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        Summary Report of the SIRTF Users Panel (SUP) Meeting 9


The SIRTF SUP met (SUP9) on 02 and 03 November 2001 at the SIRTF Science
Center (SSC), Pasadena, CA. The charge to the SUP was to: 1) provide user
community perspective and input on software, user services, and
observatory policies; and 2) develop recommendations to guide the SSC in
setting development priorities. SUP members in attendance included, D.
Clemens, R. D. Gehrz, M. A. Greenhouse, B. Jannuzi, D. Weedman, B. Wilkes,
and C. E.  Woodward. Peter Eisenhardt was representing M. Werner in his
absence, while SUP member K. Noll participated by telephone. At the
conclusion of the meeting, the SSC management was given an oral debrief by
the acting SUP chair, Chick Woodward.

The SUP was impressed by the presentations and thanks SSC staff and
management for their efforts to succinctly encapsulate issues. The SUP
commends the SSC scientists and staff for their dogged perseverance and
extraordinary commitment to push to completion all flight-critical
development activities. The SUP also was encouraged that the SSC had
responded positively to past SUP concerns and, within programmatic
constraints, implemented SUP recommendations. Some general user issues
arising from these presentations and SUP discussions are discussed below.

The SUP recommends (subject to revision based on potential launch slip) to
the SSC that our next meeting (SUP10) should occur at the SSC site in
Pasadena, CA during March or April of 2002, approximately 8 months prior to
SIRTF launch, scheduled for December 2002.


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[1] ISSUE: Legacy Science and Team Interactions with the SSC

The Legacy Science program is an important aspect of the SIRTF mission plan
and has high community visibility. Furthermore, pre-launch Legacy Science
activities, including Astronomical Observing Template (AOT) planning,
help-desk inquiries, and post-Basic Calibrated Data (BCD) pipeline
reduction tools, provide important "test-particles" with which the SSC can
assess the functionality of observatory operation, planning and scheduling
strategies, programmatic review processes, and user-support interactions.
In part, effective communication between the Legacy Science teams and the
SSC early in the implementation of the Legacy Science program is essential
to success.

The SUP was encouraged that the initial quality of interaction between the
SSC and the Legacy Science teams was mutually beneficial and that the
dialogue was progressing. The SUP was pleased that the Legacy Observation
Strategy Review process conducted by the SSC was successful. In general,
the Legacy PIs found the reviews to be quite useful and effective.
However, there was confusion about what to do with the written summaries
sent to the Legacy PIs after their reviews. The SUP recommends that the
SSC clarify the objectives and the response mechanisms prior to the next
review cycle.

Several Legacy PIs requested release of test and simulated instrument data
and header variables as soon as possible. The SUP recommends that the SSC
provide test and simulated instrument data to the Legacy teams at the
earliest possible juncture to facilitate testing and verification of
post-BCD processing approaches, to validate observational strategies, and
to expedite the maturation of data analysis expertise. We request that the
SSC provide a status report on this activity at the next SUP meeting.

Several Legacy PIs also promoted the goal of modifying the nature of data
embargoing from "Astronomical Observing Request (AOR)-level" to
"frame-level" to be able to deliver quality data sets to the community in
a timely fashion. The SUP recommends that the SSC study this issue, in the
context of existing observing policy documents and programmatic objectives
while balancing the scientific integrity of other observers' programs. The
SSC should then articulate to the SUP (and broader user community) the
outcomes of this exercise.

The independent assessment of the SSC responsiveness and flexibility to
user issues provided by the Legacy program is an important feedback
mechanism. The SUP recommends continuation of the explicit solicitation of
the Legacy team's assessment of SSC processes, policies, and interactions.
The SUP recommends that this polling be conducted by a SUP member who
shall report to the committee as a whole and to the SSC during all future
SUP meetings. The SUP recommends that SUP member Dan Clemens continue in
this capacity.

[2.] ISSUE: Legacy Science Funding Profiles

The SUP expresses concern that the Legacy Program's ability to meet its
core mission requirement, early delivery of high quality data products to
increase the GO program discovery potential, is at high risk due to a
pre-launch funding profile drawn out at a sub-critical level because of
launch readiness delays.  The recent assessment (discussed in [1.]) of
Legacy team status revealed that many teams have identified inadequate C/D
funding profile as a top risk item.

A modest increase in Legacy pre-operations funding would dramatically
increase the success potential of this critical program.  We note that,
since Legacy is an early SSC system pathfinder, it can serve as a
barometer for the mission readiness of the science operations ground
system as a whole. The SUP strongly recommends that Legacy Program late
delivery risk be specifically assessed as part of the SIRTF risk management
program (conducted by the SSC and/or the SIRTF Program management) so
that Legacy and other science operations funding needs (e.g., pipeline
development) can be balanced with flight segment cost issues.

[3.] ISSUE: Early Observations/Validation

The SUP is concerned about the flow of activities, observations, and
decisions concentrated into the early part of the SIRTF mission.
These Science Validation (SV), First Look Survey (FLS), and In-Orbit
Checkout (IOC) periods were not described in detail for the SUP9 meeting.
However, Legacy PIs report that several of their programs are contingent on
positive evaluations of their observing methods during the early operations
period.

For the SUP10 meeting, we would like to hear a presentation on the flow of
activities during these early mission periods.

[4.] ISSUE: Form of SIRTF data release (push/pull)

With SIRTF data release planning well underway, SUP members reacted with a
broad range of opinions regarding how SIRTF data would be transferred to
users. The present plan of "pushing" large SIRTF data sets onto users'
computers using the LIE software parallels current Hubble Space
Telescope (HST) practice. However, retaining significant "pull" capability
to support some users is an important recommendation.

Trial "push" experiments with some Legacy teams over the next few months
would seem warranted. Reporting the results from these trials at the SUP10
meeting would help the SUP advise the SSC in this area.

[5.] ISSUE: SSC ATLO Support

The SUP was informed about the considerable effort that SSC personnel must
now contribute to the Assembly Test and Launch Operations (ATLO) effort
at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Company (LMMS).  We recognize
the importance of the SSC's support for ATLO but remain concerned that
this extra effort must be expended within the existing limited resource
structure.  SSC management should endeavor to structure these activities
so as to maximize the support for ATLO with as little negative impact as
possible on the timely development of user tools, Cycle-2 AOTs, and
completion of data pipelines.

[6.] ISSUE: Description of IOC and SV Activities

Key to effective use of SIRTF will be the knowledge of the integrated
observatory performance during IOC and SV. The choreography and
articulation of scheduled tests will directly impact the user community.
The SUP requests for the SUP10 meeting a substantive discussion of
activities and decision processes during the IOC and SV phases. Much of
this vital activity is the responsibility of instrument teams, GTO-users,
and Legacy teams.  The SUP wishes to understand the obligations and timing
of the efforts of these teams in demonstrating SIRTF performance, both for
instruments and for the data analysis pipelines. While the SUP understands
that such activities are carefully reviewed by the SIRTF project through
readiness reviews, the SUP desires to review IOC and SV in context
of requirements placed on users.  Feedback from the users who comprise GTO
and Legacy teams is crucial to timely decisions affecting the operational
efficiency of SIRTF, and the SUP would like insight into how these teams
will provide this.

This discussion should address specifically how validations of Legacy
plans will proceed, including SIRTF data collection, SSC pipeline data
processing, data release to Legacy teams, rendering of decisions regarding
Legacy observation viability, and release of holds on Legacy AORs. We also
suggest that decisions currently deferred to the early observations period
be examined to assess whether some of these choices could be made before
early observations commence.

[7.] ISSUE: Contingency Planning

The lifetime of SIRTF is constrained by the cryogen reserve necessary to
cool the telescope and instrument packages. Therefore, contingency
planning and risk mitigation strategies must be carefully developed and
mature prior to launch. Development of contingency plans is critical in
case SIRTF does not meet pre-launch performance expectations, especially
if an instrument capability is significantly degraded. In such
circumstances, it would be vital to move quickly to rearrange GTO and
Legacy observing programs which required that capability.  However, major
programmatic and policy questions remain, including (but not limited
to): 1) how will this rearrangement be done? 2) how quickly can observing
program re-work be accomplished? 3) what rights will GTO and Legacy
observers have to previously granted time? and 4) what constitutes
abnormal observatory performance?  The SUP understands that policies for
such contingencies are being developed at SSC. The SUP requests a thorough
discussion of these issues at SUP10 because of the importance of assuring
that policies be fully determined and understood by the users in advance
of executing science programs.

The SUP feels that understanding the above topics in time to
provide useful feedback to SSC requires that the discussion take place at
least 6 months before the SIRTF launch date.

[8.] Issue: User Support

The SUP was pleased that the SSC is developing User Support infrastructure
and mechanisms for supporting inquiries from the user community. In
particular the plan for cross-talk between User Support and the instrument
groups, facilitated in terms of a scientist who is a member of both teams,
is likely to be key during the first few months of mission operation.
During this operational phase, instrument and observing conditions may
change rapidly. The SSC's ability to promptly convey this information to
the user community, including recommendations regarding instrument
performance and AOT efficiency, is critical.

However, the SUP is seriously concerned with the present staff level and
the proposed staffing wedge discussed by the SSC for this unit. There are
only 2 full-time members in place and 1 due imminently; the remainder of
the ramp-up is planned over the next 12 months. The SUP's consensus is
that this staffing profile is inadequate for the myriad tasks and
development activities needed for robust user support at launch. In order
to provide strong support to Users, both for the early observations
(Legacy, FLS and GTO observers) and to GOs writing their Cycle-1
proposals, the SSC must hire new staff early enough to enable these
individuals to become familiar with all aspects of the spacecraft before
the major load of User Support begins. This means certainly before launch
and, if possible, before the NRA is released, to ensure that the new group
members are sufficiently familiar with the details of the NRA-related
material and any changes that may result from in-flight calibration and
testing.

The SUP strongly advocates that the SSC provide the community with
excellent User Support services. We view this as a high priority activity.
The SUP recommends that SSC management review staffing levels within the
User Support group and identify mechanisms and strategies that will ramp-up
this group quickly within the existing cost-constrained environment.

[9.] ISSUE: Data Archives

The preliminary plans for the SIRTF data archive were outlined and they
appear satisfactory. The data distribution medium was a topic of
discussion, particularly considering the large size of the data sets that
the Legacy projects will generate. The SUP suggests polling the Legacy
teams to see how many could not work with electronic only and what other
media they would prefer. The SSC may wish to provide a short questionnaire
(HTML webform) that they can fill out to encourage their response. There
was concern among the committee that the electronic "push" option might
not work for everyone given increasing security issues. The Space
Telescope Science Institute (STScI) is apparently using it with some
success. The SUP suggests that the archive group contact STScI to find out
how it is working and what kind of problems they encounter with what
fraction of users.

[10.] ISSUE: AOT Development -- At-Launch Capability

The SUP commends the SSC for their diligent efforts to provide 4 fully
commissioned AOTs and data reduction pipelines to the user community as
IOC and SV milestones. Although development is fairly advanced, the SUP
encourages SSC management to complete remaining development tasks and
"close out" flight-ready versions of these AOTs as a priority. The SUP
notes that the shutterless operation of IRAC presents new, unexpected
challenges that may require additional resource allocation to develop
work-arounds. As IRAC observations are a key element of many Legacy
Science programs, FLS, and GTO initiatives, observational requirements
and pipeline issues must be carefully scoped to mitigate risk. In
particular, the SUP was concerned with the potential bottle-neck
introduced by the proposed flat-fielding schemes. The SUP requests that
the SSC detail complete end-to-end operational plans for shutterless
operation of IRAC at SUP10.

The SUP commends the SSC for implementing a more efficient IRS
step-and-stare capability within an existing AOT framework, and also for
plans to provide an efficient "snapshot" IRS imaging mode for 15 and 24
microns.

[11.] ISSUE: AOT Development -- Deferred Capability

Recognizing the limited resources available to the SSC for pre-launch
development activities, the SUP has endorsed deferring commissioning of
three AOTs. The SSC has adopted this position, and the SUP reiterates
their support for this programmatic decision. However, the SUP strongly
advocates that the three deferred AOTs be made available to the Legacy
science teams and to all GTOs no later than 10 months after launch, phased
with the Cycle-2 GO call. Of particular interest to the SUP was the
development schedule for the MIPS Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) AOT,
which will provide spectra from 50 to 100 microns at a resolution of
approximately 15, at sensitivities far beyond any previously available to
the scientific community. The SUP was informed by SSC that internal
development of the MIPS SED AOT would be completed by December 2001, and
that SIRTF system testing would be the pacing item in releasing this AOT.
The SUP urges the SSC and the SIRTF project to maintain high priority on
making the MIPS SED AOT fully commissioned and available no later than the
Cycle-2 call for proposals.

[12.] ISSUE: SSC Science Environment

The SUP recommends that SSC management diligently protect the science
staff's time allocated to independent research programs. Although we
recognize that the majority of personnel effort prior to SIRTF launch is
primarily devoted to successful completion and systems verification of
flight-critical tasks, opportunities to maintain individual science
programs, to promote intellectual exchange, and to disseminate research
results (via attendance at topical conferences, internal science seminars,
mentoring of post-doctoral students, etc.) is essential for maintaining a
high-level of scientific inquiry and leadership and to provide avenues for
career development.  The SUP is unequivocal in our opinion that a vibrant
scientific culture within SSC must be deeply integrated into the
organizational culture.

The SUP appreciated that a mechanism appears to be in place, through the
staff survey conducted by SSC scientist William Reach, to provide input
to the SSC director from the scientific staff regarding their opinions
and ideas for improving their scientific productivity. This kind of
feedback should continue to be strongly supported.

The SUP further suggests that staff research presentations continue as a
regular aspect of SSC presentations to the committee.

[13.] ISSUE: Acronym Dictionary

The SUP encourages the SSC to maintain an up-to-date listing of all
acronyms used in SIRTF documents for the benefit of the general user
community.

[14.] ISSUE: Community Dissemination of SUP Recommendations

The SUP would like to reiterate its recommendation that the SSC continue
to archive and make available to the community our report and the
accompanying director's response. At a minimum, executive summaries should
be posted on the SIRTF website. Both the community and the SSC will
benefit from wide public access to user issues discussed by the SUP and
the SSC response to our recommendations.


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