—Meets Clogging Class—Meets at noon in e “This was a wonderful opportunity After successfully entering orbit Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. Building 300-217. For more informa- for students who are interested in around Mars on March 10, the space- tion, call Shary DeVore at ext. 4-1024. craft is in its aerobraking phase. This engineering and science to work with Caregivers Support Group—Meets the process uses friction with the tenuous mentors and a team to accomplish first Thursday of the month at noon Science 101 Lecture Series—Dr. Lee- upper atmosphere to transform a very something extraordinary they will in Building 167-111 (the Wellness Lueng Fu, project scientist for TOPEX/ News elongated 35-hour orbit to the nearly treasure their entire lives,” said BRIAN Place). Poseidon, Jason and the Ocean Sur- circular two-hour orbit needed for the MUIRHEAD, JPL’s chief engineer and a face Topography Mission, will present mission’s science observations. judge at the competition.