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What’s Ahead
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| In this image taken from the International Space Station, a colorful emission in the Earth’s upper atmosphere known as airglow can be seen. The Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission, scheduled to launch this week, will study the causes of variations in airglow as well as other phenomena of the boundary region between the Earth and space. (Image credit - NASA) |
Space Weather Research Satellite Set for Launch
NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite is scheduled to launch on Friday from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The spacecraft’s planned two-year mission is to conduct advanced observations of the ionosphere, the boundary region between Earth and space where charged particles from the Sun encounter the atmosphere. Data from ICON will inform scientific studies of the interaction between space weather and terrestrial weather, which can have disruptive effects on telecommunications signals. The mission, which has an expected lifecycle cost of about $250 million, was originally scheduled to launch one year ago but was delayed by problems experienced with its launch vehicle.
National Academies Releases Two Decarbonization Reports, Announces Geoengineering Study
The National Academies is releasing a report on Wednesday that updates a 2015 study on technologies and methods for removing and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. Such “negative emissions technologies” could prove important in limiting global warming, but they remain impractical to implement on a large scale. The report also complements another report released last week on the use of gaseous carbon waste streams as inputs in manufacturing, which could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The National Academies has also just announced a new study sponsored by several private foundations that will update another report from 2015 on methods to curb warming by altering the atmosphere to reflect more sunlight. An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report released on Oct. 8 stressed that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels will require global net carbon dioxide emissions to fall to zero by 2050. It did not consider solar reflection as an option, citing the uncertainties, risks, and social, institutional, and ethical constraints associated with such measures.
Space Community Leaders Meeting at Constellation of Events
There will be several meetings this week at which planning for future space science and exploration will be discussed.
- The American Astronautical Society is holding its annual Von Braun Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, Tuesday through Thursday. Speakers include NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, NASA Science Mission Directorate head Thomas Zurbuchen, and Department of Defense research and technology head Mitch Nikolich.
- The National Space Council is meeting on Tuesday at National Defense University in Washington, D.C., and will discuss plans to establish a Space Force as an independent branch of the armed services.
- The NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee is holding a two-day teleconference on Monday and Tuesday that will include discussions of the recently released science strategies for astrobiology and exoplanet research.
- The NASA Heliophysics Advisory Committee is holding a teleconference spanning portions of Monday and Tuesday.
- The National Academies Committee on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space is meeting Tuesday through Thursday, and will discuss plans for research, lunar science, the future of the International Space Station, and preparations for the next decadal survey for space-based biological and physical science.
- The National Academies Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics will hold a two-day meeting starting next Monday.
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In Case You Missed It
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| The Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA) is designed to study how the universe was ionized after the first stars formed. The project receives funding from a mid-scale research infrastructure program managed by NSF’s Division of Astronomical Sciences. (Image courtesy of Dave DeBoer / University of California, Berkeley) |
NSF Board Endorses Agency-Wide Mid-Scale Infrastructure Effort
In a congressionally mandated study released on Oct. 16, the National Science Board calls for the National Science Foundation to make a long-term commitment to funding mid-scale research infrastructure (RI) projects in all disciplines. The board found that individual NSF research divisions have especially struggled to fund projects falling within the range of $20 million to $70 million. Given there has been substantial demonstrated interest in such projects, the board recommends NSF create an agency-wide account that dedicates $60 million to $100 million per year to mid-scale RI and upgrades. It also recommends that NSF evaluate whether the existing Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction account, used to fund large-scale RI, could support mid-scale RI as well. NSF has already requested $60 million for fiscal year 2019 to launch an agency-wide mid-scale RI program. And on Oct. 15, NSF announced it will release two agency-wide funding solicitations for mid-scale RI this fall.
NASA Solicits Lunar Lander Instrumentation Proposals
As part of its plans to intertwine science and commerce within its new lunar exploration initiative, NASA released a call for proposals on Oct. 18 for scientific instrumentation and technology demonstration payloads that would fly on commercial lunar landers. The agency initially expects to make between eight and 12 awards that will total between $24 million and $36 million, with additional solicitations to follow. Steve Clarke, who oversees exploration-related matters in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement, “We are looking for ways to not only conduct lunar science but to also use the Moon as a science platform to look back at the Earth, observe the Sun, or view the vast Universe. In terms of technology, we are interested in those instruments or systems that will help future missions — both human and robotic — explore the Moon and feed forward to future Mars missions.”
EPA Puts Science Transparency Rule on Slow Track
The Environmental Protection Agency has classified its controversial proposal to increase the transparency of its regulatory process as a “long-term action,” meaning the agency does not expect to implement the measure for at least one year. The proposed rule would require the agency to base many new regulations only on scientific studies for which the underlying data is publicly available. EPA was criticized for initially moving to implement the rule too quickly by opening it to public comment for only a short period. The agency ultimately extended the period and received many thousands of comments, to which it is legally required to respond. EPA’s Science Advisory Board has also requested to review the rule and criticized the agency’s failure to adequately consult with the scientific community.
Plasma Science Study Panel Frets About Fusion
At its first meeting on Oct. 15, the National Academies committee conducting a decadal survey of plasma science grappled with how the subfield of nuclear fusion has been a focus of congressional attention. Some committee members expressed concern that their message about the breadth and promise of plasma science could be drowned out by debates about fusion-specific subjects, such as U.S. participation in the ITER project. However, staff members of the House Science Committee assured them Congress would not conflate plasma science with fusion and discussed how the study could be used to raise the profile of other aspects of the field. Steven Cowley, director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, also offered advice based on his experience co-chairing the previous decadal survey. He said that if he were leading the survey again, he would consider a “hybrid” approach that identifies “grand challenges” for the field as well as important “enabling science” areas, citing plasma spectroscopy as an example.
NIST Outlines Quantum R&D and Standards Initiatives
At an advisory committee meeting on Oct. 16, leaders of the National Institute of Standards and Technology sketched out the agency’s strategy for advancing quantum information science along three main thrusts: foundational research in quantum metrology, applied R&D in quantum device engineering, and the development of measurement standards based on invariant quantum phenomena. Among its activities, NIST is developing concepts for a new quantum engineering center and organizing a Quantum Economic Development Consortium. It is also working to commercialize a suite of compact QIS-based sensors that do not require periodic calibration — a concept referred to as “NIST on a Chip” that could transform aspects of the agency’s core metrology mission.
NSF Seeks to Expand INCLUDES Across Government
At an Oct. 18 STEM education advisory committee meeting, National Science Foundation Director France Córdova announced the agency is pushing to expand the NSF INCLUDES program into a government-wide effort to broaden the participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM fields. She noted that agencies have already used other NSF education and training initiatives, such as the I-Corps entrepreneurship program, as models for their own such programs. This week, NSF is hosting a meeting at which leaders from over a dozen federal agencies and other partners will discuss current and future collaborations in broadening participation in STEM.
Trump’s Climate Science Remarks Provoke Rebukes
In an interview with the Associated Press on Oct. 16, President Trump repeated the views on climate science that he expressed in an interview aired on the television program 60 Minutes on Oct. 14. Pressed that scientists disagree with his claim that warming trends are apt to reverse themselves, Trump replied, “Some say that and some say differently. I mean, you have scientists on both sides of it.” Pointing out that his uncle was a professor at MIT, he asserted, “I have a natural instinct for science.” Responding to the 60 Minutes interview, House Science Committee Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) remarked in a statement, “Feelings are not facts, and it’s time the president comes to understand that. … His inherent lack of understanding on this matter — a position that 97 percent of scientists, including those at NASA agree on — is dangerous.” In a letter to Trump, Keith Seitter, executive director of the American Meteorological Society (an AIP Member Society), pointed to the “multiple lines of evidence” supporting the scientific consensus on climate change. He also objected to Trump’s suggestion that climate scientists are attempting to advance a “political” agenda.
Trump Seeking Across-the-Board Budget Cuts
During a meeting with his Cabinet secretaries on Oct. 17, President Trump said he plans to ask each to propose budget cuts of at least 5 percent for their respective departments, while also noting he may exempt some from the requirement. Asked if the directive will apply to the Defense Department, Trump said its proposed budget will likely be near $700 billion, which is 2.2 percent below his previous budget request. The comments came days after the Treasury Department reported that the U.S. deficit rose 17 percent to $779 billion in fiscal year 2018, following last year’s tax cut legislation and increases in federal spending. The exact distribution of the cuts will not be known until Trump releases his budget request for fiscal year 2020, which is due to Congress in February 2019.
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Events This Week
Friday, October 26 No events start today.
Group on Earth Observations: GEO Week 2018 (continues through Friday)
Kyoto, Japan
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Opportunities DOE Seeking STEM Educators for Einstein Fellowship
The Department of Energy Office of Science is currently accepting applications from K–12 educators for the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship program. Fellows spending 11 months in a federal agency or congressional office gaining experience working on national education and policy activities. Interested educators must have at least five years of classroom teaching experience in a STEM field. Applications are due Nov. 15.
NIH Seeking Input on Data Management Policy
The National Institutes of Health is soliciting public input on provisions that could serve as a basis for a future data management and sharing policy for NIH-funded research. The agency is requesting specific feedback on the definition of scientific data, requirements for data management and sharing plans, and optimal timing for implementation. NIH is hosting a webinar on the proposed provisions on Nov. 7. Submissions are due Dec. 10.
Potomac Institute Seeking S&T Policy Fellows
The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is accepting applications for a six-month science and technology fellowship program at the institute’s Center for Revolutionary Scientific Thought. Preference will be given to mid-career individuals with a Ph.D. in a technical field. Applications are due Nov. 16.
Know of an upcoming science policy opportunity? Email us at fyi@aip.org.Know of an upcoming science policy event? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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