[X] My Assistant

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

...that is, the Nov. 2-4 meeting of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Lunar and Planetary Exploration which advises NASA on mission selection, to do a print article on it for "Astronomy" magazine.

The meeting's agenda is at http://www4.nas.edu/webcr.nsf/MeetingDispl...-D?OpenDocument ; it looks extremely interesting. Anyone have anything they'd especially like me to ask about while I'm there?

[djellison]

I think they should be some discussion of the Falcon lauch vehicle. IF...IF it works, it would undercut the EELV's by a factor of 4. Are they being considered a serious prospect for future beyond-leo-missions if found to be a reliable platform. What impact might this have for Lo-Mart and Boeing.

Phoenix, MSL and MRO outreach efforts. Are they intending to exercise a similar system to that of MER, and with MRO, is the infrastructure in place to allow the promised online access to images very rapidly - what sort of turn-around-time will be expected for MRO images to get online?

Any end-of-life-predictions for MGS, MODY and MEX w.r.t. acting as a backup relay for MSL. I think the loss of MTO as you say Bruce - WILL impact MSL -without doubt. Some of the largest data products such as HDTV res des-movie, 5fps movies on the ground etc, will surely be lost.

Comments on the demo-transition of MER-A to UHF operations only - does this impact planning in any way? Are there savings to be had w.r.t. DSN requirements by doing this?

Has the recent JPL lay-offs impacted MSL development in any way?

To be honest, you're a harsh bastard, so I cant think of anything scathing that I know you wont have thought of already

Doug

[mcaplinger]

Phoenix, MSL and MRO outreach efforts. Are they intending to exercise a similar system to that of MER, and with MRO, is the infrastructure in place to allow the promised online access to images very rapidly - what sort of turn-around-time will be expected for MRO images to get online?

You might be interested to read what I believe is the current data release policy for the Mars Exploration Program:

http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/mep/mepdmp.pdf

It specifies a six-month data validation period, encourages but does not require more timely release, but does require that "each Principal Investigator will also release a significant subset of data earlier as a form of public outreach and education. These releases will typically be available within a week of data receipt."

Actually implementing this is the responsibility of the individual instrument team.
I don't know the specifics of any of the MRO teams' plans, and it's too early to say for MSL.