SMD Technology Infusions: Earth Venture Suborbital-2 Awards Include SMD-Sponsored Technology Infusions
Technologies Infused: In 2015, NASA funded six new suborbital Earth Venture-class missions—five of which include technologies infused from SMD-sponsored technology development efforts. Managed by the Earth System Science Pathfinder Program (ESSP), the NASA Earth Venture program funds competitively selected, low-to-moderate cost, small-to-medium-sized, innovative missions to address a variety of Earth science topics. There are currently three categories of Earth Venture awards: Earth Venture Missions (EVM), which involve full orbital missions; Earth Venture Suborbital (EVS) missions and campaigns, which employ aircraft, balloons, sounding rockets, and other suborbital assets; and Earth Venture Instruments (EVI), which are instruments that require final development for future use in orbit. Since the program’s inception in 2010, SMD-sponsored technologies have played key roles in nearly every Earth Venture selection, and the most recent solicitation—Earth Venture Suborbital-2—was no exception. Impact: Sustained SMD technology investment is enabling NASA to regularly solicit quick-turnaround projects, as recommended by the NRC in the 2007 Earth Science Decadal...