The State of PSI

PSI Retreat

August 20-21, 2007

55 Employees34 Tucson21 Off-site

40 Principal Investigators27 Funded as PIs 8 Funded as Co-Is/ Proposals submitted 5 New / Developing projects

August2006

59 Employees32 Tucson27 Off-site

46 Principal Investigators34 Funded as PIs 6 Funded as Co-Is/ Proposals submitted 6 New / Developing projects

August2007

DeparturesBrad Fobar (Research Assistant)David Lien (Associate Research Scientist)Richard Link (Senior Scientist)Mary Lolos (Administrative Assistant)David Tarico (Programmer)

New ArrivalsMark Bishop (Associate Research Scientist)Jack Drummond (Senior Scientist)Keith Holsapple (Senior Scientist)Anton Ivanov (Research Scientist)Any Knudson (Associate Research Scientist)Scott Mest (Associate Research Scientist)Jason Rose (Programmer)Ed Tedesco (Senior Scientist)Greg Vaughan (Associate Research Scientist)

Really New Arrivals!

Alexandra Lianne Chuang

Meghan Aubrie Williams

ZaneChamberlain

PSI Honors Since Last Retreat

Bill Hartmann - Elected to International Academy of Astronautics in recognition of his astronomical paintings and his books about space exploration, both fiction and non-fiction.

Bill was featured in Science Magazine as “Renaissance Man of the Solar System”

Bob Gaskell - NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal for his "achievements in modeling the shape and surface of asteroid Itokawa in support of the Japanese Hayabusa mission, providing the highest resolution description of an asteroid."

Some PSI Activities

PSI hosts the first newsletter meant to span the entire planetary community (Eds. Sykes, Richmond, Balme)

PSI joins the TCC Speakers Bureau, providing more speakers than any other business.

PSI sponsors MetSoc 07 - Pierazzo on organizing committee

Major Advancements in IT Infrastructure Progressing

(thanks to Tamara Kenmitz-Michotte)

• We have learned so much more about how much power computers use, what two-phase means, how to calculate A/C tonnage.

• Firewall, breaking up Apollo, making life faster, much much more.

• Ever closer to flying cars.

Pima County now classifies PSI as doing the work of an observatory

• Property tax break enables us to start planning East-West wing Gigabit fiber connection.

• Fiber connection will give us more flexibility in soliciting bids from ISPs to get the most bandwidth for the buck.

On the financial side, PSI is doing well

Total Grants Received OH

FY06 $3,207,000 835,000

FY07 $3,460,000 932,000

FY08 (Plan) $3,680,000 1,004,000

Current (7/31) 50.3% 50.3% (42%)

Current # Active Grants: 82 + 16 awarded (last year 75)

Sources of PSI Funding 2/1/07-7/31/07Research & Analysis Programs

Sources of PSI Funding 2/1/07-7/31/07Missions

Sources of PSI Funding 2/1/07-7/31/07Other

Proposals submitted 2/1/2006 - 1/31/2007

[PREV 28%; HIST 43%]

[PREV 25%]

Overall, PSI scientists are competitive and successful. However…

• The 25% cut to R&A programs since federal FY06 has not been restored and there is no evidence of an effort at HQ to do this.

• SMD focus seems to be on a new outer planets flagship mission, leaving NASA science infrastructure to continue decaying (some good people are in place, but constrained).

• House FY08 NASA budget restores most of the R&A cuts - we must contact our Senators and ask them to support this AND put NASA Science in the budget statutory language again (this is our firewall).

• We must be generous with our time in helping to internally review each others proposals (and to plan accordingly).