Adaptability of a Catalog Spacecraft Bus to Diverse Science Missions

Over the past decade, the concept of using “offthe- shelf” Spacecraft (SC) buses for space science and earth science missions has become widespread. A “common bus” design approach has been used for Geosynchronous (GEO) communications satellites since the early 1970’s. The success of using common bus designs for the manufacture of GEO communications satellites is due to the commonality of mission requirements and orbit geometry. Science missions, on the other hand, each have unique mission and instrument payload requirements that can vary widely, encompassing orbit geometry, instrument type and configuration, science target, SC attitude, operations concept, and launch scenario. One of the most visible and successful implementations of “off-the-shelf” SC for science applications is the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Rapid Spacecraft Development Office (RSDO) catalog, first released in 1997. In the current catalog (Rapid II), there are twenty-three different SC buses manufactured by eight aerospace companies. This paper provides a case study describing the adaptation of Spectrum Astro’s SA-200HP (High Performance) RSDO catalog SC bus to two very different Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) science missions, Coriolis and Swift, which were both procured via the RSDO. Coriolis is a Department-of-Defense-sponsored sunsynchronous earth observation satellite whose primary instrument, WindSat, is designed to precisely measure the ocean surface wind vector. Swift is a low inclination NASA Medium Explorer (MIDEX) mission to detect and characterize Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). The Swift Observatory carries three separate telescopes. In addition to describing how the catalog SC bus was applied to these missions, this paper discusses the unique features and benefits of the catalog bus approach to both the procuring agency and the industry bus provider. Misconceptions associated with the use of the catalog bus approach are also discussed

Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

The genetic make-up of an individual contributes to the susceptibility and response to viral infection. Although environmental, clinical and social factors have a role in the chance of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and the severity of COVID-191,2, host genetics may also be important. Identifying host-specific genetic factors may reveal biological mechanisms of therapeutic relevance and clarify causal relationships of modifiable environmental risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes. We formed a global network of researchers to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity. Here we describe the results of three genome-wide association meta-analyses that consist of up to 49,562 patients with COVID-19 from 46 studies across 19 countries. We report 13 genome-wide significant loci that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe manifestations of COVID-19. Several of these loci correspond to previously documented associations to lung or autoimmune and inflammatory diseases3–7. They also represent potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection. Mendelian randomization analyses support a causal role for smoking and body-mass index for severe COVID-19 although not for type II diabetes. The identification of novel host genetic factors associated with COVID-19 was made possible by the community of human genetics researchers coming together to prioritize the sharing of data, results, resources and analytical frameworks. This working model of international collaboration underscores what is possible for future genetic discoveries in emerging pandemics, or indeed for any complex human disease

Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

The genetic make-up of an individual contributes to the susceptibility and response to viral infection. Although environmental, clinical and social factors have a role in the chance of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and the severity of COVID-191,2, host genetics may also be important. Identifying host-specific genetic factors may reveal biological mechanisms of therapeutic relevance and clarify causal relationships of modifiable environmental risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes. We formed a global network of researchers to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity. Here we describe the results of three genome-wide association meta-analyses that consist of up to 49,562 patients with COVID-19 from 46 studies across 19 countries. We report 13 genome-wide significant loci that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe manifestations of COVID-19. Several of these loci correspond to previously documented associations to lung or autoimmune and inflammatory diseases3,4,5,6,7. They also represent potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection. Mendelian randomization analyses support a causal role for smoking and body-mass index for severe COVID-19 although not for type II diabetes. The identification of novel host genetic factors associated with COVID-19 was made possible by the community of human genetics researchers coming together to prioritize the sharing of data, results, resources and analytical frameworks. This working model of international collaboration underscores what is possible for future genetic discoveries in emerging pandemics, or indeed for any complex human disease