In 2007 Congress called for the National Research Council (NRC) to examine issues regarding balance between mission-enabling activities and spaceflight missions, and this report presents the conclusions of the NRC Committee on the Role and Scope of Mission-Enabling Activities in NASA's Space and Earth Science Missions, which was organized to undertake that task. The committee defined mission-enabling activities to be the ensemble of non-spaceflight-mission-specific programs that create the scientific and technological expertise and associated infrastructure necessary to define, execute, and benefit from the spaceflight missions. In some cases these activities can lead directly to significant scientific accomplishments that advance the strategic goals of NASA without being linked to a spaceflight mission. All of these activities are managed by four science divisions- astrophysics, heliophysics, planetary science, and Earth science-within the NASA headquarters Science Mission Directorate (SMD). The same SMD divisions also manage the spaceflight missions for the corresponding scientific discipline areas. Chapter 1 of this report discusses each of the purposes of mission-enabling activities, relates them to specific elements of SMD's programs, and provides examples of how mission-enabling activities have contributed to NASA space and Earth science programs. These activities play essential roles in maximizing the scientific return on investment in space and Earth science spaceflight missions and in providing a foundation for an effective and robust program for the future, and they also constitute an integral part of the nation's overall research and development (R&D) effort.


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    Titel :

    Enabling Foundation for NASA's Earth and Space Science Missions


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    2010


    Format / Umfang :

    76 pages



    Medientyp :

    Report


    Format :

    Keine Angabe


    Sprache :

    Englisch