SMD Large Mission Study

Conducted from October 2019 to October 2020, this internal NASA study was chartered by the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) to inform improvements to decision making, management, and review processes across SMD, with emphasis on establishing and keeping more achievable commitments when large strategic missions are confirmed.

This internal study is part of SMD’s commitment to uphold its core values of leadership, excellence, integrity, teamwork, and safety. It is focused on SMD’s management of large strategic missions; although it may also inform Agency-level policies and practices, this was not the study’s main intent.

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James Webb Space Telescope

The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view.

Perseverance Rover

Parker Solar Probe

Juno