Pegs 9A Nationa! Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters Washington, DC 20546-0001 DEC 5 m5 SMD/Earth-Sun System Division Professor Robert J. Chatison Department of Atmospheric Sciences University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195-1640 Dear Professor Charlson: ‘Thank you for your letter of September 21, 2005, reiterating your conviction in the science that a mission like Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) would offer. First, lot me assure you the scientific arguments you haxe made are not forgotten in the aftermath of the leadership change at NASA. Itis widely recognized that the L-1 point offers a compelling vantage point for Earth observation. Restrictions for the remaining Space Shuttle missions continue to preclude remanifesting DSCOVR for launch, a situation that is not expected to change. Although NASA has continued to explore alternative options to launch this spacecraft within budget constraints, DSCOVR remains without a specific launch opportunity. Unfornately, the significant funding that would be required to ready and faunch DSCOVR within the context of competing priorities and the state of the budget for the foresceable future precludes continuation of the project. ‘Thank you for your interest in the activities of NASA’s Earth science mission. Mary U. Cleave Associate Administrator for Science Mission Directorate