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"Positive News" on UARS Mission

21 years, 10 months ago 
Message forwarded from Dr. Charles H. Jackman, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.
================================================================================

October 25, 2001

UARS Colleagues:

We have generally positive news to report.  Please send this on to
others as I may not have everyone on my UARS distribution list.

The latest news regarding the UARS Mission is given below:

MEETING AT NASA HEADQUARTERS ON OCTOBER 24TH - We had a meeting yesterday at

NASA Headquarters with Mike Luther (Deputy Associate Administrator)
and others in Code Y.  We discussed the status of the UARS and the many
changes that are ongoing in the project as well as this option.
Generally we received positive feedback.  We have been told to proceed
with the "Traceability Mission" option (see below) for the foreseeable
future.  The total cost of the "Traceability Mission" option including
mission and science operations is about $3.7M.  For comparison, the cost
of the UARS mission and science operations was about $15.4M in FY01.
We have received $2M so far that is being applied to the mission
operations.

UARS "TRACEABILITY MISSION" OPTION - This option will be primarily
focussed on providing validation/calibration measurements for upcoming
future missions.  We hope to provide UARS validation measurements for
the following future FY02 missions: TIMED, SAGE III, ENVISAT-1, ADEOS II,
EOS Aqua, and SORCE.  If we are successful in FY02, it may be possible
(with Code Y approval) to continue for an additional time period beyond
September 30, 2002, and overlap other missions.

UARS INSTRUMENT DATA COLLECTION - Instrument science observations
resumed on October 1st after being shutdown from September 24-30.
We are now in a "baseline operational mode" wherein we have 15 contacts/day
(once per orbit) as compared with 30 contacts/day (twice per orbit)
in FY01.  This allows the collection of about 20-30% of the possible
data.  Since the HALOE instrument uses the remaining working part
of the tape recorder, practically all of the HALOE observations are
being collected.  There is enough power to operate HALOE on about
2/3rds of the days.  After the launches of new missions, with an
appropriate time for outgassing and new instrument checks, the UARS
instruments will be operated in an "intense validation/calibrational
mode" for two-week observational periods.  During these periods,
the UARS instruments will have 30 contacts/day so that 50-55% of the
data would be collected.

UARS CENTRAL DATA HANDLING FACILITY (CDHF) - Unfortunately, we will not
be able to fund the UARS CDHF beyond November 30, 2001.  The UARS CDHF
is in the midst of final reprocessing, data archive, and supporting
the effort to move to data distribution through a "new" system called
PACOR-A.

UARS LONG-TERM DATA ARCHIVE - This issue is currently being addressed.
It is hoped that ultimately all the UARS data (including L0/L1/L2)
will be moved to the DAAC and be compatible with UNIX machines.  To
complete this effort will require some funding beyond what has been
approved.

UARS RETRIEVAL - It was decided at the meeting yesterday that there
will not be a Space Shuttle retrieval of the UARS.

Thanks for your support.  I am convinced that the community efforts over
these difficult several months.

Sincerely,

Charles Jackman
UARS Project Scientist

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