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Earth System Science Pathfinder

The Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) Program is a science-driven Program designed to provide an innovative approach to Earth science research by providing periodic, competitively selected opportunities to accommodate new and emergent scientific priorities. ESSP Projects include developmental, high-return Earth Science missions including advanced remote sensing instrument approaches to achieve these priorities, and often involve partnerships with other U.S. agencies and/or with international science and space organizations. These Projects are capable of supporting a variety of scientific objectives related to Earth science, including the atmosphere, oceans, land surface, polar ice regions and solid earth. Projects include development and operation of space missions, space-based remote sensing instruments for missions of opportunity, and airborne science missions, and the conduct of science research utilizing data from these missions. ESSP missions encompass the entire Project life-cycle from definition, through design, development, integration and test, launch, operations, science data analysis, distribution and archival.

ESSP is home to NASA’s Earth Venture (EV) class of missions: a series of uncoupled, relatively low-to-moderate cost, small to medium-sized, competitively selected, full orbital missions (EV_F), instruments for orbital missions of opportunity (EVI) and sub-orbital projects (EV_S), legacy ESSP Projects: Projects selected under prior Announcements of Opportunity that are currently in operations, and non-competitive, directed Projects: projects that are designed to meet unique needs such as the replacement of a mission that did not fulfill its intended mission requirements.

The Principal Investigator for each competitively selected Project is responsible for the overall success of the Project, and is accountable to NASA for the success of the mission. Project teams may include university, industry, government, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers and international partners, as desired by the Principal Investigator.

Contact ESSP

• Frank Peri
  Program Director, Earth System Science Pathfinder Program Office
• Gregory Stover
  Deputy Program Director, Earth System Science Pathfinder Program Office
• Questions About the ESSP Program
• Questions About the ESSP Missions
• Questions About the Earth Venture-1 Investigations
• Questions About the ESSP Program Page

Solicitation Schedule

Key
- EV_S: Earth Venture Sub-Orbital solicitation
- EV_F: Earth Venture Full Orbital Mission solicitation
- EVI: Earth Venture Instruments solicitation

Acquisition-specific information can be found on the Science Office for Mission Assessments website

ESSP Program Library and Information

• ESSP Program Library
• Earth Science Lessons Learned (.xlxs file download)

ESSP Missions

 Earth Venture Sub-Orbital Investigations

 Instruments

• Freedom of Information Act
• Budgets, Strategic Plans and Accountability Reports
• National Space Policy (PDF)
• Privacy Policy and Important Notices
• Inspector General Hotline

• Equal Employment Opportunity Data Posted Pursuant to the No Fear Act
• Information-Dissemination Priorities and Inventories
• USA.gov
• ExpectMore.gov