Writing Your Proposal

You should now be ready to write your proposal. Remember that your ultimate goal is to be selected by NASA as the best mission. Keep in mind the NASA Discovery program motto, "Faster, Better, Cheaper."

You can complete your proposal online if your computer is connected to a printer. See the instructions below for this option. If your computer is not connected to a printer, you will have to write out the proposal on paper. You may want to use the online proposal as a way to write a rough draft.

Format

Your proposal should have the following format:

Title the page "NASA Discovery Mission Proposal."
Think of a mission title and put it on the first line.
List your name and any other members of your team.
Write an introductory paragraph. You might want to include things like: where your mission is going, what your science objectives are, and/or what spending and weight limitations you used.
Make a chart of the science instruments you chose that has the following columns: Science Instrument Name, Cost, Weight, Power Usage, and Reasoning. Fill in the information name, cost, weight, and power using the information given on each. In the Reasoning column, briefly explain why you chose the instrument.
At the bottom of the chart, add a row with the column totals for cost, weight, and power usage.
Write a paragraph summarizing the proposal.

Writing the Proposal Online

If your computer is connected to a printer, you can write your entire proposal online and print it out. At the bottom of this page is are links to online proposal forms. If you follow either of these links, the proposal form will open in a new window in your web browser. That way, you can switch back to pages you have read previously for reference. When you're ready to print, let your teacher know.