national aeronautics and space administration · exploration literally spans the universe to the...

Goddard Space Flight CenterFY2004 Implementation Plan

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

On the cover:Left - MODIS image showing the eastern United States, April 14, 2003

Top Right - SOHO image of a huge eruptive prominence on the sun

Lower Right - Hubble Space Telescope view of the magnificent spiral galaxy, NGC 4414

Annual Update to the Goddard FY2004 Implementation Plan

Goddard Space Flight Center Public Homepagehttp://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/is a source of general information about Goddard, its mission, and links to other NASA Web sites.

Goddard Space Flight Center Internal Homepagehttp://internal.gsfc.nasa.gov/is the intranet starting point to Goddard information and documentation.Click on “Reports and Plans” for documents related to the Center’s planning activities.


Introduction to the FY 2004 Goddard Implementation Plan

Within the NASA center structure, the Goddard Space Flight Center's role has tra-ditionally focused on NASA's scientific mission areas to "Understand and protectour home planet" and "Explore the universe and search for life." As a scienceCenter, the breadth and diversity of our responsibilities and contributions is reflect-ed in that we have a principal role in five of the Agency's seven science themes andmake important contributions to the other two science themes as well. Our spaceexploration literally spans the universe to the beginning of time, and our Earth

exploration is engaged in understanding the complex interactions of Earth's physical systems, as well asvariables introduced by human civilization. It is truly a challenging and inspiring mission.

But, in addition to being a science center, Goddard is a technology center. The distinctive contributionGoddard makes to these explorations is that we develop the sensors, instruments, and spacecraft thatallow scientists to perform experimental science from the vantage point that only space flight offers. Weare engaged in developing the advanced technologies that allow the Agency to continuously expand thecapabilities of its scientific spacecraft, instruments, and information systems. We manage these space-craft in orbit and provide access to scientists around the world to datasets they have created. The resultis the expansion of knowledge and human understanding of the Earth and universe and the applicationof this knowledge to improving life on Earth ". . . as only NASA can."

NASA's third mission area for which we have a significant responsibility is to "Inspire the next genera-tion of explorers." By engaging universities and their faculty and students in the performance of flightmissions and scientific research, by providing education opportunities and materials to teachers and stu-dents from kindergarten through high school, and through our public education outreach, Goddard isworking to ensure that NASA's most essential legacy is the communication of knowledge and the cre-ation of the next generation of scientists, engineers, technicians, and others who will continue this explo-ration of the Earth and the universe.

The opportunities such a diversified mission provides, our experience, the creativity and dedication ofour workforce, and our unparalleled history of success are a true national resource. Together with ourfellow NASA Centers, the contractors who work with us, and our university and international partners,we are working together to achieve NASA's mission and vision.

The Goddard Space Flight Center: FY2004 Implementation Plan further identifies our role within NASA,our responsibilities, and the strategies we will follow. We will also continue to build on the three con-cepts that have guided the Center over the last five years. We will pursue exciting work that meets bothour mission objectives and our innate curiosity that drives us to explore the unknown. We will achievea sustainable workload that balances our commitments with the resources and capability to successfullymeet the cost, schedule, and performance commitments that we have made to our customers. And wewill practice valued-centered management that places safety first and foremost and that embraces the val-ues that guide our culture: agility, balance, creativity, dedication, integrity, respect, and teamwork.

The challenges of the next decade are no less than when the Agency first began. We enthusiastically lookforward to meeting the challenges that are before us and continuing NASA's legacy of exploring theunknown and inspiring the next generation of explorers.

A.V. DiazDirector, Goddard Space Flight Center

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Table of ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i1. The Goddard Space Flight Center in NASA’s Vision and Mission . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2NASA’s Core Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Goddard Space Flight Center’s Role as a National Resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Mission Competencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Goddard’s Areas of Responsibility for Achieving NASA’s Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

2. Goddard’s Support to NASA’s Enterprises and Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Space Science Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Astronomical Search for Origins (ASO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Structure and Evolution of the Universe (SEU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Sun-Earth Connection (SEC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Solar System Exploration (SSE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Mars Exploration (MEP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Earth Science Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Earth System Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Earth Science Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Biological and Physical Research Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Education Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Space Flight Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Space and Flight Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Aerospace Technology Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Space Launch Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Mission and Science Measurement Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Innovative Technology Transfer Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Goal 7: Sharing the Experiences of Exploration and Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233. Goddard’s Strategic Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

As only NASA can... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26One NASA: Major Inter-Center Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Research Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Human Capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Facilities and Real Property of the Goddard Space Flight Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

4. Implementing Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .395. Additional Information: Acronyms and Web Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

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11 The Goddard Space Flight Centerin NASA’s Vision and Mission


3-D Earth image based on Terra MODIS-derivedland surface reflectance, sea surface temperature, snowcover, sea ice extent and cloud reflectance

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The Goddard Space Flight Centerin NASA’s Vision and MissionNASA VisionTo improve life here,To extend life to there,To find life beyond.

Goddard’s role in fulfilling the NASA vision begins withscientific exploration to revolutionize knowledge of theEarth and the universe by using the unique vantage pointof space to look back at the Earth and to look from beyondthe Earth’s fogging atmosphere to the beginning of thebirth of the universe. Our goal is to extend human under-standing and to enhance life here on Earth through newknowledge and its application to commerce, education,and everyday life.

NASA MissionTo understand and protect our home planet,To explore the universe and search for life,To inspire the next generation of explorers

...as only NASA can.

Within the NASA mission framework, the GoddardSpace Flight Center has a principal role in the implemen-tation of the programmatic strategies of the Space Scienceand Earth Science Enterprises and performs various sup-porting roles for the other Enterprises. We involve the sci-entific community, educational institutions, businesspartners, and international partners who join us in theseexplorations to understand the Earth and to explore theuniverse.

To help protect the Earth, we seek to understand theEarth as a complex, evolving system. We seek to use newknowledge to stimulate economic growth, foster educa-tion, and inspire the Nation and in particular those whowill be the next generation of builders and explorers.

We are committed to doing those things thatNASA/Goddard is uniquely positioned to do based onour core competencies. And we are committed to innova-tion and the creation of new technologies to advance theAgency’s capabilities to achieve its mission.

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Goddard Space Flight CenterFY2004 Implementation Plan2



NASA’s Core Values

SafetyNASA’s Mission success starts with safety. A

commitment to safety permeates everything wedo. We are committed to protecting the safety

and health of the general public, pilots and astro-nauts, the NASA workforce, and our high-value

assets on and off the ground.

PeopleOur greatest strength is our workforce, a team ofhighly qualified individuals that is representative,

at all levels, of America’s diversity. We foster a cul-ture of trust, respect, teamwork, communication,creativity, equal opportunity, and empowerment.

ExcellenceWe are committed to excellence. We continuously

improve our processes, products, and services tobetter serve our customers.

IntegrityWe are honest and ethical in all that we do.

We deliver on our commitments, and we areaccountable for our performance.

How we deploy these values at the GoddardSpace Flight Center

Commitment to safety is first and foremost in allwe do. Agility, balance, creativity, dedication,integrity, respect, and teamwork guide our culture,our decisions, and our work.

Safety - We will not compromise the safety of thepublic or our employees in the conduct of ourwork. The personal safety and security of all thoseassociated with or potentially affected byGoddard’s programs and activities are the corner-stone upon which we build success. We will beactive stewards in the use and protection of allresources and assets that NASA and this Nationentrust to us.

Respect - Diversity among people and their ideas isan inherent strength as we work toward fulfillingNASA’s mission.

Teamwork - Accomplishments result from success-ful teams that capitalize on the strengths and con-tributions of every team member within theCenter, across NASA, or with partners.

Balance - An employee’s work life and personal life,including health, family, community involvement,and other interests, contribute to the vitality bothof the individual and of the Center.

Creativity - Freedom to explore new ideas stimu-lates discovery, fosters innovation, and leads tomore effective ways of doing work.

Dedication - Successful results require a commit-ment to excellence and to individual and teamresponsibilities.

Agility - Anticipating the future, leading change,and adapting quickly are crucial to thriving in adynamic environment.

Integrity - Trust, fairness, honesty, and accountabil-ity for our actions are the cornerstones of personaland organizational integrity.

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Goddard Space Flight Center’s Role asa National Resource

The Goddard Space Flight Center is a nationalresource for the pursuit of exploration of the Earthand space. The Center provides customer-centeredleadership to implement the goals of NASA and itssix Enterprises with principal responsibilities insupport of the Earth Science Enterprise and theSpace Science Enterprise and secondary roles insupport of the other four NASA Enterprises.

The Center works in concert with NASAHeadquarters, Enterprise leadership, and the sci-ence community to define future scientific ques-tions, to establish the goals necessary to addressthese questions, and finally to identify the essentialmeasurements that will be used to address the nextgeneration of Earth and space science questions.

Within this broad scientific process, Goddard’scapabilities support the Nation’s scientific and tech-nology goals by focusing on those roles it is unique-ly able to perform as a Federal laboratory. The jobof the Federal laboratory is to take the measuredrisks that cutting-edge research requires and to per-form the long-term scientific and technologicalresearch that makes breakthrough discoveries possi-ble. Our core competencies in Science (Earth andspace), Mission Assurance and AssuranceTechnologies, End-to-End Mission SystemsEngineering, Large Scale Scientific InformationSystems, Program and Project Management,Advanced Flight and Ground SystemsDevelopment, and Sensor and InstrumentDevelopment are matched with complementarycapabilities from industry, academia, and interna-tional partners. Our goal is to provide increasedopportunities for scientists to make new measure-ments by increasing flight opportunities across awide range of research platforms and to expand thecapabilities of these platforms and the instruments,sensors, and data systems they house.

To implement space flight projects, we work withan extensive set of partnerships including industry,academia, and the international scientific commu-nity. Through these partnerships, we concentrate

the best capabilities of each to perform the rolesthat are necessary to translate scientific require-ments into space flight projects, to acquire and dis-tribute the data they acquire, and to create new sci-ence that helps us to better understand the Earthand the universe.

Goddard manages and uses a broad range ofresearch platforms that hold scientific instruments.These include spacecraft, the Space Shuttle Orbiter,the International Space Station, sounding rockets,aircraft, research balloons, and Earth-based obser-vations. We capture and translate data from varioussensors placed on these instruments and transferthe resultant data back to Earth. Most important-ly, our job is to ensure that this data is accessible tothe scientific community who began the wholeprocess through their scientific inquiry.

The cycle of scientific discovery continues whennew scientific findings emerge from this new dataand through the rigors of scientific inquiry and peerreview. New knowledge is extended not only to thescientific community but also into textbooks andthe everyday lexicon of the public. And finally, newknowledge is transferred into applications for gov-ernment and commercial use that benefit oureveryday lives.

The Center is steward of but a small portion of theUnited States’ scientific and engineering expertise.Unique laboratories and test facilities, project man-agement expertise, and over 45 years of experiencelaunching more than 200 spacecraft have developedthis expertise. Through partnerships and otheractivities, we seek to transfer knowledge and expe-rience to others so that they will be able to take onlarger responsibilities in the future. This has beenthe history of NASA, to take the first steps into theunknown and bring others into the process who arethen are able to operate on their own.

Such work leads to the transfer of new knowledgeand technology and expansion of new capabilitiesto industry and the American public – who are thecustomers and benefactors of all that we are askedto do.



Equipping the Center to be a National Resource

While the goal of NASA and the Goddard SpaceFlight Center is to focus outward, this focus wouldhave little value if our own capabilities were notworld class. We cannot assume that the skills andexperiences developed across five decades of spaceexploration are genetically inherited any more thanparents can assume that their experiences are auto-matically transferred to their children. In bothcases, a lot of hard work and learning are involved.While each new generation of scientists and engi-neers builds on the successes of previous genera-tions, there is a period of learning and overlap,much like the transition in a relay race, where onegeneration runs along beside the other until thehandoff is made.

Thus, to be of value to the scientific communityand to be a flexible partner to organizations withvarying degrees of expertise and capabilities, theGoddard Space Flight Center must maintain itscapabilities as a Center of Excellence for research inEarth science, space science, and technology, as wellas project and business management. There are anumber of essential ingredients to assure that thesecapabilities in our core areas of responsibilityremain at the leading edge of what the Nationrequires. Foremost among these is to preserve theNation’s ability to execute, from end-to-end, com-plex space-based scientific missions.

Goddard’s civil service workforce is the Center’smost important resource. They are accountable forthe execution of those portions of the NASA Vision

and Mission that are performed by the Center.They provide the leadership, knowledge, experi-ence, dedication, and creativity to turn goals andobjectives into realities. They provide the continu-ity over time to sustain the Center’s core competen-cies and capabilities. It is the Center’s responsibili-ty to assemble and sustain the best possible work-force of leaders and managers, scientists, engineers,technologists, project managers, administrators,and support personnel. The Center will providethem the leadership and management practices,work environment, and work systems and process-es to make the most productive use of their capabil-ities in achieving NASA’s Vision and Mission.

In addition, the resources and tools provided bystate-of-the-art facilities and equipment must bethere to enable these skills to be used to their max-imum. To borrow again from a sports analogy,today’s athletes may not work any harder thanthose of a generation or two ago, but the continu-ing evolution of their tools gives them an undisput-ed advantage over these earlier generations.

The final component of maintaining world-classcapabilities is to be able to do the work that othersare asked to do. “Hands on work” allows theCenter to develop new means of accomplishing itsscientific missions. It is what trains the next gener-ation. It is what sharpens skills. It is what moti-vates the builders and explorers. Without an ele-ment of in-house work to sustain us at the cuttingedge, expertise is lost, leaders become watchers, andexplorers cease to explore.

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Science Mission Systems Development and Management

Experimental and Theoretical ScienceGoddard Earth and space scientists perform research that devel-ops theories and concepts unifying existing knowledge and layingthe foundation for experimental science. In experimental sci-ence, Principal Investigators, Co-Investigators, and project scien-tists lead the definition of requirements for sensors, instruments,spacecraft, and data systems.

Sensors, Instruments, and Associated TechnologyGoddard engineers and technicians develop new technologies insuch areas as optics, electro optics such as lasers, mechanisms, andcryogenics that are used to develop sensors and instruments.Goddard nominally has between 40-50 instruments in development.

End-to-End Mission Systems EngineeringGoddard possess the full suite of engineering skills that providethe capability to perform or lead implementation of all missionsystems required to design, develop, test, and evaluate, as well asoperate scientific spacecraft.

Advanced Flight and Ground Systems DevelopmentGoddard develops spaceflight systems and ground systems forspacecraft communications, operations, and data processing.These systems control the spacecraft, instruments, and datatransfer.

Large Scale Scientific Information Systems Goddard develops and manages large scale scientific informationsystems that provide the capability to archive data from multiplespacecraft and multiple instruments, to distribute information tousers across the world, and to provide the massive computation-al capability to use extreme large and complex data sets.

Program and Project ManagementGoddard employees possess experience in the full suite of man-agement, technical, and administrative skills required to success-fully manage multiple, discrete projects simultaneously. At thebeginning of FY2004, the Center has 17 projects in implemen-tation, and 22 projects in formulation.

Core Processes

Science EnablingProcesses associated with the acquisition and conduct of scientif-ic research in support of the Earth Science and Space ScienceEnterprises. These processes span activities from the definition ofscientific objectives, to the identification of data requirements,through the acquisition, dissemination and analysis of data, andto the creation and communication of scientific knowledge.

Technology DevelopmentProcesses associated with the development of technologies thatsupport the needs to the Earth Science, Space Science, and SpaceFlight Enterprises. This process includes both the creation ofnew technology and the innovative use of existing technologies toenable the Center’s scientific missions.

Systems DevelopmentProcesses associated with the development of flight and groundsystems to support the Earth Science, Space Science, and SpaceFlight Enterprises. These span the ground and space-based hard-ware and software required for instruments, spacecraft, launch,operation, and information management.

Program/Project ManagementProcesses associated with the management of programs and proj-ects throughout their life cycle. These include the technical,resource, and schedule requirements from concept through com-pletion of the defined program/project objectives.

Communicate KnowledgeProcesses associated with communicating the knowledge acquiredby Goddard to educators, academia, industry, and the general pub-lic. These include both technical and layman’s understanding andthe scientific and practical implications of knowledge developed asa result of Goddard’s mission.

Mission Competencies:Producing Science and Technology for the 21st Century

ScienceMissionSystems

Development and

Management


Development and

Management

Mission Assuranceand AssuranceTechnologies

Science(Earth and Space)

End-to-EndMissionSystems

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AdvancedFlight and

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Sensor andInstrument

Development CoreProcesses

CoreProcesses

CommunicateKnowledge

ScienceEnabling

Program/ProjectManagement

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SystemsDevelopment

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Mission Competencies:Producing Science and Technology

for the 21st Century

Mission OpportunityResources

Products and Services:Research and Development (R&D)Spacecraft and Other Platforms

Sensors and InstrumentsSpacecraft Operations

Data Acquisition and Data ManagementResearch Grants

Science - Experimental and TheoreticalTechnology and Technology Transfer

Partnerships and Transfer of ExpertiseCommercial Opportunities

Education and Education ProductsPublic Information


Development and

Management


Development and

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Science(Earth and Space)

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Engineering

Large ScaleScientific

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Program andProject

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Sensor andInstrument

Development CoreProcesses

CoreProcesses

CommunicateKnowledge

ScienceEnabling

Program/ProjectManagement

TechnologyDevelopment

SystemsDevelopment

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MISSION

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Color and Symbol Key:

Space Science

GOALS

Understandand protectour home

planet

Explore theuniverse andsearch for life

Inspire thenext

generationof explorers

EnablingGoals

Understand Earth’s system and apply Earth system-science to improve the prediction of climate,weather, and natural hazards.

Enable safer, more secure, efficient, andenvironmentally friendly air transportation system.

Create a more secure world and improve quality oflife by investing in technologies and collaboratingwith other agencies, industry, and academia.

Explore the fundamental principles of physics,chemistry, and biology through research in theunique natural laboratory of space.

Explore the solar system and the universe beyond,understand the origin and evolution of life, andsearch for evidence of life elsewhere.

Inspire and motivate students to pursue careers inscience, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Engage the public in shaping and sharing theexperience of exploration and discovery.

Ensure the provision of space access and improve itby increasing safety, reliability, and affordability.

Extend the duration and boundaries of human spaceflight to create new opportunities for exploration anddiscovery.

Enable revolutionary capabilities through newtechnology.

GSFC Alignment with the NASA2003 Strategic Plan

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Goddard Space Flight Center:Areas of Responsibility for Achieving NASA’s Mission



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Light Blue = NASASupporting Contribution

White Dot = GSFCSupporting Contribution

Black Dot = GSFCPrimary Contribution



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Visualization of how a black hole may appear asobserved by a future Constellation-X mission

22 Goddard’s Support to NASA’sEnterprises and Themes


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Goddard’s Support to NASA’sEnterprises and ThemesAreas of Responsibility

Space Science Enterprise

Space Science

The Goddard Space Flight Center has a primary role in the following SpaceScience Enterprise themes, Structure and Evolution of the Universe (SEU) andSun-Earth Connection (SEC), has a major role with the Jet PropulsionLaboratory in Astronomical Search for Origins (ASO), and has a supportingrole for Solar System Exploration (SSE) and Mars Exploration (MEP).

The central role of the Center in support of the Space Science Enterprise is toexpand scientific knowledge through observational and theoretical researchrelated to each of these themes and to accomplish this work in concert withcolleagues at other NASA Centers and in partnerships with national and inter-national scientific communities.

To enable key disciplines in NASA’s space science mission, we:• Strive for excellence in observational and theoretical research relating to

the solar system, the Milky Way, and the universe.

• Foster the expansion of scientific knowledge for the benefit of humanitythrough space flight missions.

• Provide expert scientific leadership to the development and managementof NASA programs and projects, as representatives of the world scientificcommunity.

• Perform observations of fundamental importance through the creationand operation of innovative space science instrumentation.

• Promote broadly-based critical interpretation of space science datathrough the development and use of tools for data reduction, dissemina-tion, and analysis.

• Seek opportunities in both research and service activities for partnershipwith colleagues within NASA and in national and international scientificcommunities.

• Communicate the importance of discoveries from the NASA space sci-ence program in both scientific and public forums.

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Astronomical Search for Origins (ASO)

Long-term goals in the AstronomicalSearch for Origins are: (1) to under-stand how today’s Universe of galaxies,stars, and planets came to be; (2) tolearn how stars and planetary systemsform and evolve; and (3) to understandthe diversity of other worlds and searchfor those that might harbor life.Goddard will play a major role inachievement of these objectives, andwill:

• Develop advanced space telescopes and per-form science observations of the early universe.

• Collaborate with other organizations inNASA’s Astrobiology Institute to increaseunderstanding of the potential for lifethroughout the universe and the formationand distribution of organic materials in youngstellar systems, including the solar nebula ofdust and gas that began to coalesce around theinfant Sun.

• Collaborate in the detection and study of ter-restrial planets orbiting other stars.

• Develop advanced instrument concepts andtechnology to explore the formation and evo-lution of the universe.

Structure and Evolution of the Universe (SEU)

Long-term goals are to provide projectscience leadership in the BeyondEinstein program, part of the Structureand Evolution of the Universe theme.This program is a series of missions toaddress the questions: What poweredthe Big Bang, the beginning of theUniverse? Visible matter makes uponly 4 percent of the Universe; what isthe nature of the Dark Matter and

Dark Energy that make up the other 96 percent?What happens at the edge of a Black Hole, wherethe gravitational forces of dense concentrations ofmatter prevent light from escaping? The long-termobjectives are to directly image emitted energy atthe event horizons of Black Holes and to directlydetect gravitational waves originating from the BigBang and thus, seeing back to the origin of time.Goddard will play a major role in achievement ofthese objectives, and will:

• Provide science and project management lead-ership in the formulation and development ofthe two Einstein Observatories:Constellation-X (Con-X) and the LaserInterferometer Space Antenna (LISA).

• Manage the formulation and development ofthe Einstein Probes. These will be scientist-led missions that address focused scienceissues. Three probes have been identified to:(1) study Dark Energy, (2) search for the sig-nature of inflation in the microwave back-ground; and (3) perform a survey of blackholes in the local universe.

Sun-Earth Connection (SEC)

The primary goal of the Sun-Earth Connectiontheme is to understand the Sun, heliosphere, andplanetary environments as a single connected sys-tem. Goddard’s long-term goals that contribute tothis understanding include:

• Understand and predict the response ofEarth’s magnetic field and radiation belt envi-ronment to solar and galactic influences.

• Predict the resulting effects on the Earth’satmosphere and environments of human-made systems in space and on the ground.

• Understand the feedback effects caused byenergy deposition into the upper atmosphereand the system trends on all time scales fromimmediate to the age of the solar system.

Goddard plays a major role in the achievement ofmissions of the SEC. Goddard manages the SolarTerrestrial Probes (STP) projects and the LivingWith a Star (LWS) projects for NASA and con-tributes to the science objectives of these programsthrough competitively selected instruments, tech-nology, and research.

This is a portion of a deepimage of the sky obtained

with the Hubble SpaceTelescope/Advanced

Camera for Surveys (ACS)

Chandra X-rayObservatory image of the

gas remnant of a supernovaexplosion, Cassiopeia A

Image of the surface of the Sun at ultravioletwavelengths obtained with the TRACE mission


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Goddard is also a partner in a NASA, NOAA, andU. S. Air Force research activity, the CommunityCoordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), thatdevelops comprehensive space weather models.Scientists at Goddard, universities, and otherorganizations develop models of the physics ofsolar, magnetospheric, and other regions. Thesemodels are integrated into the CCMC facility atGoddard to simulate the broader solar corona toEarth upper atmosphere environment and are thentransitioned to NOAA and Air Force centers foroperational testing.

Solar System Exploration (SSE)

The goals of the Solar System Exploration themeinclude learning how the solar system originatedand evolved, determining the characteristics thatled to the origin of life, and understanding how lifebegins and evolves. Goddard supports these goalsby building on its experience and capabilities fromclosely related investigations in other themes.Examples include interplanetary magnetic fieldstudies, measurement of planetary surface chem-istry through X-ray and gamma ray spectrometryand mass spectroscopy. Goddard developsadvanced instruments to perform these observa-tions and participates in missions, research, anddata analysis.

Long-term goals include:

• Improved understanding of the dynamics andcomposition of the atmosphere of Saturn,especially relating to implications for the for-mation and evolution of the solar system.

• Understanding the chemical and thermalstructure of Saturn’s ring system and how thisrelates to the dynamics and evolution of therings and their interaction with Saturn’satmosphere.

• Participation in NASA’s planned extensiveinvestigations of Jupiter and its icy moons.

Mars Exploration (MEP)

Goals of the MarsExploration Programinclude understandingthe current state of theplanet and its environ-ment and determiningthe existence or priorexistence of life.Goddard supportsthese goals by applyingexpertise and capabilities developed for closelyrelated science investigations under other themes.Long term Goddard goals include:

• Contribute to the understanding of the ori-gins of Mars magnetism, atmospheric elec-tricity, and surface characteristics.

Out of the Box Applications

Most objectives in this plan related to space scienceaddress NASA Goal 5: “Explore the solar systemsand the universe....” However, the following activ-ity addresses Goal 3, “Create a more secure worldand improve quality of life by investing in technol-ogy and collaboration with other agencies, industry,and academia.”

Near-term objectives:

• Collaborate with other government organiza-tions to apply sensor technology developedfor the study of planetary composition toassist in nuclear non-proliferation and incrime scene investigations. Gamma- and X-ray detector technology will enable room tem-perature sensors that can be used by agents inthe field to quickly identify interesting evi-dence for further analysis.

All Themes

Continue development and flight of instrumentsfor suborbital missions (balloons and soundingrockets) to provide correlative data for space obser-vations, to validate instrument concepts, and toprovide training to the next generation of space sci-entists and engineers.

Hubble Space Telescopeimage of Mars

HubbleSpace

Telescopeimage of

Saturn


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Earth Science Enterprise

Earth System Science

The Goddard Space Flight Center has a primary role in the Mission goal, “Tounderstand and protect our home planet.” We have major responsibilities forboth Earth System Science (ESS) and Earth Science Applications (ESA) thatsupport NASA’s goal to “Understand Earth’s system and apply Earth systemscience to improve the prediction of climate weather and natural hazards.”

There are five fundamental scientific questions that drive NASA’s EarthScience program and Goddard’s work that supports that program.

• Variability - How is the global Earth system changing?

• Forcing - What are the primary causes of change in the Earth system?

• Response - How does the Earth system respond to natural and human-induced changes?

• Consequences - What are the consequences of change in the Earth sys-tem for human civilization?

• Prediction - How well can we predict future changes in the Earth system?

In addition, a sixth question highlights the inter-relationship between spaceand Earth sciences that cross in the Space Science Enterprise theme, SolarSystem Exploration.

• Comparative - What can the atmospheres of distant planets teach usabout our own planet and its evolution?

To meet its mission requirements in NASA’s Earth science mission, Goddard will:

• Provide scientific and technological leadership focused on improvingEarth system scientific knowledge.

• Serve as a resource in Earth system science and technology.

• Improve predictions of the Earth system through new observational andmodeling capabilities.

• Establish partnerships with agencies with operational responsibility topromote Earth science applications.

• Advance understanding of the evolution of the Earth system through theexploration of planets.

• Enhance the nation’s scientific and technological literacy.


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Goddard’s research into the Earth system is dividedinto the following research areas: (1) water andenergy cycle, (2) carbon cycle and ecosystems, (3)atmospheric composition, (4) weather, (5) Earthsurface and interior, and (6) climate variability andchange. These research areas share common char-acteristics such as interactions and interdependencyamong the components and the continuousdynamic evolution and reaction to driving forcesand perturbations from both within and outsidethese systems. The time scales that characterizethese processes vary from a few minutes in cloudevolution to millions of years in tectonic platemotions. Spatial scales vary from meters to thou-sands of miles. With these variables as a backdrop,Goddard scientists work with NASA Headquarters,the scientific community, technologists, and projectmanagers to define new scientific questions and todevelop new technologies for new observations.They conceive, formulate, design, implement, andparticipate in the day-to-day operations and man-agement of spacecraft and other missions; plan anddeploy experimental campaigns to correlate andvalidate satellite data; develop algorithms to createdata sets; and develop new models to create andinterpret scientific data.

Because of the interdisciplinary nature of our activ-ities, projects require the collaborative efforts ofmany scientists with various backgrounds. Theseactivities are appropriate for a Federal laboratorythat focuses on complex interdisciplinary problemsin collaboration with and support of the largernational and international scientific communities.

In support of the six science questions, the Centeris in the forefront in developing and operating dataprocessing and archival and distribution systems tofacilitate the use of Earth science data by the scien-tific community and others. The bulk of the datasystem development, processing, and distributionare done within Earth Observing System Data andInformation System (EOSDIS), the GlobalChange Data Center (GCDC) and other distrib-uted data systems housed in Goddard’s EarthScience Directorate laboratories.

Research Areas

(1) Water and EnergyCycle

The global watercycle represents thetransport and trans-formation of waterwithin the Earthsystem, and distrib-utes fresh waterover the Earth’s sur-face. While thewater cycle deliversthe hydrologic consequences of climate changes,the global water cycle is both a consequence of andan influence on the global energy cycle. These twocycles are thoroughly interconnected.

Many of the capabilities and components requiredfor global water-cycle prediction are available atGoddard. The Center is one of the few institutionsin the world that has the capability to support thefull range of investigation: from large-scale remotesensing to in situ field observations – data acquisi-tion and analysis – development of prediction sys-tems that can assimilate the full range of informa-tion. Using these capabilities, the Global Waterand Energy Cross-Cutting Theme (GWET) teamwill facilitate advances in the analysis and scientificintegration of NASA’s satellite, airborne, and fieldobservations. These activities will foster theadvancement of our understanding of the globalwater cycle; the integration of improved under-standing and information into prediction systems;and innovative monitoring and applications forwater management and operations. Because of theinterdependencies among these research areas,GWET must develop in conjunction with othercross-cutting questions such as the global carboncycle.

(2) Carbon Cycle andEcosystems

Goddard Earth sci-entists contribute toNASA’s strategy forreducing future cli-mate uncertainty byimproving land,ocean, and atmos-phere carbon cycling

TRMM image of monthlyrainfall climatology data

MODIS image thatrepresents Earth’s carbon“metabolism”


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models and by developing new observational platformsrequired to locate global sources and sinks of carbon,quantify their strengths, and understand how theydepend on environmental factors. To further addressthe role of the carbon cycle in future climate uncer-tainty, new types of global observations must bemade: (1) variability in atmospheric CO2 concen-tration induced by land and ocean sinks; (2) stocksand rates of change in terrestrial biomass and vege-tation productivity; and (3) oceanic and dissolvedorganic carbon and nutrient-dependent photosyn-thetic fluxes. Strategic investments in these newcapabilities will also accelerate the use of existingsatellite capability through integration into the his-toric and current satellite data record. These satel-lite-based climate data records will be combinedwith conventional observation data and will beused in a carbon modeling framework to locateland and ocean carbon sinks and sources and quan-tify their spatial and temporal variation.

It is the interplay among advances in modeling,new observations of key Earth surface and atmos-pheric carbon and aerosol properties, and improve-ments in the computational capacity that willenable major advances in our understanding andability to predict climate change. Thus, NASA’scarbon cycle science program will focus on thedevelopment and validation of (1) new observa-tional platforms, (2) coupled physical and biogeo-chemical cycling models, and (3) acceleration ofefforts to develop improved data assimilation tech-niques. Assimilation of remote sensing data intocoupled models is critical to constrain models andimprove their accuracy.

(3) AtmosphericComposition

The major goal ofour atmosphericchemistry work is tounderstand both thecomposition of theEarth’s atmosphereand changes of thatcomposition inresponse to human-produced com-pounds. To achieve

this goal, we conduct both aircraft and satelliteobservations and use these observations to modelthe Earth’s atmosphere. We support operationalsatellites, and we assess the impact of anthro-

pogenic (human-centered) and natural perturba-tions to atmospheric ozone using satellite observa-tions to model these phenomena. We continue towatch ozone recovery through our satellite instru-ments and provide support for NASA’s reportsrequested by Congress.

(4) Weather

In the area of weath-er and climate fore-casting, GoddardEarth scientists, incollaboration withscientists from theNOAA Center forE n v i r o n m e n t a lPrediction (NCEP)and the Joint Centerfor Satellite DataA s s i m i l a t i o n

(JCSDA) will continue to enhance the impact ofsatellite data on weather and short-term climateforecasting. We will also conduct ObservingSystem Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) to helpoptimize the future observing systems for weatherand climate prediction and conduct field campaignsto add to our knowledge of weather and climate.

(5) Earth Surface andInterior

In Solid Earth/Geo-dynamics the majoremphasis will be ongravity field andsolid body tidalmodeling (especiallyusing data fromGravity RecoveryAnd ClimateE x p e r i m e n t

[GRACE] and Jason) and on comprehensive mag-netic field modeling and applications of this modelto studies of the lithosphere. The geomagnetic fieldwork will couple with core dynamo modeling thatwill also continue. In Solid Earth/Natural Hazardsand Solid Earth/Topography and Surface Change,Goddard will continue the study of crustal defor-mation and hazard assessment using both surfaceGlobal Positioning System (GPS) and other surfacedata, as well as airborne and spaceborne lidar data.These will emphasize areas of high earthquake and

September 2002, TOMSimage of the Antarctic

ozone “hole”

Aqua image capturesatmospheric brightness

temperatures, April 2003

GRACE image of Earth’sgravitation field


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landslide risk, as well as potential volcanic activity,and will use the data to constrain the numericalmodels of the underlying processes.

(6) Climate Variabilityand Change

Global observationsare the largest partof the NASA pro-gram, but climatemodeling andanalysis provide therationale and priori-ties for the observa-tions. The primaryfocus of our

research is the development and application of cli-mate modeling and analysis to address the funda-mental climate change issues. Goddard’s researchstrategy is based upon a structured array of climatesimulations designed to provide essential input tothe analyses of these fundamental issues. It is alsointended to examine the role of planned observa-tions in climate analysis, to identify high priorityobservations, and to help define the research that isneeded to convert these observations into an under-standing of global climate change.

Comparative Study of Planets

As we begin to explore planets within our solar sys-tem, and ultimately planets in remote solar systems,the science and tools developed for Earth sciencewill be applied to these new areas of exploration.One early example of this is Goddard’s participationin the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) research.Goddard will support the effort to discover ifcomets supplied the organic composition for theorigin of life on Earth and if they could have doneso for alien worlds. Research efforts will explorehow organic molecules are created in interstellarclouds and delivered to planets as they form.Ultimately, the research is directed at understand-ing the question, “Where did we come from?” Theinterdisciplinary team pursuing these studiesincludes researchers in Earth science, space science,and instrument development at Goddard, as well asscientists from around the nation and the world.

Other comparative studies involving Mars andVenus, for example, anticipate the study of planetaryprocesses such as loss of atmospheres, surface condi-tions, water, historic climates and their changes,

chemical makeup, and how such conditions andprocesses might affect the potential for life.

Key Tools for Earth System Science

Global Modeling and Data Assimilation

Global modeling and assimilation is centered on thedevelopment and use of satellite observationsthrough the integrating tools of models and assimi-lation systems. It focuses on developing and main-taining a world-class Earth system model and dataassimilation system and using them to advance ourunderstanding of climate variability and change andto improve both weather and climate prediction.Modeling and assimilation are viewed as part of anend-to-end process that extends from defining aninstrument, characterizing its in-flight performance,to developing algorithms and models for data assim-ilation, integrating the data into assimilation prod-ucts, and finally assessing the impact of the data onproducts and prediction skill. Assimilation tools aredeveloped to optimize the use of the high-resolutioninformation from satellite observations. Satellitedata analyses and assimilation tools are also used toimprove the capability of models to simulate ourenvironment. Research-quality assimilated datasets,including trace gas, aerosol and climate products,ocean and land surface products, are generated foruse by NASA instrument teams and for researchanalyses, with the aim of maximizing the return ofNASA’s investment in Earth observations.Collaboration with scientists throughout NASA,with the NOAA Center for EnvironmentalPrediction through the Joint Center for SatelliteData Assimilation, with the other major modelingcenters (National Center for Atmospheric Research[NCAR] and Geophysical Fluid DynamicsLaboratory [GFDL]), and with selected NASA uni-versity investigators are essential in providing theintegrating role for Earth system science.

Field Campaigns

Many of the Directorate’s activities involve developingconcepts and designs for instrument systems that pro-vide data leading to a basic understanding of the phys-ical processes of the Earth system and/or serve as cali-bration references for satellite instrument validationfor space-flight missions. Airborne platforms facilitateviewing processes such as precipitation, cloud systems,or surface vegetation, water or ice from a high-altitudevantage point and with high spatial and/or spectral res-olution. Such platforms serve as stepping-stones in the

Terra image of heat radiatedfrom Earth back into space


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development of the space-borne instruments requiredfor continuous global coverage. Ground-based sys-tems provide surface or near-surface measurements forexperimentation or validation of satellite data. Majorfield campaigns supported by Goddard frequentlyrequire observations at multiple levels thus requiringsimultaneous ground, air, and space observations.

Scientific Computing and Modeling

The scientific priorities of the Earth Science Enterpriserequire high performance computing resources for theEarth system models needed to assimilate high-resolu-tion satellite observations and to model and predictglobal climate changes. Goddard provides the sciencecommunity with access to state-of-the-art high-per-formance computing and networking, mass storagefor model and data archival, and information systemtechnologies to support the science missions of theAgency. We provide advanced planning for futuretechnology so that the science community can usestate-of-the-art computer technology effectively.Advanced networking systems provide high-speed,remote system access to data archives and for scientificcomputation. We also enable scientific investigations,education, and public outreach through the develop-ment of visualization tools to access and display thelarge data volumes associated with satellite observa-tions and with Earth system models.

Earth Science Applications

In partnership with Headquarters, other NASACenters, other federal agencies, other governmentaland international organizations, and commercialenterprises, we support the transfer of science andresearch to applications. This facilitates the incorpora-tion of new Earth sciences knowledge and new toolsinto commercial, educational and governmental uses.

Over the last three decades, tremendous progress hasbeen made in Earth science space-based remote sens-ing, related technologies, algorithms, and models.

Such advancements have improved predictability byincreasing lead-time and accuracy of forecasts inweather, climate, natural hazards, and naturalresources. It has further reduced or bounded uncer-tainties by partially improving our understanding ofplanet Earth as an integrated system. Applications insuch areas of energy forecasting, aviation safety, agri-cultural competitiveness, disaster management, secu-rity, air quality, and public health are but a few of theareas that benefit from the application of Earth sci-ence and its products.

Despite the growing value of the application of Earthscience, there are a number of obstacles that remain,such as: quickly moving data and information fromobservations and models into relevant decision sys-tems; assuring compatibility and inter-operability ofdata and models; limitations of spatial, spectral, andtemporal resolution; and communications limited byavailability of image processing and data compressiontechniques. Additionally, one of the most critical ele-ments is navigation of the organization and manage-ment boundaries that must be addressed at local,state, national, and international levels to permit thetimely flow of information amongst various organiza-tions. Finally, science must move from peer-basedjournals into other venues to communicate withbroader audiences so that there is an increased dia-logue on the benefits and application of Earth science.

Goddard’s strategy in supporting NASA and theEarth Sciences Enterprise in developing applicationsis to:

• Focus on National priorities requiring globalunderstanding.

• Use commonly recognized architectures to pro-vide a systems approach throughout the Earthscience community.

• Leverage our investment in research and invest-ment to maximize their impact and value to theNation.

• Collaborate with other NASA Centers, otheragencies, and organizations in order to apply thebest resources to relevant issues.

• Facilitate the transfer of technologies developedfor the Earth sciences program to other govern-mental and commercial uses.

• Improve economic and homeland security bysupporting operational decision support toolsthat use Earth science products.

Earth Sciences ApplicationsAir Quality Agricultural EfficiencyAviation Safety Carbon ManagementCommunity Growth Costal Management Disaster Management Energy Forecasting Homeland Security Invasive SpeciesPublic Health Water Management


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As the Office of Biological and Physical Research(OBPR) develops various flight opportunities, theGoddard Space Flight Center will work to supportthose activities for which it has unique capabilitiesand that are consistent with its core competenciesand mission responsibilities.

In the area of “Research Partnerships and FlightSupport,” Goddard offers expertise in project man-agement, spacecraft systems, mission management,end-to-end mission systems engineering, missionconcept development and architecture, technologydevelopment, and operations.

In the areas of “Biological Sciences Research” and

Education Enterprise

NASA’s unique mission in science and technicalfields served to motivate students in the late 1960sto move into technical careers, and the result wasan aerospace and science bloom that fed much ofthe Nation’s commerce during the last third of the20th century. Today, NASA’s education mission isto re-establish that motivation and sustain theNation’s scientific and technological leadership.

NASA has made a commitment to make educationa direct component of all its scientific and techni-cal programs. Goddard has embedded this princi-ple by assuring that from the beginning of a newprogram there are associated education strategiesand goals to ensure some aspect of the Agency’seducation strategy is supported.

A critical component of NASA’ education effort isthe concept of “ . . . as only NASA can.” This con-cept is crucial to the role of education within theGoddard Space Flight Center because, as one ofNASA’s science and space flight centers, Goddard isinvolved in generating new knowledge and com-municating the results to the academic and scien-tific community and to the private sector. Wedirectly involve universities, faculty, students, andresearchers in the performance of the Center’s pro-grams and projects, and scientists and engineers atuniversities use the data we produce to do analysisand create new knowledge. They are principalpartners in all phases of our work.

Goddard then uses the core missions of the Centerto translate science and technology into experi-ences that motivate students at all grade levels, pre-school through post-doctoral fellows. We not onlytranslate content for use in formal and informaleducation environments, but also investigatemechanisms for using imagery and data sources inlearning environments. Part of this challenge is todevelop tools that can be used by students andteachers alike in order to actively engage them inNASA missions. Likewise, programs and materialsare developed for grade and age specific audiences.

Goddard’s education activities focus on fourAgency initiatives:

(1) Explorer Schools, which involve 50 middleschools nationwide, is a 3-year programaimed at improving middle school studentperformance in science, mathematics, andtechnology in low performing schools.Goddard is responsible for five middleschools located in the northeastern U.S.and will work one on one with these schoolsto help them meet program objectives.

(2) The Educator Astronaut Program enablesteachers to become eligible to join the astro-naut corps. In this capacity teachers will beable to use space, and particularly theInternational Space Station, as a laboratoryto explain difficult scientific and mathemat-

“Physical Sciences Research,” Goddard’s participa-tion will depend on the specific areas of investiga-tion and how the Center’s scientific expertise inEarth and space sciences are transferable to or offerinsights into OBPR’s areas of inquiry. Given theintersection of Earth and space science in suchareas of study as the Sun-Earth Connection, forwhich Goddard has a primary role, any low Earthorbiting satellite will be operating in an environ-ment at the boundary of Earth’s life-protectingatmosphere and the hostile environment of space.In both these areas, Goddard has scientific expert-ise to offer to OBPR’s scientific research. TheCenter would examine each area of research for anyopportunity to make a contribution.

Biological and Physical Research Enterprise


CIP.qxd 9/24/03 1:16 PM Page 20

ics concepts, as well as to conduct studentresearch. Goddard will use the resources ofthis program to enhance the other educa-tion activities.

(3) A third initiative relates to the developmentof science and technology scholarships as amechanism for implementing a human cap-ital “workforce pipeline” that is intended toprovide for NASA-related employmentneeds within the civil servant population,NASA contractors, or academia. This ini-tiative will also create a structure that willenable each of NASA’s education programsto identify promising and ethnically diversestudents and to cultivate these students sothat they will be qualified to join NASA’sfuture workforce.

(4) The last initiative, Explorer Institutes, willbegin in 2004. This program provides sup-port services to museums and science cen-ters. Goddard is in a unique position tosupport implementation of this initiativedue to the large number of well-knownmuseums and science centers locatedthroughout the northeastern U.S.

Goddard is committed to the implementation ofEducation Enterprise, goals, objectives, and initia-tives. Goddard is committed to evaluating theeffectiveness of its education efforts by using the sixcriteria established by the Agency: (1) customerfocus; (2) content from the science and technologyenterprises; (3) implications for the workforce“pipeline”; (4) diversity; (5) evaluation; and (6)partnership and sustainability. Goddard willaddress these through the following strategies:

• Embed education objectives in our Earth andspace science projects.

• Use our laboratories to directly involve stu-dents and teachers in NASA missionsthrough direct and substantive involvementin missions.

• Use its flight facilities at the Wallops FlightFacilities to provide support to student pro-grams at the K-12, college, and university lev-els for flight opportunities involving air-planes, rockets, balloons, Space Shuttle, andthe International Space Station.

• Provide virtual experiences through the inter-net to increase the number of students andteachers who can significantly be involved inNASA missions.

• Use NASA videoconferencing and Web-cast-ing infrastructures to directly involve our sci-entists and engineers with teachers and faculty.

• Create a “pipeline” of programs throughinvolvement and integration of the Center’sK-12, university, equal opportunity, andhuman resources programs so that high qual-ity students can be nurtured in their careerinterests.

• Provide targeted educational initiatives thatwill enhance the Center’s ability to attract stu-dents with disabilities to pursue career oppor-tunities in math, science, and engineering.

• Create partnerships to enrich the opportuni-ties, depth, and quantity of experiences avail-able to students both across NASA Centers, aswell as through its science and technicalresearch resources.

• Pursue research and education opportunitieswith minority universities to expand theircapabilities in areas that will increase thenumber of minority students in math, sci-ence, and engineering and to increase theseuniversities involvement in the performanceof NASA’s mission.

• Ensure that its education activities supple-ment formal education opportunities.

• Bridge its education and outreach activitiesbased upon the common theme of learning.

• Establish collaborations with local, regionaland state-level customers in elementary/sec-ondary education; higher education, includ-ing minority universities; and informal educa-tion venues.

• Integrate the themes of NASA’s fivescience/technical Enterprises into its educa-tion programs.

• Participate in the design, development, imple-mentation, and evaluation of Agency-wideprogram priorities.

• Support NASA Headquarters in the devel-opment and implementation of flightopportunities for educational institutionsand students.


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Space and Flight Support

We will also continue to provide critical services tosupport NASA missions and other users, now andwell into the future by continuing to provide andimprove high-quality, reliable, cost-effective spacecommunications networks and services for theSpace Shuttle, International Space Station, launchvehicles, Earth-orbiting satellites, and other space-craft throughout the solar system. We will integratethe requirements and resources of the NASAEnterprises, and we will partner with other NASACenters, government agencies, and research facili-ties to develop new technologies and to incorporatenew capabilities into NASA’s space communica-tions networks. We will demonstrate the potentialof optical space communications between the Earthand Mars, and we will initiate new development

projects to ensure uninterrupted Space Networkand Ground Network services.

Also, Goddard is responsible for design, develop-ment, test, integration, and flight of a group ofsmall payload carrier systems for the Space Shuttleincluding Hitchhiker, Get Away Special (GAS),Space Experiment Module (SEM), and ComplexSelf-Contained Payload (CSCP) Programs. Thesecarriers support payloads supplied by NASA, otherU.S. Government agencies, universities, highschools, domestic commercial customers, and for-eign nationals and governments. Goddard isresponsible for the integration of the payloads withthe carrier systems and provision of interfaces withpayload providers, the Shuttle payload processingoffices, and the various safety organizations.

Space Flight Enterprise

Space Launch Initiative

Goddard provides support to both the OrbitalSpace Plane (OSP) and Next-Generation LaunchTechnology (NGLT) Programs by developing tech-nology and providing infrastructure capabilitieswhere we are able to meet the needs of the SpaceLaunch Initiative.

In the area of OSP development, Goddard partici-pates in OSP launch and landing operations and on-orbit operations elements to support program plan-ning and offer low-cost concepts to meet missionoperational requirements, as well as coordinate groundnetwork and Independent Verification and Validation(IV&V) during development.

For the NGLT Program, Goddard provides launchrange, sub-orbital vehicle, payload recovery plan-ning, development, and implementation supportfor the Hypersonic Technology Experiment(HyTEx) activity that is being used to demonstrateadvanced vehicle technology experiments, such asthermal protection systems during re-entry.

Mission and Science Measurement Technology

Goddard develops Earth and space science mission-

enabling technology for the Mission and ScienceMeasurement Technology theme. Goddard’s rolein the technology development programs of thistheme include:

• Enabling Concepts and Technologies (ECT)pioneers the identification, development,verification, transfer, and application of high-payoff aerospace technologies that are appli-cable across many types and classes of sys-tems needed to accomplish NASA’s missions.Areas of research include advanced measure-ment and detection systems, resilient materi-als and structures, and distributed and microspacecraft.

• Engineering for Complex Systems (ECS)advances the scientific and engineering under-standing of system complexities and failures.Areas of research include: human and organi-zational risk characteristics; the developmentof processes, tools, and organizational meth-ods to quantify, track, visualize, and trade-offsystem designs and/or mission options withan emphasis on risk management throughoutthe lifecycle of programs; and development ofsoftware based resiliency tools and technolo-gies to help mitigate risk in the operationaland maintenance phases of program lifecycles.

Aerospace Technology Enterprise


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• Computing, Information, and Communi-cations Technology (CICT) develops cross-cutting technology for a variety of aviationand space applications, such as communica-tions, micro-devices and instruments, infor-mation technology, and nano-technology.

In addition to conducting technology research,Goddard is responsible for providing managementsupport to the NASA Institute for AdvancedConcepts (NIAC) that funds Phase I and Phase IIstudies for concepts that may take more than 30years before they become viable for application tospace flight missions.

Innovative Technology Transfer Partnership(ITTP)

Goddard works with the private sector, academia,and other government organizations by providingleadership and creativity to produce technologicalsynergy that results in benefits to NASA and itspartner organizations. Emphasis is placed onbuilding partnerships between Goddard and theprivate sector that leverage Goddard’s assets andincrease mission capability while sustaining andenhancing U.S. economic viability. The TechInventory, for example, is a database of all Goddardreported technologies. We also identify externalsources of technology, “spin-ins,” that can con-tribute to Goddard’s programs, and we negotiatealliances with other government, industry, and aca-demic organizations to facilitate transfer of theirtechnology for NASA’s use.

Goddard also performs Level II management of theNASA’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)and Small Business Technology (STTR) Programs;these programs facilitate the participation of smallbusiness in the Agency’s research and technologydevelopment to ensure all levels of the U.S. busi-ness base have the opportunity to contribute toNASA’s mission.

Goal 7: Sharing the Experiences of Explorationand Discovery

NASA, because of the very nature of its mission,attracts public interest, and the public has alwaysbeen curious about what these “rocket scientists aredoing.” While much of this attention in theAgency’s early years was focused on human spaceflight, the route for NASA’s science has been some-what different. To begin with, the primary audi-ence for most of the data and knowledge gleaned

from our scientific exploration is other scientistswho are comfortable with the terminology, com-plexity and acronyms that easily cloak from mostcitizens what this science is and what it means tohuman society.

Our mission is to find ways to remove that cloakand engage the public in our mission and to pro-vide to the public a clear, understandable story ofscience and engineering and their impact.

• The first strategy begins with translating com-plex scientific and technical findings into infor-mation that is relevant and accessible to eachpotential audience with whom we are trying tocommunicate. Bringing together the story weare trying to communicate with the needs ofthe audience are the two essential ingredientsto successfully communicate with the public.

• The second strategy is to use the best meansavailable to leverage NASA’s resources. Wecan directly communicate with only a smallfraction of the audiences that we are trying toreach. So the best means of leveraging ourresources is to provide interesting, relevant,and newsworthy information to those whopossess expertise in disseminating this infor-mation to media and other outlets such astrade organizations. We use these partnersand their expertise to expand our outreach.

The mass media, including print, television,and radio, provide a cost-effective way ofexposing the public to NASA activities, andGoddard works with the mass media to helpthem tell the story in a compelling and accu-rate way. The most interesting and relevantdiscoveries are mined, and the scientists andengineers who can best tell the story are madeavailable to the press at news conferences,Space and Earth Science Updates, scientificsymposia, tours, and interviews.

• The third strategy is to fully use the tools ofscience and the tools of communication thathave greatly expanded over the last decade.We will continue to examine how to exploittheir full potential in our communicationswith the public. One of the most powerfultools that we have to describe new discoveriesin a meaningful and understandable mannerto the public is through imagery, which can bein the form of pictures taken from orbit, ani-mations of scientific concepts, or visualiza-tions of actual data.


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Stunning pictures taken from space, such asthose from the Hubble Space Telescope(HST), have heightened human curiosityabout the mysteries of the universe. A growingarmada of Earth-orbiting sentinels routinelyprovides daily images of our planet. Moreover,the ability of these spacecraft to provide acomprehensive global view of the planet isproviding new insights into the complexinteraction between the land, atmosphere,and oceans, which together regulate the plan-et’s thermostat and are key to understandingthe long-term impacts of human-induced andnaturally occurring climate changes.

Imagery can also be used to create stories thatcannot be captured in a single photograph.Science visualization and visual communica-tions have merged. If a picture is worth athousand words, effective visualization or ani-mations of complex scientific concepts oftencan reduce a chapter in a textbook into a 60second visual that simulates how changingocean temperatures can forecast a coming ElNiño or the fate of matter spinning aroundand eventually falling into a black hole. Thesefantastic events cannot be seen by the humaneye, but by blending scientific data andsophisticated computer tools, they can be ren-dered in a way that is understandable by thegeneral public and engages the imagination ofthe general public.

When the images are combined with text

crafted by scientists in collaboration with sci-ence writers, these compelling stories havebroad use by the mass media, which dissemi-nates these stories that potentially reach tensof millions of people.

• The fourth strategy is to use the World WideWeb to communicate with the public aboutwhat we do and how we contribute to NASA’smission. The communications revolutioncreated by the World Wide Web providesGoddard’s scientists, engineers, and projectsdiversified audiences that include the generalpublic, as well as their professional peers. Wewill provide the general public informationthat is relevant and understandable and thattakes full advantage of all the communicationtechnologies that are available.

The best of Goddard’s stories and imagery are rou-tinely provided to the NASA Portal, which isaccessed by millions of visitors. Other Web sites atGoddard are targeted for a wide variety of audi-ences and age groups – from the scientificallysophisticated Earth Observatory to the award-win-ning children’s site Imagine the Universe.

Goddard is committed to these strategies and willemploy them in conjunction with each of NASA’sgoals and Enterprise themes for which we have arole to assure that relevant, meaningful informationis readily available to the public.


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33 Goddard’s Strategic Capabilities


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Goddard’s Strategic Capabilities33National Aeronautics andSpace Act of 1958

Title IV - Sec. 102(a) The Congress hereby declares that it is thepolicy of the United States that activities inspace should be devoted to peaceful purpos-es for the benefit of all mankind.

(b) The Congress declares that the generalwelfare and security of the United Statesrequire that adequate provision be made foraeronautical and space activities. . . .

(c) The Congress declares that the generalwelfare of the United States requires that theNational Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration (as established by title II of thisAct) seek and encourage, to the maximumextent possible, the fullest commercial use ofspace.

(d) The aeronautical and space activities ofthe United States shall be conducted as tocontribute materially to one or more of the fol-lowing activities:

(1) The expansion of human knowledgeof the Earth and of phenomena in theatmosphere and space;

(2) The improvement of the usefulness,performance, speed, safety, and effi-ciency of aeronautical and space vehi-cles;

(3) The development and operation ofvehicles capable of carrying instru-ments, equipment, supplies, and livingorganisms through space;

(4) The establishment of long-range stud-ies of the potential benefits to begained from, the opportunities for, andthe problems involved in the utilizationof aeronautical and space activities forpeaceful and scientific purposes;

(5) The preservation of the role of theUnited States as a leader in aeronauti-cal and space science and technologyand in the application thereof to theconduct of peaceful activities withinand outside the atmosphere;

(6) The making available to agenciesdirectly concerned with national

As only NASA can.........Back to the Future

NASA began with a clear mission set forth in the NationalAeronautics and Space Act of 1958 and a largely blank slate.Almost everything it engaged in was new, and other thanthe Soviet Union, there was no competition. There was nochoice but to push the edge because there was no option ifspace exploration was to become a reality. Fast forward 45years – launch capabilities exist in a number of other coun-tries, private enterprise’s role has continued to expand, andeven university students now operate satellites. Manyaspects of space exploration are well practiced. Yet NASA’smission and that of its first space flight center, Goddard, areunchanged – “the expansion of human knowledge of theEarth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and space.”

The challenge is not only to achieve this vision, but toassure that we continue to do the unique, often risky firststeps and encourage cooperation and partnerships toachieve this mission.

While what it means to be at the leading edge cannot bereduced to a simple algorithm, a number of questions willbe considered in determining Goddard’s mission, new busi-ness strategy, and technology development.

Mission and New Business Strategy

Ongoing work and new initiatives at Goddard Space FlightCenter will be aligned with Agency and Enterprise themes.Discussions and decisions related to new Center initiativesand the scope of existing work will include the followingquestions regarding relevance, Center capabilities, andresources.

Relevance

• Does this work help achieve the vision and the missionof the Agency?

• Is this work in alignment with the NASA Strategic Planand the Enterprise Strategies that Goddard supports?

• Has this work been assigned to Goddard by theAgency?

• Is this work encompassed in one of the Center’s desig-nated areas of responsibility?


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place image here.

• Does the work maintain the appropriate balancebetween near-term goals (up to 10 years) and the worknecessary to meet the grand scientific challenges thatare a decade or more in the future?

• Do the expected results provide sufficient return oninvestment to the Center’s customers and stakeholders?

Center Capabilities

• Does the Center offer a unique capability to supportthis work and to deliver the required product?

• Are there other better sources from which to obtain it?

• Does the work sustain or enhance the Center’s leader-ship role and core competencies?

• Is it the kind of high-risk, state-of-the-art work theCenter should be pursuing?

• Does it demand new technology?

• Does the capability to do the work position the Centerto perform future work in alignment with the Agency’smission?

Resources

• Are institutional resources, personnel, facilities, andequipment available within Goddard or with exter-nal partners to perform this work in a cost-effectivemanner?

• Is the new work the most cost-effective option foraccomplishing the goal within schedule and with ahigh probability of success?

• Will the work have a sufficient and timely budget tobe self-sufficient and meet schedule requirements?

• Are there partnership opportunities, including inter-national and academic institutions, that will enhancethe project?

• Will partnerships or other funding options reduceNASA’s funding requirements?

By addressing these questions in the context of Goddard’sdecision making processes, we will be better able to achievethe mission first set forth in the Space Act of 1958 — andcaptured in spirit by the phase “as only NASA can . . . .”

defense of discoveries that have mili-tary value or significance, and the fur-nishing by such agencies, to the civil-ian agency established to direct andcontrol nonmilitary aeronautical andspace activities, of information as todiscoveries which have value or sig-nificance to that agency;

(7) Cooperation by the United States withother nations and groups of nations inwork done pursuant to this Act and inthe peaceful application of the resultsthereof;

(8) The most effective utilization of thescientific and engineering resourcesof the United States, with close coop-eration among all interested agenciesof the United States in order to avoidunnecessary duplication of effort,facilities, and equipment; and

(9) The preservation of the United Statespreeminent position in aeronauticsand space through research and tech-nology development related to associ-ated manufacturing processes.

(e) The Congress declares that the generalwelfare of the United States requires that theunique competence in scientific and engi-neering systems of the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration also be directedtoward ground propulsion systems researchand development. Such development shall beconducted so as to contribute to the objec-tives of developing energy- and petroleum-conserving ground propulsion systems, and ofminimizing the environmental degradationcaused by such systems.

(f) The Congress declares that the general wel-fare of the United States requires that theunique competence of the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration in science and engi-neering systems be directed to assisting in bio-engineering research, development, anddemonstration programs designed to alleviateand minimize the effects of disability.

(g) It is the purpose of this Act to carry out andeffectuate the policies declared in subsec-tions (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f).


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One NASA: Major Inter-Center Partnerships

CENTER GSFC Receives GSFC Providesfrom Other Centers to Other Centers

Ames Information Technologies Sounding RocketsFree Flyer Spacecraft System Development

and Mission Management

Dryden High Altitude Aircraft Platform Operations

Glenn Communications, Power and Propulsion Sounding RocketsTechnology

Johnson Human Space Flight Mission Services Mission and Data Services

JPL Deep Space Systems Large ObservatoriesSpacecraft Instruments Spacecraft Instruments, Balloons Research

Platforms

Kennedy Space Launch Carriers, Engineering, and Operations

Langley Atmospheric Chemistry Mid to Low Altitude Aircraft ResearchLaser System Development PlatformsSpacecraft Instruments Free Flyer Spacecraft System Development

and Mission Management

Marshall Propulsion Technology Free Flyer Spacecraft System DevelopmentHydrological Sciences and Mission ManagementX-ray Instruments, X-ray Calibration

Facilities/Optics

Stennis Applications Support for Earth Science Science Support to Earth Science Applications

Figure 1


NASA’s ten field Centers form the core of theUnites States’ civilian space program. Each Centerhas its own unique capabilities, both in researchfacilities, workforce competencies, experience, andexpertise.

The inter-Center partnerships that are identified inFigure 1, provide an overview of these interdepen-dencies as they relate to Goddard and its fellow

field Centers. These reciprocal partnerships drawupon the mission responsibilities, expertise, andfacility capabilities of all the NASA field Centers.

While mission responsibilities and capabilities varyfrom Center to Center, the common thread isNASA’s vision and how all Centers work togetherto accomplish NASA’s mission.

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To support Goddard’s Earth and space sciences, theCenter uses instruments and sensors attached to awide array of platforms that span from in situobservation on Earth (including some below sealevel) to the Lagrange points L1 and L2 (about 1million miles from Earth). Between these extremesis a continuum of platforms from aircraft andunmanned aerial vehicles, to high-altitude researchballoons and sounding rockets managed out of the

Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), to low Earth orbit-ing spacecraft (both robotic and habited), to geo-synchronous orbiting satellites some 25,000 milesaway, on out to L1. Each option has its advantagestied to the specific science, the length of the obser-vation, and cost. Together these factors determinethe platform that is most appropriate for a givenscience or technology mission.

Figure 2

Research Platforms


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Human Capital

The human capital that comes together to performthe mission responsibilities of the Goddard SpaceFlight Center is primarily comprised of the civilservice workforce and contractors, both those thatprovide services and those that provide end itemdeliverables. However, personnel and partnershipswith other NASA Centers, other Federal agencies,state and local governments, academic institutions,and foreign governments and institutions are inte-gral to all aspects of the Center’s work.

Guiding Principles for Strategic Management ofHuman Capital

To facilitate the Center’s success in fulfilling itsvision for the future and its mission responsibilities,we have adopted a set of guiding principles to serveas a foundation for our strategic management ofhuman capital. We recognize the critical inter-rela-tionship between the nature of the work and theworkforce of the Center. To attract and retainworld-class talent and maintain world-class capabil-ities that permit the Center to be a nationalresource, three principles guide our Human CapitalManagement.

• Exciting work: Challenging scientific andengineering work with sufficient in-houseactivity to assure the maintenance of corecompetencies that are the prerequisites formission safety and success.

• Sustainable workload: A sustainable work-load that supports timely revitalization ofthe workforce, facilities and equipment andthat allows the achievement of balance inemployees’ lives.

• Value-centered management practices: Aculture that sustains the values of “integrity”and “dedication” that are at the core of theCenter’s tradition; a culture that embraces thevalues required for future success includinggreater flexibility in dealing with rapidlychanging customer requirements and expecta-tions, as well as with the needs of a changingworkforce; and a culture that supports a “bal-ance” between work and personal life andsupports “respect” for diversity of people andideas.

A Workforce Centered on Core Capabilities

The civil service workforce has responsibilities forinherently governmental responsibilities such as pro-gram management and contracting, core technicalcompetencies, and other work basic to the govern-ment. However, because the role of Federal researchand development is constantly undergoing somelevel of redefinition, the role the civil service work-force itself periodically experiences shifts in respon-sibilities or focus. In the first decade of the spaceprogram, the civil service workforce was oftenresponsible for nearly all aspects of a given project.With the maturity of the aerospace business, thedevelopment of an academic research base,enhanced international capabilities, and otherchanges, many capabilities have been transferred tothe private sector and to other contractor or partner-ship arrangements, such as the Space TelescopeScience Institute for the operation of this telescope.As a result, Goddard is able to focus on establishingcore competencies around its unique set of skills andits inherently government responsibilities.

The Center structured its core competenciesaround three criteria – Goddard will have a corecompetency in a particular area when: (1) the capa-bility is necessary for fulfilling Goddard’s missionand does not readily exist elsewhere; (2) it is neces-sary for Goddard’s support to NASA’s mission andGoddard is the best source; or (3) the breadthand/or depth of a capability is essential toGoddard’s ability to meet customer requirements.Seven areas meet these tests:

• Science – space science and Earth science –Theoretical and Experimental

• Sensors, Instruments, and AssociatedTechnologies

• End-to-End Mission Systems Engineering

• Advanced Flight and Ground SystemsDevelopment

• Large Scale Scientific Information Systems

• Program/Project Management

• System Assurance


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In addition, we maintain core technology compe-tencies in four areas:

• High Sensitivity Detector Systems

• Large Aperture Observation Systems

• Distributed ObservingSystems/Constellations

• Flight and Science Information Systems

While emphasis within each of these areas maychange over time, these are the Center’s buildingblocks. As opportunities present themselves, suchas the advancement of new science and new tech-nologies, as new customer requirements emerge,and as external capabilities mature, the Center willcontinue to examine its competencies to meet cus-tomer requirements and adjust its workforceaccordingly.

Current State of the Goddard Space FlightCenter Workforce

The Center’s workforce is comprised of scientists,engineers, technicians, administrative personnel,clerical personnel, and crafts and trade positions.Figure 3 identifies the distribution of this work-force across these skill areas. Figure 4 highlights theeducational level of the Center’s scientific and engi-neering (S&E) workforce.

Technicians7%

Clerical7%

WageGrade

1%

ProfessionalAdministrative

26%

Scientists &Engineers

59%

October 2003

Ph.D24%

Bach.47%

MA29%

October 2003

Over fifty-three percent of Goddard engineers andscientists have advanced degrees.

Eighty-five percent of Goddard’s workforce is professional.

Figure 3

GSFC Full-Time Perm. Employees By Skill

Figure 4

GSFC Full-Time Perm. S&E EmployeesBy High Degree Level


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0

15010050

250

350

200

300

400450

3000

3500

4000

4500

Empl

oyee

s

FY88

FY89

FY90

FY91

FY92

FY93

FY94

FY95

FY96

FY97

FY98

FY99

FY00

FY01

FY02

FY03

Hires

Losses

Beginning of YearOn Board – FTP

Other ThanFull-TimePermanent Added to FTP

The workforce has undergone tremendous changesover the last 15 years. During this time the Centerreached workforce peak of 4,108 in 1992, only tosee a period of downsizing and limited hiringchange the nature of the workforce (Figure 5). Alsoduring this time, the Center has undergone a majorchange by turning over most of the spacecraft oper-ations work to contractors and picking up respon-sibilities for a number of NASA Headquartersadministrative functions and for the IndependentVerification and Validation (IV&V) Facility locatedin Fairmont, West Virginia. Numerous otheradjustments have been made to address changingwork and changing workforce conditions. Figures6 and 7 on the following page highlight the age dis-tributions of the two key components of theCenter’s workforce, engineers and scientists.

Over the last ten years, the age of both scientistsand engineers have shifted significantly to the right.Over 40 percent of scientists are now 55 or older,while less than 15 percent of engineers are youngerthan 35.

The consequences of these dynamics are significant:

• Loss of critical technical expertise with littleopportunity to replace it;

• An able but aging workforce, with 30 percenteligible to retire within the next 5 years;

• A increased workload balanced against con-strained resources;

• A generation gap that creates a discontinuitybetween new, younger generations and thosewho would normally have preceded them andbeen their primary mentors;

• A break in the recruitment chain of coopera-tive education students and other feeder pro-grams; and

• Limited ability to redistribute workforce com-position to meet changing competencyrequirements.

Figure 5

Overview of Workforce Changes


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0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

UNDER25

25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65+

FY93 FY03

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

UNDER25

25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65+

FY93 FY03

Figure 6

Comparative Age Distribution of Goddard’s Scientific WorkforceFY93 and FY03

Figure 7

Comparative Age Distribution of Goddard’s Engineering WorkforceFY93 and FY03


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For our civil service workforce, we have alreadybegun to address these legacy questions. We havedeveloped a practical strategy to sustain and growour core competencies and to fully utilize the capa-bilities that are available. We will:

• Utilize our full-time permanent civil servantsin work necessary to sustain our core compe-tencies and draw upon the expertise thatresides within other NASA Centers;

• Increase our use of other than full-time per-manent civil servants to address short-term,specialized needs that are governmental innature, but are not perceived to be needed asa permanent part of the workforce;

• Focus our workforce on the government’sinherently governmental role, and consistentwith Agency strategies and goals, outsourcethose areas outside our core competencies thatare not inherently governmental;

• Use all available workforce flexibilities torecruit and retain a world class scientific andengineering workforce that is supported by anequally skilled administrative and supportworkforce;

• Take affirmative steps to increase the numbersof minorities, women, and persons with dis-abilities in skill areas in which they are under-represented;

• Transition non-core work requirements tocontracts;

• Expand our strategic partnerships with theacademic community, businesses, other gov-ernmental organizations, and foreign entitiesto take advantage of their capabilities;

• Use modern management practices and orga-nizational development to strengthen team-work and performance;

• Create a climate that provides employees theopportunity to maintain a productive bal-ance between personal and professionalresponsibilities;

• Align reward, recognition, and performancesystems with Agency and Center values andgoals;

• Foster an organizational climate where diver-sity and mutual respect are catalysts for cre-ativity and team effectiveness; and

• Enhance our use of knowledge managementto facilitate the transfer of knowledge and les-sons learned, to provide universal access ofinformation necessary to perform one’s job,and to facilitate the training of the next gener-ation of Goddard’s workforce.

Overall, these strategies are centered on sustainingGoddard’s workforce competencies and viability toserve the Agency as a national resource in our des-ignated areas of responsibility.


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Facilities and Real Property of theGoddard Space Flight Center

Goddard’s facilities serve nearly 9,000 scientists,engineers, project managers, and support personnelat primary facilities in Greenbelt, Maryland andWallops Island, Virginia and occupy approximately12 square miles of land. In addition, Goddardincludes the Independent Verification andValidation Facility in Fairmont, West Virginia, theGoddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in NewYork City (in GSA-owned facilities), and a series ofsmaller research and tracking facilities around theglobe.

In concert with Center leadership, facilities man-agers have embarked on a program of strategicchange. Many of Goddard’s primary facilities(including buildings, roads, utilities, fences, andland use) can no longer reliably meet current orprojected needs. Mission success depends on acomprehensive plan for renewal. An intensive mas-ter planning process was completed for Greenbeltin 2000, and a comparable plan for the WallopsFlight Facilities is in progress.

Facilities Master Planning

The Center invests approximately $25 millionannually in sustaining and renewing facilitiesthrough a combination of Cost of Facilities (CoF)funding and Center-funded projects. In addition,the Center has made plans at each site for replacingoutdated facilities with new construction, includ-ing the Space Science Center at Greenbelt and theConsolidated Engineering Building at Wallops, anddemolishing or transferring to partners those facili-ties that are no longer suitable.

These strategic investments are intended todecrease the backlog of maintenance and repair,though at current funding levels, aging facilities willcontinue to decline. Current investment levels can-not improve the Center’s overall facilities conditionon their own: more creative approaches arerequired to either increase utilization by spreadingfixed costs across more activities or to shed facilitiesso available sustainment funding can be concentrat-ed on those we continue to need. These optionshave driven the current wave of facilities masterplanning.

Goddard’s primary facilities are a unique national resource.

The Greenbelt site occupies about 2 square miles at the southern edge of a large, lightly-developed, federally-owned land area which also includes the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Patuxent EnvironmentalResearch Center, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and Fort Meade. Site improvements include buildings, testfacilities, utilities, roads and parking, and fences and gates with a collective value estimated at $900 million.With over 3 million square feet of gross area, the buildings constitute about 90% of the value of the improve-ments, including 30 major structures. Key capabilities include specialized laboratories for scientific research,premiere computing and data management facilities, and spacecraft integration, test, and evaluation facilitiesincluding large-scale cleanrooms, centrifuges, and thermal vacuum chambers. Some individual facilities areunique, and the overall combination of research, fabrication, testing, and data capabilities offers a comprehen-sive set of capabilities to support “end-to-end” mission system engineering.

The Wallops Flight Facility includes a 6.8 square mile island/mainland sub-site and a 2.9 square mile MainBase sub-site. Launch capabilities include vertical launch facilities, vertical dynamic and static balancing facil-ity, payload assembly buildings, radar/telemetry antenna and support facilities, payload integration and testingfacilities, and a range control center. Airfield facilities include three runways, two aircraft hangers, and a “fuelfarm.” One runway is a unique experimental facility outfitted for flood testing and for arresting gear. The air-field is also a backup Space Shuttle landing site. Other unique facilities include a payload fabrication facility,wave tank, high bay material testing facility, magnetic calibration facility, and an oceanfront unmanned aerialvehicle runway. The combination of rocket launch and airfield facilities, restricted air space, and science facil-ities are a unique set of resources to support scientific, engineering, and flight research.


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The Center’s Greenbelt Facilities Master Planbegan in 1998. Five strategies have guided thedevelopment and implementation of the GoddardFacilities Master Plan:

For Greenbelt, these strategies led to several conclu-sions: though there is sufficient space to meetrequirements, its quality and configuration poseproblems that can severely limit mission success.As a consequence, the Center has committed to anaggressive program of facilities change over the next20 years to provide an integrated, efficient facilitiesinfrastructure.

Greenbelt Facilities Master Plan - RenewalStrategy is Driven by Core CapabilitiesAssessment

State-of-the-art facilities are the goal for Goddard’sprincipal competencies in Earth science, space sci-ence, and technology.

Current Assessment:• Earth Science facilities are of high quality and

generally at or near state-of-the-art. They areof recent design and construction, well suitedto current and planned operations, and ingood condition.

• Space Science facilities are generally poor.They include some of the oldest facilities atGreenbelt and are not well suited to current orfuture operations. This is the highest prioritybuilding initiative in the Facilities MasterPlan.

• Technology facilities vary considerably inquality. Some areas are new and well suitedfor their role, but older facilities are generallyinadequate for the Center’s technology devel-opment role.

• The goal for the remaining facilities thathouse other engineering, program/projectmanagement, and institutional service activi-ties is to reach “industry standard,” a termthat represents facility quality that matchescurrent industry norms.

The overall status of Goddard’s Greenbelt facilitiesare represented in the diagrams below:

Issue: Facilities QualityRenewal Strategy Driven by Core CapabilitiesAssessment

H

M

L

Goal

H

M

L

H

M

LEngineering

ProgramM

anagement

InstitutionalAdm

inistrative

Industry Standard

H

M

L

GoalH

M

L

H

M

LEarthScience

SpaceScience

TechnologyState of the Art

Meets current and future requirements

Fails to meet current and future requirements

H - Highest M - Mid L - Lowest

Master Plan GoalsA 20-year look into GSFC’s Future

Management Strategies Facilities Goals

Mission Success Starts with Safety ➤ SafetyFocus on performance ➤ QualityUnify the organization ➤ Unified Campus

Optimize Center resources ➤ EfficiencyWork more closely with our partners ➤ Partners


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The strategy of the Greenbelt Facilities Master Planis captured in this representation of the futureGreenbelt campus. Functional neighborhoodsunify those performing common work, a corridorprovides improved access among the neighbor-hoods, and partners have an opportunity to belocated adjacent to civil service facilities. The leadtimes associated with facilities construction andchanges are longer than any other activity. Thisnecessitates an understanding of the Center’s futuremission responsibilities and an aggressive strategyto ensure that facilities are of a quality to matchmission requirements.

Continuous Assessment of Facility and RealProperty Requirements

For the Wallops Flight Facility, associated institu-tional investment guiding principles were devel-oped to summarize the facility development strate-gy. They include: consolidate mission criticalactivities in a core infrastructure; develop neighbor-hood/sector planning to localize common func-tions; optimize facilities to support mission criticalactivities; focus infrastructure quality/renewal strat-egy on the core/operations/commercial land use

concept; ensure increased security for mission criti-cal activities and critical assets; search forpublic/private financing opportunities to reduceNASA’s infrastructure costs; and optimize facilitiesinfrastructure by aligning NASA planning withpartner’s mission growth.

Real Property Initiatives

The Center participates actively in Agency initia-tives to better understand and manage real proper-ty, including the Deferred Maintenance andFacilities Sustainment models and the recentlycompleted report on real property opportunities.In early FY2004, Wallops will pilot a new MissionDependency model for the Agency that is intendedto map facilities against mission priorities.

The Center is actively working to establish facilitiespartnerships that can enhance our work by attract-ing advantageous partners to our property and byreducing institutional costs associated with facilitiesthat no longer meet the Center’s needs.

Continuing Facility Master Planning Process

There are several key elements to the master plan-ning process currently underway at the Center’s

Proposed Land Use diagram: Functional Neighbors


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Wallops Flight Facility. The current process isconsidering the total facility, including partner’smissions, visions, and real property. NASA hasmany partners at the facility including the UnitedStates Navy, the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration, the United StatesCoast Guard, the Marine Science Consortium,and the Virginia Space Flight Authority. The mas-ter plan seeks to eliminate unnecessary redundan-cies and share institutional investments.Alternative funding strategies being considered aspart of the master planning process are EnhancedUse Leasing and commercialization.

Non-NASA Capital Assets

The Center accomplishes the lion’s share of its workbeyond its property boundaries through contracts,grants, and partnerships across the country and inmany instances with other countries. The Centergoal is to maintain the capabilities needed to sup-port its core competencies and perform its inher-ently governmental responsibilities. The Centeralso has several agreements with partners to utilizecapital assets to achieve the NASA mission, prima-rily at Wallops. For instance, United States CoastGuard boats are used for payload recovery andclearing of launch hazard zones. With the Navy,joint missions are conducted using Navy radars toprovide data and backup.

Leveraging the Center’s Real Property

The Center is currently evaluating all its opportu-nities to share or excess unutilized or underutilizedcapabilities. Among the authorities that can beused are the Space Act, the Historic PreservationAct, Enhanced-Use Leasing, and the GSARelocation Program. Among these, Enhanced-UseLeasing is the most attractive and feasible, and theCenter is developing a proposal to be selected as ademonstration site for this authority. At Greenbelt,creating a Partnering and Outreach Zone wouldinvite partners to renew and occupy about 28 per-cent of current facilities space that no longer fits

well with our future needs, including the currentVisitors Center and many technical, office, andsupport facilities. At Wallops, several projects arebeing considered, including the lease of the spinbalance facility, the utility plants, and the calibra-tion lab. The lease of airfield facilities to a commer-cial aviation company is also being considered.Airfield facilities would include a hangar, rampspace, and possibly aircraft. Consideration for thefacilities would include the payment of cash and“like services” including aircraft and maintenancesupport for the Suborbital Science Program heavylift aircraft platforms.

Reducing Excess Property

At Greenbelt, the Facilities Master Plan calls for anoverall reduction of 10 percent of facilities spaceresulting from the demolition or excess of approxi-mately 45 percent of current facilities space over thenext 20 years, while constructing about 35 percentreplacement space. The result will be to raise facil-ities quality and eliminate most facilities that nolonger meet requirements or whose maintenanceand refurbishment costs outweigh their value.

At Wallops, the Center is actively pursuing disposalof excess property. Three projects have been sub-mitted to Headquarters for demolition funding,two in FY 2004 and one in FY 2005. As part of itsmaster planning efforts, Wallops also hopes toreplace several core area facilities with new, moreefficient and maintainable space, in turn demolish-ing a substantial portion of current space.

Summary

As they are executed, Goddard’s facilities and realproperty goal plans will re-establish the quality ofthe Center’s capability to continue to serve as anational resource for the exploration of Earth andspace.


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44 Implementing Strategies (IS)


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Implementing Strategies (IS)IS-1. Achieve management and institutionalexcellence comparable to NASA’s technicalexcellence.

The Goddard Space Flight Center’s leadership roleas a national resource for Earth and space sciences,technology, and program/project management aresupported by the following essential services.

Safety and Mission Assurance: services associatedwith maintaining personal safety of the employeesand others who could be potentially affected byGoddard’s program and activities and in maintain-ing systems safety and mission assurance associatedwith Goddard programs and projects.

Human Resources: services associated with theemployment, career development and training,awards, benefits, organizational development, laborrelations, and other activities associated with thecivil service portion of Goddard’s human capital.

Institutional Management: services associated withmanaging Goddard’s institutional infrastructure.

Financial and Resource Management: servicesassociated with managing Goddard’s fiscal andphysical resources, including budget analysis,preparation and execution.

Procurement: services associated with Goddard’sacquisition of goods and services and the award ofgrants.

Legal: services associated with providing Goddardmanagement and employees legal counsel to helpassure they conduct their work in accordance withlaws and regulations, with representing Goddard inlitigation, and with conducting Goddard’s ethicsprogram.

Information Management: services associatedwith development and management of an informa-tion infrastructure that supports the managementof data, information, and business processes in asafe, secure manner.

Goddard employs two key processes for the man-agement of these functional areas as they supportthe Center’s programmatic responsibilities.Goddard will use these core processes to facilitatemanagement of Human Capital, CompetitiveSourcing, Financial Management, andInstitutions and Asset Management.

• The first of these processes is Goddard’sIntegrated Business Planning (IBP). The IBPis the process by which the Center assessesstrategic environmental issues and translatesthem into budget strategies, workforce man-agement, overhead costs, service pool man-agement, and other funding areas. The IBPalso serves as a forum for issue analysis thathelps prepare the Center for the annual budg-et cycle.

• The second of these is the Goddard GeneralManagement Council (GMC), which is aninstitutional parallel to the Goddard ProgramManagement Council. The GMC bringstogether monthly those elements of theCenter that comprise the Center’ primaryinstitutional support elements to address per-formance and accountability.

Budget and Performance Integration: the Centerwill meet Agency guidelines in the submission of itsbudget and in the establishment of performancegoals. The Center will fully utilize the capabilitiesof the Integrated Financial Management Programto manage these processes. Goddard is also provid-ing a leadership role to the next phase of this pro-gram in the area of Budget Formulation.

Electronic Governance: the Center is supportingthe One NASA Portal by matching existing con-tent with the architecture of the Portal and creat-ing new content specifically for the Portal. Wewill continue to train webmasters to assure thatthey develop sites consistent with NASA’s OneNASA Portal strategies, including encouragingvisual affinity of its public sites with the OneNASA Portal.

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As Agency-wide institutional initiatives continue tounfold, the Center will support those activities toensure that NASA’s institutional excellence is onpar with it technical excellence.

IS-2. Demonstrate NASA leadership in the use ofinformation technologies (IT).

Goddard will support the Agency initiatives in theuse of information technologies that are an essentialcomponent of our infrastructure across NASA andare critical to our communication with customersand stakeholders, especially the public.

Security and integrity of data are cornerstones tothe foundation of our IT infrastructure. Goddardsupports NASA’s Network Perimeter Security,Internet Protocol (IP) registration, and UserAccount management initiatives.

Goddard will identify and define a current statearchitecture and in conjunction with Agency guide-lines work to develop an “ideal” architecture toestablish an integrated, low cost information tech-nology infrastructure. In addition, Goddard willparticipate in Agency initiatives and provide leader-ship when its expertise is requested. Goddard willcomplete and implement a computer wireless poli-cy that will be used as an Agency model.

Goddard will use its IT to help manage its businessand program/project management responsibilitiesby providing a variety of management informationthat is easily accessible and automated tools thatfacilitate and support decision-making.

IS-3. Enhance NASA’s core engineering, manage-ment, and science capabilities and processes toensure safety and mission success, increasedperformance, and reduce cost.

As a space flight center, mission activities associat-ed with major programs are central to Goddard’swork. Our strategies to address these responsibil-ities are to maintain a world-class workforcefocused on our core competencies; facilities andequipment that permit this workforce to maximizeits performance; business practices that supportthe end product; experienced program/projectleadership; and management processes that bring

together the resources and talent to meet theCenter’s commitments.

A number of key processes are involved.

Goddard’s New Business Process vets proposedwork to determine (1) its relevance to its customersand the Center’s mission, (2) the Center’s capabili-ties measured against the requirements, and finally(3) the availability of resources to perform thework. Our goal is early involvement of all contrib-utors to a mission so that requirements can beassessed and a cohesive team formed to achieve theoverall mission. Contributors include scientists,engineers, project managers, and mission assurancemanagers, as well as procurement, resources andfinancial management personnel, and other sup-port functions whose contributions are necessary tosuccessfully bring a project to completion.

Goddard will continue to evolve and develop itsIntegrated Design Capability (IDC). We will con-tinue to implement new processes, tools, and capa-bilities to expand services to the IDC customers.We will create and implement new systems engi-neering capabilities and methodologies to enhancedefinition of trade space and multiple solution setsand to weight performance, cost and schedule risks.We will strategically evaluate and infuse technolo-gies into new missions and strategically use ourresources to develop technology that has the great-est potential return defined as the ability to supportfuture missions.

Since much of the risk associated with state of theart work resides with our ability to safely infuse newtechnologies, the Center is developing aTechnology Strategic Plan that will unify the vari-ous elements of technology development, includingproject specific technology, Research andTechnology Development (R&TD), and competi-tive technology research opportunities.

We will fully implement Goddard’s SystemsEngineering policies to ensure consistent, effectivesystems engineering services and products across allGoddard projects and throughout all stages of thedevelopment life cycle. We will complete andimplement supporting process guidelines for lifecycle elements and systems engineering functionalareas.

We will maintain a cadre of senior system engineerscomprised of civil servants and contractors who will


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provide expertise in systems engineering functionsincluding risk, requirements, cost, and perform-ance management. The systems engineers will pro-vide rapid response to customers, and systems engi-neering support to scientists from pre-formulationthrough development.

We will continually improve Goddard’s QualityManagement System (QMS). We will providevalue-added management process requirements andguidelines based on best practices and lessonslearned. We will conduct a review of the GoddardDirective Management System (GDMS) to ensurethat all critical processes are defined, that all docu-ments are relevant and can be tailored to meet theneeds of our diverse projects, that missing orundocumented processes will be added to theGDMS, that employees will be trained in theseprocesses, and that periodic, systematic review oftheir use will be made.

We will continue to implement a risk managementprocess and deploy it to provide for consistent useby all flight projects (in-house and out-of-house)throughout all stages of a project’s life cycle.

Goddard’s scientific research follows a Darwinianmodel. Areas of research, science projects, and indi-vidual scientists survive based on a process of natu-ral selection that results from various competitiveprocesses that promote the quality of the Center’sscientific research:

Mission/Project LevelScientific missions are the result of prioritiesthat reflect the community of interest of asso-ciated disciplines. Goddard competes formission opportunities by responding toAgency competitions - Announcements ofOpportunities (AO’s), Research Announce-ments (RA’s), etc. Internal Goddard process-es, including the allocation of resources fornew proposals (Bid and Proposal - B&P), takeplace within organization/discipline unitsbefore being vetted with the Center’s NewBusiness Committee.

Discipline AreasIndividual areas of research exist as a result ofa basic demand and supply model. When anarea of research no longer attracts resources, itreconstitutes itself or is dissolved.Competitive funding demands that scientific

research meet a need, if it fails to meet thatneed, it ceases to receive funding.

Individual ScientistAs experts in their respective disciplines, sci-entists have a number of roles to perform.They provide ideas and initiatives that drivenew projects. They serve on project teams asPrincipal Investigators (PIs), Co-Investigators(Co-Is), and project scientists. However, thefundamental role of scientists is to do science.Their research opportunities and associatedresources are determined through competitiveprocesses, and their results are tested by a peerreview in publications and by presentation atprofessional conferences.

Center LevelAs competition for scientific expertiseexpands into new areas, Goddard will seek toattract the best scientists by providing theman environment that supports the bestresearch, the resources to pursue new areas ofinquiry, and space flight opportunities that areunequaled. The Goddard Senior Fellows,comprised of the best of Goddard’s scientistsand engineers serve as internal advisors tomanagement to address issues and barriers tomaintaining the opportunities, resources, andworkforce that will continue the Center’srecord of scientific achievement.

IS-4. Ensure that all NASA work environments onEarth and in space, are safe, healthy, environ-mentally sound, and secure.

Goddard maintains a robust safety, occupationalhealth, and environmental program that addressessafety of people and of resources. The essence ofthe program is captured in the Center’s core safetyvalue:

• We will not compromise the safety of thepublic or our employees in the conduct of ourwork.

• The personal safety and security of all thoseassociated with or potentially affected byGoddard’s programs and activities is the cor-nerstone upon which we build success.

• We will be active stewards in the use and pro-tection of all resources and assets that NASAand this Nation have entrusted to us.


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Goddard’s safety and occupational health, andenvironmental program functions are accom-plished by Agency directives that require imple-mentation of Executive Orders and regulatory stan-dards for the many disciplines of the program, suchas regulations and rules of the Occupational Safetyand Health Administration, Nuclear RegulatoryCommission, and Environmental ProtectionAgency. Nationally recognized management sys-tem tools have been adopted by the Agency to facil-itate adoption of these laws and regulationsAgency-wide.

The two primary functional areas and source ofguiding standards include:

• Safety and Occupational Health: safety andoccupational health encompasses planning,development, and management of policiesand procedures for the protection of person-nel, property, and the public from hazardsgenerated by processes and operations atGoddard. Program elements include:

- Chemical Safety Program- Occupational Health- Emergency Preparedness- Occupational Safety- Facilities Systems- Radiation Protection- Fire Protection- Workers Compensation Program- Industrial Hygiene- Mishap Prevention

Guiding Standards for the OccupationalSafety Management System:

- Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration (OSHA)

- Voluntary Protection Program (VPP)

Guiding Standards for the OccupationalHealth Management System:

- Joint Accreditation of Healthcareorganizations (JAHCO)

• Environmental: The overarching strategy isdefined by four areas: Prevention (pollutionprevention program); Compliance (bringingall Goddard operations into compliance with

current environmental requirements;Restoration (clean up pollution from pastoperations); and Conservation (preserve natu-ral and cultural heritage for future genera-tions). Program elements include:

- Clean Air- Remediation of Chemical Releases- Clean Water- Pollution Prevention- Chemical Uses- National Environmental Policy Act- Waste Materials- Natural and Cultural Resources

Guiding Standards for the EnvironmentalManagement System include:

- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

- International Standards Organization(ISO) 14000, NASA EnvironmentalSystem policies derived from ExecutiveOrder 13148, Greening the Governmentthrough Leadership in EnvironmentalManagement

As an implementing strategy, the Center will assessvulnerabilities within functional areas and will takea proactive approach to:

• Identify and remove potential problemsbefore they occur;

• Aggressively address any problems that dooccur;

• Establish and implement corrective action;

• Incorporate lessons learned to ensure suchactions do not occur in the future;

• Concentrate on the highest, most significantvulnerabilities;

• Develop annual goals and objectives for eacharea and align them with Goddard’s manage-ment systems; and

• Align (and realign) programs and personnel toprovide the Center with appropriate servicesto meet requirements.


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IS-5. Manage risk and cost to ensure successand provide the greatest value to the Americanpeople.

In addition to the processes discussed inImplementing Strategy 3, Goddard will pursue arigorous risk mitigation strategy and will balancethat value of potential outcomes with the associatedrisk. We will attempt to mitigate risk by carefulassessment; we will aggressively pursue technologyadvances that expand capabilities. Where possibleand practical, we will test concepts and technologiesprior to making major commitments.

The sounding rocket program and high altitudeballoon program are key aspects of the strategy totest before making major resource commitments, aswell as a means of involving new organizations andtraining of the next generation of scientists andengineers.

We will ensure all Goddard program and projectteams are trained in current NASA risk manage-ment policies and equipped with proven leadershipand implementation technologies and tools.

We will continue to expand “lessons learned”methodologies, develop supporting program man-agement tools, and take advantage of informationavailable through the Integrated FinancialManagement Program and its associated systems.We will implement Risk Based AcquisitionManagement to improve risk management formajor acquisitions.

In the area of cost management, our multi-levelapproach to cost estimation includes:

• A bottom up estimate on Work BreakdownSchedules (time, materials, and labor) thoughthe use of database tools, developed by theproject team

• Integrated Design Capabilities (IDC) per-form component level cost analysis

• “Price H” a commercial product for cost vali-dation based on engineering provides a crosscheck

• Resource Analysis Office (RAO) parametric -power/weight based analysis based on priormissions and experience provides a furthercross check

• Validation and recalculation integrates thesemultiple inputs

Together these provide a set of checks and balancesinternal to the Center, which is further tested bycompetitive selection processes that weigh cost as afactor.

In the area of performance, we will track and eval-uate specific and systemic causes and make changesto prevent their reoccurrence on the key elementsof schedule, cost, and performance on our projects,and we are in process of expanding that analysis tothe instrument level.


Despite all theses checks and balances, we also realize that our role as a Federal laboratory isto perform cutting-edge research. Risk is inherent anytime exploration is pushed beyond theboundaries of known and proven processes. We also understand that “opportunity cost,” thatis the risk of not pushing these boundaries, is one of the most significant losses a research anddevelopment organization can experience. The Agency has adopted the phrase, “as only NASAcan....,” as an embodiment of challenging the unknown. In performing its mission, in work-ing with its fellow NASA centers, and in its partnerships, the Goddard Space Flight Centerwill always seek to challenge the unknown.

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55 Additional Information:Acronyms and Web Sites


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Additional Information:Acronyms and Web Sites

Acronym Definition

AIRS Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

AO Announcement of Opportunity

ASO Astronomical Search for Origins

AT Aeronautics Technology

B&P Bid & Proposal

BSR Biological Sciences Research

CCMC Community Coordinated ModelingCenter

CERES Clouds and the Earth’s RadiantEnergy System

CICT Computing, Information andCommunications Technology

CoF Cost of Facilities

Co-Is Co-Investigators

Con-X Constellation-X

CSCP Complex Self-Contained Payloads

ECS Engineering for Complex Systems

ECT Enabling Concepts & Technologies

EOSDIS Earth Observing System Data &Information System

EP Education Programs

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

ESA Earth Science Application

ESE Earth Science Enterprise

ESS Earth System Science

FTP Full Time Permanent

FY Fiscal Year

GAS Get a Way Specials

GCDC Global Change Data Center

GDMS Goddard Directive ManagementSystem

GFDL Geophysical Fluid DynamicsLaboratory

GISS Goddard Institute for Space Studies

GMC General Management Council

GPS Global Positioning System

GRACE Gravity Recovery And ClimateExperiment

GSA General Services Administration

GSFC Goddard Space Flight Center

GWET Global Water & Energy Cross-cuttingTheme

HST Hubble Space Telescope

HyTEx Hypersonic Technology Experiment

IBP Integrated Business Planning

IDC Integrated Design Capability

IFMP Integrated Financial ManagementProgram

IP Internet Protocol

IS Implementing Strategies

ISO International Standards Organization

ISS International Space Station

IT Information Technologies

ITTP Innovative Technology TransferPartnership

IV&V Independent Verification &Validation

JAHCO Joint Accreditation of HealthcareOrganization

JCSDA Joint Center for Satellite DataAssimilation

JPL Jet Propulsion laboratory

LISA Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

LWS Living With a Star

MEP Mars Exploration Program

MODIS Moderate Resolution ImagingSpectroradiometer

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MSM Mission & Science MeasurementTechnology

NAI NASA Astrobiology Institute

NASA National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration

NCAR National Center for AtmosphericResearch

NCEP NOAA Center for EnvironmentalPrediction

NGLT Next-Generation Launch Technology

NIAC NASA Institute for AdvancedConcepts

NOAA National Oceanic & AtmosphericAdministration

NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission

OBPR Office of Biological & PhysicalResearch

OSHA Occupational Safety & HealthAdministration

OSP Orbital Space Plane

OSSEs Observing System SimulationExperiments

PIs Principal Investigators

PSR Physical Sciences Research

QMS Quality Management System

R&D Research & Development

R&TD Research and Technology

Development

RA Research Announcements

RAO Resource Analysis Office

RPFS Research Partnerships & FlightSupport

S&E Scientific & Engineering

SBIR Small Business Innovative Research

SEC Sun-Earth Connection

SEM Space Experiment Module

SEU Structure & Evolution of theUniverse

SFS Space & Flight Support

SLI Space Launch Initiative

SSE Solar System Exploration

SSP Space Shuttle Program

STP Solar Terrestrial Probes

STTR Small Business Technology Programs

TOMS Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer

TRMM Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

USCG United States Coast Guard

VPP Voluntary Protection Program

WFF Wallops Flight Facility


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Web Sites

NASA Homepage

http://www.nasa.gov/

provides up-to-date news on NASA’s programs and activities, as well as alink to the various Enterprise homepages.

Office of the Chief Financial Officer

http://ifmp.nasa.gov/codeb/library/library.htm

is a compendium of NASA budget information and documentation.

Goddard Space Flight Center Public Homepage

http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/

is a source of general information about Goddard, its mission, and links toother NASA Web sites.

Goddard Space Flight Center Internal Homepage

http://internal.gsfc.nasa.gov/

is the intranet starting point to Goddard information and documentation.

Click on “Reports and Plans” for documents related to the Center’s planningactivities.

Destination: Earth

http://www.earth.nasa.gov/

is the Web site for NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise and provides a directlink to the Web pages of major projects in development and operation.

Space Science

http://spacescience.nasa.gov/

is the Web site for NASA’s Space Science Enterprise and provides a directlink to “Our Missions,” which provides a link to Web pages for space sci-ence projects.


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Prior Year Annual Updates

National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationGoddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, MD 20771

NP-2003-9-570-GSFC

http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov

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