Thomas H. Zurbuchen, PhD

Zurbuchen@gmail.com, thomaszurbuchen.com

National Space Users Council 

Users’ Advisory Group

NASA’s Science Program:

Priorities and Issues 
2

Three Priorities 

1) Major progress is needed in Climate Science – towards 

regional forecast and including predictive analytics. This 

forces a closer integration of science and application 

domains. Commercial partnerships are a must.

2) Science is critical element of Artemis and international 

leadership, especially in presence of international 

competition. Must balance human and robotics approaches, 

do not put on collision course against each other.

3) Innovation both in technology and in overall approach is 

and remains critical for US leadership. Every mission needs 

to enhance what is possible in space. 
3

NEWS FROM NASA SMD CLIMATE AND SOCIETY DISCOVERY, TECH
4

Mars Perseverance: 

2 Yrs on Mars
5

Pandora’s Cluster
6

Vincent Ledvina, Alaska
7

NEWS FROM NASA SMD CLIMATE AND SOCIETY DISCOVERY, TECH

Water and Energy in 

the Atmosphere

Particles in the

Atmosphere

Large-scale Mass

Redistribution

AEROSOLS

CLOUDS, CONVECTION

AND PRECIPITATION

MASS CHANGE

SURFACE BIOLOGY

AND GEOLOGY

SURFACE DEFORMATION

AND CHANGE

Earth Surface & 

Ecosystems

Earth Surface Dynamics

INTERCONNECTED

CORE MISSIONS

9
10

Water: Surface and Below Surface
11 Commercial Data Buys:

Hurricane Ian
12

Challenges, Issues

• Strategy is in trouble, threatening continuity of key data-sets in late 20s, 

and reducing likelihood that system can be studied as such. 

• Lack of funding due to 

• Performance issues (CV19, suppliers, technical, other) with NISAR, 

and GeoCarb

• Lack of ability to gain support on Capital Hill for proposed strategy

• Roles of all gov players remains unclear reducing speed to benefit 

user. Role of commercial data is increasing.

• As speed matters, we need to adapt more to new environment. (E.g. 

“Spacecraft as a service”, standardized buses., or SDA-like 

approaches)
13

How Important are Climate Tipping Points 

• Tipping points

may be important

• What does it mean?

• Urgency of research?

• Translation

scale and speed?

Armstrong McKay et al. 2022
14

NEWS FROM NASA SMD CLIMATE AND SOCIETY DISCOVERY, TECH
15
16

Driving Towards Tech/Programmatic Success

Roman with LRD 

2026/7

Mars Sample Return, 

LRDs: 2027, 2028

Clipper with LRD 2024
17

Delivery Site: 

Lacus Mortis

Provider: Astrobotic

TO2-AB │ Q1 2023

Delivery Site: 

Mare Crisium

Provider: Firefly

TO19D │ 2024

CLPS Deliveries

2023-2026

Delivery Site: 

Nobile Crater

Provider : Astrobotic

VIPER │Dec 2024

Updated Nov 2022

Delivery Site: 

Gruithuisen Domes

Provider TBD

CP-21 │ 2026

Delivery Site:

South Polar Region

Provider TBD

CP-22 │ 2026

Delivery Site:

Schrödinger Basin

Provider TBD

CP-12 │ 2025

Delivery Site: 

Reiner Gamma

Provider: IM

CP-11 │ 2024

Delivery Site: 

Haworth Crater

Provider: TBD

TO19C │ 2024?

Delivery Site: 

Shackleton Connecting 

Ridge 

Provider: IM

TO PRIME-1 │ 2023

Delivery Site: 

Lunar Far Side

Provider TBD

CS-3 │ 2025

Delivery Site: Mare Crisium

Provider: Intuitive Machines (IM)

Task Order (TO)2-IM │ Q1 2023

17
18

Key Ingredients to Leadership

• Consistency of purpose with alignment, bi-partisan support 

• Focus on entire stakeholder communities – not just within NASA, but 

focused on commercial, international partners and eventually the science 

and application communities

• Drive towards new technologies and approaches – each mission should 

enhance the space new missions are conceived in 

• Keep learning from mistakes. We will make mistakes, but please (!) not the 

same ones

• Bring the World along for the ride to inspire the next generation of 

explorers
19

Habitable Worlds Observatory

19
20

Three Priorities 

1) Major progress is needed in Climate Science – towards 

regional forecast and including predictive analytics. This 

forces a closer integration of science and application 

domains. Commercial partnerships are a must.

2) Science is critical element of Artemis and international 

leadership, especially in presence of international 

competition. Must balance human and robotics approaches, 

do not put on collision course against each other.

3) Innovation both in technology and in overall approach is 

and remains critical for US leadership. Every mission needs 

to enhance what is possible in space. 
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