Chapter 5. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Overview

The mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration [external link]  (NASA) is to "advance human exploration, use and development of space; advance and communicate scientific knowledge and understanding of the Earth, the Solar System, and the Universe; and, research, develop, verify and transfer advanced aeronautics, space and related technologies."

To view a listing of solicitations for research opportunities at NASA, please click here. 

Organization of environmental R & D within NASA: (internal links)

Click here for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate 2007–2016 Science Plan. [PDF, 5.4MB]]

Nearly all of NASA's environmental R&D comes under the theme of " Earth- Sun Science " (ESE) whose purpose is "to observe the global Earth environment, to understand the mechanisms that underlie natural and human-induced environmental changes, and to identify consequences that could impact human societies. ESE began 1991 as "Mission to Planet Earth" and is the largest single federal program studying the Earth and its environment.

NASA's activities are carried out through ten centers. However the Goddard Space Flight Center accounts for nearly 60% of the earth science budget. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (12%), Langley Research Center (9%), Headquarters (5%), Kennedy Space Center (5%), Stennis Space Center (3%), Ames Research Center (2%), Marshall Flight Center (2%) Dryden Flight Research Center (2%), Johnson Space Center (1%) and Glenn Research Center account for remainder.

Given the nature of making space-based observations, it is not surprising that over half (~52%) of NASA R&D is classified as "development." Approximately 23% is classified as "basic" research.

Most NASA R&D is performed either by industrial firms (51%) or intramurally (25%). Universities and colleges perform only 8% of NASA overall R&D but approximately 24% of NASA'a "basic" research. Although it should be noted that the Jet Propulsion Lab, administered by a university (California Institute of Technlogy) performs 12% of R&D and 18% of "basic" research.

ESE is "a combination of space-based, airborne, and ground-based instruments to acquire long-term data on the global Earth system. These data primarily aid scientific understanding of environmental issues, and particularly global climate change. ESE programs also seek to enhance predictive capabilities about potential global environmental hazards, while also developing remote sensing technologies that might reduce the cost and increase the reliability of future missions. At the same time, ESE operates an information management system to capture, process, archive, and distribute data to scientists, policymakers, and the public. The agency is also a significant contributor to the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program, and the World Climate Research Programme."

2010 NASA