USRA 2009 Annual Report

Universities Space Research Association2009 Annual Report

40USRA

Y E A R S

1969-2009

Celebrating 40 Years of Serviceto the Space Research Community

“We seek to create new combinations of the country’s intellectual, technical, and managerial establishments not only to better use space tools for science but also to help science to better serve the larger needs of society.”

- James Webb, NASA Administrator, September 1967

2 Universities SpaceResearch Association

From Top Left: USRA team celebrates after being awarded the NASA USRP contract; RIACS Director Dr. David Bell and RIACS founding Director Dr. Peter Denning celebrate RIACS’s 25th Anniversary; former DSLS Directors Drs. Harrison Schmitt and Alfred Coats celebrate DSLS’s 25th Anniversary; U.S. Representative Mr. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) at USRA HQ; U.S. Representative Mr. Pete Olson (R-TX) at the USRA Houston Facility; Ms. Emily Kollin receives the NASA USRP Outstanding Performance Award; Former NASA Ames Center Director Mr. G. Scott Hubbard, Mr. Vance Brand, Deputy Director, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, USRA VP of Government Relations Mr. Kevin Schmadel, and NASA Ames Associate Center Director Dr. Steven Zornetzer accept the California Space Authority SpotBeam award on behalf of the SOFIA Program; USRA CEO Dr. Fred Tarantino with Dr. Wuming Bai of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the Forbidden City, China. Former USRA Presidents Drs. Paul J. Coleman (1981-2000), Alexander J. Dessler (1976-1981), David C. Black (2000 - 2006), and A.R. Kuhlthau (1970-1976) with current Preident and CEO Dr. Fred Tarantino at the USRA 40th Anniversary Symposium; USRA Representatives at NASA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Smithsonian; Director General Jean-Jaques Dordain of the European Space Agency (ESA) speaks at USRA’s 40th Anniversary Symposium.

A Year of Accomplishment

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At the end of World War II America asked itself an extremely important question. “How can the tremendous scientific ability deployed to fight fascism successfully, now be applied to assure a

peaceful and prosperous future for our country?” Vannevar Bush led the famous study to answer that question and his report, “Science - The Endless Frontier” established the course of American research since then. It called for the creation and extension of the modern American Research University to provide scientific and engineering education in an intensive research environment. The study also established university research as the backbone of America’s R&D infrastructure. In doing so it magnified the effectiveness of national investment in universities by achieving both the advantages of competitively awarded scientific research and outstanding educational programs for each taxpayer dollar spent. Today American universities are the envy of the world.

David Cummings, retired Executive Vice President of USRA, has recently completed a fascinating history documenting USRA’s formation. Our Association was the creation of two giants of American science and technology, James Webb, the second NASA Administrator and Fred Seitz, the first full-time President of the National Academy of Sciences. The record of transcripts, meeting minutes, letters and memos show that these two individuals recognized the tremendous potential of the American Research University, and the need for it to be applied to the service of space. They also saw the advantages of a national consortium that could assure federal access to the broad base of university capability, and could nurture that very important capability by supporting researchers during necessarily long space system development timelines, and provide researchers “homes away from home” at federal research centers. Over time, this long

range goal has led to the establishment of USRA activities at seven NASA Centers and a DOE National Laboratory. Each of these has proven the value of creating conditions for closer connections between university research and NASA civil servants. Today, USRA is an association of 102 research-focused universities. These universities span a broad spectrum of interests and capabilities. They include land grant institutions, and private universities in this country and abroad, including some who have a rich history of serving minority students. Over its 40 year history USRA has been the vehicle by which entirely new methods and technologies have been developed and transferred to the domain of space research. In the future, USRA will adapt to new conditions. While space science will remain as our major focus, we also recognize that scientific discoveries inevitably lead to valuable societal applications. On the one hand, space is now home to large numbers of satellite systems which support important human needs, including global telecommunications, geolocation services, and detailed scientific and practical observations of the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and lands. On the other hand, USRA’s universities abound with new ideas, methodologies and capabilities which can provide valuable tools and capabilities to government agencies as well as supporting many new types of commercial applications. These new opportunities will add much to USRA’s founding interests in astronomy, astrophysics, solar physics and planetary/lunar science. They can also broaden USRA’s appeal to a wider cross section of university faculty, research staff, and students. Our challenge, of course, lies in the careful evaluation of opportunities, and selecting those that fit the interests of our institutions and USRA’s own capabilities. We will keep you informed about our plans and opportunities and we hope you will provide us with your own thoughts about how we can move forward in these new directions.

Letter from the Chairman and CEO

USRA... Proud Heritage and a Bright Future


USRA was created following extensive deliberations, and sometimes heated debate, that took place over a period of two and a half years, culminating in the spring of 1969. The driving force behind the formation of USRA was NASA’s second Administrator, James Webb. Webb had a vision for research universities as places that would take multidisciplinary approaches to solving complex problems and would be more service-oriented to society. In the early 1960s, Webb had developed a Sustaining Universities Program (SUP), which he had hoped would cause the changes that he thought needed to take place in universities. The SUP had limited success, but Webb didn’t give up on his vision. The planned return of lunar samples during NASA’s Apollo program gave Webb another opportunity to engage with research-intensive universities, and this time he decided to try a consortium approach.

In the fall of 1966, Webb began discussions with Frederick Seitz, who was the president of the National Academy of Sciences. After considering some options with Seitz, Webb asked him to convene a group of universities from across the U.S. to discuss the formation of a consortium that could assume responsibility for some of the research related to the lunar samples. NASA’s initial request was for a

consortium to be involved with the management of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory. Shortly, however, the request was to manage the Lunar Science Institute (LSI – later the LPI), but Webb eventually made it clear that he wanted a national association of universities that would more broadly serve university researchers and NASA. It would serve university researchers by helping them perform on their funded work for NASA with minimal disruption from their

university duties, and it would assist NASA by bringing university expertise to the NASA Centers as the Agency’s exploration activities took it into new realms of science and technology.

Seitz turned to an existing national consortium, the Universities Research Association (URA), which he had helped to create in 1965 for the initial purpose of managing the National Accelerator Laboratory (NAL), which was later named the Fermilab. Most of the debate in the next two years took place

within URA and involved the presidents of the major research-intensive universities in the U.S. The debate was prompted by questions such as, “Should URA divert its attention from the development of the NAL?” “Was the initial task of managing the LSI large enough to justify a national consortium of universities?” More generally, and somewhat beneath the surface of the debate, “Should a national consortium be used only to manage major research facilities or

40 years of contributions to space research and education

The Formation of USRAby Dr. W. David CummingsFormer Executive Vice President, USRA

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should it undertake a large number of smaller, service-oriented efforts consistent with Webb’s vision.”

At the end of the debate, Seitz and the Council of the National Academy of Sciences decided that it would be best to form a new national consortium that would be focused on space research. Seitz made that recommendation to Thomas Paine, who had succeeded Webb as NASA’s Administrator, and NASA concurred. USRA was incorporated in the District of Columbia on 12 March 1969.

USRA has spent the past forty years living out James Webb’s vision of a service-oriented national association of universities. USRA has served the university space research community, as well as NASA, through the management of a number of institutes and programs, mostly located at or near NASA Centers. The LSI/LPI and SOFIA are example of USRA facilities that have served, and will serve, university researchers

as they conduct their NASA-funded work. The Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE), the Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS), the Division of Space Life Science (DSLS), and the National Center for Space Exploration Reserach (NCSER) are examples of USRA institutes and programs that have helped bring

to NASA Centers expertise from the university research community. What of the next forty years? USRA recently completed work on a five-year strategic plan that calls for the association to become more involved

in international, collaborative efforts in the space arena and to broaden involvement with agencies other than NASA. As the plan is implemented, we expect that Webb’s service-oriented guidelines, suitably broadened beyond NASA, will provide a good path for USRA into its future.

From Top Left: NASA Administrator James Webb explaining Lunar Surface Model to President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965; Portrait, Dr. Frederick Seitz, President, National Academy of Sciences, ca. 1968; President Johnson announcing the Lunar Science Institute, 1968; Apollo Astronaut in front of a Lunar Lander.

“In the discussions which have led to the formation of USRA, NASA has stated that there are two ways by which we feel USRA can help the scientific community. The first of these is to encourage and facilitate the participation of academic scientists in NASA programs. The second is to develop and maintain the scientific competence at our NASA centers.” - Homer Newell, 4 April 1969


Astronomy

In the early 1990’s, USRA played a significant role in supporting ROSAT, the first X-ray satellite to perform an imaging survey of the entire X-ray sky. From 1990-1999 ROSAT produced a number of “firsts”: the first detection of X-ray emission from SN 1987a, the closest supernova in 400 years; the first detection of X-rays from comets; the finest image of the X-ray background yet obtained; discovering a previously unseen population of X-ray sources; and taking the first X-ray image of the moon. USRA scientists played key roles in instrument calibration, data analysis support, and in building and maintaining the ROSAT archive, still in active use today by astrophysicists studying the X-ray Universe.

Looking beyond X-rays, USRA also played a role in NASA’s newest space observatory, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. This powerful telescope is opening astronomers’ eyes to the Universe at energies never before explored. Fermi’s Universe is filled with exploding stars, voracious black holes and perhaps even entirely new realms of physics. USRA scientists have played important roles in all aspects of the Fermi project, from instrument design, mission planning, building analysis software, and serving as the interface between the Fermi project and the scientific community.

In addition to providing a supporting role in ROSAT, Fermi, and other NASA Astronomy missions, USRA is a key organization for developing the most ambitious airborne observatory every built. Selected to oversee and manage the Stratospheric Observatory

for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Science Mission Operations, USRA has contributed greatly to NASA’s efforts to convert a Boeing 747sp aircraft into the largest flying astronomical observatory ever built. Scheduled to begin science operations in the fall of 2009, SOFIA will, over its 20 year lifespan, allow astronomers to fly instruments above 99% of the water vapor in the Earth’s atmosphere, allowing for observations never before possible from terrestrial telescopes. SOFIA will also be a unique educational facility, providing a means by which to train the next generation of infrared instrument builders and allowing principal investigators and their graduate assistants to fly onboard the aircraft. SOFIA will be a powerful tool in NASA/DLR’s toolkit, designed specifically for both professional scientific discovery and wide public engagement.

In the coming years, observations from across the electromagnetic spectrum, from infrared to x-ray and gamma-ray bands will increase our understanding of how stars and planets form, the geometry and nature of matter under extreme temperatures and super-strong magnetic fields, and the nature of black holes. Future missions like MAXIM, being developed by USRA scientists in collaboration with researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and other institutions, will allow imaging of space near the event horizon of supermassive black holes while still other technologies to come will be used to better understand the composition of the moon, Mars, asteroids, comets, and other solar-system objects.

Throughout its history, USRA has collaborated with NASA and university researchers around the world to peer into the heavens, seeking to answer fundamental questions about who we are, where we come from, and how life began.

Opposite: ROSAT image of galaxy cluster; NASA Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope; SOFIA telescope and mirror; USRA scientists with SOFIA’s polished mirror.

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Earth Science and Remote Sensing

Over the past 30 years, archaeologists and earth system scientists at NASA, USRA, and other academic and research institutions have been instrumental in the development of space-based archaeology. First utilizing sensors on airborne platforms, then progressing to a broad range of Earth-orbiting instruments, researchers have been able to identify the location and extent of buried remains of ancient cultures. From the earliest investigations utilizing thermal sensors to map buried Anasazi roads in the American Southwest, to the most recent mapping of roads, cities, and water management structures built by the ancient Maya in Central America, research has expanded to include the use of high resolution multi-spectral data, as well as space-based and airborne radar, and lidar. Newly initiated research projects will further develop the use of satellite data to study the ancient cultures of Guatemala, the Amazon Basin, and Cambodia.

In addition to space archeology, USRA has been using remote sensing instruments in an array of other areas as well. Working in collaboration with NASA, state and local governments, NGOs, and academic partners, remote sensing equipment has been used since 1994 to better understand the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. High spatial resolution thermal infrared (TIR) aircraft data were collected over the Huntsville, AL, metropolitan area as an initial project to study the relationship between urban surface temperatures and the development of the UHI. This, in turn, was followed in 1996 by a project to collect similar TIR data over

Altanta, GA. A follow-on project begun in 2000 continues to utilize the data collected over Atlanta to improve urban air quality model forecasts.

USRA remote sensing research is also contributing to our understanding of water and energy cycles as well as facilitating improved environmental management and disaster response. For the past 17 years, USRA scientists have been measuring, modeling, and analyzing soil moisture behavior in the environment, contributing to water and energy cycle science research and applications, such as improved weather prediction; water, agriculture, and disaster management; and vector borne diseases. More recently, USRA scientists, collaborating with NASA scientists and academic partners in the US and abroad, setup SERVIR, the Regional Visualization and Monitoring System for environmental management and disaster response. This international project is coordinated by the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin American and the Carribean in Panama, and facilitates the use of Earth observations and predictive models to provide timely information to decision makers, interfacing with other international and national organizations in their region related to environment, weather, civil protection, and mapping, among others.

Looking forward, USRA will continue to be a leading organization in Earth Science and remote sensing, contributing to humankind’s understanding of Earth and its ecosystems for the betterment of humanity.

Opposite: MAPIR receiver assembly in the OMEGA Sensor Engineering Laboratory; Projected land use for metropolitan Altanta in 2030; MAPIR Command and Control System in the P-3 aircraft; Satellite image of the coastline of Mesoamerica during a red tide (algal bloom) event in 2004.

USRA has a rich history in the areas of Earth Science and remote sensing, contributing to our knowledge of the past while assuming an international role supporting current and future decision makers as they steward humankind’s use of Earth’s reserouces.

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Information Systems for Space Exploration

In 1972, USRA began operating ICASE at NASA’s Langley Research Center to conduct research in the areas of fluid dynamics, and numerical analysis as a means by which NASA researchers, ICASE staff, the broader research community, and industry could collaborate on common areas of interest. Over the course of its 30 years of operation, ICASE advanced the state of the art in computer science and related technologies, infusing a broad array of technologies into NASA and its missions while also acting as a blueprint for another joint USRA-NASA institute.

RIACS was established in 1983 as a joint collaboration between USRA and NASA’s Ames Research Center. Now a division of USRA, RIACS conducts research across a broad range of disciplines relevant to the space science and aerospace community. Initial research conducted by RIACS focused on computational fluid dynamics, supercomputing, and advanced networking technologies – technologies that made their way into the International Space Station and NASA’s Advanced Supercomputing Facility. More recent work conducted by RIACS has looked at artificial intelligence, autonomy, and intelligent systems, resulting in award-winning accomplishments such as AutoClass, Remote Agent, and MAPGEN; technologies jointly developed while working with NASA and other collaborators.

In 1989, statistical patterns detected by AutoClass, a suite of algorithms that find natural classes in real and

discrete valued data, detected new classes of infrared stars in low resolution spectral imagery from NASA’s IRAS mission. This marked the first time an artificial intelligence application made a published astronomical discovery and demonstrated the capabilities of a Bayesian approach to intelligent systems.

Ten years later in 1999, Remote Agent, an artificial intelligence application, flew onboard NASA’s Deep Space 1 spacecraft. During a two-day experiment, Remote Agent was given primary control of DS-1, becoming the first artificial intelligence application to control a spacecraft in deep space. Technologies derived from these initial pioneering experiments were later utilized to develop MAPGEN, a mixed-initiative activity plan generator that was utilized for daily activity planning for the twin Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. It has been estimated that MAPGEN was able to increase scientific return on the MER mission by between 20 - 30 percent by enabling more efficient activity sequences. More recently, in 2008 RIACS was nominated for the National Medal of Technology & Innovation, the highest honor for technological achievement bestowed by the President of the United States.

Looking forward, USRA will continue to develop innovative information technologies to make space exploration safer and more cost efficient.

Opposite: Artist rendition, Mars Exploration Rover; Artist rendition, Deep Space 1; Artist rendition, Constellation Mars Lander; NASA Mission Control at Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, where the RIACS-developed Orbital Communications Adapter Monitoring System (OCASM) is deployed.

The Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE) and the Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) highlight USRA’s pioneering history in basic and applied information systems research.

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Lunar and Planetary Sciences

The Lunar Science Institute, dedicated by President Lyndon B. Johnson at the NASA Manned Space Flight Center (now Johnson Space Center) in Houston, Texas, was set up under the guidance of the National Academy of Sciences. One year later, the Universities Space Research Association was established to manage and operate the facility, which served as the epicenter of lunar science research and a conduit through which moon samples collected by Apollo astronauts could be accessed by the scientific community. In 1978, the Lunar Science Institute was renamed the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), and to this day remains a central facility for conducting a broad range of planetary science and research.

Clean rooms are a central part of Astromaterials research. These curatorial facilities allow scientists to closely investigate samples of moon rock and soil without introducing foreign contaminants that could invalidate findings. USRA, through its network of university members, has continually brought together world class scientists and researchers from around the globe to work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, pursuing new discoveries about the composition of not only our moon, but other space objects as well, such as asteroids, comets, and planets.

USRA has also worked with the international space community to support other missions as well. In 2008, Dr. Paul Spudis, a noted planetary geologist with LPI, participated as Principal Investigator for the team that

designed the MiniSAR radar imaging instrument which flew onboard India’s Chandrayaan-1 lunar mapping satellite.

Internship programs for students from high-school to post-doctoral studies have been a hallmark of USRA’s collaboration with NASA. The first class of LPI-NASA interns arrived in June of 1977 and since then the program has trained over 400 undergraduate students with over 75 going on to become members of the planetary science research and training community.

Over the association’s 40 year history, USRA has continued to be at the forefront of lunar and planetary research, bringing together world class scientists from universities around the world to investigate our Earth’s celestial neighbors. In the years to come, USRA will continue to provide leadership in the planetary science community, focusing on research excellence; outstanding conference support; resource management; education and public outreach; and support of NASA and the scientific community. As NASA reaches out farther into the solar system with robotic and human missions to our nearest neighbors as well as distant bodies, USRA scientists will lend their expertise in the design, building and leadership of such missions. USRA programs will act as points of community participation in mission activities and support the dissemination of planetary data and interpretation throughout the scientific community and into our colleges and universities.

USRA has a storied history in lunar and planetary sciences, dating back to the Apollo missions and the return of lunar surface samples to Earth.

Opposite: 1968 Houston Post article describing the vision for the Lunar Science Institute; USRA scientists work in clean rooms at the curatorial facilities at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, 1981; Artist rendition of NASA lunar lander; Artist rendition of India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, aboard which the NASA funded and USRA developed Mini-SAR instrument is currently flying.

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Space Life Sciences

Since its inception, USRA’s Division of Space Life Sciences has participated in NASA’s flight and ground-based neurovestibular research, working in collaboration with U.S. military researchers, the National Institutes of Health, and international partners. During the first International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) that flew in 1992, the USRA helped facilitate the efforts of 17 investigators representing four countries. The collective experiments represent the most comprehensive assessment of vestibular adaption to space flight, and have led to ongoing international studies and novel eye measurement technology. In addition, USRA scientists are currently collaborating with the European Space Agency to utilize 3-D eye measurements to examine how vestibular asymmetry affects the ability of crew members to adapt to new gravity environments.

Another important area of research is investigating the effects of space radiation on astronauts during long-duration space missions. Today, USRA researchers investigate the biological, biophysical, and theoretical aspects of space radiation, working with collaborators at NASA’s Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. Using the unique capabilities of the NSRL, researchers are able to perform experiments mimicking the heavy ions and high energy particles found in space. The goal of this research is to improve risk assessment of astronaut health during long-duration space missions, refine models to obtain more accurate dose estimates

for heavy and highly energetic protons found in space, and develop models to simulate the effects of radiation tracks on DNA in living cells.

In addition to research, USRA also coordinates the annual NASA Space Radiation Summer School with an eye toward training the next generation of space radiation researchers. Since its inception in 2004, more than 80 students have been taught radiation physics and biology by the top researchers in the field and have used the heavy ions of the NSRL to perform their own physics and biology experiments.

Micro- and zero-gravity environments also present physiological challenges for humans not only in space, but also after spaceflight. To better understand and prevent the adverse effects of space flight on humans, USRA researchers are developing a multi-disciplinary battery of functional tests (e.g., ladder climb) to identify cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and neurovestibular crew performance limits following space flight. Using an array of physiological measures, contributions of various physiological systems to impaired performance will be identified, facilitating future development of countermeasures.

The groundbreaking research being conducted by USRA in the space life sciences will lead to important breakthroughs required for extended-duration human space flight.

USRA’s research in the area of space life science is seeking to identify specific aspects of human space flight which pose risks to astronauts while in space and after their return to Earth.

Opposite: Microgravity Vestibular Investigations (MVI) rotator chair mounted in the space shuttle; Chromosomes painted with pseudocolor bands identifying both inter- and intra- chromosome aberrations simultaneously; Test subject in the standalone Zero Gravity Locomotion Simulator (sZLS); NASA astronauts congregating near the viewing port of the Aquarius undersea research habitat.

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Space Exploration Technology

Opposite: BCAT6 slow growth sample module; Artist rendering of an NAIC concept of plasma bubbles for in-space propulsion and radiation protection; Artist rendering of microbots for large-scale planetary surface and sub-surface exploration; Artist rendering of NASA Orion spacecraft.

In support of NASA’s ongoing mission to study and explore the universe, USRA is providing leading edge research with the goal of developing the technologies needed to facilitate the next generation of space exploration.

From 1998 to 2007, USRA operated the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC), an organization designed to stretch the immagination of the technical community and encourage revolutionary creativity. Through this institute, USRA facilitated independent development of aeronautical and space concepts with the potential to dramatically impact how NASA develops and conducts its missions. Over its nine years of operation, the Institute yielded tremendiously creative ideas, including the Space Elevator, radical new skintight spacesuites, and magnetic sails, among others.

Another leading-edge program operated by USRA is the National Center for Space Exploration Research (NCSER). The program was founded in 2005 to support NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration by focusing on the development of new spacecraft, power, and propulsion systems for extended-duration space travel, as well as systems to provide long-term life support for humans in space. NCSER is the evolution of the former National Center for Microgravity Research, another USRA-operated program.

NCSER space exploration research conducted by USRA covers a diverse range of topics including cryogenic fluid management, astronaut health, integrated systems health monitoring, energy storage, and planetary surface mobility, among others. New technologies developed in these research areas will provide the foundation for future long-duration human space flight.

In addition to this important research, NCSER is also leading a team pursuing the Heinlein Trust and Space X Low Earth Orbit (LEO) experiment opportunity. This USRA collaboration with P&G, Harvard, NYU, UPenn, CASE, ZIN Technologies, and Ball Aerospace will provide test samples and hardware support for the NASA flight hardware that they will update to enable it to operate and fly autonomously in Space X. This effort will address fundamental questions in colloidal engineering regarding product shelf-life and when it is that order naturally arises out of disorder for some particle shapes.

Sustaining life for long-duration space travel as well as on the surface of the moon and Mars will require substantial power-generation capabilities, capabilities only provided by nuclear energy. USRA’s Center for Space Nuclear Reserach (CSNR) is leading the way in developing safe approaches for utilizing nuclear power in space. Through the CSNR Summer Fellows program, researchers have established the benefit of using a nuclear thermal rocket to construct a lunar outpost and enable faster missions to the outer planets. Over the coming years, CSNR will continue to be a center point in NASA’s efforts to harness nuclear power in space by developing nuclear fuels for use in the nuclear thermal rocket, designing advanced nuclear reactor concepts for the lunar and martian surfaces, and designing advanced radioisotope power sources to support space exploration by humans and robots.

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Student Activities

One of USRA’s most successful education programs, the Advanced Design Program (ADP) maximized USRA technical and educational resources to facilitate year-long studies of knowledge and technology transfer between NASA and the university community. Over the course of the ten-year program (1984-1994), 69 individual universities logged 295 years of participation involving 10,800 students. The studies provided design reports relevant to possible future missions, which became of interest to NASA’s top management as they undertook planning and implementation of programs to meet future challenges. The ADP also had a direct effect on the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology’s “Engineering Criteria 2000,” which is now the standard for accreditation for all U.S. engineering programs.

More recent programs, such as NASA’s Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP - NASA’s largest undergraduate internship program) places university students at NASA centers and

research facilities across the country. The USRP students work side by side with NASA scientists and engineers and provide the students with extensive immersive, hands-on experiences working on current NASA projects. While USRA’s management of the USRP did not begin until 2007, the program has already placed over 400 students in internships throughout NASA.

The Texas Aerospace Scholars (TAS) program is continuing USRA’s long tradition of bridging academia and the space-science workplace. Through its renowned online and onsite educational experiences, TAS puts the frontiers of space exploration at the fingertips of students and educators by providing innovative online lessons and exciting onsite experiences at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Since 1999, more than 6,000 middle school, high school, and community college students and teachers have participated in TAS programs.

Developing the next generation of scientists and researchers is an integral part of USRA’s mission. Since its inception, USRA has worked to integrate learning opportunities with its research programs to engage students in the NASA mission.

Below: 1977 LPI Intern Class, USRP students, USRP Intern at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech).

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Facilities Management and Operation

USRA’s mission is to advance space-related sciences and exploration through innovative research, technology, and educational programs, and to develop and operate premier facilities and programs, by involving universities and the government.

USRA is recognized for its expertise in management and operation of facilities that serve the national and international scientific communities. USRA employs experienced personnel, with high-level training in project and facility management and decades of practice in industry and some of the largest federal laboratories.

USRA’s disciplined approach to contract, project, and facility management employs industry-standard practices and tools. USRA business systems use accepted government contracting software, including Costpoint© by Deltek Systems. USRA operations integrate advanced modules from the Deltek software suite, with other key tools, as required, to provide such services as detailed task management and earned value management (EVM). USRA personnel

and business systems, together, provide a level of capability comparable to that expected of an established industrial firm.

USRA’s approach to facility management often draws upon the technical competencies of its member universities and its more than twenty institutes and programs. USRA is able to leverage existing external and internal technical resources in the operation of a facility, because of corporate expertise specializing in coordinating multi-institutional teams. This capability is particularly beneficial where university participation is essential to operation of a scientific facility. USRA serves as a responsible entity to a government sponsor, coordinating the work of industrial partners and the contributions of research universities.

Below: NASA Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), Johnson Space Center; SOFIA Mirror Coating Facility, NASA Ames Research Center; USRA’s Houston Facility, which is home to the Lunar and Planetary Institute, the Division of Space Life Sciences, and a number of USRA education activities.


Council of Institutions and Science Councils

Council of Institutions Chair, Vice Chair, and Regional SecretariesChair Dr. Edward J. Groth Princeton UniversityVice-Chair Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen University of MichiganRegion I Dr. Sabatino Sofia Yale UniversityRegion II Dr. Cyrus Madina University at Buffalo - SUNY Region III Dr. Paul Feldman Johns Hopkins University Region IV Dr. Andre P. Mazzoleni North Carolina State UniversityRegion V Dr. Moshe Guelman Technion-Israel Institute of TechnologyRegion VI Dr. Terrence Weisshaar Purdue UniversityRegion VII Dr. Daryush Ila Alabama A&M UniversityRegion VIII Dr. Mark S. Ewing University of Kansas Region IX Dr. Joe Hawkins University of Alaska

Council ChairAstronomy and Space Physics Dr. Jonathan Ormes, University of DenverSpace Nuclear Power and Propulsion Dr. Gary Bennett, NASA-retiredLunar and Planetary Science Dr. Lisa R. Gaddis, US Geological SurveySpace Exploration Research and Technology Dr. Basil Antar, University of TennesseeComputer Science and Information Technology Dr. Daniel Cooke, Texas Tech UniversityScience and Engineering Education Dr. John Kelly, North Carolina A&T UniversitySpace Life Science Dr. Gerald Sonnenfeld, Binghamton UniversityStratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy Dr. Andrew Harris, University of MarylandEarth Science Dr. William L. Smith, Hampton University

Science Councils

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Member Universities

Region IVCentral Florida, University ofCollege of William & MaryFlorida State UniversityFlorida-Gainesville, University ofGeorgia Institute of TechnologyHampton UniversityNorth Carolina A & T State UniversityNorth Carolina State UniversityOld Dominion UniversityTennessee, University ofVanderbilt University

Region VBritish Columbia, University ofChinese University of Hong KongCologne, University ofLeicester, University ofSheffield, University ofSydney, University ofTechnion-Israel Institute of TechnologyTel-Aviv UniversityToronto, University of

Region VIChicago, University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign, University ofIndiana UniversityIowa State UniversityIowa, University ofMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, University ofNebraska at Lincoln, University ofNorthwestern UniversityPurdue UniversityWisconsin, University of

Region VIIAlabama A& M UniversityAlabama at Huntsville, University ofAuburn UniversityBaylor UniversityHouston, University ofLouisiana State UniversityMississippi State UniversityRice UniversityTexas A & M UniversityTexas-Arlington, University ofTexas-Austin, University ofTexas-Dallas, University ofTexas-Medical Branch at Galveston, University ofTexas Tech University

Region VIIIArizona State UniversityArizona, University ofArkansas, University ofColorado at Boulder, University ofColorado School of MinesDenver, University ofKansas, University ofNew Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico, University ofOklahoma State UniversityOklahoma, University ofUtah State UniversityWashington University-St. Louis

Region IXAlaska, University ofCalifornia-Berkeley, University ofCalifornia Institute of TechnologyCalifornia-Los Angeles, University ofCalifornia-San Diego, University ofCalifornia-Santa Barbara, University ofHawai’i, University ofSouthern California, University ofStanford UniversityWashington, University of

Region IBoston CollegeBoston UniversityBrandeis UniversityBrown UniversityConnecticut, University ofHarvard UniversityMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyNew Hampshire, University ofTufts UniversityYale University

Region IIBuffalo - SUNY, University at Cornell UniversityLehigh UniversityNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNew York UniversityPrinceton UniversityRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, University ofRockefeller UniversityStony Brook University

Region IIICase Western Reserve UniversityDelaware, University ofGeorge Mason UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityHoward UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityMaryland, University ofOhio State UniversityOhio UniversityPennsylvania State UniversityPittsburgh, University ofVirginia, University ofVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University


National Advocacy for the University Space Research Community

Financial Highlights

Edward J. Groth, Chair Princeton UniversityDavid Axon Rochester Institute of TechnologyDaniel Baker University of Colorado-BoulderKenneth S. Gertz University of MarylandRobert H. Holzworth University of WashingtonTruell Hyde Baylor University

Issues and Programs Committee

USRA’s Fiscal Year 2008 financial statements were audited by UHY, LLP. Its report expressed an unqualified opinion that the financial statements are presented fairly, in all material respects, in conformity with accounvting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Copies of the complete audited financial statements are available upon request.

Total Revenue (in millions)

Mary Musgrave University of ConnecticutArthur Poland George Mason UniversityTom I-P. Shih Iowa State UniversityAlan Wells University of LeicesterThomas Zurbuchen, University of Michigan Vice-Chair

USRA is leading a campaign to reverse the dramatic decline in funding for small university-class missions. Balloon flights, suborbital missions, and small spaceflight missions are the key to hands-on training for students and young professionals. They also provide excellent scientific data. USRA has also taken up the issue of the impact of export controls and ITAR on university space research.

0

25

50

75

100

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009*

6061

70

8287

96

Above: Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Vice Chair, USRA Council of Institutons, testifies on Capitol Hill.

* estimated

232009Annual Report

Board of Trustees, Executive Team, and Directors

Back row: Edward McCullough, Consultant; Scott Pace, George Washington University; Richard Binzel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Jack Fix, University of Alabama, Huntsville; Thomas Zurbuchen, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Vice-Chair Council of Institutions; Steven Kahn, Stanford University; Alan Wells, University of Leicester. Front row: Gary Swenson, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Peggy Evanich, University of Florida; Ed Groth, Princeton University, Chair Council of Institutions; Fred Tarantino, President and CEO; Peter Banks, Astrolabe Ventures, Chair; M.K. Jeppesen, Utah State University, Vice-Chair: Ivette Falto-Heck, Lockheed Martin Corporation; Michael Drake, University of Arizona. Not pictured: Stefi Baum, Rochester Institute of Technology.

Institute and Program Directors Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology Dr. Michael Corcoran Center for Space Nuclear Research Dr. Steven Howe Division of Space Life Sciences Dr. Adrian LeBlanc Eduation Program Office at Houston Ms. Barbara Hammond Earth System Science Program Dr. Donald Perkey Huntsville Operations Dr. Frank Curran Lunar and Planetary Institute Dr. Stephen Mackwell National Center for Space Exploration Research Dr. Iwan Alexander Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science Dr. David Bell SOFIA Science and Mission Operations Director Dr. Donald Kniffen SOFIA Program Director Ms. Helen Hall SOFIA Science Advisor Dr. Eric Becklin Undergraduate Stundent Research Program Ms. Sheri Klug USRA Astronomy Program in Huntsville Dr. Mark Finger

Executive Team CEO and President Dr. Fred Tarantino Senior Advisor Dr. David Cummings Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Mr. Timothy Tuttle Vice President, Program Development & General Counsel Mr. Scott Williamson Chief Information Officer Mr. Alan Marchant Vice President, Government Relations Mr. Kevin Schmadel Director, University Relations Dr. Hussein Jirdeh

Board of Trustees, January 2009

USRA Headquarters10211 Wincopin Circle, Suite 500Columbia, MD 21044

USRA Houston3600 Bay Area Blvd.Houston, TX 77058

USRA Huntsville6767 Old Madison Pike Bldg. 4, Suite 450Huntsville, AL 35806

USRA Mountain View615 National Ave. Suite 220Mountain View, CA 94043

All images courtesy of NASA except:pp 13 - Chandarayaan-1 image courtesy of Indian Space Research Organization

pp 18 - Intern at JPL with MER Rover image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltechpp 22 - Capital Building courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol

Layout and Design: The Casadonte Group LLC

http://www.usra.edu

USRA 2009 Annual Report

Documents

Transcript of USRA 2009 Annual Report