NASA RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENTS


Proposals Selected Under NRA-98-OES-05

10/01/1998 – NASA's Office of Earth Sciences has begun a new program to develop and demonstrate new measurement technologies through ground-based laboratory activities. The Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) will reduce the risk, cost, size, and development time of Earth-observing instruments and enable new Earth-observation measurements.

"This new program is intended to bring together technological capabilities of academia, industry and government to enable NASA's Earth Sciences enterprise to accomplish its scientific and applications objectives," said Dr. Ghassem Asrar, Associate Administrator for Earth Sciences, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. "Through this program we intend to introduce technological innovations into the science and applications programs more frequently and reduce development time and risk, lowering the cost of future missions."

NASA received 123 proposals of which 27 have been selected. Selected projects include three from industry, six from NASA field centers, eight from universities and ten from national laboratories. The dollar value of the first round of IIP awards is approximately $20 million. Areas for instrument development within the program include land-cover and land-use change and global productivity research; seasonal-to-interannual climate variability and prediction; natural hazards research and applications; and long-term climate observations -- natural variability and change research, and atmospheric ozone research.

The IIP will enable members of the scientific community to propose, build and launch new Earth Science payloads within a three to four-year period. By focusing on a short turnaround time, NASA hopes to minimize cost while encouraging creative new designs for Earth Science instruments. This program represents the first time that the Earth Sciences enterprise has solicited technology proposals, establishing a benchmark for future solicitations.

Allen, Christopher T., University of Kansas
Development of a Hybrid F/Laser Radar abstract

Aumann, Hartmut H., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Spaceborne Infrared Atmospheric Sounder SIRAS for EOS Follow-on Missions abstract

Cohen, Ronald C., University of California at Berkeley
Next Generation Technologies for the in-situ Detection of NOx Radicals and Their Reservoirs from Aircraft and Balloons abstract

Degnan, John J., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Multikilohertz Microlaser Altimeters for Earth Science Applications abstract

Diner, David J., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Miniaturized Advanced MISR Camera for EOS Follow-on Mission abstract

Egdall, Mark, Lockheed, IR Imaging Systems
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Light abstract

Elkins, James W., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Airborne Measurement of New and Important Trace Gases in Support of Chemical Studies abstract

Fu, Lee-Lueng, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Advanced Altimeter for Oceans Studies abstract

Gaier, Todd, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Millimeter-Wave MMIC Atmospheric Temperature and Humidity Sensors abstract

Hartmann, Ulli G., Orbital Sciences Corporation
Wide Field Imaging Spectrometer Engineering Model abstract

Herman, Benjamin M., University of Arizona
Active Tropospheric Ozone and Moisture Sounder abstract

Im, Eastwood, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
A Second generation Spaceborne Precipitation Radar abstract

Janz, Scott, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Compact Hyperspectral Mapper for Environmental Remote Sensing Applications abstract

Kliner, Dahv, Sandia National Laboratories
Development of a Compact, High Sensitivity Sensor for In Situ Measurements of Atmospheric SO2 abstract

Kolber, Zbigniew S., Rutgers University
Airborne Lidar Induced Fluorescence Transient LIFT Method for Measuring Photosynthetic Performance and Primary Productivity in Terrestrial Ecosystems abstract

Kummerow, Christian D., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
A Small Lightweight Radiometer to Improve the Temporal Sampling of Rainfall abstract

Lambrigtsen, Bjorn H., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer on a Remotely Piloted Aircraft abstract

Le Vine, David M., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Two Dimensional Synthetic Aperture Radiometer for Microwave Remote Sensing from Space abstract

Lichten, Stephen M., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
GOALS: GPS-Based Oceanographic and Atmospheric Low Earth Orbiting abstract

Njoku, Eni G., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Study of a Spaceborne Microwave Instrument for High Resolution Remote Sensing of the Earth Surface Using a Large Aperture Mesh Antenna abstract

Raney, R Keith, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
The New Generation of Radar Altimeters: Proof of Concept abstract

Roche, Aidan E., Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory
Miniaturized Infrared Atmospheric Spectrometer MIRAS abstract

Spinhirne, James D., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
A Compact Multispectral Infrared and Visible Spectral Imaging Radiometer for Cloud Surface Observations from Small Spacecraft, Engineering Model Development abstract

Walter, Steven J., NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Submillimeter-wave Cloud Ice Radiometer abstract

Whiteman, David N., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Airborne Scanning Raman Lidar System Based on a Holographic Optical Element Scanner/Receiver abstract

Yee, Jeng-Hwa John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
Development of a Self-Calibrating Instrument for Monitoring Ozone and Water Vapor abstract

Zawodny, Joseph M., NASA Langley Research Center
Gas and Aerosol Monitoring Sensorcraft : Instrument Refinement abstract