Observing Proposal Review Process 

 Firstly, proposers should be submitting nearly
6 months ahead of when they would like observing
time. For example, a submission on Jan.15 should be
for the period June 1 to Dec. 31 of the same year.
Submissions for the period Jan.01 to May 31 should
be made by June 15 of the previous year.
     
   Persons proposing to make observations using 
the Goldstone Solar System Radar are expected, 
but not necessarily required, to have peer-reviewed 
funding to study the object for which they are proposing 
to make radar observations. A science rationale in 
sufficient depth may convince the reviewers that a 
proposed observation or series of observations has 
sufficient merit that it should be presented to the DSN to be
scheduled, regardless of their funding status. 

  The proposal will be circulated to 2 to 3 scientists 
who have agreed to give rankings and brief reviews, 
depending on our reviewers' availabiity and appropriate 
expertise. The Deep Space Mission System Science Panel 
will then consider the reviews, along with their own  
technical understanding of the DSN capabilities, and 
decide how much, if any, antenna time to recommend as 
a request to the JPL Resource Allocation Process. 
The ability to actually allocate time remains the Deep 
Space Network's decision, based on the loading of 
the DSN from the sum of the ongoing Flight Projects'
requirements. 

The recommendation for antenna time will be forwarded to 
the proposer, and if the DSN is able to schedule this time, 
they will also be notified as soon as this step has happpened 
(typically two to three months in advance of the observing dates).