Universities Space Research Association
2008
Annual Report
Universities Space Research Association
Letter from the Chair and CEO Dear University Space Research Supporter, “A level of innovation unmatched anywhere else,” is the way one senior government official characterized USRA this year. The official was referring to the combination of Association talent and the formidable research abilities of member universities. This report provides a glimpse into the span of activities and human talent USRA represents. It is a unique breadth of competency across space disciplines. Dr. Peter Banks Chair, Board of Trustees
Dr. Frederick A. Tarantino CEO and President
The last year was very dynamic. We adopted a new corporate organization, embraced a teamwork model to bring institutes and programs closer, changed our fiscal year, instituted robust financial planning, established metrics to guide activities and began strategic planning for our fifth decade. Most importantly we engaged all employees in developing a vision based on our chartered purpose and are using it to establish organizational clarity across USRA. We also started regional university meetings. The first was held at Boston University for Region I. Region II met in February at Princeton and other regions will soon follow. These begin a sustained multi-year effort to expand university engagement. The Council of Institutions’ Issues and Programs Committee was also very active continuing Congressional advocacy for university flight missions and working to identify other policy issues needing national attention. This was also a year of significant programmatic accomplishment. We were selected to operate NASA’s Undergraduate Student Research Program supporting 300 internships annually. Marshall Space Flight Center awarded us a new agreement for our collaborative work in Huntsville, and our management of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston was renewed. NASA Administrator Dr. Michael Griffin addressed the LPI’s annual International Science meeting. We are extremely excited with Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) progress. In April SOFIA made its first flight and has moved to a permanent base at Palmdale Airport. Closed door flight tests are complete. It also flew to Ames Research Center, home of the SOFIA International Science Center and begins open door flight tests this year. Science flights begin in 2009 and regular use by guest astronomers and educators starts in 2010. The program was selected by the California Space Authority for its 2007 “Spot Beam” award, and the USRA SOFIA team received a NASA Ames excellence award for exceptional performance. As we begin USRA’s 40th year, these and other activities will preserve and extend the service we provide. Space is strategic, and success in scientific, exploration and commercial goals requires a level of innovation that only university research can impart. We hope you take as much pride in what USRA brings to space as we do.
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2008 Annual Report
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Universities Space Research Association
Astronomy
From radio waves through infrared and X-rays to gamma rays, USRA researchers and scientists are peering into the cosmos in an attempt to answer some of the most fundamental questions of how stars form, what the universe is made of, and where life itself comes from.
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) SOFIA is a reflecting telescope housed in a modified Boeing 747SP that will study the universe in the infrared part of the spectrum. Developed in collaboration with the German Space Agency, SOFIA is undergoing flight testing at Dryden Flight Research Center. USRA and the Duetches SOFIA Institute will conduct International Science Mission Operations at Ames Research Center over SOFIA’s 20 year lifetime.
Dr. Bengt-Göran ‘B-G’ Andersson Science Operations Manager SOFIA Program
As science operations manager, Dr. Andersson leads a team of support scientists and is responsible for SOFIA user support to the astronomical community. He works with the Science and Mission Operations Director, Prof. Eric Becklin, to set up and support the process of soliciting and selecting science proposals. In addition, Dr. Andersson collaborates with an international group of researchers, including from the US, Finland, and South Africa, to conduct research, primarily on interstellar medium (ISM) polarization, with a general aim of understanding how gas transitions between the dense and diffuse phases of the ISM.
Dr. Joanne ‘Joe’ Hill
Research Scientist Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science & Technology
Spitzer Telescope Image of Cassiopeia
Dr. Hill is a research scientist working on the design of new X-ray polarimeters to study persistent celestial sources and bright explosions from the early universe. Working in collaboration with researchers at the University of Iowa, University of New Hampshire, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Dr. Hill is also working to create new mission concepts that use polarimeters to study X-ray and gammay-ray emissions from bright, rapidly evolving celestial events and has recently been awarded a grant to provide a prototype polarimeter for the Naval Academy MIDSTAR Satellite Program.
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2008 Annual Report
Earth Science and Remote Sensing
USRA scientists and researchers are employing current, and developing new surface, air and space-based methods and instruments to observe the state of Earth’s energy and climate systems, and to provide us with a better understanding of how our planet works in order to preserve it for future generations.
Dr. Donald Perkey
Director Earth Systems Science Program Dr. Perkey is a tenured professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Director of USRA’s Earth System Science Program. As Director, Dr. Perkey coordinates USRA’s atmospheric science activities, working in collaboration with NASA, the US Weather Service and other organizations. In addition, Dr. Perkey is the Principle Investigator of the Tribal Earth Science and Technology Education Program, an effort involving nine tribal higher education institutions focused on promoting the use of NASA Earth science data and products in the classroom. Dr. Perkey is also the Director of USRA’s Visiting Researcher Education and Outreach program.
Dr. Charles ‘Chip’ Laymon
Hydrologist and Remote Sensing Scientist Earth Systems Science Program Focusing on the study of soil moisture via remote sensing, Dr. Laymon is working with scientists and engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, ProSensing Inc., and the University of Michigan to develop new microwave instruments for use in future space missions. His team is currently developing prototype L-band microwave systems from which Dr. Laymon and collaborators from the USDA Hydrology and Remote Sensing Lab and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration can develop new algorithms to more accurately estimate soil moisture in the top 10 centimeters of the ground.
Image of ancient Mayan settlements created from IKONOS satellite data. Courtesy of National Space Science and Technology Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
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Universities Space Research Association
Information Systems for Space Exploration
USRA conducts a wide range of computer science research focusing on intelligent systems, autonomy, information management, data analysis, and software verification to provide next-generation technologies for space science research and exploration.
Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Mission
MAPGEN Software Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science MAPGEN is a mixed-initiative activity plan generation tool used to create daily actiivity plans for the MER rovers. It was developed by researchers at USRA’s Research Institue for Advanced Computer Science, working in collaboration with NASA’s Ames Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It was estimated that MAPGEN increased scientific return for the mission between 25 - 30%.
Dr. Dimitra Giannakopoulou
Research Scientist Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science Dr. Giannakopoulou conducts computer science research in formal design and verification of large software systems. This work is focused on developing automated techniques for detecting software integration issues by decomposing system level properties into their requisite component properties. Components can then be tested in isolation, providing a more scalable approach to verification. Using these techniques, Dr. Giannakopoulou, working in collaboration with colleagues at NASA’s Ames Research Center and Johnson Space Center, has successfully identified coding errors in several NASA software systems, including those on the International Space Station.
Dr. Robin Morris
Research Scientist Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science
Astronaut outside the International Space Station
Working in collaboration with researchers at the University of California Santa Cruz, the University of Arizona and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Dr. Morris conducts computer science research in two related areas: data analysis and earth remote sensing. This work is focused on developing Bayesian inference algorithms to quantify uncertainty when inferring results from raw instrument data, such as determining the accuracy of the ‘leaf area index’, estimating global forest properties based on reflected light intensity data captured by NASA earth observing satellites.
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2008 Annual Report
Lunar and Planetary Sciences
USRA has been involved in lunar and planetary science since it was energized during the Apollo era over 40 years ago. From archival of historic lunar data to cutting-edge research on current planetary missions, USRA is playing an important role in supporting the community it helped establish and contributing to humankind’s scientific exploration of the cosmos.
Dr. Paul Spudis
Planetary Scientist Lunar and Planetary Institute A planetary scientist who specializes in the Moon, Dr. Spudis is the principal investigator for the Mini-RF experiment, a radar imaging instrument designed and built in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and the Applied Physics Laboratory at John Hopkins University. Duplicate instruments, which will map the dark polar regions of the Moon, will be flown on India’s Chandrayaan-1 and on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter; both missions are scheduled for launch in 2008. In addition, Dr. Spudis is involved in architectural studies for future human and robotic lunar missions and conducts research on the origin and evolution of the Moon’s crust.
Dr. Susanne Schwenzer
Postdoctoral Researcher Lunar and Planetary Institute When a meteorite hits the surface of another planet, it arrives with incredible force and energy. At impact, this energy creates a thermal disruption to the planet’s surface, and if it strikes an area that has contained water, a new hydrothermal system is formed. Dr. Susanne Schwenzer is a postdoctoral researcher studying impact craters on Mars, with a focus on identifying new mineral deposits resulting from the generation of hydrothermal systems with the goal of identifying locations on Mars most likely to have contained water.
Earthrise over the Moon, Apollo 8 mission
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Universities Space Research Association
Space Life Science
Understanding how living organisms respond to life in microgravity is a critical component of human space flight. USRA, through its Division of Space Life Sciences, conducts leading edge research focused on expanding our understanding of life in space in order to mitigate the risks to human exploration.
High Energy Radiation Research Division of Space Life Sciences
USRA researchers, working in collaboration with NASA, have applied new cytogenetic techniques that allow for the simultaneous measurement of inter- and intra- chromosome aberrations to assess radiation effects. These techniques are helping to identify complex cellular damage caused by exposure to space radiation. Understanding the effects of high energy particle radiation on human physiology can lead to the development of countermeasures that could address astronaut health and safety during missions to the Moon and Mars.
Dr. Jean Sibonga
Senior Research Scientist Division of Space Life Sciences Dr. Sibonga is the basic science lead for the bone and mineral lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC), as well as the bone discipline lead for NASA’s Human Research Program. In these roles, Dr. Sibonga conducts research to better understand the effects of zero gravity on bone health and to evaluate countermeasures to reduce health risks for astronauts, both in space and upon return to Earth. In conducting her research, Dr. Sibonga collaborates with colleagues at JSC as well as clinical researchers at the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and the University of California San Francisco. She is also a volunteer professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
Dr. Scott Wood
Senior Research Scientist Division of Space Life Sciences
Computer visualization of DNA
Dr. Wood’s research is focused on the adaptation of balance function and spatial orientation to altered sensory environments, such as space flight, as well as enhancing the diagnosis and rehabilitation of vestibularrelated clinical disorders. His laboratory at NASA is focused on the neural mechanisms and operational implications of disorientation and tilt-translation disturbances reported by crewmembers during and following re-entry. In several of his current studies, he is examining the use of sensory aids (e.g., vibrotactile feedback) as countermeasures to improve spatial orientation and manual control performance for pilots and as balance prosthetics for patients.
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2008 Annual Report
Space Exploration Technology
From examination of reduced gravity effects on exploration systems, to the study of advanced space nuclear systems, USRA is advancing knowledge and design principles for future space exploration missions.
Isotope Power for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Center for Space Nuclear Research
With an atmosphere containing hydrocarbons and complex organic materials, Saturn’s moon Titan has all the basic elements to support single cell microbial life. Flying UAVs across Titan is a very cost effective approach to studying how life may be evolving here, but without oxygen, Earth-style aircraft propulsion won’t work. To solve this issue, USRA researchers, working in collaboration with NASA, are investigating novel isotope-powered engines that could keep a UAV airborne on Titan, allowing for extended scientific study of the moon.
Dr. Mohammed Kassemi
Chief Scientist National Center for Space Exploration Research Dr. Kassemi leads several computational/experimental research efforts to better understand the impact of microgravity fluid flow in such diverse areas as cryogenic fluid management and astronaut physiology. A Research Professor at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Kassemi is the Principal Investigator for the Zero Boil-Off Tank experiment scheduled to fly on the International Space Station in 2010. He also leads the cardiovascular and vestibular modeling teams of the Digital Astronaut Project, a collaboration among NASA, the University of Mississippi, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation to develop models describing the effect of microgravity on human systems
Dr. John Bess
Research Scientist Center for Space Nuclear Research (CSNR) Dr. Bess recently successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, The Lunar Evolutionary Growth Optimized (LEGO) Reactor, which describes a modular fission reactor design for the surface of the Moon. Leveraging the unique features found in lunar soil, the reactor design is comprised of several core subunits, each of which is buried in the lunar soil and then coupled together to create an operational reactor. Individually, the subunits are incapable of producing a reaction, thus making them safe for space transport. Dr. Bess developed his dissertation while working in collaboration with researchers at the Idaho National Laboratory, the University of Utah, and colleagues at the CSNR.
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International Space Station
Universities Space Research Association
Student Activities
Through its myriad of education outreach programs, USRA is ‘inspiring the next generation of Explorers’ and providing students with hands-on research opportunities across a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines.
Undergraduate Student Research Program The NASA Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP) places over 300 undergraduate students from across the U.S. into mentored internship experiences at NASA Centers and research support facilities. Students work on practical problems that will see real applications in aerospace or on future NASA missions. USRA has streamlined the student application and review process by bringing it on-line. USRA developed and delivered a user-friendly software package that has tremendous educational capabilities and the potential to grow far beyond USRP use. http://www.epo.usra.edu/usrp
Emily Kollin
Student Undergraduate Student Research Program Ms. Kollin is a sophomore in aeronautical engineering at The Ohio State University and is currently working through the Undergraduate Student Research Program on two projects in support of NASA’s forthcoming Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). For the first project, Ms. Kollin is developing a storyboard visualizing the phases of Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) as the CEV returns to Earth from the Moon. A second, related project is focusing on using software to create mission plans which compare three different re-entry trajectories as the CEV returns to Earth, and estimates the reliability of navigational measurements for each.
Johnathan Dollison
Student Undergraduate Student Research Program
Artist concept of Crew Exploration Vehicle
Mr. Dollison is a junior at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan and is pursing a double major in computer and electrical engineering. Through the Undergraduate Student Research Program, Mr. Dollison is conducting research in the area of electromagnetic interference with a focus on how to control electrical noise across radio spectrum frequencies. His research in this area is looking to identify the level of emissions given off by various systems as well as the susceptibility of each system to external radiation interference.
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2008 Annual Report
National Policy Advocacy for the University Space Research Community
USRA is leading a campaign to reverse the dramatic decline in funding for small university-class missions. Balloon flights, suborbital missions, and small spaceflight missions are the key to hands-on training for students and young professionals.They also provide excellent scientific data. In 2008 USRA will examine other issues, including the impact of export controls and ITAR regulation on university space research.
The USRA Council of Institutions unanimously adopted a resolution at their 2007 Annual Meeting, urging the government: “to implement and facilitate a plan to provide space flight opportunities that enable the hands-on training for graduate and undergraduate students.�
USRA researchers Drs. Makoto Sasaki and Thomas Hams are part of a team preparing BESS-Polar II a balloon-borne superconducting magnetic rigidity spectrometer searching for antimatter in the cosmic radiation, for a flight at McMurdo Station in Antarctica.
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Universities Space Research Association
Member Universities and Council of Institutions
USRA is comprised of over 100 member universities from the United States and around the world. These universities are organized into nine regions, each with its own secretary, to facilitate communication between institutions.
Region I
Boston College Boston University Brandeis University Brown University Connecticut, University of Harvard University Massachusetts Institute of Technology New Hampshire, University of Tufts University Yale University
Region II
Buffalo - SUNY, University at Cornell University Lehigh University New Jersey Institute of Technology New York University Princeton University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, University of Rockefeller University Stony Brook University
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Region III
Case Western Reserve University Delaware, University of George Mason University Georgetown University George Washington University Johns Hopkins University Maryland, University of Ohio State University Ohio University Pennsylvania State University Pittsburgh, University of Virginia, University of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
2008 Annual Report
Region IV
Region V
Region VI
Region VII
Region VIII
Region IX
Central Florida, University of College of William & Mary Florida State University Florida-Gainesville, University of Georgia Institute of Technology Hampton University North Carolina A & T State University North Carolina State University Old Dominion University Tennessee, University of Vanderbilt University
Alabama A& M University Alabama at Huntsville, University of Auburn University Baylor University Houston, University of Louisiana State University Mississippi State University Rice University Texas A & M University Texas-Arlington, University of Texas-Austin, University of Texas-Dallas, University of Texas-Medical Branch at Galveston, University of
British Columbia, University of Cologne, University of Leicester, University of Sheffield, University of Sydney, University of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Tel-Aviv University Toronto, University of
Arizona State University Arizona, University of Arkansas, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Colorado School of Mines Denver, University of Kansas, University of New Mexico State University New Mexico, University of Oklahoma State University Oklahoma, University of Utah State University Washington University-St. Louis
Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Indiana University Iowa State University Iowa, University of Michigan Technological University Michigan, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, University of Northwestern University Purdue University Wisconsin, University of
Alaska, University of California-Berkeley, University of California Institute of Technology California-Los Angeles, University of California-San Diego, University of California-Santa Barbara, University of Hawai’i, University of Southern California, University of Stanford University Washington, University of
Council of Institutions Chair, Vice Chair, and Regional Secretaries Chair Vice Chair Region I Region II Region III Region IV Region V Region VI Region VII Region VIII Region IX
Dr. W. Jeffery Hughes Dr. Edward J. Groth Dr. Sabatino Sofia Dr. Cyrus Madina Dr. Paul Feldman Dr. Andre P. Mazzoleni Dr. Moshe Guelman Dr. Terrence Weisshaar Dr. Daryush Ila Dr. Mark S. Ewing Dr. Joe Hawkins
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Boston University Princeton University Yale University University at Buffalo - SUNY Johns Hopkins University North Carolina State University Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Purdue University Alabama A&M University University of Kansas University of Alaska
Universities Space Research Association
Board of Trustees, Executive Team, and Directors
Overseen by a distinguished Board of Trustees, USRA operates programs and institutes across the full range of space science disciplines.
Board of Trustees
Ivette Falto-Heck, Lockheed Martin Corporation • Peggy Evanich, University of Florida • Tom Soifer, California Institute of Technology, Vice Chair • Jack Fix, University of Alabama in Huntsville • Peter Banks, Astrolabe Ventures, Chair • Ed McCullough, The Boeing Company • Fred Tarantino, USRA, President and CEO • M.K. Jeppesen, Utah State University • Jeffrey Hughes, Boston University, Chair Council of Institutions • Gary Swenson, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign • Menas Kafatos, George Mason University • Alan Wells, Univerisity of Leicester • Stefi Baum, Rochester Institute of Technology • Michael Drake, University of Arizona • absent: Richard Binzel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Executive Team CEO and President
Senior Advisor Vice President and CFO Vice President, Program Development & General Counsel Chief Information Officer Vice President, Government Relations Director, University Relations
Institute and Program Directors
Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology Center for Space Nuclear Research Division of Space Life Sciences Eduation Program Office at Houston Earth System Science Program Huntsville Operations Lunar and Planetary Institute National Center for Space Exploration Research Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science SOFIA Science and Mission Operations Center SOFIA Program Undergraduate Stundent Research Program USRA Astronomy Program in Huntsville
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Dr. Fred Tarantino Dr. David Cummings Mr. Robert Senter Mr. Scott Williamson Mr. Alan Marchant Mr. Kevin Schmadel Dr. Hussein Jirdeh Dr. Donald Kniffen Dr. Steven Howe Dr. Adrian LeBlanc Ms. Barbara Hammond Dr. Donald Perkey Dr. Frank Curran Dr. Stephen Mackwell Dr. Iwan Alexander Dr. David Bell Dr. Eric Becklin Ms. Helen Hall Ms. Sheri Klug Dr. Mark Finger
2008 Annual Report
Science Councils
Independent science councils composed of world-class scientists from industry and academia review institutes and programs annually and report on them to the USRA Board of Trustees
Council Astronomy and Space Physics Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion Lunar and Planetary Science Space Exploration Research and Technology Computer Science and Information Technology Science and Engineering Education Space Life Science Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy Earth Systems Science
Chair
Dr. Jonathan Ormes, University of Denver Dr. Gary Bennett, NASA-retired Dr. Lisa R. Gaddis, US Geological Survey Dr. Basil Antar, University of Tennessee Dr. Daniel Cooke, Texas Tech University Dr. John Kelly, North Carolina A&T University Dr. Gerald Sonnenfeld, Binghamton University Dr. Andrew Harris, University of Maryland Dr. William L. Smith, Hampton University
Financial Highlights Backlog
Total Revenue 221
96 88
87 82 173
70
158 127
55
121
65
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2003
2008*
all numbers in millions * denotes current estimate
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008*
all numbers in millions * denotes current estimate
USRA’s Fiscal Year 2007 financial statements were audited by UHY, LLP. Its report expressed an unqualified opinion that the financial statements are presented fairly, in all material respects, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Copies of the complete audited financial statements are available upon request.
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http://www.usra.edu
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Front Cover: Image of SOFIA in flight, Courtesy of NASA Image on p. 4: Courtesy of NASA, JPL and Caltech Images on pp. 5-9: Courtesy of NASA Layout and Design: The Casadonte Group LLC
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