Special Announcement

We are no longer accepting submissions for white papers,
but would like to thank everyone for their contribution!
Click here to view all white paper submissions.

Project Information

• Statement of Task
• Study Plan
• Community Input & Outreach Events
• Upcoming Meetings
• Past Meetings' Agendas and Presentations
• Panel Information
• Committee Membership
• Staff and Contact Information
  
• Past Reports and Useful Links
• Current Projects System Entry

Statement of Task

Consistent with the direction in the Explanatory Statement accompanying the FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161), the National Research Council will organize a decadal survey to establish priorities and provide recommendations for life and physical sciences research in microgravity and partial gravity for the 2010-2020 decade. The committee will develop criteria for the prioritization.

The decadal survey will define research areas, recommend a research portfolio and a time line for conducting that research, identify facility and platform requirements as appropriate, provide rationales for suggested program elements, define dependencies between research objectives, identify terrestrial benefits, and specify whether the research product directly enables exploration or produces fundamental new knowledge. These areas will be categorized as either those that are required to enable exploration missions or those that are enabled or facilitated because of exploration missions.

The decadal survey should:

• Define research areas that enable exploration missions or that are enabled by exploration missions.
• For each of the two categories above, define and prioritize an integrated life and physical sciences research portfolio and associated objectives;
• Develop a timeline for the next decade for these research objectives and identify dependencies between the objectives;
• Identify terrestrial, airborne, and space-based platforms and facilities that could most effectively achieve the objectives;
• Explain how the objectives could enable exploration activities, produce knowledge, or provide benefits to space and other applications;
• Identify potential research synergies between NASA and other US government agencies, as well as with commercial entities and international partners; and
• Identify potential research objectives beyond 2020.

The results of the decadal survey will assist in defining and aligning life and physical sciences research to meet the needs of exploration missions. The recommendations regarding the timeline and sequence of research are intended to allow NASA to develop an implementation plan that will impact future exploration missions. The survey should focus on the aforementioned tasks and should not recommend budgetary levels. This decadal survey should build upon the findings and recommendations of previous National Academies’ studies conducted in this area.

Study Plan

The purpose of this study is to develop a decadal strategy for research in life and physical sciences research in reduced gravity. Work on this study will be finalized October 29, 2010 and will culminate in a consolidated report developed by the Steering Committee, which will utilize input from seven Panels.

This decadal study will consist of a Steering Committee of 18 members and seven focus Panels. These Panels will vary in size but will on average have eight members each, and each panel will address a targeted topic within the general topic of life and physical sciences research in reduced gravity. The focus area for each of these Panels will be determined by the Steering Committee at its first meeting in May 2009.

The following are examples of the areas of expertise likely to be incorporated into the various panels and/or the steering committee: fluid dynamics; heat and mass transfer; combustion; materials science; human physiology (bone and muscle development, immunology, endocrinology, cardiovascular systems, sensorimotor systems); developmental biology; plant biology; behavioral science; radiation effects; spacecraft power and propulsion systems; regenerative life support systems; in situ resource utilization; and power and energy storage systems.

Each of the seven Panels is expected to meet approximately three times each, and the steering committee will meet approximately five times during the course of the study. The committee and its panels will also work to obtain and incorporate broad community input to the study. 

Community Input

As noted in the study plan above, the committee will be seeking community input through both white paper submissions and Town Hall meetings. Community input to the decadal survey via participation in Town Hall meetings and generation of written white papers is strongly encouraged and is likely to play a critical role in the success of the survey. While the survey is a large endeavor, involving a steering committee plus seven focus panels, it is important to the steering committee and panels that as many people as possible within the community (who are not directly involved in the survey) have a means by which their opinions and thoughts on the survey are heard.

The period for submitting white papers is now closed.  Click here to view all white paper submissions.

Town Hall Meeting Schedule

Past Meetings
Translation to Space Exploration Systems Panel, January 28-29, 2010, Washington, DC Agenda	Animal and Human Biology Panel, October 26-28, 2009, Washington, DC Agenda
Fundamental Physical Sciences Panel, January 18-19, 2010, Washington, DC Agenda	Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space: Steering Committee, October 14-16, 2009, Washington, DC Agenda | View Presentations
Plant and Microbial Biology Panel, January 13-15, 2010, Irvine, CA Agenda	Fundamental Physical Sciences Panel September 8-10, 2009, Washington, DC Agenda
Applied Physical Sciences Panel, January 13-14, 2010, Irvine, CA Agenda	Steering Committee: June 29-July 1 in Washington, DC. Agenda
Integrative and Translational Research for the Human System Panel, January 12-14, 2010, Irvine, CA Agenda	Fundamental Physical Sciences Panel, November 9-10, 2009, Irvine, CA Agenda
Human Behavior and Mental Health Panel, December 14-16, 2009, Irvine, CA Agenda	Integrative and Translational Research for the Human System Panel, October 28-30, Washington, DC Agenda
Human Behavior and Mental Health Panel , November 19-20, 2009 Irvine, CA Agenda	Plant and Microbial Biology Panel, October 8-9, 2009, Washington , DC Agenda
Translation to Space Exploration Systems Panel, November 11-13, 2009, Washington, DC Agenda	Joint Meeting of Decadal Panels August 19-21 in Washington, D.C. Agenda | View Presentations
Appled Physical Sciences Panel, November 4-6, 2009, Washington, DC Agenda	Steering Committee: May 6-8 in Washington, DC. Agenda

Panel Information

• Animal and Human Biology Panel
• Applied Physical Sciences Panel
• Fundamental Physical Sciences Panel
• Human Behavior and Mental Health Panel
• Integrative and Translational Research for the Human System Panel
• Plant and Microbial Biology Panel
• Translation to Space Exploration Systems Panel

Committee Membership

Staff & Contact Information

Past Reports and Useful Links
Next-Generational Suborbital Researchers Conference, February 18-20, 2010, Boulder, CO	Review of NASA’s Biomedical Research Program (2000)
Review of NASA Plans for the International Space Station (2006)	A Strategy for Research in Space Biology and Medicine in the Next Century (1998)
Assessment of Directions in Microgravity and Physical Sciences Research at NASA (2003)	Radiation Hazards to Crews of Interplanetary Missions: Biological Issues and Research Strategies (1996)
Factors Affecting the Utilization of the International Space Station for Research in the Biological and Physical Sciences (2003)	Microgravity Research in Support of Technologies for the Human exploration and Development of Space and Planetary Bodies (2000)
Readiness Issues Related to Research in the Biological and Physical Sciences on the International Space Station (2001)	National Research Council Current Projects Page
Microgravity Research Opportunities in the 1990s (1995)	NASA Report on International Space Station Science Accomplishments 2000-2008

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