[NTA] FW: Call for Membership on the 2020 Mars Science Rover SDT
- From: "Ericsson, Aprille J. (GSFC-5050)" <aprille.j.ericsson@xxxxxxxx>
- To: undisclosed-recipients:;
- Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:34:27 -0600
From: NSPIRES-Help [mailto:nspires-help@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 1:47 PM
To: NSPIRES-Help@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Call for Membership on the 2020 Mars Science Rover SDT
Call for Letters of Application for Membership on the Science Definition Team
for the 2020 Mars Science Rover
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invites scientists,
technologists, and other qualified and interested individuals at U.S.
institutions and elsewhere to apply for membership on the Science Definition
Team (SDT) for the 2020 Mars science rover mission (hereafter Mars-2020).
Mars-2020 is a strategic mission sponsored by NASA's Planetary Science
Division, through the Mars Exploration Program, all of which are part of the
Science Mission Directorate (SMD).
This mission will advance the scientific priorities detailed in the National
Research Council's Planetary Science Decadal Survey, entitled "Vision and
Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022," (the Decadal Survey is
available at http://www.nap.edu). Mars-2020 rover development and design will
be largely based upon the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) architecture that
successfully carried the Curiosity rover to the Martian surface on August 6,
2012 (UTC). The 2020 rover is intended to investigate an astrobiologically
relevant ancient environment on Mars to decipher its geological processes and
history, including the assessment of its past habitability and potential for
preservation of biosignatures within accessible geologic materials.
Furthermore, because NASA is embarking on a long-term effort for eventual human
exploration of Mars, the mission should provide an opportunity for contributed
Human Exploration Mission Directorate (HEOMD) or Space Technology Program (STP)
participation via payload elements aligned with their priorities and compatible
with SMD priorities for Mars-2020 (e.g., MEPAG P-SAG report, posted June 2012
to MEPAG website: http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov).
The members of the Mars-2020 SDT will provide NASA with scientific assistance
and direction during preliminary concept definition (Pre-Phase A) activities.
Near-term activities of the SDT will include the establishment of baseline
mission science objectives and a realistic scientific concept of surface
operations; development of a strawman payload/instrument suite as proof of
concept; and suggestions for threshold science objectives/measurements for a
preferred mission viable within resource constraints provided by NASA
Headquarters. The products developed by the SDT will be used to develop the
NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Announcement of Opportunity (AO) that
will outline the primary science objectives of the baseline mission and the
character of the payload-based investigations solicited under open competition
via the AO. The SDT will be formed in January 2013, and disbanded after the
work is complete approximately four months later.
All reports and output materials of the Mars-2020 SDT will be publicly
available, and the SDT will be disbanded prior to any future Announcement of
Opportunity (AO) for participation in the Mars-2020 mission, including
provision of instrumentation and investigation support. Participation in the
Mars-2020 SDT is open to all qualified and interested individuals. The formal
NASA charter for the Mars-2020 SDT will be posted to the NASA Science Mission
Directorate Service and Advice for Research and Analysis (SARA) website
(http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/).
DETAILS OF THIS CALL FOR SDT PARTICIPATION
Response to this Call for Membership in the Mars-2020 SDT is in the form of a
Letter of Application. SDT members will be selected by NASA Headquarters
senior officials from the pool of respondents and other qualified candidates.
The selected members will have demonstrated expertise and knowledge in areas
highly relevant to the Mars-2020 primary scientific goals and related
technologies and instrumentation. The Letter of Application should provide
clearly defined evidence of the candidate's demonstrated expertise in one or
more areas associated with the preliminary mission description given above.
The Letter of Application may also contain a brief list of references to
scientific or technical peer-reviewed papers the applicant has published that
formally establish their position of scientific leadership in the community.
The letter should also contain a statement confirming the applicant's time
availability during the next three to six months to participate on the SDT,
particularly if there are any major schedule constraints that may restrict full
engagement in the significant amount of work that will be required in a
reasonably short time frame. Applicants should indicate interest in serving as
the chair or co-chair of the SDT.
Membership in the SDT will be determined by NASA after formal review of the
Letters of Application solicited by this Call for Membership. Approximately
12-15 SDT members and an SDT Chair will be selected. The NASA Mars-2020
Program Scientist, the NASA Mars Exploration Program Lead Scientist, and
possibly other Agency representatives will serve as ex officio members of the
SDT. Letters of Application are invited only from individuals, and group
applications will not be considered. In addition, collaborations and teams
will not be considered.
Each Letter of Application is limited to two pages, with 11-point font with
1-inch margins. Letters of Application submitted by E-mail are preferred, but
may also be submitted by regular mail or fax. Responses to this invitation
should be received by the Mars-2020 Program Scientist no later than January 10,
2013, at the address below.
The issuance of this Call for Letters of Application does not obligate NASA to
accept any of the applications. Any costs incurred by an applicant in preparing
a submission in response to this Call are the responsibility of the applicant.
Dr. Mitch Schulte
Planetary Sciences Division
Science Mission Directorate
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
300 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20546
Phone: 202-358-2127
Fax: 202-358-3097
E-mail: mars2020-sdt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:mars2020-sdt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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- » [NTA] FW: Call for Membership on the 2020 Mars Science Rover SDT - Ericsson, Aprille J. (GSFC-5050)
