Science at NASA

Waleed Abdalati

NASA Chief Scientist
FY 12 NASA Programmatic Bud

Ed ti S Thli

Aeronautics

4%

Education

1%

Space 

Tec

hnologies

(non-human spaceflight portion

3%

Human 

Spaceflight

57%

Science

35%
FY 2012 Budget Request
The National Aeronautics and Space 

The aeronautical aeronautical and space activities activities of the United States shall be conducted conducted so as t

materially to one or more of the following objectives:

1) The expansion of human knowledge of the Earth and of phenomena in the atmo

space;

2) The improvement of the usefulness, performance, speed, safety, and efficiency of aeronautical and sp

3) The development and operation of vehicles capable of carrying instruments, equipment, supplies, and 

through space;

4) The establishment establishment of long‐range studies studies of the potential potential benefits benefits to be gained from, the opportunitie

opportunitie

problems involved in the utilization of aeronautical and space activities for peaceful and scientific pur

5) The preservation of the role of the United States as a leader in aeronautical and space science and tec

application thereof to the conduct of peaceful activities within and outside the atmosphere;

6) The making avail bl a e to agencies d l irect y concerned with national d f e ense of discoveries that have m

significance, and the furnishing by such agencies, to the civilian agency established to direct and cont

aeronautical and space activities, of information as to discoveries which have value or significance to 

7) Cooperation by the United States with other nations and groups of nations in work done pursuant to 

peaceful peaceful application application of the results results thereof; thereof;

8) The most effective utilization of the scientific and engineering resources of the United States, with clo

among all interested agencies of the United States in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort

equipment; and

9) The preservation of the U it d n e St t a es preemi t nen position in aeronautics and space th h roug research 

development related to associated manufacturing processes.
Answering Questions Rooted at 

Very Core of the Human Spir
Peering at the Edges of the Universe an

beginning of time
Exploring Our

Neighbors in the Solar

System
Examining the Sun the Fuels Us
Understanding The Planet We

Live on Today
Und

the Plan

Descendants will Live on 

Investigating Biological and Physical Proce

the Space Environment
NASA Organizational Chart
NASA Organizational Chart

Office of the OCS

d ii OCT Administrator

ARMD SMD

ESMD S0MD C
OCS Key Functions

• Advise the NASA Administrator on Scientific Matte

– Id d t n ependent voice

– Unburdened by direct implementation concerns

• Provide Provide representation representation of NASA science science interests interests t

level of NASA management

• Serve as a key point of contact for scientific matter

NASA

– In particular those that span directorates, centers, oth

agencies, etc.

• Foster interaction across directorates and centers 

the external community

• Facilitate international international and interagency interagency collaborati

collaborati
Overarching Goals

• Maximize Maximize the Science Science Return of this Ag

on taxpayer investments

– Merit– Value– Integrity of processes processes

• Achieve instant recognition of NASA as 

science agency among public, sponsors

stakeholders.
Challenges

• Difficult Budget Environment

– Meeting the challenge of level‐funding

• Rising costs of access to space• More compelling science than resource

achieve them
Guidance in Content Comes fr

Decad l a Surveys

• At h i s rophysics: 2010• Planetary Science: March, 2011• Heliophysics: 2012

• Life and Microgravity Microgravity Sciences, Sciences, March 2

• Earth Science: 2007

– Additional Additional modifications modifications based on White H

priorities
Science to In

...Science To Se