Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2004 15:57:34 -0600
Subject: DPS Mailing #04-28: Threats to Solar System Exploration,
Greetings, DPS Colleagues,
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1) THREATS TO SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION?
2) ORAL PRESENTATIONS AT LOUISVILLE DPS MEETING
3) SUNDAY WORKSHOPS AT LOUISVILLE DPS MEETING
4) IP ADDRESSES FOR LOUISVILLE MEETING
5) JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
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THREATS TO SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION?
From William D. Cochran, DPS Chair
Mr. Al Diaz, the Associate Administrator for the NASA Science
Mission Directorate (formerly the Office of Space Science) will
be speaking to the DPS in Louisville at the "Science Policy Night"
(aka "NASA Night") on Tuesday evening November 9 at 8pm.
He will be taking your questions.
Several serious issues warrant your attention:
(1) There is no longer a "firewall" between NASA expenditures
for human space flight and space science. This was affirmed by
Marc Allen at the October 20 meeting of COMPLEX. The firewall
was originally established to protect space science from cost
overruns incurred by the ISS and shuttle operations. Now we
are facing "agency-wide integration in support of the Vision
of Exploration." Robotic exploration, a crewed exploration
vehicle, ISS activities, advanced aeronautical technologies
will all be lumped together and assessed as to their relative
support of the Vision in making budget decisions.
(2) There is confusion with regards to whether there will be
any "science-driven" activity within SMD. While the NASA Level 0
Exploration Requirements state in part "(1.6) NASA shall conduct
robotic exploration across the solar system for scientific
purposes and to support human exploration," it is not clear what
scientific purposes are considered acceptable under the new Vision.
(3) Funds for a $2B+ Hubble servicing mission will need to be
reallocated from existing programs as costs grow. It is not clear
what programs, including solar system, are being targeted for
reallocation of funds to accomplish this. The planetary
community may have interests in this case that are distinct from
the astrophysics community.
There are other questions regarding support for PI-led missions
within SMD that we hope will be addressed during NASA Night. Your
participation is important, because action by the community may be
necessary to preserve space science in general and solar system
exploration in particular. Our window for action is open now and
will close with the passage of the NASA budget. Action now will
also be important for the FY06 NASA budget, being prepared for
submission to Congress in February.
I wish to thank Ann Sprague for valuable assistance in preparing
this message to the DPS membership.
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ORAL PRESENTATIONS AT THE LOUISVILLE DPS MEETING
Just a reminder that there are three types of media supported for
video projection at the Louisville DPS Meeting: (1) USB "Thumb-Drives",
(2) CD's, and (3) laptops. MS Office is the supported presentation
software. Speakers using presentation software other than MS Office
should plan on using their laptop. Speakers are requested to arrive at
their session 30 minutes early to (1) give their thumb-drive or CD to
the technician, or interface their laptop, and (2) check the projection
quality of their presentation. Submitted by Dan Britt
([email protected]).
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SUNDAY WORKSHOPS AT LOUISVILLE DPS MEETING
There are still meeting rooms available for DPS members wanting to
hold Sunday workshops or meetings prior to the Louisville DPS.
Requests for rooms should be sent to either Tim Dowling
([email protected]) or Dan Britt ([email protected]).
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IP ADDRESSES FOR LOUISVILLE MEETING
Please let your home-institution internet-firewall system
administrator know that the Louisville DPS meeting will be using
IP addresses in the range 12.201.227.128 through 12.201.227.191
and 12.201.227.253 through 12.201.227.255. Submitted by
Tim Dowling ([email protected]).
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JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Australian National University (ANU) Planetary Sciences Institute
(PSI) Fellowships in Cosmochemistry and/or Planetary Science - fixed
or continuing position, depending on level of qualifications and
experience. The PSI is a newly-funded undertaking between the
Research Schools of Astronomy and Astrophysics and Earth Sciences
at the Australian National University. We are seeking to fill two
further joint appointments at the Research Fellow or Fellow level.
For further information and selection documentation contact:
[email protected], or see AAS Job Register
listing 21328.
Linda French Emmons, DPS Secretary
send submissions to [email protected]