The ASTEP program stems from two divisions of the NASA Office of Space Science (OSS) , the Solar System Exploration (SSE) Division and the Mars Exploration Program. ASTEP also has roots in the Origins science theme, part of the Astronomy and Physics Division of the OSS. The OSS has awarded ASTEP its first annual funding, allowing research of Earth's extremes to commence. A NASA Research Announcement (NRA) soliciting proposals for research in Earth's extreme environments is expected to be available within the next few months. Pending funding approval, the ASTEP program should officially begin on October 1st, 2001. Final project selections should be announced around February 2002. Though funding for the first set of projects is primarily expected to support campaigns relevant to Mars exploration, proposals for research related to other planetary exploration will also be considered. In order to fine-tune the ASTEP program and to educate the community about the importance of exploring Earth's extreme environments, NASA hosted the "Exploring Earth's Extremes" workshop at Ames on July 24th and 25th, 2001 (see Extremes Workshop on this site, or the official Exploring Earth's Extremes Workshop website). Through group discussions and presentations from scientists, technologists, and program heads, we now have a better understanding of the needs of the community and how to move forward with ASTEP. ASTEP is expected to grow during and after its first few years, hopefully becoming one of the first permanent NASA programs dedicated to improving the way in which we search for life on other planets.

To Top


Back to ASTEP Main Page

Created by: Joanne Emerson Responsible NASA Officials: Dr. Michael Meyer and Mr. David Lavery Last Updated: August 1, 2001