GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER 2014 ANNUAL REPORT THIS IS SCIENCE www.nasa.gov One Goddard.......................................... 2 TABLE OF Goddard at a Glance .................................... 3 Center Director’s Message ............................... 5 Our Purpose........................................... 6 Our Focus Areas..................................... 8 CONTENTS 2014 in Figures..................................... 12 Our Organization ................................... 14 14 Highlights of 2014 ................................ 15 Our Passion .......................................... 20 Earth Science ...................................... 22 Astrophysics....................................... 24 Heliophysics ....................................... 26 Planetary Science................................... 28 Space Communications and Navigation ................. 30 Suborbital Programs and Range Services ................ 32 Our Possibility ........................................ 34 Education ......................................... 36 Public Communication............................... 37 Current State of the Workforce 2014.................... 38 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government 2014 ...... 39 Budget ........................................... 40 Economic Impact ................................... 41 Our Pledge........................................... 42 In Memoriam ......................................... 44 OUR PEOPLE i am goddard is a celebration of the many individual contributions that make Goddard successful. More profiles can be found at iamgoddard.gsfc.nasa.gov (internal site). 1 Global APPROXIMATELY 13,000+ provider of ONE GODDARD: CIVIL SERVANTS, ONSITE CONTRACTORS, WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER AND OTHERS* scientific *including off-site contractors, interns, and Emeritus WALLOPS FLIGHT research, FACILITY GODDARD WALLOPS ISLAND technology, GREENBELT CAMPUS VIRGINIA MARYLAND and missions Dr. John Mather AT A GLANCE and the COBE team confirmed INDEPENDENT the Big Bang VERIFICATION theory to that extraordinary accuracy. & VALIDATION Goddard has also contributed to FACILITY three additional transform our FAIRMONT Nobel Prizes. WHITE SANDS WEST VIRGINIA COMPLEX 100% knowledge LAS CRUCES OF U.S. WEATHER GODDARD SATELLITES FOR NEW MEXICO NOAA Patent# INSTITUTE FOR Hurricane Gonzalo US 7513460 B2 of Earth and SPACE STUDIES GOES Satellite NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK + space 16,000 750+ PATENTS LAUNCHES “Robotics for Satellite Servicing” SA’S FIR NA ST Expert in the study of our world, S ROBERT H. GODDARD A S P W A the solar system, and beyond, C THE FATHER OF MODERN ROCKETRY D EST. E R HUBBLE F 25 A NASA Goddard Space Flight (1882–1945) The American engineer, L D I SPACE G professor, physicist, and inventor credited D H YEARS TELESCOPE O MAY T Center (GSFC) has been working with creating and building the world's first G liquid-fueled rocket. C E since 1959 to increase scientific N T 1959 E MILLION RKS INVOL R understanding, answer human­ WO VIN Goddard ET G S N O LLION OL V I A OBSERVATIONS A M R 1 invests T E 0 V ity’s big questions, and benefit A R 0 I D 2 1 E ...Many more” O W and 11,000+ scientific papers more than D 0 D S N “ S the society and communities we C FIRSTS A O G U N N LU serve. The center’s work in sci­ I ION NA T L R 80% K IL T R B C O I P A E 6 of its funding in O S ence, engineering, technology, R O G T R businesses, academia, L R A and communications strengthens and nonprofit P H I organizations. C our ability to envision the origins M E A of life, preserve our way of living, First Earth photo S U from satellite R (Vanguard II) E M and define our place in the uni­ E N E T S O S 300+ verse. We identify requirements 3 MISSIONS 0 OB RS SER + EA V Y IN and innovations; design, build Goddard has developed more planetary Y First successful G E instruments than any other organization, T weather satellite A I) H (TIROS R and launch spacecraft; and man­ reaching every planet in the solar system. E S E Engineers hoisted NASA’s O A age and support entire space R Webb telescope’s Near F T Infrared Spectrograph O H in the cleanroom. Z W O I T missions. Our fundamental com­ T H S A S N L D A We are meeting our commitments; E N N Cost Schedule L IO munications infrastructure en­ Mission AY AT recent missions managed by Performance Performance ER OBSERV ables NASA and others to bring Goddard have launched under WORLD’S LARGEST LANDSAT-5 set a ISO 7 CLEANROOM GUINNESS WORLD RECORD LDCM –$84.4 M Early 3 15 OLYMPIC-SIZED back knowledge from space, budget and on schedule. The 2014 1.3 MILLION FT SWIMMING POOLS “Longest-Operating Earth Observation Satellite” cost performance for MAVEN share it with diverse customers, MAVEN –$51.2 M On time and GPM are particularly notable and apply it to society in count­ due to the impacts felt by the GPM –$55.6 M Delayed due less ways. Government shutdown. to furlough 2 Dr. John Mather AT A GLANCE and the COBE team confirmed the Big Bang theory to extraordinary accuracy. Goddard has also contributed to three additional 100% Nobel Prizes. OF U.S. WEATHER SATELLITES FOR NOAA Patent# Hurricane Gonzalo US 7513460 B2 GOES Satellite + 16,000 750+PATENTS LAUNCHES “Robotics for Satellite Servicing” SA’S FIR NA ST S ROBERT H. GODDARD A S P W A C THE FATHER OF MODERN ROCKETRY D EST. E R HUBBLE F 25 A (1882–1945) The American engineer, L D I SPACE G professor, physicist, and inventor credited D H YEARS TELESCOPE O MAY T with creating and building the world's first G liquid-fueled rocket. C E N T 1959 E MILLION RKS INVOL R WO VIN Goddard ET G S N O LLION OL V I A OBSERVATIONS A M R 1 invests T E 0 V A R 0 I D 2 1 E ...Many more” O W and 11,000+ scientific papers more than D 0 D S N “ S C FIRSTS A O G U N N LU I ION NA T L R 80% K IL T R B C O I P A E 6 of its funding in O S R O G T R businesses, academia, L R A and nonprofit P H I organizations. C M E A First Earth photo S U from satellite R (Vanguard II) E M E N E T S O S 300+ 3 MISSIONS 0 OB RS SER + EA V Y IN Goddard has developed more planetary Y First successful G E instruments than any other organization, T weather satellite A I) H (TIROS R reaching every planet in the solar system. E S E Engineers hoisted NASA’s O A Webb telescope’s Near F R T Infrared Spectrograph O H in the cleanroom. Z W O I T T H S A S N L D A E N N L IO AY AT ER OBSERV WORLD’S LARGEST LANDSAT-5 set a ISO 7 CLEANROOM GUINNESS WORLD RECORD 3 15 OLYMPIC-SIZED 1.3 MILLION FT SWIMMING POOLS “Longest-Operating Earth Observation Satellite” www.nasa.gov/goddard 3 2014, A BANNER YEAR FOR SCIENCE AT NASA Christopher Scolese • Center Director 4 Center Director’s Message Since 1959, Goddard has been Science has always been at the work we do. They support a leader in NASA’s scientific forefront of the agency’s mission, key organizations including and cutting­edge technology and 2014 was a banner year. legal, financial, institutional efforts to better understand our Major Earth science missions were operations, human resources, world, the solar system, and the launched, our excellence in space equal employment, inclusion universe. Over the years, we have telescopes continued with Hubble and diversity, safety and security, transformed our understanding and Webb, countless scientific and countless other groups that of Earth and space, and in breakthroughs were made in work together to make science doing so, we address some of climate science and weather for possible while safeguarding humanity’s greatest questions NASA and NOAA, and we have NASA’s assets and people. regarding the nature of the continued our efforts to explore universe and the systems of Mars and the solar system. I am excited to say that this life here at home. We have Every day we have strived to was an exceptional year for discovered more about why we deliver outstanding research and science at NASA, with significant are here by seeking to understand technology in science, supported contributions from our team. the origins of life through our by equally formidable space I am honored to be involved work in planetary science. We communications, navigation with such a unique and proud have secured vital knowledge services, and suborbital programs. tradition of exemplary Earth and about how we can survive and space science conducted by the thrive through our Earth science We have extended our track diverse, committed, and talented and heliophysics research that record of success in 2014 with the community that is Goddard. furthers understanding of our help of our first­class workforce changing planet and how our lives and our partners, large and small. are influenced by the Sun. We This year major contracts were have continued the never­ending awarded to continue the world­ quest to know what is out there class science, engineering, and by exploring the greater cosmos support services provided by and our place within it through our five locations, and Goddard numerous astrophysics missions. was recognized for its efforts to Behind the thrill of discovery support small businesses. and exhilaration of exploration lies the hard work of scientists, I would be remiss not to mention engineers, technologists, and all of the crucial administrative other professionals who form the and mission support personnel foundation of all our endeavors. who enable the technical 5 THIS IS WHO WE ARE OUR PURPOSE 6 A Place for NASA Vision Science We reach for new heights and reveal the unknown for the benefit of humankind. For the good of our Nation and the world, Goddard leads scien­ NASA Mission tific research and exploration that transforms our understanding of Drive advances in science, technology, aeronautics, and space exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic Earth and space and enhances the vitality, and stewardship of Earth.