[NOTE: Two investigators--Dr. James Bell of Cornell University and Dr. Wendy Calvin of the U. S. Geological Survey--were added to this investigation after this proposal was written. Their research activities will be described in the MARCI Experiment Operations Plan.]
The MARCI Investigation Team consists of six investigators with a mix of experience in analysis of spacecraft images, earth- and space-based telescopic observations, and theoretical and numerical modeling, geared towards applications to meteorological, climatological, and geological studies. All six have considerable expertise in the study of Mars and in the techniques to be applied to the MARCI data. The backgrounds and pre- and post-launch responsibilities of the six team members are as follows:
Michael C. Malin (Principal Investigator) is President and Chief Scientist of Malin Space Science Systems, Inc. He is Principal Investigator on the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Orbiter Camera; he was PI of the Mars Observer Camera. He is also Deputy Team Leader for the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Multispectral Imager/Near-Infrared Spectrograph Science Investigation Team. He is PI on a Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program (PIDDP) effort to develop a "next-generation" camera for small spacecraft. Malin is a Co-Investigator on the MGS Thermal Emission Spectrometer (he was a Co-I on the Mars Observer TES), and a Guest Investigator on the Russian Mars '96 mission (Co-Investigator on the DESCAM, PANCAM, and Penetrator Cameras). He was a Guest Investigator on Magellan and a Member of the Comet Rendezvous/Asteroid Flyby (CRAF) Imaging Subsystem Team. His current research includes photogeological studies of Mars and Venus, and terrestrial field work on modification of volcanic terranes by eolian, fluvial, and mass movement phenomena (in Alaska, Iceland, and Hawaii) and drainage development by non-overland flow mechanisms (Mount St. Helens, Washington, and southern Utah). He is also a principal investigator receiving NSF support for his studies of cold-environment weathering and erosion phenomena in Antarctica. Malin received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1987 for his diverse, innovative, and creative efforts. Malin will be responsible developing the MARCI hardware and software, and delivering the instrument to the spacecraft. During operations he will lead the team effort in planning for and analysis of the images. During hardware development, Malin will devote 50% of his time to MARCI; during operations, he will devote 20% of his time to the experiment.
R. Todd Clancy (Co-Investigator) is a Senior Research Scientist at the Space Science Institute (SSI, in Boulder CO) and a Lecturer in the Astrophysical, Planetary, and Atmospheric Sciences Department at the University of Colorado. He is a Participating Scientist on the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) investigation for Mars Observer/Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter, PI of a Planetary Instrument Design and Development (PIDDP) program for a Mars lander whole-sky imager, and PI of NASA and NSF observational and data analysis programs for Mars and Earth atmospheric studies. He conducts and analyzes microwave ground-based observations of Mars atmospheric water and temperatures, and HST ultraviolet observations of Mars atmospheric clouds, ozone, and dust opacities. A specific thrust of these Mars observational/analysis studies is the coupled seasonal and interannual behavior of dust, water, and ozone in the climate of Mars. Clancy will provide guidance for design and development of the ultraviolet (250 and 330 nm) imaging capabilities of the MARCI camera, for optimization of MARCI ozone, dust, and cloud retrievals. He will also direct development of ozone/aerosol retrieval algorithms, including radiative transfer software, to reside at MSSS. Clancy will devote an average of 25% of his time to the mission during on-orbit operations.
Robert M. Haberle (Co-Investigator) is a member of the technical staff at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, CA. He is the atmospheres/climatology IDS for Mars Global Surveyor and leader of the Ames group that has developed the state-of-the-art Mars General Circulation Model. He has developed a hierarchy of 1-, 2-, and 3-D models of the atmospheric circulation and climate of Mars in order to better understand the processes controlling the current seasonal cycles of dust, water, and CO2. His work has then tried to relate that understanding to the nature of climate change. He has long advocated the need for network meteorology to carry out these goals, and is developing concepts that will enable this kind of science within the constraints of the Surveyor program. Prior to launch, Haberle will lead the team's efforts in defining the means by which the global, synoptic, visible and ultraviolet images will be used to establish daily and seasonal meteorological patterns. During operations, he will be responsible for validating the global observations and using the observations in tandem with the GCM to both analyze and predict martian meteorological patterns. Haberle will devote an average of 20% of his time to the mission during operations.
Philip B. James (Co-Investigator) is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Toledo, OH. He is principal investigator of the Mars Observing Project on the HST, and a Participating Scientist on the Mars Observer and Mars Global Surveyor Cameras. His primary research interests include martian condensate cloud and dust storm distribution, morphology, and photometric, the photometric properties and behavior of the martian polar caps, and the implications of these features to climatological questions regarding the role, distribution, and evolution of atmospheric water on Mars. James will lead the atmospheric science effort of the team, coordinating the activities of the other investigators in developing observational strategies and data reduction techniques (pre-launch) and leading the analysis of cloud morphology and distribution (MO&DA). He will actively participate in the day-to-day operation of the instrument both remotely, and while in residence at MSSS in San Diego. James will devote an average of 30% of his time to mission operations.
Steven W. Lee (Co-Investigator) is a Research Associate in the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado (Boulder, CO) and a Lecturer in the Astrophysical, Planetary, and Atmospheric Sciences Department at CU. He was Project Scientist of NASA's Planetary Data System from 1990-1992, and managed the PDS Atmospheres Discipline Node from 1989-1994. Since 1990, he has been a member of the team using the HST to monitor the surface and atmosphere of Mars; his team responsibilities include image processing, image navigation, and projection into map products. He has recently become involved with a team at Lowell Observatory continuing a long-term project of ground-based telescopic observations of Mars. His long-standing research interests relate to investigation of Martian surface/atmosphere interactions and the resulting variable albedo features. During instrument development, Lee will lead the planning for MARCI observations to monitor dust storm activity and variable features. This will include development of a target list for mapping by MARCI's medium-resolution camera, and definition of plans for global monitoring with the low-resolution camera. During the mission, he will be responsible for frequent, routine analysis of the global-monitoring images for evidence of dust storm activity and albedo variability. If/when results warrant detailed observations with the medium resolution camera, he will provide targeting information to the MARCI PI and to appropriate mission operations personnel. Lee will devote an average of 25% of his time to mission operations.
Peter C. Thomas (Co-Investigator) is a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Radiophysics and Space Research at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY). He is a member of the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem and Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Mission (NEAR) Imager/Spectrometer Science Teams, a Participating Scientist on the Mars Observer/Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter Camera investigation, and an Adjunct Member of the Galileo Solid State Imaging Science Team. Thomas is primarily interested in martian surface processes, in particular the interaction of the atmosphere with the surface (eolian processes). He will have primary responsibility for target and investigation design for investigations of eolian deposits, and will cooperate with the other team members in the variable feature (surface/atmosphere) targeting and investigation design. He will be one of the principal leaders of the data validation task. Thomas will devote an average of 25% of his time to the mission during operations.
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