National Aeronautics and Space Administration GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER ANNUAL REPORT www.nasa.gov The Goddard Project Life cycle CONCEIVE DESIGN BUILD We Start With Science... TEST LAUNCH ...and End With Science OPERATE SHARE ANALYZE One World-Class Organization . .2 TABLE OF Goddard at a Glance ........................................3 Our Legacy................................................4 Center Director’s Message ................................6 25 Years of Hubble’s Universe..............................7 Celebrating Wallops .....................................8 CONTENTS Our Focus Areas .......................................10 2015 in Figures.........................................12 Delivering Your Data from Space ..........................14 Our Organization.......................................16 14 Highlights of 2015....................................17 Engaging the Community • Explore@NASAGoddard ..........22 Our Leadership ...........................................24 Earth Science..........................................26 Astrophysics ..........................................28 Heliophysics...........................................30 Planetary Science ......................................32 Space Communications and Navigation.....................34 Suborbital Programs and Range Services....................36 Our Life @ Goddard........................................38 Institutional Support ....................................40 IT and Communications..................................41 Public Communication ..................................42 Education.............................................44 Our People • State of the Workforce 2015 ...................46 Budget ...............................................47 Economic Impact.......................................48 Environmental Impact ...................................49 Our Loyalty • Wallops Flight Facility ...........................50 Connections..............................................52 In Memoriam .............................................53 On Earth Day, April 22, 2015, NASA asked: What is your favorite place on Earth? Submissions came from all 50 U.S. states and 145+ coun­ tries and territories. These images were all shared on social media. There is truly no place like home. 1 Global ONE WORLD-CLASS ORGANIZATION: AT A GLANCE FIVE UNIQUE SITES Over 13,000 People provider of Plus many other locations worldwide scientific GODDARD 37,000+ GREENBELT CAMPUS INDEPENDENT research, GODDARD MARYLAND VERIFICATION LIVES SAVED INSTITUTE FOR & VALIDATION WORLDWIDE THROUGH SPACE STUDIES FACILITY 100 GODDARD-ENABLED technology, NEW YORK CITY FAIRMONT TERABYTES OF SEARCH & RESCUE NEW YORK WEST VIRGINIA DATA PROVIDED BY HUBBLE and missions NGC 6302, known as the Butterfly Nebula 1976 Greenbelt Visitor Center Opened! that visitors since150,000+ 2012 3,000 Est.1959 COMETSBY DISCOVERED SOHO transform our Est.1961 Est.2000^ WHITE SANDS WALLOPS FLIGHT knowledge COMPLEX FACILITY LAS CRUCES WALLOPS ISLAND 1 of 63 known of Earth and NEW MEXICO Est.1978* Est.1945 VIRGINIA living Moon Trees WEBB planted from approximately *Goddard-managed ground communications stations will be a powerful ^Goddard assumed management ANNIVE time machine with space RSA 450 th R 5 Y infrared vision that seeds taken on 2 will peer back over the Apollo 14 mission Cosmic billion years. Expert in the study of our world, ROBERT H. GODDARD 13.5 THE FATHER OF MODERN ROCKETRY Background the solar system, and beyond, Explorer: NASA Goddard Space Flight (1882–1945) The American engineer, Primetime professor, physicist, and inventor credited launched in 1989 Center (GSFC) has been working with creating and building the world's first led to a Nobel 1EMMY AWARD since 1959 to increase scientific liquid-fueled rocket. Prize in Physics understanding, answer human­ ity’s big questions, and benefit EDUCAT INSPIR the society and communities we I IN GODDARD’S N G ” serve. The center’s work in sci­ G “FIRSTS First Live TV Broadcast from the Moon in 1969 ence, engineering, technology, UHURU Mission and communications strengthens ENGAG (1970-1973) IN our ability to envision the origins G UHURU: “Freedom” Years of 1,800 in Swahili, first Students satellite devoted Experience of life, preserve our way of living, to X-Ray Astronomy 40+ Inaugural MDEngaged STEM Festival Managing the and define our place in the uni­ Development 9,000 National Inventors of NOAA’s verse. We identify requirements Pre-K Through 8 Weather IV&V Rocket Competition Students First spacecraft managed Hall of Fame Satellites and innovations; design, build 900,000+ and launched by a woman: Marjorie Townsend George E. Alcorn and launch spacecraft; and man­ Facebook Followers (March 12, 1930 - April 4, 2015) 2015: X-ray Imaging Spectrometer age and support entire space D ID YOU K 1.2M+ missions. Our fundamental com­ NOW G Instagram Followers ? odda rese rd ha munications infrastructure en­ arch s bu sat ilt a ellite nd s th ope ables NASA and others to bring an rate any d m oth or er e E back knowledge from space, inst art itut h S ion cie in nc share it with diverse customers, th e e w or and apply it to society in count­ ld. less ways. 2 ONE WORLD-CLASS ORGANIZATION: AT A GLANCE FIVE UNIQUE SITES Over 13,000 People Plus many other locations worldwide GODDARD 37,000+ GREENBELT CAMPUS INDEPENDENT GODDARD MARYLAND VERIFICATION LIVES SAVED INSTITUTE FOR & VALIDATION WORLDWIDE THROUGH SPACE STUDIES FACILITY 100 GODDARD-ENABLED NEW YORK CITY FAIRMONT TERABYTES OF SEARCH & RESCUE NEW YORK WEST VIRGINIA DATA PROVIDED BY HUBBLE NGC 6302, known as the Butterfly Nebula 1976 Greenbelt Visitor Center Opened! visitors since150,000+ 2012 3,000 Est.1959 COMETSBY DISCOVERED SOHO Est.1961 Est.2000^ WHITE SANDS WALLOPS FLIGHT COMPLEX FACILITY LAS CRUCES WALLOPS ISLAND 1 of 63 known NEW MEXICO Est.1978* Est.1945 VIRGINIA living Moon Trees WEBB planted from approximately *Goddard-managed ground communications stations will be a powerful ^Goddard assumed management ANNIVERS time machine with 450 th AR 5 Y infrared vision that seeds taken on 2 will peer back over the Apollo 14 mission Cosmic billion years. ROBERT H. GODDARD 13.5 THE FATHER OF MODERN ROCKETRY Background Explorer: (1882–1945) The American engineer, Primetime professor, physicist, and inventor credited launched in 1989 with creating and building the world's first led to a Nobel 1EMMY AWARD liquid-fueled rocket. Prize in Physics EDUCA INSPIR TI IN N G GODDARD’S G “FIRSTS” First Live TV Broadcast from the Moon in 1969 UHURU Mission ENGAG (1970-1973) IN G UHURU: “Freedom” Years of 1,800 in Swahili, first Students satellite devoted Experience to X-Ray Astronomy 40+ Inaugural MDEngaged STEM Festival Managing the Development 9,000 National Inventors of NOAA’s Pre-K Through 8 Weather IV&V Rocket Competition Students First spacecraft managed Hall of Fame Satellites and launched by a woman: 900,000+ Marjorie Townsend (March 12, 1930 - April 4, 2015) George E. Alcorn Facebook Followers 2015: X-ray Imaging Spectrometer D ID YOU K 1.2M+ www.nasa.gov/goddard NOW G Instagram Followers ? odda rese rd ha arch s bu sat ilt a 3 ellite nd s th ope an rate any d m oth or er e E inst art itut h S ion cie in nc th e e w or ld. THIS IS WHO WE ARE OUR LEGACY 4 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. lives of people on our home planet. We advance NASA’s mission NASA’s Strategic Goals by leading scientific research, 1. Expand the frontiers of knowledge, capability, and and by building, launching, and opportunity in space. operating scientific instruments, 2. Advance understanding of Earth and develop technologies spacecraft, and information sys­ to improve the quality of life on our home planet. tems. As a science center, God­ 3. Serve the American public and accomplish our mission by dard seeks to understand the effectively managing our people, technical capabilities, and Earth and to explore the universe infrastructure. through a robust program of sci­ entific research in Earth science, astrophysics, heliophysics, and planetary science. As a space­ flight center, Goddard utilizes its core technical and programmatic expertise and facility capabilities to execute a broad range of flight missions and field campaigns. We are committed to enabling innovation and developing new technologies that expand the agency’s technical capabilities in support of its overarching mission. Goddard then applies its breakthroughs to society: stimulating economic growth, fostering the education of the next generation, and inspiring the Nation. 5 CENTER DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE For more than 50 years, NASA’s During the year, we added the disciplines, it is impossible to Goddard Space Flight Center Soil Moisture Active Passive include them all. Please visit our has laid a foundation of scientific spacecraft to our constellation website, www.nasa.gov/god- and technical knowledge that of Earth­monitoring sentinels dard, for greater detail regarding society will apply to its endeav­ and gained new insights into the our efforts and accomplishments. ors today and in the future. I am climate system with the Global inspired by, and grateful