OFFICE OF SPACE SCIENCE (CODE S) Associate Administrator: Dr. Wesley T. Huntress, Jr. Public Affairs Contacts: Don Savage, 202/358-1727; Doug Isbell, 202/358-1753 In Fiscal Year 1997, the Space Science enterprise continues a robust program of flight development activities. Although there will be no new programs proposed for initiation in FY 1997, Space Science is now reaping a scientific bonanza as well as growing public interest from ongoing programs, such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Galileo Mission to Jupiter. We are looking forward to a high tempo of activities in the coming year to include the launches of two missions to Mars and the second Hubble servicing mission. Space Science has restructured to more efficiently manage fundamental scientific research in astrophysics, planetary exploration, and space physics. Resources will be focused on the most significant questions yet unanswered by science, helping to keep NASA at the forefront of space science into the next century. Although the Space Science budget declines from FY 1996 to FY 1997, the level of activity does not. The decline is caused by the winding down of two major programs, AXAF and Cassini, as they approach the end of development and launch, as well as by the completion and launch of the NEAR, Mars Pathfinder and Mars Global Surveyor by the end of calendar year 1996. In fact, the number of Space Science spacecraft launched continues to grow, from an average of two per year in FY 1990-94, to five per year in FY 1995-99 and six per year planned for FY 2000-04. The total FY 1997 budget request for Space Science is $1,857.3 million. Highlights of this budget request include: ADVANCED X-RAY ASTROPHYSICS FACILITY (AXAF) DEVELOPMENT $178.6 million The Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), the third of NASA's Great Observatories, will observe matter at the extremes of temperature, density and energy content as a complement to the capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. With its unprecedented capabilities in energy coverage, spatial resolution, spectral resolution and sensitivity, AXAF will provide unique and crucial information on the nature of objects ranging from nearby stars like the Sun to quasars at the edge of the observable universe. AXAF is on schedule for launch in September 1998 aboard the Space Shuttle, with deployment into low-Earth orbit followed by upper stage delivery to highly elliptical operational orbit. Including launch services, mission operations and data analysis, the total FY 1997 funding for the program is $256 million. CASSINI DEVELOPMENT $106.7 million Saturn and its distinctive rings have been a source of fascination for Earth-bound astronomers for more than 300 years. Information relayed from the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft flybys has provided some insights into this unique planetary system, while raising many more intriguing questions. As a planetary orbiter, Cassini is designed to investigate in-depth why the gaseous outer planets have evolved so much differently than the rocky inner planets like Earth, and whether Saturn's icy moons preserve a record of this formation. The mission's European Space Agency-provided Huygens probe will seek to determine whether the necessary building blocks for the chemical evolution of early life exist on Saturn's mysterious moon Titan. Cassini is on schedule for launch in October 1997 aboard a Titan IV launch vehicle. Including launch costs, mission operations and data analysis, the total FY 1997 funding for the program is $212 million. MARS EXPLORATION DEVELOPMENT $90 million Mars Global Surveyor 9.4 million Mars Surveyor 98 Orbiter and Lander 77.5 million Future Missions 3.1 million A highlight of FY 1997 will be two launches to the Red Planet. The launches are the first in the Mars Surveyor program, a series of small missions designed to resume the detailed exploration of Mars. The program began in FY 1994 with the development of the Mars Global Surveyor orbiter, which will fly a science payload comprised of spare Mars Observer instruments aboard a small, industry-developed spacecraft. Launch is planned for November 1996 aboard a Delta II launch vehicle. Following soon after will be the launch in December 1996 of the Discovery program's Mars Pathfinder mission (see "Discovery Program" below). These missions are to be followed over the next decade by a series of small orbiters and landers, which will make in-situ measurements of the Martian climate and soil composition. An orbiter launch is planned in December 1998, a lander launch in January 1999, two launches in the February 2001 opportunity, and launches in the 2003 and 2005 opportunities. Including launch, mission operations and data analysis, the total FY 1997 funding for the program is $140 million. DISCOVERY PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT $74.8 million The FY 1997 request for NASA's low-cost planetary exploration program contains $19.8 million for the Lunar Prospector and $55 million for future missions, including the Stardust comet sample return mission. During FY 1997, NASA plans to select one more new Discovery mission for detailed study, followed by development. Funding supports a planned launch rate of one per year beginning in FY 1999 aboard Med-Lite launch vehicles. The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission was successfully launched February 17, 1996, and is enroute for a year-long rendezvous with its main target, the near- Earth asteroid Eros, in early 1999. Mars Pathfinder, scheduled for launch in December 1996 aboard a Delta II, is designed to demonstrate the technology, systems and mission elements involved in landing a series of small surface stations and rovers on Mars. Lunar Prospector is designed to search for resources on the Moon, with special emphasis on the search for water in the shaded polar regions, and is scheduled for launch in October 1997 on a Lockheed Launch Vehicle - II. Stardust is designed to gather samples of dust from the comet Wild-2 and return the samples to Earth for detailed analysis, and will be launched on the Med-Lite expendable launch vehicle in February 1999. Including launch, mission operations and data analysis, the total FY 1997 funding for the program is $104 million. NEW MILLENNIUM PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT $21.5 million The New Millennium program, a partnership between the Office of Space Science, the Office of Space Access and Technology, and the Office of Mission to Planet Earth is working to revolutionize the design, development and implementation of science spacecraft and instruments for the next century. Rapid development of spacecraft and instruments utilizing key technologies will allow for high performance micro instruments and micro spacecraft. The program will work with the science community to highlight key scientific challenges to be addressed in the new millennium and, to the maximum extent possible, exploit scientific targets of opportunity. Current plans reflect technology demonstration missions occurring at a rate of approximately one per year, beginning with the launch of "Deep Space One" in 1998. Deep Space One will fly by an asteroid and a comet using the newly-developed technology of solar electric propulsion. Including launch costs, the total FY 1997 funding for the program is $33.5 million. EXPLORER PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT $135 million The goal of the highly successful Explorer program is to provide frequent, low-cost access to space for Physics and Astronomy investigations which can be accommodated with small to mid-sized spacecraft. Development of the final Delta- class mission, the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), continues towards launch scheduled no later than December 1997. The new Medium-class Explorer (MIDEX) program is being initiated to facilitate more frequent flights. MIDEX missions will cost under $70 million FY 1994 dollars. MIDEX missions will be smaller and less expensive than Delta-class missions and will be launched aboard a new Med-Lite-class launch vehicle. NASA plans to start development of the first MIDEX mission in FY 1997 with launch in late 1999. Development of the restructured Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopy Explorer (FUSE) mission began early in FY 1996. Although not a MIDEX mission, FUSE can be seen as a transitional step towards the MIDEX program. Small Explorers (SMEX) include the Fast Auroral Snapshot (FAST), the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS), the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) and the Wide-field Infrared Explorer (WIRE). These missions will be launched aboard Pegasus launch vehicles. University-class Explorer (UNEX) missions help to achieve a higher flight rate and will cost only a few million dollars each for definition, development, and operations. Including launch costs, mission operations and data analysis, the total FY 1997 funding for the program is $227 million. RELATIVITY MISSION (Gravity Probe-B Development) 59.6 million The Relativity Mission (also known as Gravity Probe-B) proposes a major test of Einstein's theory of general relativity. General relativity is the most accepted theory of gravitation and of the large-scale structure of the Universe. However, the theory has only been tested in a limited number of ways. Whether the experiment confirms or contradicts Einstein's theory, its results will be of the highest scientific importance. The effect of invalidating Einstein's theory would be profound, and would call for major revisions of our concepts of physics and cosmology. In addition, the Relativity Mission is contributing to the development of cutting-edge space technologies which are also applicable to future space science missions and transportation systems. Launch is scheduled for October 2000 aboard a Delta II launch vehicle. Including launch costs, the total FY 1997 funding for the program is $70 million. MISSION OPERATIONS AND DATA ANALYSIS (MO&DA) $592.4 million The goal of the Mission Operations and Data Analysis (MO&DA) program is to maximize the scientific return from NASAšs investment in spacecraft and other data collection sources. The MO&DA effort is fundamental to achieving the goals of the Office of Space Science (OSS) program because it funds the operations of the data collecting hardware and the data analysis that produces scientific discoveries. Funding supports satellite operations during the performance of the core missions, extended operations of selected spacecraft, and ongoing analysis of data after the usable life of spacecraft has expired. Funding also supports pre-flight preparations for satellite operations and data analysis activities, and long-term data archiving and data base services. Also supported are preparations for future servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), including development of advanced science instruments. The Office of Space Science (OSS) continues to make progress in lowering MO&DA costs while preserving the science return from operating missions. As a result, OSS expects to be able to support the increasing number of operational spacecraft within an essentially flat MO&DA budget profile. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) request of $193.4 million in MO&DA funds will support planning and development of instruments and other critical components for future HST servicing missions. These components include the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and the Near Infrared Camera/Multi-Object Spectrometer, scheduled for installation during the 1997 servicing mission; the Hubble Advanced Camera for Exploration to be installed on the third servicing mission in 1999; and upgrades to instruments and spacecraft operational systems. The MO&DA request also includes $25.5 million for operations supporting the Global Geospace Science program; $41.3 million for AXAF; $66.4 million for Galileo operations as that mission continues its exploration of the Jovian system; $16.3 million for the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory; and $28.4 million for the Collaborative Solar- Terrestrial Physics (COSTR) program which is the other U.S. contribution (with the GGS program) to the International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) program. COSTR is providing instruments and subsystems for ISTP missions developed by our international partners, including Europešs Solar and Heliospheric Observatory and four Cluster spacecraft, and Japanšs Geotail spacecraft. SUPPORTING RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY $259.2 million The goals of the Supporting Research & Technology (SR&T) program are to: (1) optimize the design of future missions through science definition, development of advanced instruments and concepts, and definition of proposed new missions; (2) strengthen the technological base for sensor and instrument development; (3) enhance the value of current space missions by carrying out associated ground-based observations and laboratory experiments; (4) conduct the basic research necessary to understand astrophysics phenomena and solar-terrestrial relationships and develop theories to explain observed phenomena and predict new ones; and, (5) continue the acquisition, analysis and evaluation of data from laboratories, airborne observatories, balloons, rockets and spacecraft. The R&A program supports the core scientific research done by the space science community in the U.S. to convert the data from flight missions into discoveries and new knowledge. A major new thrust supported by SR&T is the search for planets around other stars. March 1996