Publisher's Synopsis
From February 27 through March 2, 2007, the NASA Advisory Council Science Committee conducted the "Workshop on Science Associated with the Lunar Exploration Architecture" at the Fiesta Inn Resort in Tempe, Arizona. The workshop was planned and timed to feed into ongoing efforts by NASA's Lunar Architecture Team (LAT) to develop an exploration architecture for the return of humans to the Moon by 2020 in accordance with the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) and the NASA Authorization Act of 2005. The goals of the workshop were to: (1) ensure that NASA's exploration strategy, architecture, and hardware development enable the best and appropriately integrated science activities in association with the return of humans to the Moon and subsequent exploration of Mars; (2) bring diverse constituencies together to hear, discuss, and assess science activities and priorities for science enabled by the exploration architecture; and (3) identify needed science programs and technology developments. The workshop was a key part of the Council's obligation to advise the NASA Administrator on science associated with the VSE while, in parallel, making its findings directly available to NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) and Science Mission Directorate (SMD). The agenda was planned to cover exploration science, lunar science, lunar-based science, and science otherwise enabled by the emerging exploration architecture. Specific science objectives were discussed and priorities assessed as initial guidance for the planning of the return to the Moon program. The workshop deliberations and the ensuing assessments from the science subcommittees are intended to enable the Council to make recommendations to the Administrator relative to the exploration strategy and architecture being developed by NASA. The workshop served as a major venue for the science community to provide input through the Council and Science Subcommittee representatives. In addition to the Science Committee and Subcommittee representatives, approximately 75 topical experts made presentations and assisted with assessment of science objectives and priorities. An ad-hoc Outreach Committee was established to consider the key messages to be communicated to the science community and the public regarding the workshop outcome. The workshop was also open to the science community and the public. Some 250 attendees were present at the beginning of the workshop. The workshop was organized by a committee consisting of representatives from each of the science subcommittees of the Council working with the subcommittee executive secretaries and representatives from SMD and ESMD at NASA Headquarters. The workshop was organized primarily according to subcommittee disciplines. Following an opening plenary with presentations by NASA officials and science community representatives to set the context, the workshop proceeded with breakout sessions designed to address the science objectives appropriate to each of the subcommittees as well as several cross-cutting themes. Subcommittees worked from objective lists developed by the LAT from April to December 2006. Assessment of priorities and recommendations stemming from that effort are detailed in this report and its appendices. Members of the LAT as well as program managers and others from NASA Headquarters, participated in each of the breakout sessions. Scientists considered potential constraints imposed by the exploration architecture and provided results of assessments directly to members of the LAT and to the workshop Synthesis Committee representatives. This report by the Synthesis Committee summarizes and formalizes those assessments for consideration by the Council's Science Committee and the full Council.
