Announcement of Opportunity for the Explorer Program:
Small Explorers (SMEX) and Missions of Opportunity

AO 03-OSS-02

Release Date: February 3, 2003
Preproposal Conference: February 21, 2003
Notice of Intent: March 7, 2003
Proposals Due: May 2, 2003

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Space
Science (OSS) is releasing a NASA Announcement of Opportunity (AO
03-OSS-02) for the Explorer Program: Small Explorers (SMEX) and Missions
of Opportunity. NASA intends to select two SMEX missions to launch by
August 2007 and August 2008. A Mission of Opportunity, including
participation in non-OSS space missions, long duration balloon or ISS
investigations, or new science mission extensions, may also be
selected. The science objectives covered by the AO include those in the
currently defined OSS science themes of the Astronomical Search for
Origins, the Sun-Earth Connection, and the Structure and Evolution of the
Universe. Refer to the OSS World Wide Web homepage at
http://spacescience.nasa.gov/ for further information about these themes.

Participation is open to all categories of organizations, foreign and
domestic, including industry, educational institutions, nonprofit
organization, NASA centers, and other Government agencies. This
solicitation will be open from February 3, 2003, through May2, 2003. Upon
the release date, the full text of the AO and all appendices will be
available electronically via the World Wide Web site
http://research.hq.nasa.gov/ (select "Office of Space Science"). A
preproposal conference will be held February 21, 2003, in Greenbelt, MD;
see http://explorer.larc.nasa.gov/explorer/smexacq.html for details. For
those not having access to the Internet, a printed copy of the AO may be
obtained by written request to Dr. Paul Hertz, Explorer Program Scientist,
Code SZ, Office of Space Science, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC
20546-0001. FAX: (202) 358-3096; or
E-mail: paul.hertz@....