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Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems IV
ASP Conference Series, Vol. 77, 1995
R. A. Shaw, H. E. Payne, and J. J. E. Hayes, eds.
The View From NASA Headquarters: Trends And
Changes in Mission Operations And Data Analysis
Programs
G. Riegler
NASA Headquarters, Astrophysics Division, Washington DC
Abstract. The Astrophysics Program at NASA is mission oriented.
With seven flying missions and twenty additional (international collab­
orations) planned, NASA provides an ever increasing amount of excit­
ing astrophysical data, and supports a large portion of astrophysics data
analysis. There have been significant efforts during the past seven years
that support the development of astronomical data analysis software and
systems. The future contains many changes that offer us significant chal­
lenges. I describe here some of those changes, and NASA's responses to
them.
1. Introduction
NASA supports seven astrophysics missions at present; they are: the Inter­
national Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE ), the Hubble Space Telescope (HST ), the
R¨ontgen Satellite (ROSAT ), the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO),
the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE ), and the Advanced Spacecraft for Cos­
mology and Astrophysics (ASCA). Figure 1 shows the Astrophysics Mission
Plan Chart which lists all current NASA astrophysics missions, planned and in
progress, as of January 1995. (All launch dates are subject to change.) While the
chart indicates the broad scope of the NASA astrophysics missions, it is impor­
tant to realize that NASA supports not only the mission, but also the associated
mission science centers and/or mission data archives. Many mission­related soft­
ware and archive developments were outgrowths of the 1987 Astrophysics Data
System (ADS) Workshops. In response to these workshops, discipline archive
centers were established in two of three Astrophysics disciplines: the High En­
ergy Archive (HEASARC) and the Infrared Archive (IPAC). The Astronomical
Data Center at the NASA Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) continues to
support the archival needs of the broader astronomy community. In 1989 NASA
also funded the Astrophysics Software and Research Aids Program (AS&RA)
and the development of various software facilities through the Astrophysics Data
Program (ADP).
Many developments related to the support of astronomical software coin­
cided with a time of growth and mission expansion. NASA maintains some of
those software tools by continuing to fund, for example, FITS, the HEASARC
BROWSE, HST image reconstruction, CASA/IUE access, the IDL astronomy
library, and SkyView.
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Figure 1. NASA Astrophysics Mission Plan as of January 1995.
2. Changes for MO & DA
The environment continues to change. The directives from the NASA Admin­
istrator and the White House are clear: They want smaller, faster, better, and
cheaper missions. They want to see a revolution in concepts, not an evolution of
old concepts. In addition we now need to show that new projects represent the
diverse population of scientists. In a broader sense, perhaps the most significant
change is that the previous pre­eminence of science has been replaced by drivers
of technology, economics, education, and public outreach.
When funding increased year to year, NASA could continue programs so
long as they produced valuable data. Now that funding is level and is expected
to decrease, we ask the science community to use a new paradigm to help us
restructure old programs and select new programs. Programs must maintain
the highest likely science return, improve our technological leadership, and yet
remain cost­effective.
2.1. Changes to the ADS and Mission Programs
As an example of the restructuring, consider the Astrophysics Data System
which was designed to enable remote, coherent access to distributed astrophysics
data holdings. The program was characterized by very high science return
with minimal oversight from NASA Headquarters. ADS achieved an impres­

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sive growth, especially with its abstract service. But as information technology
evolved, the World­Wide Web, the Mosaic interface, and other Internet tools
became very popular for remote data access. NASA responded to customer
concerns and preferences, and, guided by cost efficiency, redirected the ADS
project. The ADS project will reduce the classical remote access to distributed
data holdings and concentrate on the abstract service.
Other restructuring plans affect the data analysis plans for several flying
missions. IUE, ROSAT, EUVE, and GRO will complete their missions within
the next few years. A Senior Review Panel recently held a comparative review
of their science merits to determine if their requests for mission extension are
valid. Acceptable requests for mission extension now must show credible plans
for mission continuation past the prime phase at one­third to one­half of the
prime phase funding level. In the future NASA will cap post­launch costs. A
project may stretch its observing time if it can find ways to cut operating costs so
the cap is maintained. This reduced scope and reduced cost come with increased
risk that varies with size of mission. However, an Explorer­class mission, or a
``Small Explorer,'' after completion of its primary science objective, can accept
more risks than an Observatory­class mission early in its intended lifetime.
2.2. Changes to the Software Funding Environment
NASA supports many projects related to the development of software and data
analysis tools. Some support is provided directly to institutions such as the
HEASARC, IPAC, and ADC, and some projects are supported through the
Astrophysics Data Program (ADP). The ADP began in 1986 as the ``Space As­
trophysics Data Analysis Program.'' The purpose of the ADP is to optimize the
scientific return from space astrophysics missions, and to enable broad scientific
investigations requiring analysis of data from one or several space­based data
sets.
Previous funding cycles for the ADP considered three types of proposals.
Type 1 proposals were for research involving space astrophysics data sets, Type
2 proposals were for applied research to improve and enhance space­based ob­
serving and data analysis, and Type 3 proposals were for applied research to
improve access to, and management of, space­based astronomical data. Soft­
ware projects faired well in the ADP: during each of the last three cycles (FY92,
FY93, and FY94), ADP projects of types 2 and 3 received 45--49% of the total
funding. Contrary to rumors, this funding percentage did not drop in the latter
years.
During the FY88--92 cycles, NASA selected software­related proposals on
the basis of their general usefulness to science. To verify whether or not the
objectives were met, NASA conducted a survey of 13 ADP software projects
funded during this period. Of the 13 projects surveyed, only 10 ever produced a
product. Of the 13 projects, 8 sent their product to at least one person outside
their own institution. Except for one or two high­usage products, the others, on
average, were used by only two or three other persons. The basic objective---
providing tools for the science community---was often not met!
In response to the changing environment and to correct the problem, NASA
will improve the selection process for software development projects. NASA
support for these projects will continue within the ADP, but the previous---

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somewhat strained---distinction between Type 2 and Type 3 proposals will be
dropped: The old Type 2 and 3 Proposals are combined into a new Type 2.
ADP will solicit proposals for:
ffl Science research (previously Type 1). The Type 1 proposals are those
whose dominant emphasis is the analysis and interpretation of data from
the above­named space astrophysics missions.
ffl Software tools (previously Types 2 and 3). The Type 2 proposals may
include the writing of algorithms for analyzing data, planning space­based
astronomical observations, correlating or displaying space­based astronom­
ical data; deconvolving sources in crowded fields, absolute radiance cali­
bration techniques, statistically modeling the appearance of the sky in spe­
cific wavelength regions, providing tools for the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic
Database (NED); improving or adding reduction or analysis packages to
any of the Astrophysics Science and Data Centers or to Astronomical Data
Reduction and Analysis Systems; or other similar software activities. In
addition, Type 2 proposals may include research to improve access to, and
management of, space­based astronomical data.
A more significant change to the program concerns the peer review of pro­
posals. In the past the Type 1 proposals were considered in competition only
with each other for funding. Similarly for Type 2 and Type 3. This new cy­
cle will put all proposals, regardless of type, into the same competitive base.
This new procedure will ensure that all proposals share and are judged on the
common goal of improving the scientific output from NASA Astrophysics mis­
sion data. Instead of artificially separating software development proposals from
other ADP proposals, all proposals will be reviewed in the science­topical panel
where they would generate the most direct benefits. Each proposer will desig­
nate the science­topical panel where the proposed software development effort
will have greatest impact. The research areas are: Solar System; Star Forma­
tion and Pre­Main Sequence Stars; Main Sequence Stars; Post­Main Sequence
Stars and Collapsed Objects; Binary systems; Interstellar Medium and Galactic
Structure; Galaxies; Large­Scale Cosmic Structures. In addition to their useful­
ness for science, each proposal's cost effectiveness will be considered as selection
criterion.
With the help of the science and technical communities NASA can meet
the new challenges of producing first class and cost­effective science We solicit
your best efforts and cooperation to continue providing the best science and
data analysis tools.