Live-Tweets of Jim Green Presentation at OPAG
End of world predictions: a wasted moment of our collective resources
December 21, 2012Siding Spring Observatory is being threatened by a bush fire.
January 13, 2013A few days ago, I received in my email the following message from the Division for Planetary Sciences.
Community Urged To Hear NASA’s Jim Green Presentation On 10 January
There has been much discussion of NASA’s Planetary Science Division (PSD) budget in recent weeks (about R&A in particular). Next week, Jim Green will give a presentation at the OPAG meeting in Atlanta about this, at 8:30 am on 10 January 2013. We strongly encourage our membership to call in via webcast to hear what he has to say, and to educate themselves about the current and upcoming PSD budget, including R&A. You can register for the webex and see the agenda at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/.
Rosaly Lopes (DPS Chair) & Heidi Hammel (DPS Vice-Chair)
I was very curious to hear what Jim Green, NASA’s Planetary Science Chief, wanted to tell at the Outer Planet Assessment Group (a new mission toward Europa? a boost in the budget of NASA?) but unfortunately, I could not attend or listen to the his talk.
I gathered below a few tweets posted by my colleagues while they were listening to Jim Green’s talk. Thanks to Emily Lakdawalla from the Planetary Society for pointing out the live-tweeting of Nicholas Heavens (@weatheronmars). I added as well a few tweets from @LeighFletcher.
In a nutshell, Jim Green did not announce a new mission toward Europa… From these tweets, I have the sense that he took this opportunity to reply to the special edition of the Planetary Exploration Newsletter (US PLANETARY PROGRAM POISED TO LOSE A GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS) and discuss with the Outer Planet Scientists the best strategy to get in the future a Flagship mission toward an outer planet body.
I will update this post with new tweets if I find any, and inputs from my colleagues.
Follow @weatheronmars for live-tweeting of today’s OPAG meeting.
— Emily Lakdawalla (@elakdawalla) January 10, 2013
NASA has been serious about Europa flagship for many years, all studies complete, multiple achievable concepts: now just need the funding! — Leigh Fletcher (@LeighFletcher) January 10, 2013
Listening to NASA’s Jim Green updating outer planets community w/news from the Planetary Science Division, outlook for future missions #OPAG — Leigh Fletcher (@LeighFletcher) January 10, 2013
Important point from Jim Green: If NASA Planetary Science hadn’t defined Mars mission, money in Mars mission would have vanished from PSD — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
On the other hand, could be read as “Please don’t hold us responsible for dysfunctional Executive budgeting procedures”
— Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Jim Green: Can the R+A budget bear the entire community? I think the answer is NO. — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
ESA TGO will have Electra relay capability, allowing it to serve as backup relay for NASA surface assets — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
New mission planning requires support by: (1) community; (2) NASA HQ (holistic); (3) OMB/OSTP; (4) Congress. — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Jim Green: Don’t see Outer Planets Flagship anytime soon…until economy gets better — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Jim Green asked how to make OMB/OSTP care about outer planets targets. — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Jim Green answer: First, don’t badmouth funded programs (i.e., Mars). — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Jim Green: Need to make sure Cassini discoveries are more known. The key route is the “science nuggets” that go through NASA HQ to OSTP. — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Jim Green asked discrepancy between his claims about health of R+A Program and those of Mark Sykes — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Jim Green’s first response is to emphasize support for R+A also part of R+A (telescopes/JSC astromaterials etc.) — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Jim Green’s second response: Mission cuts are putting pressure on R+A programs. — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Mark Sykes now replying to Jim Green that most people are not funded by infrastructure funds (everything else is flat)
— Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Jim Green: “I don’t mean to interrupt, but do you have a question here?”
— Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Jim Green now emphasized Lunar Science Institute (now Solar System Research Exploration Institute) as new community-supporting program — Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
Personal Note: the correct name of the new NASA Institute, announced today, is Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI)
Jim Green: Average grant size has increased: In PG+G has gone from 66 K/yr/grant in 2006 to about 120k/yr/grant today.
— Nicholas Heavens (@WeatherOnMars) January 10, 2013
No mission yet for Europa, but let’s continue to make this happens soon. I really don’t want us to be the first generation of planetary scientists without a Flagship mission.
Clear Skies,
Franck Marchis
