Proposal Opportunity

From the NASA NSPIRES email list … an excellent opportunity to propose an instrument on a non-SMD mission, to use an existing spacecraft nearing the end of its mission for another scientific investigation, to join a foreign mission by providing hardware, and/or to join instrument teams as a participating scientist. Check it out … this is the first SALMON AO!

Stand Alone Mission of Opportunity Notice (SALMON) Announcement of
Opportunity (AO)

NNH08ZDA009O, entitled “Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice
(SALMON)” is being released by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) on September 3, 2008. This Announcement of
Opportunity (AO) solicits investigations that address the science
objectives of the Science Mission Directorate’s (SMD) astrobiology,
lunar science, and planetary science programs and the Exploration
Science Mission Directorate’s (ESMD) fundamental space biology program.

SALMON is an omnibus AO that is comprised of several independent
proposal opportunities. Three proposal opportunities are being
released for the SALMON AO. Two related proposal opportunities are
being released for the ROSES-08 NRA. The three SALMON opportunities are:

1. Focused Mission of Opportunity (MO) to provide an in-situ dust
detector investigation for the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment
Explorer (LADEE). Notices of Intent (NOIs) to propose due September
24, 2008. Proposals due November 4, 2008.

2. Partner MOs in lunar and planetary science. NOIs due October 15,
2008. Proposals due December 2, 2008.

3. Small complete MOs in astrobiology and fundamental space biology.
NOIs due October 15, 2008. Proposals due December 2, 2008.

Simultaneous with the release of the SALMON AO, NASA will release two
amendments to the Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences
2008 (ROSES-08) NASA Research Announcement (NRA) (NNH08ZDA001N).

1. U.S. Participating Scientists in lunar and planetary science. NOIs
due October 15, 2008. Proposals due December 2, 2008.

2. U.S. Participating Scientists in Earth science. NOIs due October
15, 2008. Proposals due December 2, 2008.

Participation is open to all categories of organizations (U.S. and
non-U.S.), including educational institutions, industry,
not-for-profit organizations, Federally Funded Research and
Development Centers (FFRDCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL), and other Government agencies. Upon the AO
release, the full text of the AO and all appendices will be available
electronically at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/. A preproposal
conference will be held in Washington, DC for all the solicitations
except the LADEE solicitation; see http://salmon.larc.nasa.gov/ for details.

Direct questions specifically regarding this solicitation to: Dr.
Carlos A. Liceaga; Program Executive for Missions of Opportunity;
Mail Stop 7F25; National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
Washington, DC 20546-0001; TEL: (757) 846-5880; E-mail:
salmonao@nasa.gov (subject line to read “SALMON AO”).