From: murthy_j@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Jayant Murthy)
Subject: Voyager UVS shutdown
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Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 21:47:14 GMT


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Date:    Tue, 8 Dec 1992 18:47:02 -0500 (EST)
From: OLIVERSEN@STARS.GSFC.NASA.GOV (Ron Oliversen GSFC/684 301-286-6290)
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Subject: Voyager UVS termination notice
To: murthy@pha.jhu.edu, rch@pha.jhu.edu, wpb@hut4, long@pices.stsci.edu,
        fesen@oak.dartmouth.edu, ossy@sunspot.ssl.berkekey.edu,
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        chen@astro.uf1.edu, buss@hut4, evans@nereid.sal.ists.ca
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Status: RO


The Voyager Ultraviolet Spectrometer (UVS) Guest Observer (GO) Program
Scientist, Bob Stachnik/NASA HQ and the UVS GO Project Scientist, Ron
Oliversen/GSFC regretfully announce the termination of the UVS GO program.
The official statement from NASA Headquarters follows below. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Responding to a cut of $2M to MO&DA (Mission Operations and Data
Analysis) funds, the Astrophysics Division has authorized termination of
the astronomical observing program using the Ultraviolet Spectrometers
(UVS) aboard Voyagers 1 and 2. 

   The budget reduction in question is the latest component of a series of
congressionally-imposed reductions to Physics and Astronomy MO&DA and R&A
(Research and Analysis) budgets. Until now, all recent cuts have been
absorbed by the Astrophysics Division in the form of reduced funding to
programs, which, nevertheless, remain in existence. This is the first
recent cut which has resulted in complete termination of a program. In the
case of Voyager UVS, the instrument providing the observations is operated
by the Space Physics Division under an agreement with the Astrophysics
Division. Since the cost savings from termination of UVS operations amount
to only a portion of the $2M cut, further reductions elsewhere in the
Astrophysics MO&DA Program will be necessary. 

   A termination date has not yet been set. A majority of the 1992
observations have been obtained. Those 1992 observers who have received,
or shortly will receive, their data will be allowed to retain the funds
associated with reduction of those data. It is expected that 1992 funds
sent to the University of Arizona for support of Guest Observers will
permit operations to continue until about May, 1993. 

   Members of the community should note the following statement, prepared
by Dr. Guenter Riegler, excerpted from a description of the current status
of the MO&DA program: 
    The science community should note that this period of rapid
    growth in MO&DA support is about to end.  The budget for MO&DA,
    including support for science grants, will be leveling off or
    perhaps decreasing, while more missions will be launched.  This
    requires that each of the three functional areas of MO&DA must be
    executed with increasing efficiency.  In the area of mission
    operations, NASA has begun an assessment of efficiency
    improvements through programmatic, organizational, technical, and
    motivational changes.  Science operations efforts, including
    science centers, will have to be pared down to the minimum level
    for a viable science analysis effort.  Finally, the usage of
    science grants also needs to be examined.  Among the options
    which have been adopted by other disciplines and agencies, and
    need to be discussed within the Space Astrophysics community as
    well, are: 1) ending missions after completion of their primary
    science objectives, 2) selecting a smaller number of larger
    observing and research programs, 3) reducing the number of
    multiple awards to the same investigator/group, and 4) divorcing
    funding from observing time awards. 
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