The mission of ISR-1, Space and Atmospheric Sciences Group is multifaceted. It includes strong support for nuclear test ban treaty verification, nonproliferation, and a wide range of basic scientific research. Our philosophy is to build on our strong heritage by adapting and evolving existing expertise in the group to new problems and programs of national importance. We take a proactive stance to prepare for tomorrow's uncertain environment by maintaining expertise across a tremendous scientific and technological base in the space and atmospheric sciences. This is achieved by encouraging participation in the scientific community and maintaining active programs in basic science and technology projects. From this strong base we aggressively seek new solutions to the nation's treaty verification, counter- and nonproliferation, and other programmatic problems. The synergy between programmatic and scientific projects and needs enables ISR-1 to maintain a unique position, serving both programmatic and scientific sponsors far better than either could be alone. ISR-1's primary sponsors include the United States Department of Energy (principally NN-20), the Department of Defense , and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

We take pride in our unique ability to solve national problems using space sensors. We design, fabricate, and deploy space instruments, then collect, analyze, interpret, and present complex data in a manner that can be understood by diverse audiences. We are leading efforts to develop and use smart computing hardware, such as neural networks and fuzzy controllers on space emissions that require enhanced on-board data processing because of limited down link capability. Our vast experience with space instrumentation and field experiments at remote locations gives us a unique ability to develop and deploy complex autonomous sensor systems. We perform complete system studies, then prototype and build instruments quickly that can be deployed and operate unattended for years on the ground, in aircraft, or in space. We have renowned scientists with comprehensive knowledge of ambient and disturbed space environments who apply this expertise to both basic research in the space sciences and to applications for nuclear and high tech nonnuclear defense.

ISR-1 also maintains a substantial expertise in nuclear and weapons physics in order to support our treaty verification and nonproliferation programs. We invent and develop unique techniques to detect clandestine nuclear weapons tests to support present and proposed nuclear test ban treaties, and we develop techniques to detect and analyze special nuclear material emissions. For example, the tritium detector we are currently developing promises several orders of magnitude increase in sensitivity over conventional techniques for portable monitoring, which has major implications for nonproliferation programs. We have a unique capability in analyzing data and building complex computer codes to understand nuclear weapons explosion phenomenology, especially for high altitude explosions.

ISR-1, in its present form, was established in 1992 as a result of a Space Science and Technology Division reorganization, but we have an illustrious heritage that dates back over 30 years to measurements of atmospheric nuclear testing and development of instrumentation for the Vela satellites. Since then, the group has developed and maintained both very high programmatic and scientific profiles. ISR-1 has approximately 50 regular, full time members and a similar number of contractors, postdoctoral fellows, and students. The group is organized into two science-based teams that foster personal research and participation in the global scientific community by each staff member. Group members from all of these teams then participate on project teams which cut across group and division boundaries and often reach out into other national laboratories, industry, and academia.