SBAG Findings
Findings from SBAG 27, June 7-9 2022
- Finding 1, NEO Surveyor: SBAG reiterates its previous support for NEO Surveyor and recommends that NASA fully fund NEO Surveyor for a timely launch in 2026 as previously planned. NEO Surveyor would greatly accelerate the fulfillment of the George E. Brown Congressional goal of discovering 90% of the near-Earth asteroid (NEA) population larger than 140 meters in size. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine's report Finding Hazardous Asteroids Using Infrared and Visible Wavelength Telescopes has emphasized the importance of a space-based near-infrared asteroid survey, and the Decadal Survey Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032 states that “Congressionally directed NEO detection goals will be ideally advanced by the Near-Earth Object Surveyor (NEO Surveyor)…NASA should fully support the development, timely launch, and subsequent operation of NEO Surveyor to achieve the highest priority planetary defense near-Earth object survey goals.”
- Finding 2, Radar: SBAG recommends that NASA continue to work with NSF and other agencies to develop a concerted plan for new national resources for planetary radar. This path follows the Decadal Survey recommendation to “develop a plan for ground-based planetary radar capabilities comparable to or exceeding those of the Arecibo Observatory necessary for achieving planetary defense objectives”. As well as serving the needs of planetary defense and the broader area of small body science, new radar resources will enable further scientific studies of objects throughout the Solar System.
- Finding 3, Ocean worlds inter-AG collaboration: The SBAG community is in favor of establishing an inter-AG collaborative working group between OPAG and SBAG on ocean worlds. This plan is in keeping with the Decadal Survey recommendation that: “NASA should develop scientific exploration strategies, as it has for Mars, in areas of broad scientific importance, e.g., Venus and ocean worlds, that have an increasing number of U.S. missions and international collaboration opportunities.” SBAG suggests that such an inter-AG collaboration could be led by liaison representatives from OPAG and SBAG; include all interested parties from the ocean worlds community (e.g., astrobiologists and oceanographers); and could take the form of an inter-AG working group, potentially including semi-regular coordinated OPAG and SBAG meetings or other activities.
- Finding 4, SIMPLEx (1): SBAG encourages NASA to release lessons learned from the first generation Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program as soon as practical. Timely release of lessons learned will enable the community to improve the science return and implementation of future SIMPLEx missions. Furthermore, SBAG supports modifications to the SIMPLEx opportunity in response to these lessons learned.
- Finding 5, SIMPLEx (2): SBAG recommends that NASA establish a regular cadence for Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) missions. SBAG strongly supports the Decadal Survey’s finding that the SIMPLEx program plays a unique role within the PSD mission portfolio that capitalizes on new technologies and innovation. Furthermore, SBAG finds that the science achievable by SIMPLEx missions is highly compelling. SBAG believes a predictable cadence of such flight opportunities would maximize the science return from the SIMPLEx mission line.
- Finding 6, Software Tools: SBAG urges NASA to re-establish an appropriate funding opportunity for the development and maintenance of well-supported, openly available software tools as soon as feasible. Until this year, PDART has been an essential funding opportunity for the development of tools to support community investigations. SBAG is concerned that with the removal of software tools from PDART, there are inadequate funding opportunities for the development of community-focused software tools. SBAG affirms that well documented, openly available, and supported software tools (as outlined in SPD-41) significantly enhance the science output of NASA missions and the small bodies community. Furthermore, SBAG concurs with the Decadal Survey’s finding that grant programs that fund community-oriented software projects need to consider code maintenance, documentation, and user support.
- Finding 7, Databases: SBAG recommends that funding opportunities for the development of databases include adequate support for user documentation and maintenance. Well supported, openly available databases can significantly enhance the scientific output of NASA missions and of the small bodies community. However, developing and maintaining a well-supported database requires additional resources above and beyond those necessary to develop the original data products. Funding opportunities should provide sufficient resources for all phases of database projects.