International Polar YearAn international program of coordinated research to explore the polar

regions, deepen understanding of polar interactions including their role in global climate, expand our ability to detect changes, and extend this

knowledge to the public and decision makers.

IPY allows NASA to integrate its activities in:ScienceTechnology CommunicationsInformation technologyInnovative aeronautics

IPY is perfectly suited to NASA’s strengths:No agency (US or abroad) has more aspects of its mission that bear on IPY

NASA led the world in the identification of accelerating polar changes Links between NASA technology, aeronautics, earth and space science are

strongest in the polar regions

IPY presents NASA with an unprecedented multifaceted opportunity.

www.ipy.org

IPY links every NASA Directorate• Science

– Earth– Space

• Exploration Systems– Planetary analogues– robotics

• Aeronatuics– UAVs, AUVs and suborbital assets

• Technology– IT, power management, sensor webs– enable broader research

• Education– Formal/informal education, public outreach and decision support

www.ipy.org

IPY Is Inclusive• NASA+50

– NASA leads in polar discoveries, monitoring and research (e.g., ozone hole, ice-shelf disintegration, polar warming, ice-sheet collapse)

• eGY– Incorporates data guidelines and best practices – IPY includes conversion of “traditional knowledge”

• IHY– Major polar component and use of polar regions as

unique vantage point• 13 Federal agencies are active in IPY

– NSF’s letter to Sen. McCain describes Federal IPY plans and NASA/NSF partnership

www.ipy.org

Benefits• Integrates much of what NASA does

– Strengthens ties– Creates new links and partnerships

• Leverages our investments– Cross-directorate– Interagency– Internationally

• Amplifies our mission accomplishments in IPY spotlight• Asserts our leadership among federal agencies

– NASA is the Exploration agency• Addresses three Presidential directives

• Exploration Vision• CCSP (polar feedbacks)• IWGEO (first demonstration of Implementation Strategy)

www.ipy.org

Cost• No additional money required!!

– It’s how we allocate existing resources– Much of what we already do is IPY-ready

• Relabeling• Repackaging• Promoting

• Additional investment has enormous advantages– Heavy leveraging– Multiple payoffs within agency– Public support and goodwill– Federal leadership in science, exploration and

aeronautics

www.ipy.org

Request1. A pan-directorate IPY office to identify and coordinate

IPY-related activities and opportunities across agency to maximize benefits to NASA– Use IPY as an intra-agency integration activity– Coordinate IPY satellite data collection with other space agencies– Coordinate with other federal agencies in funding solicitations and data

management

2. 2006 ROSES IPY solicitation supported by all Directorates

3. Take the US lead in IPY EPO coordination and host main US-IPY portal– NASA’s fuller IPY implementation will be hampered without a

leadership role

4. Announce IPY as a new, low-cost “mission”– Return per investment dollar significantly higher than a satellite mission

www.ipy.org

Urgency

• Polar regions are changing at increasing rate– Directly affects people, economy, security

• Polar-global links known but poorly understood

• March 2007 is ~18 months away

• Delay is not an option

www.ipy.org

www.ipy.org

www.ipy.org

www.ipy.org

MARS RECONNAISSANCEORBITER

www.ipy.org

International Formulation

• ICSU Planning Group (2002-2004)– framed 450+ community ideas

• ICSU/WMO Joint Committee (2005- )– 900+ Expressions of Intent– 30 countries actively involved (plus ICSU

unions and polar stakeholders)– China, UK, Argentina, and Denmark have

already committed new money

www.ipy.org

National Formulation• National Academy of Science convened US

National Committee for IPY (2003)– Vision report (2004)

• US must be a leader in IPY

– Implementation workshop (2004)• 13 agencies attended and endorsed IPY• OSTP named NSF the lead coordinating agency

• Supporting Congressional resolutions• OSTP Committee on Science requested agency

plans for IPY• IPY appears in the CENR/IWGEO 2005 Strategic

Plan for the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System