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Announcements and Highlights
The Earth Observer: May - May, 1990
In This Issue
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Editor's Corner
Jerry Soffen, EOS Senior Project Scientist
"Money makes the world go around, the world go around, the world go around ... ," so goes the refrain from Cabaret.
We are entering into a period just prior to the initiation of Phase C/D when the Project Approval gets committed. NASA believes that it understands how to carry out the EOS missions, and their price tag. The two polar platforms with the complement of instruments, the multiple flight units of each spacecraft to assure a decadal observation period, the complex ground segment of the Information System, the International responsibilities, and the support of several hundred selected scientists -- all of these are costly items. When the money becomes available, we will always be in a financial pinch!
How do we assemble the "production," balance the various needs and make the appointed launch date? Slipping the schedule is the road to disaster and "back to the well for more money" is unacceptable. The hardest part is figuring out what to sacrifice.
We are now devefoping a cost containment plan. We recommend that everyone on the Project understand their priorities in context with the whole scheme of things. You will be asked many times to defend your needs.
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