An outlook for NASA's Future Earth Science Satellite Missions

JCET Seminar Series Spring 2021

An Outlook for NASA's Future Earth Science Satellite Missions

(Feb. 02, 2021 ~ May 04, 2021)

When: Tuesday 11:15 AM ~ 12:15 PM

WebEx info: https://umbc.webex.com/umbc/j.php?MTID=mc772f1cb667eb27afffedea6d468bdf2

Google Drive Folder:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qrjoIe0Dw-6S8zSTtCfm0YpDeJmI_i_D?usp=sharing

Background

About every 10 years, NASA would commission a panel of renowned scientists to conduct a coordinated survey, known as the "NASA Decadal Survey". It is aimed to identify the most outstanding questions in the field of Earth Sciences and also make recommendations to NASA on what types of observations are needed to address these questions. Those missions recommended by the panel is called "Decadal Survey Missions".

The last NASA Decadal Survey was released in 2018. At the request of NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Committee on the Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space (ESAS) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Space Studies Board, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences released the 2017 Decadal Survey, “Thriving on Our Changing Planet: A Decadal Strategy for Earth Observations from Space.” The 700-page document is the second such Earth sciences survey produced by NASEM.

Among many recommendations for NASA, the Decadal Survey identifies five designated foundational observations to be implemented as cost-capped medium- and large-size missions directed or competed at the discretion of NASA:

• Aerosols and Clouds, Convection and Precipitation (ACCP) (combined)

• Mass Change

• Surface Biology and Geology

• Surface Deformation and Change

After the release of the Decadal Survey, NASA made a call for the mission concepts and designs to meet the recommendations. At the moment, NASA is investigating the feasibility, cost and benefits of the proposed future mission.

The Objectives of this seminar series are:

• Study the Decadal Survey to understand

  • What are the most outstanding/challenging questions in Earth Sciences that are identified by the survey?

  • What kinds of observations are needed to address these questions?

  • what kinds of satellite or suborbital missions have been recommended for the next decades?

• Focused study of recommended ACCP mission

  • What types of satellite instruments are needed/recommended for the ACCP?

  • What are the advantages and limitations of each instrument?

  • How could the future ACCP missions helpful for your own research?

Study Groups

The students will be divided into several study groups based on their common science/research interests: e.g., 1) Aerosol; 2) Cloud; 3) Convection and Cloud dynamics; 4) Numerical Modeling. Each group will study together (e.g., read papers, collect information online, etc) and also make weekly presentation (one team per week). External scientists/speakers will be invited from time to time to give presentations on specific topics.

(Tentative) Presentation Schedule

Reading Materials

Useful links

• NASA website for ACCP mission: https://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/decadal-accp

• 
  

WebEx info:

https://umbc.webex.com/umbc/j.php?MTID=mc772f1cb667eb27afffedea6d468bdf2

Tuesday, Feb 2, 2021 11:00 am | 1 hour 30 minutes | (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Occurs every Tuesday effective 2/2/2021 until 5/4/2021 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Meeting number: 120 702 6859

Password: bmKgVAbp943

f4648dad79a74e82814db07c0c268be5_20210202T160000Z

Join by video system

Dial 1207026859@umbc.webex.com

You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.

Join by phone

+1-202-860-2110 United States Toll (Washington D.C.)

Access code: 120 702 6859