The FY 2002 Budget Request for
Major Research Equipment (MRE) is $96.30 million, a decrease of
$25.03 million, or 20.6 percent, below the FY 2001 Current Plan
of $121.33 million.
(Millions of Dollars)
|
FY 2000
Actual |
FY 2001
CurrentPlan |
FY 2002
Request |
Change |
Amount |
Percent |
Major Research Equipment |
$105.00 |
$121.33 |
$96.30 |
-$25.03 |
-20.6% |
The Major Research Equipment account provides funding
for the construction and acquisition of major research facilities
that provide unique capabilities at the cutting edge of science
and engineering. Projects supported by this account are intended
to expand the boundaries of technology and will offer significant
new research opportunities, frequently in totally new directions,
for the science and engineering community. Operations and maintenance
costs of the facilities are provided through the Research and Related
Activities (R&RA) account.
In FY 2002, funding for three projects is requested
through the Major Research Equipment account: the Large Hadron Collider
(LHC), the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES),
and Terascale Computing Systems.
Funding for the MRE projects is summarized below:
(Millions of Dollars)
|
FY 2000
Actual |
FY 2001
Current Plan |
FY 2002
Request |
Large Hadron Collider |
15.90 |
16.36 |
16.90 |
Network for Earthquake Engineering
Simulation |
7.70 |
28.14 |
24.40 |
Terascale Computing Systems |
36.00 |
44.90 |
55.00 |
Atacama Large Millimeter Array
R&D |
8.00 |
5.99 |
-- |
HIAPER |
8.50 |
12.47 |
-- |
South Pole Station1
|
16.90 |
13.47 |
-- |
Polar Support Aircraft Upgrades |
12.00 |
-- |
-- |
TOTAL, MRE |
$105.00 |
$121.33 |
$96.30 |
1$70.97 million in prior year funds are being carried
over into FY 2001 in support of the South Pole Modernization and
South Pole Safety and Environment Projects.
Large Hadron Collider
The FY 2002 Budget Request includes $16.90 million
for construction of two detectors of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
These are ATLAS (A Toroidal Large Angle Spectrometer) and CMS (Compact
Muon Solenoid). To complete the project, this budget requests advance
appropriations of $9.70 million in FY 2003. Total NSF funding for
this project is $81.0 million over the period FY 1999-2003. Oversight
of this project is provided through the Physics Subactivity within
the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Activity.
The LHC is being constructed at the CERN laboratory
in Switzerland. The facility will consist of a superconducting particle
accelerator providing two counter-rotating beams of protons, each
with energies up to 7 TeV (7x1012 electron volts). ATLAS and CMS
are being constructed to characterize the reaction products produced
in the very high energy proton-proton collisions which will occur
at intersection regions where the two beams collide. The LHC will
enable a search for the Higgs particle, the discovery of which will
be an important step in understanding the origin of mass of the
known elementary particles, and will test the very successful Standard
Model, which provides the existing framework for what is known about
elementary particles and their interactions. The LHC will also enable
a search for a new set of particles, predicted by a powerful theoretical
framework known as supersymmetry, which will provide clues as to
how the four known forces evolved from different aspects of the
same "unified" force in the early universe.
Funding for the overall LHC project, including these
two detectors and the accelerator, is being provided through an
international partnership involving NSF, the Department of Energy
(DOE), and the CERN member states, with CERN member states providing
the major portion. The total U.S. contribution will be $531.0 million,
with $450.0 million from the DOE and $81.0 million from NSF. NSF
and DOE will jointly provide a total contribution of $331.0 million
for the detector construction, while DOE will provide the entire
U.S. contribution ($200.0 million) for the accelerator construction.
The two LHC detectors will provide partially redundant
and partially complementary information aimed at maximizing the
chance of discovery. Both detectors will operate at extremely high
data rates, which will push the state-of-the-art technology of electronic
triggers, data acquisition, and data analysis. LHC experimenters
in the U.S. are leading efforts to develop innovative "data
grid" technologies that will allow them to analyze data from
their own workstations as if they were at the LHC. Development of
U.S. computational resources to fully exploit the opportunities
that the LHC will present is currently being carried out with support
provided through the Physics Subactivity within the Mathematics
and Physical Sciences Activity.
The overall LHC construction, including the accelerator
and the ATLAS and CMS detectors, is currently scheduled for completion
in FY 2005. NSF construction funding for the ATLAS and CMS detectors
is scheduled to be completed in FY 2003. Detector construction schedule
performance is measured through milestone completion and by earned
value. These measurements indicate that schedule progress is slightly
behind plans, averaging, at this time, about eighty-five percent
of the baseline plan. However, the FY 1999 milestones, though delayed,
were all met within FY 1999. Including this slippage, CERN still
expects to complete construction of the LHC, with its detectors,
and commence initial operations testing all systems in 2005. The
U.S. schedules remain consistent with this goal. U.S. cost performance
is satisfactory, with material contracts typically below estimates,
and labor costs tracking close to plan. Project reviews and reports
confirm that each project (ATLAS and CMS) has adequate contingency
available. The detector projects are now in the production phase,
and cost experience on production labor will be an important future
indicator of cost performance.
NSF Support For LHC
(Millions of Dollars)
|
FY 1999* |
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
FY 2002 |
FY 2003 |
Total |
Large Hadron Collider |
$22.0 |
$15.9 |
$16.4 |
$16.9 |
$9.7 |
$80.9 |
Major Milestones for the LHC are outlined below:
FY 2000 Milestones:
-
ATLAS: The end-cap modules of the liquid
argon calorimeter (LArCal) mechanical design completed; LArCal
electronics/preamplifier production started and final ATLAS
level-2 trigger/data acquisition system architecture selected;
The start of two new drift tube production lines for muon detection
was achieved.
-
CMS: Prototype data acquisition system
trigger completed and tested; Began mass production of muon
detector electronics boards, and started assembly of cathode
strip muon detectors; Pre-production of application-specific
integrated circuits achieved; Electron calorimeter electronics
test, module prototype, and super module assembly, scheduled
for FY 2000, will be completed over FY 2001 and 2002.
FY 2001 Milestones:
-
ATLAS: Start silicon strip detector electronics
production and complete signal readout driver design; select
final electronics design for the transition radiation detectors;
award contract for LArCal front end board single channel analyzer
production; complete level 1 trigger final design; cryostat
for LarCal to arrive at CERN; start motherboard production for
tile calorimeter electronics; start muon detector cathode strip
chamber production; complete production of mechanical mount
for muon detctors; complete level 2 trigger for data acquisition
system.
-
CMS: submit Technical Design Report for
trigger system; begin assembly of cathode strip chambers; complete
engineering design review for hadron calorimeter (HCAL); technologies
choice preparation for 1:N data acquisition system (completed);
forward pixel detector system full size sensor and readout chip
designs submitted.
FY 2002 Milestones:
-
ATLAS: Start full silicon strip detector
module production; start production of transition radiation
tracker detector application-specific integrated circuits; complete
readout driver design, electronics motherboard production, and
barrel feedthroughs for LArCAL; complete tile calorimeter module
production; complete muon drift tube detector signal processing
electronics review; complete final design of global alignment
devices for the muon detector system; complete level 2 trigger
design; start production of trigger/data acquisition system
(Trigger/DAQ); and start Trigger/DAQ installation and commissioning.
-
CMS: calibration and testing of electromagnetic
calorimeter (ECAL) supermodule section1; submit DAQ Technical
Design Report; delivery of barrel absorbers to CERN; complete
assembly of barrel framework, absorbers, and support structure
surrounding solenoid in CERN CMS surface hall; half of barrel
electromagnetic calorimeter modules completed, tested and calibrated.
FY 2003 Milestones:
-
Define HCAL scintillating fiber diameter; complete
front end electronics production for HCAL2; Continued mass production
of ATLAS and CMS detector subsystems (including all associated
electronics), assembly, alignment, testing, and calibration.
FY 2004-2005 Milestones:
FY 2006 Milestones:
1,2 These milestones were originally scheduled for
completion in FY 2001. Please note that these and certain other
ATLAS and CMS items are delayed; however, these are not on critical
paths. The overall ATLAS and CMS schedules have not slipped and
the overall projects are within cost estimates.
George E. Brown, Jr. Network For Earthquake Engineering Simulation
The FY 2002 request to continue construction of the
George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation
(NEES) is $24.40 million. To complete this project, the Foundation
requests advance appropriations of $13.56 million in FY 2003 and
$8.0 million in FY 2004. Total NSF funding for this project, including
both the experimental facilities and the network, is $81.80 million
over the period FY 2000-2004. Oversight of this project will be
provided through the Civil and Mechanical Systems Subactivity within
the Engineering (ENG) Activity in the Research and Related Activities
Account.
The goal of NEES is to provide a national, networked
collaboratory of geographically-distributed, shared use next-generation
experimental research equipment sites, with teleobservation and
teleoperation capabilities. NEES will transform the environment
for earthquake engineering research and education through collaborative
and integrated experimentation, computation, theory, databases,
and model-based simulation to improve the seismic design and performance
of U.S. civil and mechanical infrastructure systems. NEES includes
three major components: the network system, the shared-use earthquake
engineering research equipment, and the operating NEES Consortium.
The NEES collaboratory will include approximately 20 equipment sites
networked together through the high performance Internet. The network
will provide access for telepresence at the NEES equipment sites
and will use cutting-edge tools to link high performance computational
and data storage facilities, including a curated repository for
experimental and analytical earthquake engineering and related data.
In addition, the network will provide distributed physical and numerical
simulation capabilities and resources for visualization of experimental
and computed data. With completion of the construction period in
September 2004, the NEES collaboratory will enter its operational
period from October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2014 and be managed
by the NEES Consortium.
NEES will upgrade, modernize, expand, and network
the nation's major earthquake engineering research facilities. The
NEES equipment portfolio will include: shake table research equipment;
centrifuge research equipment; tsunami/wave tank research equipment;
large-scale laboratory experimentation systems, such as reaction
wall systems, earthquake load simulation equipment, and response
modification experimental equipment; and field experimentation and
monitoring installations, such as mobile laboratories and equipment
for monitoring and testing full-scale structures and geotechnical
field sites. A Phase 1 competition for NEES equipment in FY 2000
led to selection of 11 equipment sites at 10 institutions for a
total of $45.0 million. Through a Phase 2 equipment competition,
five to ten additional sites will be selected in FY 2002.
The NEES Consortium will provide the leadership,
management, and coordination for the NEES collaboratory. The NEES
Consortium will be developed during FY 2002-2003 by the NEES Consortium
Development awardee and will establish a broad and integrated partnership
that includes participation of the full membership of the earthquake
engineering community. The NEES Consortium will be established in
FY 2003 and will operate the NEES collaboratory from FY 2005-2014,
including implementing shared-use access policies for the NEES equipment
and coordinating outreach and training activities for use of the
NEES collaboratory, including the NEES equipment.
NSF Support for NEES
(Millions of Dollars)
|
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
FY 2002 |
FY 2003 |
FY 2004 |
Total |
Total, NEES |
$7.70 |
$28.14 |
$24.40 |
$13.56 |
$8.00 |
$81.80 |
Milestones for the NEES are outlined below:
FY 2000 Milestones (accomplished)
FY 2001 Milestones
-
Initiate construction of NEES Phase 1 equipment;
-
Select NEES network system architecture and begin
design and construction of the network system;
-
Outreach to the earthquake engineering community
to obtain input for detailed network design; and
-
Select NEES Consortium Development awardee.
FY 2002 Milestones
-
Select equipment designs and five to ten new
sites for Phase 2 of NEES and begin construction;
-
Continue Phase 1 equipment construction and calibration;
-
Outreach to the earthquake engineering community
to develop the NEES Consortium;
-
Continue development of the network;
-
Begin to establish equipment site connections
for system integration; and
-
Coordinate outreach and training activities for
equipment sites as they become operational.
FY 2003 Milestones
-
Continue Phases 1 and 2 equipment construction
and begin calibration;
-
Establish NEES Consortium entity;
-
Initiate system integration test bed operations;
and
-
Coordinate outreach and training activities for
equipment sites as they become operational.
FY 2004 Milestones
-
Complete equipment construction and calibration
of all Phases 1 and 2 equipment;
-
All equipment sites networked and operational;
-
Coordinate outreach and training activities for
equipment sites as they become operational;
-
Complete testing of network system;
-
Network system operational; and
-
NEES Consortium management structure completed
for operation in FY 2005.
Construction funding for the NEES experimental facilities
and network integration is scheduled to be completed in FY 2004.
When NEES is completed, it will be operated during FY 2005-2014
by a NSF-funded NEES Consortium that includes participation from
host institutions, affiliate organizations, and the user community.
Terascale Computing Systems
There is growing recognition that information technology,
particularly computational simulation and modeling is a key contributor
to United States economic growth and competitiveness, defense capabilities,
environmental studies, climatology, and scientific and engineering
research. For over a decade, NSF has led all federal agencies in
providing high-performance computing systems and networks to the
nation's academic science and engineering communities.
NSF's Information Technology Research priority area
will provide access to terascale computing resources for the science
and engineering community. Such access to leading edge computing
capabilities and advanced computing research is critical to maintaining
the nation's leading edge and to educating the next generation of
computer and computational scientists.
The Terascale Computing Systems project will enable
U.S. researchers to gain access to leading edge computing capabilities.
The project will be connected to NSF's existing Partnerships for
Advanced Computational Infrastructure (PACI), and will be coordinated
with the activities of other agencies, such as DOE, to leverage
the software, tools, and technology investments.
The Terascale Computing Facility funded under the
MRE account awarded $36.0 million in FY 2000 to the Pittsburgh Supercomputing
Center to build a 6 teraflop computer system. Construction has begun
and they are achieving benchmarks on a small scale system. The full
system is expected to be ready by October 1, 2001. A competition
is currently underway for the Distributed Terascale facility funded
at the $45.0 million level in FY 2001. This will include a single-site,
5 teraflop computer. In response to the needs of the high-performance
computing community, proposals for this facility are also asked
to propose advanced data handling, interaction with remote sites,
large scale storage (petabytes or a million billion characters of
storage), and multi-gigabit per second networking. This will respond
to the increasing demands of computational scientists to handle
large volumes of data from instruments and simulations and to work
in distributed "virtual" teams.
The FY 2002 Request includes $55.0 million for the
third year of developing terascale computing. The Foundation has
convened a Blue Ribbon Panel, chaired by Dr. Daniel Atkins of the
University of Michigan, for advice on the needs of high-performance
computing research. At this time, we anticipate that recommendations
will address such issues as high volume and high performance storage
systems, increasing connections to instruments such as telescopes
and accelerators, that produce high volumes of raw data, expanded
development of new facilities for visualization and tele-collaboration,
and development of new methods to analyze and process scientific
data.
These Terascale Computing Systems will receive regular
upgrades to assure taking advantage of technology trends in speed
and performance while providing the most advanced, stable systems
possible to the research users. Funds to operate and upgrade the
Terascale Computing Systems will be provided through the Computer
and Information Science and Engineering Activity within the Research
and Related Activities Account.
NSF Support for the Terascale Computing System
(Millions of dollars)
|
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
FY 2002 |
Total |
Total, Terascale Computing System |
$36.0 |
$44.9 |
$55.0 |
$135.9 |
Milestones for the Terascale Computing System are
outlined below:
FY 2000 Milestones:
FY 2001 Milestones:
FY 2002 Milestones
Atacama Large Millimeter Array
Originally referred to as the Millimeter Array (MMA),
this project was conceived as an aperture-synthesis radio telescope
operating in the wavelength range from 3 to 0.4 mm.
International or other-agency participation at the
25-50% level has been a goal of the this project from the outset.
Extensive discussions with potential partners in Europe and Japan
were carried out during FY 1999, and in June 1999, a memorandum
of understanding merging U.S. and European design and development
efforts for an expanded array to be called the Atacama Large Millimeter
Array (ALMA) was signed between the National Science Foundation
and a consortium of European institutions and funding agencies.
As part of the joint Design and Development program, the U.S. and
European partners have adopted identical antenna specifications,
and agreed to select different contractors in order to maintain
the maximum degree of competition in the antenna selection process.
The goal of the U.S.-European ALMA partnership is
an array consisting of 64 antennas 12 meters in diameter. The U.S.
share of the joint array will not exceed $292 million, including
design and development funds (FY 1999 dollars); the construction
of such an array is expected to take 9 years. The intent of the
European ALMA partners is to match equally the maximum U.S. share
of the ALMA project in order to construct the most scientifically
capable array possible. Joint detailed cost and scope studies of
the array by the partners have been carried out, and a high-level
agreement, specifying the details of the U.S.-European capital construction
partnership, has been drafted. Canada has proposed to join the U.S.
side of the ALMA partnership and Japan remains interested in the
possibility of joining ALMA as a third major partner at a later
date.
ALMA will be the world's most sensitive, highest
resolution, millimeter-wavelength telescope. It will combine an
angular resolution comparable to that of the Hubble Space Telescope
with the sensitivity of a single antenna nearly 100 meters in diameter.
The array will provide a testing ground for theories of star birth
and stellar evolution, galaxy formation and evolution, and the evolution
of the universe itself. It will reveal the inner workings of the
central black hole "engines" which power quasars, and
will make possible a search for earth-like planets around hundreds
of nearby stars.
A $26.0 million, three-year Design and Development
Phase was originally planned for the MMA project. However, since
the original three year plan was initiated, the U.S. entered into
a partnership with a European consortium to develop ALMA. Because
of the expanded managerial and technical complexity of the ALMA
concept, an additional year of Design and Development was proposed
for FY 2001, at a budget level of $6.0 million. For FY 2002 a funding
level of $9.0 million is proposed within the Research and Related
Activities Account. This is primarily to further develop the scope
and cost adjustments, to maintain the momentum and personnel base
within the U.S. side of the project, and to test the 2 antenna prototypes
with our European partners. Research will continue on several fronts,
including high-frequency superconducting receivers, the local oscillator
system required for the full array, and the U.S.-European antenna
prototype test interferometer.
The proposal to fund ALMA within the Research and
Related Activities account is tentative pending the review of facilities
management issues and the development of a plan to enhance the Foundation's
management of large facilities. It may be determined that it is
more appropriate to fund ALMA from within the Major Research Equipment
account.
NSF Support for the ALMA R&D
(Millions of Dollars)
|
FY 1998 |
FY 1999 |
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
Total |
ALMA R&D |
$9.0 |
$9.0 |
$8.0 |
$6.0 |
$32.0 |
Funds in FY 1998 through FY 2001 werre provided through
the Major Research Equipment Account. In FY 2002, $9.0 million is
being requested for this project through the Research and Related
Activities Account.
Funding for the U.S. share of construction of a joint array will
be requested only after appropriate approvals by the National Science
Board.
In accordance with GPRA standards, MMA project milestones
were placed on a strict fiscal year (as opposed to program year)
basis beginning with the FY 2001 budget submission. There was no
significant schedule slippage in the project during the first two
program years. Milestones for the MMA project are outlined below.
FY 1998 Milestones (accomplished)
FY 1999 Milestones (accomplished)
-
Select MMA site;
-
Design antenna;
-
Design prototype correlator, computer/software
system, LO and fiber optic systems;
-
Complete first prototype receiver components;
and
-
Select local oscillator system.
FY 2000 Milestones (accomplished)
-
Select prototype antenna contractor;
-
Finalize agreements with international partners;
and
-
Deliver prototype correlator and receivers to
test site (will be held in lab until needed at test site)
FY 2001 Milestones
FY 2002 Milestones
-
Deliver U.S. prototype antenna to test site (late
2001);
-
Deliver European prototype antenna to test site
(early 2002); and
-
Begin testing U.S and European prototype antennas
at New Mexico test site.
During FY 2002, NSF will decide whether to proceed
to the Capital Construction Phase of the project. This will enable
NSF to reevaluate the project before undertaking future expenditures.
High-performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental
Research
In FY 2001, $12.47 million was provided for the High-performance
Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (HIAPER)
project, a new atmospheric research aircraft, and to develop associated
next-generation instrumentation. Added to the $8.50 million appropriated
in FY 2000, HIAPER support to date totals nearly $21.0 million.
HIAPER will allow cutting edge science to be conducted in a much
more efficient and cost-effective manner than previously possible.
With operational capabilities complementary to the existing U.S.
airborne science fleet, HIAPER will allow research into many of
the outstanding issues in the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere,
and cryosphere.
No funds for HIAPER are requested in FY 2002. Major
Milestones for HIAPER include:
FY 2000 Milestones
FY 2001 Milestones
-
Complete evaluation of proposals that were received
at the end of FY 00;
-
Meet with potential vendors to clarify open issues;
-
Conduct necessary structural modification tradeoffs
with respect to cost and science requirements;
-
Conduct engineering studies and evaluate aircraft
certification requirements;
-
Conduct instrument workshops and prioritize instrument
needs;
-
Initiate phase zero instrument designs; and
-
Reserve production slot for airframe.
South Pole Station
Because of its location on an ice sheet at Earth's
axis of rotation, its altitude and cold dry atmosphere, six-month-long
days and nights, and its remoteness from centers of human population,
the station at the South Pole has important advantages for conducting
world-leading science in areas such as infrared and submillimeter
astronomy, the study of seismic and atmospheric waves, and research
on long-term effects of human activities on the atmosphere.
The South Pole is of particular geopolitical significance
due to its location at the convergence of the territorial claims
of six of the Antarctic Treaty nations. NSF-supported activity achieves
the foreign policy objective of maintaining U.S. presence in Antarctica,
while providing an observatory for several fields of science. The
scientific opportunities are unique as a result of the particular
geophysical conditions at the South Pole.
The United States Antarctic Program (USAP) External
Panel, convened in October 1996, examined infrastructure, management,
and science options for USAP, including consideration of South Pole
Station. The Panel noted that funds specifically appropriated in
FY 1997 (South Pole Safety Project) would rectify the most extreme
safety, health and environmental concerns at the South Pole, but
did not address the underlying problems of aging facilities in a
life-threatening environment. The Panel also stated that further
life-extension efforts devoted to the existing South Pole facility
were not cost effective, and recommended that the station be replaced.
Based on this recommendation, the South Pole Station Modernization
project was initiated.
South Pole Station Modernization
The goals of South Pole Station Modernization (SPSM)
are to:
-
Provide a safe working and living environment
-
Provide a platform for science
-
Achieve a 25-year station life
-
Maintain a U.S. presence in accordance with
national policy
The new station will be an elevated station complex
with two connected buildings, supporting 110 people (46 science
personnel and 64 support personnel) in the summer, and 50 people
(31 science personnel and 19 support personnel) in the winter. The
total cost estimate is $127.9 million. The project is within budget.
The table below indicates the amounts appropriated
for SPSM. Funding was completed in FY 2001.
Support for SPSM
(Millions of Dollars)
|
FY 1998 |
FY 1999 |
FY 2000 |
FY 2001 |
Total |
South Pole Station Modernization |
$70.0 |
$39.0 |
$5.4 |
$13.5 |
$127.9 |
The estimates include materials, labor, logistics
for transportation of all material and personnel to the South Pole,
construction support, inspection, and equipment. The location at
the South Pole requires significant lead time for construction projects
because of the long procurement cycle, the shipping constraints
(one vessel per year to deliver materials), and the shortened period
for construction at the South Pole (100 days per year). Construction
began in FY 1999 with an estimated completion date of FY 2005.
The FY 2001 season (November 2000 to mid-February
2001) was characterized by extremely poor weather, which caused
many on-continent flights to be cancelled. The Air National Guard
responded by scheduling many additional flights, but in the end
only 58% of the planned SPSM construction materials could be delivered.
The effect of the reduced cargo is that this year's planned winter-over
construction program will be less than planned, and not all milestones
for this fiscal year will be met. Because the cargo requirements
also included cargo for next season - to allow a jump start at the
beginning of the season - this has potential impacts on FY02 milestones
as well.
We are in the process of analyzing the longer term
consequences on SPSM construction of this year's inclement weather.
We will be able to definitively describe the impact on schedule
and cost of the entire project by early summer.
SPSM Milestones
Activity |
Procurement |
Transport to Antarctica |
Airlift to South Pole |
Start Construction |
Finish |
Vertical Circular Tower |
FY98 |
FY99 |
FY99/00 |
FY00 |
FY02 |
Quarters/Galley |
FY98 |
FY99 |
FY00/FY01 |
FY01 |
FY02 |
Sewer Outfall |
FY98 |
FY99 |
FY00 |
FY01 |
FY02 |
Fuel Storage (100K gallons) |
FY98 |
FY98 |
FY99 |
FY99 |
FY99 |
Medical/Science |
FY99 |
FY00 |
FY01/02 |
FY02 |
FY03 |
Communications/Administration |
FY99 |
FY01 |
FY02/03 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
Dark Sector Lab |
FY98 |
FY99 |
FY99/00 |
FY00 |
FY02 |
Water Well |
FY00 |
FY01 |
FY01/02 |
FY02 |
FY03 |
Remote RF Building |
FY99 |
FY00 |
FY01 |
FY01 |
FY01 |
Emergency Power/Quarters |
FY99 |
FY01 |
FY02/03 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
Liquid nitrogen and helium facility |
FY00 |
FY01 |
FY02 |
FY03 |
FY03 |
Quarters/Multipurpose |
FY99 |
FY02 |
FY03/04 |
FY04 |
FY05 |
Electronic Systems and Communications |
FY00 |
FY01 |
FY01/04 |
FY01 |
FY04 |
Warehousing, SEH and Waste Management
|
FY99
|
FY02/03
|
FY03/04
|
FY05
|
FY05
|
Station Equipment |
FY02 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
FY04 |
South Pole Safety Project
Funding was provided in FY 1997 to address urgent
and critical safety and environmental concerns at Amundsen-Scott
South Pole Station. A total of $25.0 million was provided for improvements
to the heavy equipment maintenance facility, the power plant, and
the fuel storage facilities. Milestones for each component are below.
The project is scheduled to be operational by FY 2002. All of these
facilities are currently operational, on budget and on schedule.
Milestones
Activity
|
Funding/Procurement
|
Transport to Antarctica
|
Airlift to South Pole
|
Start Construction
|
Finish
|
Heavy Equipment Maintenance Facility
Arch |
FY97 |
FY97 |
FY97/FY98 |
FY98 |
FY98 |
Heavy Equipment Maintenance Facility
Building |
FY97 |
FY98 |
FY98/FY99 |
FY00 |
FY00 |
Power Plant Arch and Building |
FY97 |
FY98 |
FY99 |
FY00 |
FY01 |
Fuel Storage System |
FY97 |
FY98 |
FY98/FY99 |
FY99 |
FY99 |
Polar Support Aircraft Upgrades
Ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft are the backbone of
the U.S. Antarctic Program's (USAP) air transport. LC-130s also
support NSF's research in the Arctic. The Air National Guard (ANG)
assumed operational control of all LC-130s, and since March 1999
has provided the sole LC-130 support to the USAP. The ANG has six
LC-130s and also flies one recently acquired NSF-owned aircraft.
Three additional NSF-owned LC-130s required upgrades and modifications
to meet Air Force safety and operability standards.
A total of $32.0 million was appropriated for the
upgrades in FY 1999 and FY 2000. This includes funds for engineering,
avionics, airframe, safety, propulsion, electronics and communications,
equipment for black box installation, storage, and project administration.
A competitive contract for the modifications was
awarded and is being administered by the Air Logistics Command at
Robins Air Force Base (Warner Robins, Georgia). The first aircraft
modification was scheduled to be completed in FY 2000, but was delayed.
The original schedule for completion did not realistically account
for the complexity of the modifications or for the difficulty in
obtaining certain critical parts. The aircraft modification of the
first aircraft was completed in February 2001. The 2nd and 3rd aircraft
modifications are still scheduled for completion in FY 2001.
Current milestones:
Aircraft
|
Preliminary Engineering
|
Start Modification
|
Finish Modification
|
Model 741 |
FY98 |
FY99 |
FY01 |
Model 740 |
FY98 |
FY00 |
FY01 |
Model 129 |
FY99 |
FY00 |
FY01 |
|