Project Grant 80NSSC19K0637

THIS UNSOLICITED PROPOSAL FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE UNIVERSITY (ISU) TO NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS A GRANT FOR PARTIAL SUPPORT OF AN ISU GRADUATE RESEARCH EFFORT. THE RESEARCH WILL BE UNDERTAKEN BY A SECOND-YEAR GRADUATE STUDENT PREPARING A THESIS AS PART OF THE ISU MASTERS OF SPACE STUDIES (MSS) PROGRAM; THE STUDENT EFFORT WILL BE AUGMENTED BY FACULTY SUPPORT. THE STUDY WILL SURVEY PREVIOUS ISU STUDIES IN SEARCH OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE OVER TIME BECOME MORE RELEVANT TO CURRENT NASA UNDERTAKINGS; IT WILL ALSO AS APPROPRIATE SEEK TO EXTEND PREVIOUS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. THE EFFORT WILL BE KNOWN AS SURVEY OF ISU RESEARCH EFFORTS RELEVANT TO CURRENT NASA PRIORITIES FOR LUNAR/CISLUNAR MISSIONS OR DATA-MINING: LUNAR FOR SHORT. THE REQUESTED SUPPORT IS $25 013. THE SPECIFIC FOCUS OF THE PROPOSED DATA-MINING: LUNAR EFFORT IS PRESENTED IN ATTACHMENT A. THE TROVE OF PREVIOUS STUDIES RESULTS FROM ISU TEAM PROJECTS WHICH HAVE BEEN A MAJOR ELEMENT OF THE ISU EDUCATIONAL APPROACH FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS. THE VALUE OF THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY ISU PARTICIPANTS IS TIED TO THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF ISU S METHODOLOGY THAT BRINGS TOGETHER A DIVERSE POPULATION OF PARTICIPANTS DIVERSE IN ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND NATIONALITY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE AND AGE AND EXPERIENCE. ISU STUDENTS REPRESENT PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS AND DEGREES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING POLICY AND LAW BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS ETC. THE TEAM PROJECTS ARE INTENSE INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AT THE GRADUATE SCHOOL LEVEL ON A CHALLENGE OR ISSUE OF TOPICAL INTEREST TO THE SPACE COMMUNITY. THEY ARE CONDUCTED BY PARTICIPANTS BOTH IN THE NINE-WEEK SPACE STUDIES PROGRAM AND ALSO IN THE ONE- OR TWO-YEAR MSS PROGRAM. THE PARTICIPANTS CONCLUSIONS RESULT FROM CRITICAL ANALYSIS BUILDING ON THE WORK OF OTHERS (VIA LITERATURE SEARCH AND ACCESS TO EXPERTS) AS WELL AS INDEPENDENT EVALUATION AND INNOVATIVE THOUGHT. THE DIVERSE TEAM OF PARTICIPANTS UNCONSTRAINED BY PREVIOUS PLANS OR POLICIES IDENTIFY AND DOCUMENT UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS IN A GENUINELY INTERNATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY. THE IMPACT OF ISU S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM HAS BEEN WELL APPRECIATED BY NASA WHICH HAS PROVIDED BROAD SPONSORSHIP FOR THE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE UNIVERSITY SINCE ITS INCEPTION. NASA SUPPORT FOR THIS THESIS RESEARCH PROJECT WILL ALSO ADHERE TO US NATIONAL SPACE POLICY AND THE AGENCY S COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS. NASA S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISU IS CONSISTENT WITH THE AGENCY S INTEREST IN PROMOTING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO INSPIRE PROFICIENCY IN SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DISCIPLINES AT ALL LEVELS. NASA EMPLOYEES CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES AND POTENTIAL FUTURE EMPLOYEES IN THE U.S. SPACE EFFORT ARE TYPICALLY AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED IN ISU S PROGRAMS; AN INVESTMENT IN ISU IS THUS AN INVESTMENT IN NASA AND U.S. SPACE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL BENEFIT THE AGENCY DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY. FINALLY ISU S INTERNATIONAL APPROACH IS ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF NASA S FUNDAMENTAL INTEREST IN PROMOTING EXTENSIVE PARTICIPATION FROM INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS IN ITS SPACE SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION EFFORTS. 2 THE PRODUCT OF THIS DATA-MINING: LUNAR RESEARCH EFFORT WILL BE A REPORT INTENDED TO INFORM DECISION-MAKERS AND CONSTRUCTIVELY SUPPORT RENEWED AMERICAN INTEREST IN LUNAR EXPLORATION. THIS REPORT AN ISU MASTERS THESIS WILL BE DELIVERED TO NASA IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT (PDF FILE). A SEPARATE BRIEFING ON THE RESULTS WILL BE PROVIDED IF DESIRED. THIS PROPOSAL REPRESENTS PARTIAL SUPPORT OF THE DATA-MINING: LUNAR THESIS EFFORT. ISU MAINTAINS THIS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM WITH HELP FROM NASA AND A VARIETY OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE BOTH FINANCIAL AND IN-KIND SUPPORT. THE SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FROM THESE ADDITIONAL SPONSORS PROVIDES EXCELLENT LEVERAGE ON NASA S INVESTMENT IN RESEARCH AT ISU.