[Cesg-all] NASA / JPL participation in the CCSDS meetings

[Shames, Peter M (313B)]

Dear CESG colleagues,

I am sure that you have all heard the term "Sequestration" used in reference to the US federal budget.  One of the effects of that is to cut funding to all federal agencies, including NASA.  And one of the first places they have made cuts is in all sorts of international travel, since it is both costly and an easy target.

The immediate effect upon the NASA Standards Program has been to cut the usual number of  NASA participants in half.  A total of 21 of the possible 47 participants have had their travel to the spring working meetings cancelled, others are still TBD.  I cannot speak for the other NASA centers, and some participants are still in a TBD situation, but I can tell you what the implications are for JPL participation.

As of this date & time the following NASA / JPL participants have been approved for travel to the working meetings:

Peter Shames
Erik Barkley
David Berry
Scott Burleigh
Greg Kazz
Fabrizio Pollara

And also the following:

John Pietras
Keith Scott
Howie Weiss

However, the following participants have had their travel cancelled:

James Border
Ed Greenberg
Aaron Kiely
Dennis Lee
Hamid Hemmati
Kirk Reinholtz
Dave Santo

David Mittman may be able to attend, but that is still in review.

My apologies in advance for any disruption this will cause to the working groups and the meeting organizers.   This is not an outcome that I would have predicted and it is, unfortunately, not one I could prevent.

It is, of course, up to the other agencies and WG participants to figure out how best to deal with this blow.  The SLS MHDC now has no WG chair (Kiely) at the meeting nor any other qualified technical NASA representative.  It may, of course, choose to meet anyhow or to hold some sort of working meetings in some other way.  Similarly with the SEA D-DOR WG, where the NASA expert (Border) will be missing.  The Timeline BoF will be held (Reinholtz/Santo), but using a telecon for these start up discussions.

I would encourage all of the working groups to make progress in any way that you can, but recognize that it will be difficult.  You can expect to hear from the other NASA centers or participants as this situation stablizes.

With best regards and regrets, Peter Shames


_______________________________________________________

Peter Shames
Manager - JPL Data Systems Standards Program
InterPlanetary Network Directorate
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, MS 301-490
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA 91109 USA

Telephone: +1 818 354-5740,  Fax: +1 818 393-6871

Internet:  Peter.M.Shames at jpl.nasa.gov
________________________________________________________
"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive at where we started, and know the place for the first time"

                                                                                             T.S. Eliot


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