Smithsonian Institution
Lunar science and techSubcontractor to 2
Lunar obligations
$2.8Mas prime
Lunar awards
18as prime
Its subcontractors
1$124K reported
Primes it works for
2$348K in subawards
Who it subcontracts to
PARTICIPATION IN DECODE: DEVELOPING AN ECOSYSTEM TO COMPUTE OPACITY DATA FOR EXOPLANETS THROUGH QUANTUM CALCULATIONS OF THE MOLECULAR LINE SHAPE PARAMETERS.
Who it works for
THE PURPOSE OF THIS SUBCONTRACT AWARD IS FOR HARVARD SMITHSONIAN, CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS (CFA) TO SUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE (UNH) PHASE E EFFORT ON THE COSMIC RAY TELESCOPE FOR THE EFFECT OF RADIATION (CRATER) INSTRUMENT FOR THE LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER (LRO) MISSION. CFA SHALL ANALYZE CRATER OBSERVATIONS OF PRIMARY COSMIC RAYS, SECONDARY RADIATION FROM THE MOON, AND SOLAR PROTON EVENTS, SUPPORT PRESENTATION OF THESE RESULTS AT CRATER AND LRO TEAM MEETINGS, AND PREPARE THEM FOR PUBLICATION IN THE REFEREED LITERATURE.
SCIENCE PERSONNEL: PI DR. FEDERICO FRASCHETTI IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LEADING AND MANAGING THE OVERALL EFFORT. DR. FRASCHETTI WILL PROVIDE THE MHD MODELING FRAMEWORK AND THE ROUTINES TO CALCULATE A MHDSCALE TURBULENCE WITHIN MAGNETIC FLUX TUBES TO INVESTIGATE THE GCR TRANSPORT AT THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN FLUX TUBES AND CLOSED MAGNETIC ARCADES IN THE LOW CHROMOSPHERE, WILL ASSIST WITH THE INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS AND THE PREPARATION OF THE REFEREED PUBLICATIONS. CO-I DR. MAHBOUBEH ASGARI-TARGHI WILL DEVELOP A MODEL THAT DESCRIBES THE HEATING OF CORONAL LOOP PLASMA BY MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC (MHD) TURBULENCE. THE REDUCED RMHD MODEL IS BASED ON THE COUNTER-PROPAGATING INTERACTION OF ALFVEN WAVES GENERATED AT THE PHOTOSPHERIC FOOTPOINTS. THE CO-I WILL ALSO WRITE THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MODELING RESULTS FOR SUBMISSION TO PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS. DR. FRASCHETTI HAS 1 MONTH PER YEAR ALLOCATED FOR ALL THREE YEARS. DR. ASGARI-TARGHI ALSO HAS 1 MONTH PER YEAR PLANNED. OTHER PERSONNEL: THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES 40 HOURS PER YEAR FOR A FUND MANAGER FOR GRANT SPECIFIC ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. THESE EFFORTS ARE NOT RECOVERED AS INDIRECT COSTS, AND INCLUDE TRACKING AND MONITORING EXPENDITURES, PROCESSING TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS, AND PREPARING REQUISITIONS FOR PURCHASES. THE FUND MANAGER WILL ALSO ASSIST THE PI AND CO-I, IF NECESSARY, WITH TIMELY SUBMISSION OF PROGRESS REPORTS, AND ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE FEDERAL REGULATIONS. TRAVEL: WE INCLUDE A TRAVEL BUDGET FOR THE PI TO ATTEND THE AAS WINTER MEETING EACH YEAR TO PRESENT SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. THE DESTINATION OF FIRST YEAR CONFERENCE IS NATIONAL HARBOR, MD WITH COST OF: PER DIEM $1,445 ($289/DAY FOR 5 DAYS) + $265 AIRFARE + MISCELLANEOUS OF $1,274 = $2,984 TOTAL ESTIMATED COST. MISCELLANEOUS COSTS EACH YEAR FOR AGU CONFERENCES IS CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS: $899/PERSON REGISTRATION FEE + $75/DAY FOR 5 DAYS FOR GROUND TRANSPORTATION AND BAGGAGE FEES = TOTAL MISCELLANEOUS OF $1,274. YEAR 2 AAS IS PLANNED IN PHOENIX, AZ WITH COST OF: PER DIEM $2,485 ($497/DAY FOR 5 DAYS) + $239 AIRFARE + MISCELLANEOUS OF $1,274 = $3,998 TOTAL ESTIMATED COST. YEAR 3 AAS IS PLANNED IN SALT LAKE CITY, UT WITH COST OF: PER DIEM $1,110 ($222/DAY FOR 5 DAYS) + $560 AIRFARE + MISCELLANEOUS OF $1,274 = $2,944. PER DIEM AND AIRFARE COSTS ARE INFLATED BY 3% EACH YEAR.
Lunar awards as prime
| Award | Description | Period | Obligated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80NSSC25K7168 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-01-01 → 2027-12-31 | $539K |
| 80NSSC25K7572 | THE ROSES FUNDING OPPORTUNITY GOALS ARE: EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-01-13 → 2028-01-12 | $370K |
| 80NSSC25K7759 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. | 2025-08-01 → 2028-07-31 | $325K |
| 80NSSC25K7886 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS | 2025-04-01 → 2027-03-31 | $192K |
| 80NSSC25K7533 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-01-01 → 2026-12-31 | $157K |
| 80NSSC25K7958 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-05-01 → 2027-04-30 | $149K |
| NNX17AK45G | IN 1989 VOYAGER 2 ENCOUNTERED THE NEPTUNE SYSTEM AND RETURNED IMAGES OF ITS LARGEST MOON (~1350 KM RADIUS) TRITON AND THESE IMAGES REMAIN THE PRIMARY DATA FOR OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SATELLITE (FIG. 1). TRITON WAS REVEALED TO BE A GEOLOGICALLY ACTIVE MOON [SMITH ET AL. 1989] AND ITS ACTIVITY HAS BEEN LINKED TO ITS DYNAMICAL HISTORY AS A CAPTURED KUIPER BELT OBJECT (KBO) [E.G. MCKINNON ET AL. 1995]. UNTIL THE NEW HORIZONS MISSION FLEW BY PLUTO IN 2015 TRITON WAS THE ONLY KBO VISITED BY SPACECRAFT; HOWEVER TRITONS ROLE AS OUR ONLY CLOSE-UP EXAMPLE OF A PROBABLE KBO WAS ALWAYS DOGGED BY THE QUESTION OF WHETHER ITS GEOLOGY WAS REPRESENTATIVE OF OTHER KBOS OR RESULTED FROM ITS UNIQUE HISTORY. THAT QUESTION HAS NOT YET BEEN RIGOROUSLY REASSESSED IN THE POST PLUTO-ENCOUNTER ERA. ADDITIONALLY TRITON BRIDGES A GAP BETWEEN KBOS AND ICY SATELLITES. AS A LIKELY KBO CAPTURED INTO NEPTUNE S ORBIT [E.G. MCKINNON ET AL. 1995] IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE DIVERSE POPULATION OF ICY SATELLITES BUT ITS ORIGIN IS UNIQUE RELATIVE TO THOSE OF THE ICY SATELLITES AND LIKELY CONTRIBUTES TO ITS YOUNG SURFACE AND EXOTIC TERRAINS (FIG. 2) [SCHENK&JACKSON 1993]. THE CAPTURE OF TRITON BY NEPTUNE LIKELY RESULTED IN A MASSIVE HEATING EVENT THAT RESULTED IN RESURFACING [MCKINNON 1984; 1992] POSSIBLY BY CRYO-VOLCANISM [CROFT 1990; SCHENK 1992]. CRATER COUNTS FOR BOTH TRITON [SCHENK&ZAHNLE 2007] AND PORTIONS OF PLUTO [STERN ET AL. 2015] SUGGEST THAT BOTH SURFACES ARE EXCEPTIONALLY YOUNG WHICH MAY INDICATE THAT NEITHER TRITON NOR PLUTO RETAIN THEIR ORIGINAL SURFACES. THE SUCCESSFUL NEW HORIZONS FLYBY THROUGH THE PLUTO SYSTEM OPENED THE DOOR TO ANOTHER PART OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM REVEALING AN EXTRAORDINARY DIVERSITY OF TERRAINS RENEWING INTEREST IN THE ORIGIN EVOLUTION AND DIVERSITY OF KBOS [STERN ET AL. 2016] AND BY EXTENSION TRITION. VOYAGER 2 S ENCOUNTER WITH TRITON AND NEPTUNE OCCURRED ON AUGUST 25 1989 WITH CLOSEST APPROACH TO TRITON OF 39 800 KM [CHAPMAN&CRUIKSHANK 1995; STONE&MINER 1989] BUT THE INHERENT CHALLENGE WITH FLYBY MISSIONS ESPECIALLY IN THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM MEAN EXTREMELY LIMITED DATA SETS WITH LONG TIME LAPSES BETWEEN MISSIONS. THESE OBSTACLES ARE OVERCOME BY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR MAXIMIZING THE DATA RETURN INCLUDING DETAILED GEOLOGIC MAPPING AND GENERATION OF DIGITAL ELEVATION MODELS (DEMS) FROM OFTEN NON-TARGETED STEREO PAIRS. WE PROPOSE TO PRODUCE A COMPLETE FRAMEWORK OF ACCESSIBLE DATA PRODUCTS AND ESTABLISH THROUGH MAPPING A GEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION TO FACILITATE AND FOSTER THE RESURGING INTEREST IN TRITON AND KBOS. WE PROPOSE TO CREATE A USGS GLOBAL-SCALE GEOLOGIC MAP OF TRITON TO INFORM ONGOING AND FUTURE EXPLORATION OF TRITON AND OTHER KBOS. ADDITIONALLY WE AIM TO RESTORE AND ARCHIVE VOYAGER 2 DATA PRODUCTS THAT EXIST ONLY ON COMPACT DISKS (CDS) AT THE USGS ASTROGEOLOGY SCIENCE CENTER. ADDITIONALLY WE PROPOSE TO PRODUCE A COMPREHENSIVE AND COMPLETE SET OF HIGH-LEVEL (PROCESSED) TRITON DATA PRODUCTS THAT MAXIMIZE THE LIMITED DATA SET RETURNED FROM THE VOYAGER 2 FLYBY ENCOUNTER AND MAKE THEM READILY AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY. | 2017-09-01 → 2023-08-31 | $142K |
| 80NSSC25K7723 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS | 2025-03-15 → 2030-03-14 | $139K |
| 80NSSC25K7532 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUA | 2025-01-01 → 2026-12-31 | $136K |
| 80NSSC25K7707 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS | 2025-03-01 → 2027-02-28 | $113K |
| 80NSSC25K0081 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS | 2025-08-01 → 2027-07-31 | $90K |
| 80NSSC25K7989 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-07-01 → 2026-06-30 | $78K |
| 80NSSC25K7316 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-01-01 → 2025-12-31 | $76K |
| NNX15AD96G | WE PROPOSE TO CARRY OUT EARTH-BASED RADAR MAPPING OF THE MOON AND VENUS, USING PROVEN TECHNIQUES TO ACQUIRE, ANALYZE, AND ARCHIVE DATA THAT ENABLE UN | 2015-02-01 → ? | $72K |
| 80NSSC19K1624 | WE PROPOSE TO CONDUCT NOBLE-GAS COSMIC-RAY EXPOSURE DATING ON A SUBSET OF SAMPLES FROM THE VACUUM-SEALED AND FROZEN LUNAR SAMPLES. | 2019-08-22 → 2025-06-30 | $58K |
| 80NSSC25K7130 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2024-09-24 → 2026-09-23 | $49K |
| 80NSSC25K7440 | EXECUTE A BALANCED SCIENCE PROGRAM BASED ON DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES ENGINEERING AND MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES AND DIRECTION FROM CONGRESS. PARTICIPATE AS A KEY PARTNER AND ENABLER IN THE AGENCY S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF ON AND FROM THE MOON LUNAR ORBIT MARS AND BEYOND. ADVANCE DISCOVERY IN EMERGING FIELDS BY IDENTIFYING AND EXPLOITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SCIENCE DISCIPLINES DEVELOP A DIRECTORATE-WIDE TARGET-USER FOCUSED APPROACH TO APPLIED PROGRAMS INCLUDING EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS SPACE WEATHER PLANETARY DEFENSE AND SPACE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. | 2025-01-01 → 2026-12-31 | $49K |
| 80NSSC17K0216 | SCIENCE OBJECTIVES: THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROPOSAL ARE TO (1) ASSESS THE RELATIVE INFLUENCE OF VOLCANISM AND IMPACT-RELATED MATERIALS (IMPACT MELT FLUIDIZED EJECTA) AS RESURFACING MECHANISMS ON MERCURY AND (2) TO GENERATE A GEOLOGIC MAP IN A REGION OF INTERCRATER PLAINS TO REFINE THE POSSIBLE FORMATION MECHANISMS OF THESE ANCIENT AREALLY EXTENSIVE PLAINS MATERIALS. THE SURFACE OF MERCURY HAS BEEN HEAVILY MODIFIED BY IMPACT CRATERS WHICH HAVE MADE IT DIFFICULT TO UNEQUIVOCALLY DETERMINE THE FORMATION MECHANISM FOR THE OLDER PLAINS DEPOSITS (I.E. THE INTERCRATER PLAINS); BOTH VOLCANIC AND IMPACT-RELATED PROCESSES HAVE BEEN PROPOSED. ANALYSIS OF BOTH MARINER 10 AND MESSENGER DATA HAS LED MOST RESEARCHERS TO CONCLUDE THAT THE INTERCRATER PLAINS ARE VOLCANIC IN ORIGIN. HOWEVER THE INFLUENCE OF IMPACT-GENERATED MATERIALS ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL RESURFACING HAS YET TO BE FULLY EXPLORED. THIS IS A MAJOR OMISSION FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST MORE IMPACT MELT IS GENERATED ON MERCURY COMPARED WITH THE MOON IN EVERY CRATERING EVENT SINCE MERCURY HAS A MUCH HIGHER AVERAGE IMPACT VELOCITY. SECOND MERCURY HAS BETWEEN 46 AND 87 IMPACT BASINS WHICH IS LIKELY MORE THAN THE MOON GIVEN RECENT GRAIL RESULTS AND LARGER MAGNITUDE IMPACT EVENTS GENERATE DISPROPORTIONALLY MORE IMPACT MELT. CALORIS AND REMBRANDT THE TWO LARGEST BASINS ON MERCURY HAVE EXTENSIVE ASSOCIATED SMOOTH PLAINS DEPOSITS WHICH ARE PARTIALLY INTERPRETED AS IMPACT-RELATED MATERIALS. WITH THE LARGE NUMBER OF POSSIBLE IMPACT BASINS AVAILABLE TO PRODUCE IMPACT MELT AND THE EXTENT OF THE CALORIS AND REMBRANDT IMPACT MELT DEPOSITS IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT IMPACT-RELATED DEPOSITS PLAYED A MORE SUBSTANTIAL ROLE IN RESURFACING MERCURY THAT HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN RECOGNIZED. DEPENDING ON THE SCALE OF RESURFACING RESULTING FROM IMPACT-RELATED PROCESSES LARGE REGIONS OF INTERCRATER PLAINS MAY BE PRIMARILY COMPOSED OF IMPACT EJECTA DEPOSITS. PROPOSED METHODOLOGY: WE PROPOSE A FOCUSED INVESTIGATION OF THE STRATIGRAPHY OF GEOLOGIC MATERIALS CONTAINED WITHIN THE DERAIN QUADRANGLE (H-10) ON MERCURY USING DATASETS FROM THE MESSENGER MISSION TO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF VOLCANIC AND IMPACT-RELATED RESURFACING PROCESSES. H-10 PRESENTS AN IDEAL LOCATION FOR THIS ANALYSIS BECAUSE IT HAS FEW SMOOTH PLAINS DEPOSITS AND LACKS RECENT IMPACT BASIN-RELATED DEPOSITS (E.G. REMBRANDT OR CALORIS); THIS PAUCITY OF YOUNG DEPOSITS MEANS H-10 IS REPRESENTATIVE OF TYPICAL ANCIENT MERCURIAN CRUST. TO ACCOMPLISH OUR SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES WE WILL (1) IDENTIFY THE STRATIGRAPHIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SMOOTH PLAINS DEPOSITS WITHIN AND EXTERIOR TO COMPLEX CRATERS AND IMPACT BASINS; (2) INVESTIGATE THE MORPHOLOGIC TRANSITION BETWEEN INTERCRATER PLAINS AND SMOOTH PLAINS AND COMPARE THE DISTRIBUTION OF INTERCRATER PLAINS WITH EXPECTATIONS FOR IMPACT EJECTA TO REFINE CONCEPTUAL MODELS OF INTERCRATER PLAINS FORMATION; AND (3) DETERMINE THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF VOLCANIC VERSUS IMPACT-RELATED RESURFACING THROUGH GENERATION OF A USGSPUBLISHED SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS MAP OF THE DERAIN QUADRANGLE (H-10). RELEVANCE: THE DDAP CALL SOLICITS RESEARCH THAT ENHANCE[S] THE SCIENTIFIC RETURN OF DISCOVERY PROGRAM MISSIONS THROUGH ANALYSES OF DATA BOTH RECENT AND ARCHIVED COLLECTED BY DISCOVERY MISSIONS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND THE MAJOR GEOLOGIC PROCESSES RESPONSIBLE FOR LOCAL AND REGIONAL RESURFACING ON MERCURY THROUGH AN ANALYSIS OF MESSENGER DATASETS LOCATED WITHIN THE DERAIN QUADRANGLE (H-10). THE PROPOSED WORK WILL MAKE SIGNIFICANT USE OF AND GREATLY ENHANCE THE USE OF MESSENGER DATA AND IS THUS RELEVANT TO DDAP. THIS RESEARCH EFFORT WOULD ELUCIDATE THE IMPORTANCE OF VOLCANISM AND IMPACT-RELATED RESURFACING TO THE CRUSTAL EVOLUTION OF MERCURY OVER GEOLOGIC TIME. | 2017-08-01 → ? | $26K |