NASA's Earth Observation Decadal Survey and Opportunities for Small Missions
- Paper number
IAC-07-B4.4.06
- Author
Dr. Larry Paxton, The John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, United States
- Year
2007
- Abstract
NASA has just completed its decadal survey of Earth Science missions. That survey is a very ambitious call for new missions with a subtext that older observations need to be carried out to continue the baseline started by the Earth Observing System. The survey begs the question of how this is to be paid for and how it is to be managed. Embedded within this traditional approach is a new small satellite mission class: Venture. These are intended to be smaller focused missions that will demonstrate technologies and measurement techniques. This mission class would be distinct from the Earth System Science Pathfinder line and would offer a complementary means of addressing the goals of NASA's Earth Science missions. The Venture program would be intended to provide opportunities for innovation and programmatic and personnel development. In this paper I review the issues that confront the implementation of the Venture program and the challenges in the field of knowledge management that must be addressed in order for the program to be cost-effective.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-B4.4.06.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.