NASA's Office of Earth Sciences has begun a new program to develop and demonstrate new measurement technologies through ground-based laboratory activities. The Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) will reduce the risk, cost, size, and development time of Earth-observing instruments and enable new Earth-observation measurements. "This new program is intended to bring together technological capabilities of academia, industry and government to enable NASA's Earth Sciences enterprise to accomplish its scientific and applications objectives," said Dr. Ghassem Asrar, Associate Administrator for Earth Sciences, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. "Through this program we intend to introduce technological innovations into the science and applications programs more frequently and reduce development time and risk, lowering the cost of future missions." NASA received 123 proposals of which 27 have been selected. Selected projects include three from industry, six from NASA field centers, eight from universities and ten from national laboratories. The dollar value of the first round of IIP awards is approximately $20 million. Areas for instrument development within the program include land-cover and land-use change and global productivity research; seasonal-to-interannual climate variability and prediction; natural hazards research and applications; and long-term climate observations -- natural variability and change research, and atmospheric ozone research. The IIP will enable members of the scientific community to propose, build and launch new Earth Science payloads within a three to four-year period. By focusing on a short turnaround time, NASA hopes to minimize cost while encouraging creative new designs for Earth Science instruments. This program represents the first time that the Earth Sciences enterprise has solicited technology proposals, establishing a benchmark for future solicitations. Allen, Christopher T., University of Kansas Aumann, Hartmut H., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Cohen, Ronald C., University of California at Berkeley Degnan, John J., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Diner, David J., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Egdall, Mark, Lockheed, IR Imaging Systems Elkins, James W., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fu, Lee-Lueng, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Gaier, Todd, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Hartmann, Ulli G., Orbital Sciences Corporation Herman, Benjamin M., University of Arizona Im, Eastwood, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Janz, Scott, University of Maryland Baltimore County Kliner, Dahv, Sandia National Laboratories Kolber, Zbigniew S., Rutgers University Kummerow, Christian D., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Lambrigtsen, Bjorn H., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Le Vine, David M., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Lichten, Stephen M., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Njoku, Eni G., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Raney, R Keith, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory Roche, Aidan E., Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory Spinhirne, James D., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Walter, Steven J., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Whiteman, David N., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Yee, Jeng-Hwa John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Zawodny, Joseph M., NASA Langley Research Center
NASA RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENTS
Proposals Selected Under NRA-98-OES-05
Development of a Hybrid F/Laser Radar abstract
The Spaceborne Infrared Atmospheric Sounder SIRAS for EOS Follow-on Missions abstract
Next Generation Technologies for the in-situ Detection of NOx Radicals and Their Reservoirs from Aircraft and Balloons abstract
Multikilohertz Microlaser Altimeters for Earth Science Applications abstract
Miniaturized Advanced MISR Camera for EOS Follow-on Mission abstract
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Light abstract
Airborne Measurement of New and Important Trace Gases in Support of Chemical Studies abstract
Advanced Altimeter for Oceans Studies abstract
Millimeter-Wave MMIC Atmospheric Temperature and Humidity Sensors abstract
Wide Field Imaging Spectrometer Engineering Model abstract
Active Tropospheric Ozone and Moisture Sounder abstract
A Second generation Spaceborne Precipitation Radar abstract
Compact Hyperspectral Mapper for Environmental Remote Sensing Applications abstract
Development of a Compact, High Sensitivity Sensor for In Situ Measurements of Atmospheric SO2 abstract
Airborne Lidar Induced Fluorescence Transient LIFT Method for Measuring Photosynthetic Performance and Primary Productivity in Terrestrial Ecosystems abstract
A Small Lightweight Radiometer to Improve the Temporal Sampling of Rainfall abstract
High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer on a Remotely Piloted Aircraft abstract
Two Dimensional Synthetic Aperture Radiometer for Microwave Remote Sensing from Space abstract
GOALS: GPS-Based Oceanographic and Atmospheric Low Earth Orbiting abstract
Study of a Spaceborne Microwave Instrument for High Resolution Remote Sensing of the Earth Surface Using a Large Aperture Mesh Antenna abstract
The New Generation of Radar Altimeters: Proof of Concept abstract
Miniaturized Infrared Atmospheric Spectrometer MIRAS abstract
A Compact Multispectral Infrared and Visible Spectral Imaging Radiometer for Cloud Surface Observations from Small Spacecraft, Engineering Model Development abstract
Submillimeter-wave Cloud Ice Radiometer abstract
Airborne Scanning Raman Lidar System Based on a Holographic Optical Element Scanner/Receiver abstract
Development of a Self-Calibrating Instrument for Monitoring Ozone and Water Vapor abstract
Gas and Aerosol Monitoring Sensorcraft : Instrument Refinement abstract