May 30, 2008

Kelly Humphries/Robin Croft 
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-604-5026/6787
kelly.o.humphries@nasa.gov/deborah.r.croft@nasa.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: 08_50AR

NASA’S AMES SUPPORTS THREE SMALL EXPLORER FINALISTS

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. – Researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center 
will play important roles in developing three of six missions 
selected this week as finalists in the Small Explorer (SMEX) Program.

Ames scientists and engineers are contributing to proposals for the 
Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), studying Earthlike 
planets around nearby stars; the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX 
(GEMS), studying black holes; and the Interface Region Imaging 
Spectrograph (IRIS), studying the sun.

"Ames is pleased to be involved in these innovative, inexpensive Small 
Explorer mission proposals that promise to open new windows of 
understanding into our world and universe,” said Ames Director S. 
Pete Worden. “We’re looking forward to teaming with the principal 
investigators to boost our proposals into selection for launch.”

TESS would use a bank of six telescopes to observe the brightest 2.5 
million stars, looking for more than 1,000 Earth-to-Jupiter-sized 
planets around them. Ames will manage the mission design, systems 
engineering and safety and mission assurance evaluations. The 
center’s integration and testing and Multi-Mission Operations Center 
facilities will be used for final spacecraft assembly and mission 
control, respectively. Ames also has four members of the TESS science 
team.

GEMS would use an X-ray telescope to track the flow of highly 
magnetized matter into super massive black holes. Ames will manage 
the spacecraft development and testing contract, providing technical 
and programmatic expertise to ensure the spacecraft is delivered on 
time and on budget. Three Ames scientists are on the GEMS science 
team, and Ames will work with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to 
implement an Education and Public Outreach program.

IRIS would use a solar telescope and spectrograph to reveal the 
dynamics of the sun’s chromosphere and transition region. Ames will 
manage mission operations, flight operations and ground systems 
activities, and provide support for spacecraft systems engineering, 
flight dynamics, integration and testing. Ames’ Multi-Mission 
Operations Center facility will be used for mission control. Ames 
also will manage education and public outreach activities. 

The three SMEX proposals were among six judged to have the best 
science value among 32 submitted to NASA in January 2008. Each will 
receive $750,000 to conduct a six-month Phase A feasibility study. 
Following these detailed mission concept studies, NASA intends to 
select two of the mission proposals in the spring of 2009 for full 
development as SMEX missions. The first mission could launch by 2012. 
Both will launch by 2015. Mission costs will be capped at $105 
million each, excluding the launch vehicle.

For more information about the Explorer Program on the Internet, 
visit:

http://explorers.gsfc.nasa.gov

For information about Ames, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ames/

	
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