TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Assessment of the NASA Astrobiology Institute SN - DO - 10.17226/12071 PY - 2008 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12071/assessment-of-the-nasa-astrobiology-institute PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - Astrobiology is a scientific discipline devoted to the study of life in the universe - its origin, evolution, distribution, and future. In 1997, NASA established an Astrobiology program (the NASA Astrobiology Institute - NAI) as a result of a series of new results from solar system exploration and astronomical research in the mid-1990s together with advances in the biological sciences. To help evaluate the NAI, NASA asked the NRC to review progress made by the Institute in developing the field of astrobiology. This book presents an evaluation of NAI's success in meeting its goals for fostering interdisciplinary research, training future astrobiology researchers, providing scientific and technical leadership, exploring new research approaches with information technology, and supporting outreach to K-12 education programs. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Joseph R. Schmitt TI - Searching for Life Across Space and Time: Proceedings of a Workshop SN - DO - 10.17226/24860 PY - 2017 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24860/searching-for-life-across-space-and-time-proceedings-of-a PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - The search for life is one of the most active fields in space science and involves a wide variety of scientific disciplines, including planetary science, astronomy and astrophysics, chemistry, biology, chemistry, and geoscience. In December 2016, the Space Studies Board hosted a workshop to explore the possibility of habitable environments in the solar system and in exoplanets, techniques for detecting life, and the instrumentation used. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Review of NASA's Aerospace Technology Enterprise: An Assessment of NASA's Pioneering Revolutionary Technology Program SN - DO - 10.17226/10810 PY - 2003 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10810/review-of-nasas-aerospace-technology-enterprise-an-assessment-of-nasas PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - The Committee for the Review of NASA's Pioneering Revolutionary Technology (PRT) Program and its three supporting panels were charged by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with assessing the overall scientific and technical quality of the PRT program and its component programs, along with their associated elements and individual research tasks. Major issues addressed in the review include (1) research portfolios, (2) research plans, (3) technical community connections, (4) methodologies, and (5) overall capabilities. As reflected in the organization of the report, a two-pronged assessment was developed. Each panel provided a detailed assessment of the program under its purview, which was refined and updated over the course of the review. The committee, composed mainly of representatives from each panel, integrated and evaluated the panel results and provided top-level advice on issues cutting across the entire PRT program. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Thriving on Our Changing Planet: A Decadal Strategy for Earth Observation from Space SN - DO - 10.17226/24938 PY - 2018 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24938/thriving-on-our-changing-planet-a-decadal-strategy-for-earth PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - We live on a dynamic Earth shaped by both natural processes and the impacts of humans on their environment. It is in our collective interest to observe and understand our planet, and to predict future behavior to the extent possible, in order to effectively manage resources, successfully respond to threats from natural and human-induced environmental change, and capitalize on the opportunities – social, economic, security, and more – that such knowledge can bring. By continuously monitoring and exploring Earth, developing a deep understanding of its evolving behavior, and characterizing the processes that shape and reshape the environment in which we live, we not only advance knowledge and basic discovery about our planet, but we further develop the foundation upon which benefits to society are built. Thriving on Our Changing Planet presents prioritized science, applications, and observations, along with related strategic and programmatic guidance, to support the U.S. civil space Earth observation program over the coming decade. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - High-Stakes Aviation: U.S.-Japan Technology Linkages in Transport Aircraft SN - DO - 10.17226/2346 PY - 1994 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/2346/high-stakes-aviation-us-japan-technology-linkages-in-transport-aircraft PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - The third in a series of sector-specific assessments of U.S.-Japan technology linkages, this book examines U.S.-Japan relationships that develop or transfer aircraft technology, the motivations of participating organizations, and the impacts on U.S. and Japanese capabilities. Incorporating detailed accounts of the business and technology aspects of U.S.-Japan aircraft alliances, the volume also describes the U.S. and Japanese policy contexts, presents alternative scenarios for the future and outlines how linkages with Japan can be leveraged as part of a strategy to reenergize U.S. leadership in this critical industry. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations for Selected Airborne Contaminants: Volume 1 DO - 10.17226/9062 PY - 1994 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9062/spacecraft-maximum-allowable-concentrations-for-selected-airborne-contaminants-volume-1 PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Using Remote Sensing in State and Local Government: Information for Management and Decision Making SN - DO - 10.17226/10648 PY - 2003 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10648/using-remote-sensing-in-state-and-local-government-information-for PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics KW - Engineering and Technology AB - Advances in spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution over the past several years have greatly expanded opportunities for practical applications of remote sensing data. To explore the implications of these possibilities, the NRC held a series of three workshops on different facets of remote sensing applications. This report is on the third of those workshops: the development and use of remote sensing data and information by state, local, and regional governments. The steering committee was asked to examine the opportunities, potential challenges, and policy issues associated with the application of remote sensing data in the public sector including approaches and procedures for government agencies to use such data and barriers to development and use of the applications. The resulting report is addressed primarily to non-technical managers and decisions makers at all levels of government below the federal level. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Toward New Partnerships In Remote Sensing: Government, the Private Sector, and Earth Science Research SN - DO - 10.17226/10500 PY - 2002 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10500/toward-new-partnerships-in-remote-sensing-government-the-private-sector PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - The technical, scientific, policy, and institutional environment for conducting Earth science research has been changing rapidly over the past few decades. Changes in the technical environment are due both to the advent of new types and sources of remote sensing data, which have higher spatial and spectral resolution, and to the development of vastly expanded capabilities in data access, visualization, spatial data integration, and data management. The scientific environment is changing because of the strong emphasis on global change research, both nationally and internationally, and the evolving data requirements for that research. And the policy and institutional environment for the production of Earth observation data is changing with the diversification of both remote sensing data and the institutions that produce the data. In this report, the Space Studies Board's Steering Committee on Space Applications and Commercialization explores the implications of this changing environment, examining the opportunities and challenges it presents. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Transportation Research Board AU - National Research Council TI - Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs SN - DO - 10.17226/12950 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12950/advancing-aeronautical-safety-a-review-of-nasas-aviation-safety-related PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics KW - Earth Sciences AB - Advancing the state of aviation safety is a central mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Congress requested this review of NASA's aviation safety-related research programs, seeking an assessment of whether the programs have well-defined, prioritized, and appropriate research objectives; whether resources have been allocated appropriately among these objectives; whether the programs are well coordinated with the safety research programs of the Federal Aviation Administration; and whether suitable mechanisms are in place for transitioning the research results into operational technologies and procedures and certification activities in a timely manner. Advancing Aeronautical Safety contains findings and recommendations with respect to each of the main aspects of the review sought by Congress. These findings indicate that NASA's aeronautics research enterprise has made, and continues to make, valuable contributions to aviation system safety but it is falling short and needs improvement in some key respects. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Engineering AU - National Academy of Engineering TI - Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2004 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering SN - DO - 10.17226/11220 PY - 2005 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11220/frontiers-of-engineering-reports-on-leading-edge-engineering-from-the PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - This volume includes 14 papers from the National Academy of Engineering's Tenth Annual U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium held in September 2004. The U.S. Frontiers meeting brings together 100 outstanding engineers (ages 30-45) to learn from their peers and discuss leading-edge technologies in a range of fields. The 2004 symposium covered these four areas: engineering for extreme environments, designer materials, multiscale modeling, and engineering and entertainment. Papers in the book cover topics such as scalable mobile robots for deployment in polar climates, the challenges of landing on Mars, thin-film active materials, vascular tissue engineering, small-scale processes and large-scale simulations of the climate system, simulating physically accurate illumination in computer graphics, and designing socially intelligent robots, among others. Appendixes include information about the contributors, the symposium program, and a list of the meeting participants. The book is the tenth in a series covering the topics of the U.S. Frontiers of Engineering meetings. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Fair Weather: Effective Partnership in Weather and Climate Services SN - DO - 10.17226/10610 PY - 2003 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10610/fair-weather-effective-partnership-in-weather-and-climate-services PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - Decades of evolving U.S. policy have led to three sectors providing weather services—NOAA (primarily the National Weather Service [NWS]), academic institutions, and private companies. This three-sector system has produced a scope and diversity of weather services in the United States second to none. However, rapid scientific and technological change is changing the capabilities of the sectors and creating occasional friction. Fair Weather: Effective Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services examines the roles of the three sectors in providing weather and climate services, the barriers to interaction among the sectors, and the impact of scientific and technological advances on the weather enterprise. Readers from all three sectors will be interested in the analysis and recommendations provided in Fair Weather. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Evaluating the Biological Potential in Samples Returned from Planetary Satellites and Small Solar System Bodies: Framework for Decision Making SN - DO - 10.17226/6281 PY - 1998 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6281/evaluating-the-biological-potential-in-samples-returned-from-planetary-satellites-and-small-solar-system-bodies PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Space and Aeronautics KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - For the first time since the Apollo program, NASA and space agencies abroad have plans to bring samples to Earth from elsewhere in the solar system. There are missions in various stages of definition to gather material over the next decade from Mars, an asteroid, comets, the satellites of Jupiter, and the interplanetary dust. Some of these targets, most especially Jupiter's satellites Europa and Ganymede, now appear to have the potential for harboring living organisms. This book considers the possibility that life may have originated or existed on a body from which a sample might be taken and the possibility that life still exists on the body either in active form or in a form that could be reactivated. It also addresses the potential hazard to terrestrial ecosystems from extraterrestrial life if it exists in a returned sample. Released at the time of the Internationl Committee on Space Research General Assembly, the book has already established the basis for plans for small body sample retruns in the international space research community. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Ensuring the Climate Record from the NPOESS and GOES-R Spacecraft: Elements of a Strategy to Recover Measurement Capabilities Lost in Program Restructuring SN - DO - 10.17226/12254 PY - 2008 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12254/ensuring-the-climate-record-from-the-npoess-and-goes-r-spacecraft PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Space and Aeronautics AB - In 2000, the nation's next-generation National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) program anticipated purchasing six satellites for $6.5 billion, with a first launch in 2008. By November 2005, however, it became apparent that NPOESS would overrun its cost estimates by at least 25 percent. In June 2006, the planned acquisition of six spacecraft was reduced to four, the launch of the first spacecraft was delayed until 2013, and several sensors were canceled or descoped in capability. Based on information gathered at a June 2007 workshop, "Options to Ensure the Climate Record from the NPOESS and GOES-R Spacecraft," this book prioritizes capabilities, especially those related to climate research, that were lost or placed at risk following the 2006 changes. This book presents and recommends a prioritized, short-term strategy for recovery of crucial climate capabilities lost in the NPOESS and GOES-R program descopes. However, mitigation of these recent losses is only the first step in establishing a viable long-term climate strategy-one that builds on the lessons learned from the well-intentioned but poorly executed merger of the nation's weather and climate observation systems. ER -