Earth Science Programs - Basic Research Opportunities in Earth Science - page 131

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA conducts Earth science research related to the surface of the Earth,
the Earth's interior, and other planets and solar system bodies. Research directed
away from the Earth is conducted through the Office of Space Science, and
research directed toward the Earth is conducted through the Office of Earth
Science. The mission of the Space Science Enterprise is to solve mysteries of the
universe, explore the solar system, discover planets around other stars, and search
for life beyond Earth. Approximately $400 million (out of a total of $2.1 billion)
was available in FY 1999 for peer-reviewed research and data analysis in these
topics. Major Earth science research programs within the space sciences part of
NASA include the following:
• Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program supports scientific
investigations of planetary surfaces and interiors, satellites, and smaller
solar system bodies such as asteroids and comets. The program also
supports analysis of samples from planetary missions, such as lunar rocks
and soils; geologic field studies of terrestrial analogues to planetary
phenomena; lunar agriculture studies; and a wide array of analytical,
experimental, modeling, and remote-sensing studies.
• Cosmochemistry Program supports cosmochemical investigations related
to understanding the geochemical nature of solar system bodies and the
formation and chemical development of the solar system. The program
also supports equipment related to laboratory studies of extraterrestrial
materials (meteorites, cosmic dust, and lunar samples), such as
microprobes, scanning electron microscopes, and mass spectrometers.
• Astrobiology Program supports research on how life begins and develops,
the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe, and the response of
terrestrial life to environmental change and to conditions in space or on
other planets.
The mission of the Earth Science Enterprise is to develop an understanding
of the integrated Earth system (land, ocean, atmosphere, ice, and biota) and the
effects of natural and human-induced changes on the global environment. The FY
1999 budget for the Earth Science Enterprise was $1.4 billion, of which $252
million was devoted to research and analysis. Major Earth science research
programs include the following:
• Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics monitors plate motions and regions of
intraplate deformation; develops improved gravity and topography models