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The Earth-Sun Lagrangian point 4 is a meta-stable location at 1 AU from the Sun, 60° ahead of Earth's orbit. It has an uninterrupted view of the solar photosphere centered on W60, the Earth's nominal magnetic field connection to the Sun. Such a mission on its own would serve as a solar remote sensing observatory that would oversee the entire solar radiation hemisphere with significant relevance for protecting Moon and Mars explorers from radiation exposure. In combination with appropriately planned observatories at L1 and L5, the three spacecraft would provide 300° longitude coverage of photospheric magnetic field structure, and allow continuous viewing of both solar poles, with >3.6° elevation. Ideally, the L4 and L5 missions would orbit the Sun with a 7.2° inclination out of the heliographic equator, 14.5° out of the ecliptic plane. We discuss the impact of extending solar magnetic field observations in both longitude and latitude to improve global solar wind modeling and, with the development of local helioseismology, the potential for long-term solar activity forecasting. Such a mission would provide a unique opportunity for interplanetary and interstellar dust science. It would significantly add to reliability of operational observations on fast coronal mass ejections directed at Earth and for human Mars explorers on their round-trip journey. The L4 mission concept is technically feasible, and is scientifically compelling. ISSN:1542-7390

Lunar IceCube is a NASA nanosatellite mission designed to prospect, locate, and measure volumes and composition of water ice deposits and other volatiles on the Moon in support of future exploitation by robots and human explorers. Lunar IceCube is one of several public -private partnerships selected under NASA's Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships Broad Agency Announcement for the development of advanced exploration systems. Among the first small satellites planned to explore deep space, Lunar IceCube, along with the 12 other Exploration Mission One (EM -1) missions will help lay a foundation for future small-scale planetary missions. In addition to providing useful scientific data, Lunar IceCube will help inform NASA's strategy for sending humans farther into the solar system.

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The Origins Space Telescope will trace the history of our origins from the time dust and heavy elements permanently altered the cosmic landscape to present-day life. How did galaxies evolve from the earliest galactic systems to those found in the universe today? How do habitable planets form? How common are life-bearing worlds? To answer these alluring questions, Origins will operate at mid- and far-infrared wavelengths and offer powerful spectroscopic instruments and sensitivity three orders of magnitude better than that of Herschel, the largest telescope flown in space to date. After a 3 ½ year study, the Origins Science and Technology Definition Team will recommend to the Decadal Survey a concept for Origins with a 5.9-m diameter telescope cryocooled to 4.5 K and equipped with three scientific instruments. A mid-infrared instrument (MISC-T) will measure the spectra of transiting exoplanets in the 2.8 – 20 μm wavelength range and offer unprecedented sensitivity, enabling definitive biosignature detections. The Far-IR Imager Polarimeter (FIP) will be able to survey thousands of square degrees with broadband imaging at 50 and 250 μm. The Origins Survey Spectrometer (OSS) will cover wavelengths from 25 – 588 μm, make wide-area and deep spectroscopic surveys with spectral resolving power R ~ 300, and pointed observations at R ~ 40,000 and 300,000 with selectable instrument modes. Origins was designed to minimize complexity. The telescope has a Spitzer-like architecture and requires very few deployments after launch. The cryo-thermal system design leverages JWST technology and experience. A combination of current-state-of-the-art cryocoolers and next-generation detector technology will enable Origins’ natural backgroundlimited sensitivity.

Here we describe the Primitive Object Volatile Explorer (PrOVE), a smallsat mission concept to study the surface structure and volatile inventory of comets in their perihelion passage phase when volatile activity is near peak. CubeSat infrastructure imposes limits on propulsion systems, which are compounded by sensitivity to the spacecraft disposal state from the launch platform and potential launch delays. We propose circumventing launch platform complications by using waypoints in space to park a deep space SmallSat or CubeSat while awaiting the opportunity to enter a trajectory to flyby a suitable target. In our Planetary Science Deep Space SmallSat Studies (PSDS3) project, we investigated scientific goals, waypoint options, potential concept of operations (ConOps) for periodic and new comets, spacecraft bus infrastructure requirements, launch platforms, and mission operations and phases. Our payload would include two low-risk instruments: a visible image (VisCAM) for 5-10 m resolution surface maps; and a highly versatile multispectral Comet CAMera (ComCAM) will measure 1) H2O, CO2, CO, and organics non-thermal fluorescence signatures in the 2-5 μm MWIR, and 2) 7-10 and 8-14 μm thermal (LWIR) emission. This payload would return unique data not obtainable from ground-based telescopes and complement data from Earth-orbiting observatories. Thus, the PrOVE mission would (1) acquire visible surface maps, (2) investigate chemical heterogeneity of a comet nucleus by quantifying volatile species abundance and changes with solar insolation, (3) map the spatial distribution of volatiles and determine any variations, and (4) determine the frequency and distribution of outbursts.

The Origins Space Telescope (OST) will trace the history of our origins from the time dust and heavy elements permanently altered the cosmic landscape to present-day life. How did the universe evolve in response to its changing ingredients? How common are life-bearing planets? To accomplish its scientific objectives, OST will operate at mid- and far-infrared wavelengths and offer superlative sensitivity and new spectroscopic capabilities. The OST study team will present a scientifically compelling, executable mission concept to the 2020 Decadal Survey in Astrophysics. To understand the concept solution space, our team studied two alternative mission concepts. We report on the study approach and describe both of these concepts, give the rationale for major design decisions, and briefly describe the mission-enabling technology.

A two year field study (1996/97 and 1997/98 growing seasons) was carried out at the Maricopa Agricultural Center (33º04'07" N; 111º57'18" W) of the University of Arizona, USA, to investigate the water use and to derive Kc's for subsurface drip-irrigated head lettuce grown in small weighable lysimeters. Measurement periods ranged from 480 to 1100 ºC-day (96/97) and from 439 to 1098 ºC-day (97/98). These intervals corresponded essentially to the second half of the crop cycle which amounted to a 1100 ºC-day, on average. The lysimeters were weighed periodically and the computation of the water balance revealed an average water use of 117 mm. Basal crop Kc was expressed as a function of cumulative growing degree days following a multiple linear regression procedure in which the data were fitted with a Fourier sine series model with up to six coefficients. Two-year Kc curves were obtained based on the Hargreaves, FAO Penman and FAO Penman-Monteith equations and compared to the AZSCHED (AriZona SCHEDuling) irrigation package. Predicted Kc peaked 0.88, 0.80 and 0.81 with the Hargreaves, FAO Penman, FAO Penman-Monteith equations, respectively, in the range of 1000 to 1050 ºC-day, in contrast to AZSCHED which predicted the peak Kc to be 1.01 at 1150 ºC-day.Um estudo conduzido na Fazenda Experimental Maricopa (33º04'07" N; 111º57'18" W), pertencente à Universidade do Arizona, USA, nos anos agrícolas de 1996/97 e 1997/98, objetivou determinar o uso de água e derivar coeficientes de cultura (Kc) da alface de cabeça irrigada por gotejamento subsuperficial e cultivada em lisímetros de pesagem intermitente. O período de medições, expresso em graus-dia acumulados, variou de 480 a 1100 ºC-dia em 96/97 e de 439 a 1098 ºC-dia em 97/98. Esses intervalos corresponderam à segunda metade do ciclo da cultura, sendo que até a colheita somou-se uma média de 1100 ºC-dia. Os lisímetros eram pesados periodicamente e o balanço hídrico revelou um consumo médio de 117 mm, naqueles períodos. O Kc basal foi relacionado com o acúmulo de graus-dia através de regressão múltipla, seguindo um modelo dado por uma série seno de Fourier, com até seis coeficientes. As curvas de Kc foram determinadas com base nos métodos de Hargreaves, FAO Penman e FAO Penman-Monteith, para cálculo da ETo e comparadas por aquela gerada pelo programa AZSCHED (AriZona SCHEDuling) de manejo da irrigação. Valores máximos de Kc estimados foram 0,88 (método de Hargreaves), 0,80 (FAO Penman) e 0,81 (FAO Penman-Monteith) no intervalo de 1000 a 1050 ºC dia, inferiores a 1,01 em 1150 ºC dia, que é o máximo Kc previsto pelo programa AZSCHED.

A mobile weighing system was designed in 1994 to weigh small lysimeters to measure water use by shallow-rooted crops. Using a reconditioned pesticide sprayer, a hoist, and a weighmeter, small lysimeters were weighed in the 1995, 1996, and 1997 growing seasons. The lysimeters were constructed of 4.8-mm hot-rolled steel and were 0.91 x 1.02 x 0.61 m in size with an internal area of 0.929 m 2 . The weight of a lysimeter containing only moist soil was 1.110.27 kg. At the beginning of each season of use, several tests were conducted on the weighing system to determine if it was sensitive enough to give adequate results of crop water use. In 1995, tests were conducted on linearity, repeatability, thermal shift, and creep errors. The values were ±0.062 kg, ±0.12 kg, -0.007 kg/ ° C, and -0.242 kg, respectively. The terminal linearity was 0.082 kg (1996) and 0.043 kg (1997). The measurement uncertainty decreased as the number of lifts increased. The results showed that the system was capable of producing adequate results for determining crop water use.

A two year field study (1996/97 and 1997/98 growing seasons) was carried out at the Maricopa Agricultural Center (33º04'07" N; 111º57'18" W) of the University of Arizona, USA, to investigate the water use and to derive Kc's for subsurface drip-irrigated head lettuce grown in small weighable lysimeters. Measurement periods ranged from 480 to 1100 ºC-day (96/97) and from 439 to 1098 ºC-day (97/98). These intervals corresponded essentially to the second half of the crop cycle which amounted to a 1100 ºC-day, on average. The lysimeters were weighed periodically and the computation of the water balance revealed an average water use of 117 mm. Basal crop Kc was expressed as a function of cumulative growing degree days following a multiple linear regression procedure in which the data were fitted with a Fourier sine series model with up to six coefficients. Two-year Kc curves were obtained based on the Hargreaves, FAO Penman and FAO Penman-Monteith equations and compared to the AZSCHED (AriZona SCHEDuling) irrigation package. Predicted Kc peaked 0.88, 0.80 and 0.81 with the Hargreaves, FAO Penman, FAO Penman-Monteith equations, respectively, in the range of 1000 to 1050 ºC-day, in contrast to AZSCHED which predicted the peak Kc to be 1.01 at 1150 ºC-day.

This paper presents the general relative orbit dynamics equations and GPS orbit observational equations that have been developed for on-board control of spacecraft flying in formation. The approach to the implementation of the autonomous control for orbit acquisition maintenance of spacecraft formation using GPS code pseudo-ranges are presented. The orbit control of the Earth-Orbiter 1 (EO-1)/Landsat 7 system has been designed, using the discrete-time linear optimal output feedback control. For the actuator of the on/off type reaction jets, the implementation problem of the pulse-amplitude modulation is also studied. Simulation results of autonomous orbit control and maintenance, for 3D initial orbit error, using optimal output feedback control are shown. These simulation results certified the feasibility of the implementation of the autonomous maintenance control for EO-1/Landsat 7 formation flying by means of the discrete-time linear optimal output feedback control.