Featured in Astrophysics
Bridging Exoplanet and Solar System Science
Bridging Exoplanet and Solar System Science
Pulsar-based Navigation and Time Keeping for Space Exploration
Metasurface Optics for High-Contrast Imaging
Study Programs
Pulsar-based navigation and time keeping for space exploration
As the United States and its international partners prepare to expand human and robotic exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond, the need for precise, autonomous timekeeping and navigation has become critical. Current approaches rely on…
Bridging Exoplanet and Solar System Science
In recent decades, astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets, some like planets within our solar system, others unlike anything in our solar system. The sample thus far exhibits significant diversity and represents an opportunity to advance…
Interplanetary Laser Trilateration Network
While the use of microwave links from Earth-based microwave antennas within the Deep Space Network (DSN), have well served planetary geodesy, navigation, and exploration for more than 50 years, changes associated with an interplanetary laser trilateration…
Hybrid Space-Ground Observatories: Revolutionizing the Search for Earth-like Exoplanets
We aim to study hybrid ground-space observatories by integrating ground-based telescopes equipped with adaptive optics, and optical components placed in suborbital or orbital locations. This innovative approach revolutionizes the field of astronomy, driving significant advancements across…
Standardized Space Telescopes for the Future of Scientific Discovery
Advancing astronomical discovery requires embracing new approaches that accelerate development, reduce costs, and expand access to space telescopes. By adopting more agile, cost-effective designs, and standardization we can build on the revolutionary insights of observatories like…
Astronomical Optical Interferometry from the Lunar Surface
The lunar surface is a compelling opportunity for large, distributed optical facilities, with advantages over orbital facilities for high-spatial-resolution scientific applications. Serious development of mission concepts is timely because of the confluence of two compelling factors:…
Metasurface Optics for High-Contrast Imaging
The workshop on “Metasurfaces for Exoplanet Detection and High-Contrast Imaging” aims to convene a diverse group of researchers, including end-users, designers, fabricators, and metrology experts, to explore and advance the application of metasurface optics in the…
Blazing Paths to Observing Stellar and Exoplanet Particle Environments
Now that astronomers are routinely probing the composition and evolution of exoplanet atmospheres, the fields of astrophysics, heliophysics, and exoplanetary science must devote greater attention to the particle environments of planets, i.e., space weather. Particles, although…
Exploring Exoplanets with Interferometry
The direct detection and spectral characterization of exoplanets presents an enormous challenge due to the sensitivity, spatial resolution, and starlight suppression needed to separate a planet’s signature from the much larger signal from the host star.…
The Next-Generation Ground-Based Planetary Radar
Planetary radar observations have a laudable history of “firsts” including the determination of the astronomical unit at the precision sufficient for interplanetary navigation, the distribution of water at the south pole of the Moon, indications of…
Beyond Interstellar: Extracting Science from Black Hole Images
In April of 2019 the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) released the first image of the immediate environment around a black hole in M87. This image shows a ring-shaped “shadow,” predicted by General Relativity to be caused…
Nebulae – Deep Space Computing Clouds
The goals of this study program are to identify new science missions enabled by a nebula; to quantify benefit to traditional, existing, and planned science missions; to identify candidate mission architectures and demonstration milestones for follow…
Data-Driven Approaches to Searches for the Technosignatures of Advanced Civilizations
The focus of the study is new approaches toward the search for intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe. Such a discovery would have profound scientific, cultural and societal impact. In the era of the rapid advances…
Designing Future CMB Experiments
This study will address the design and concept of future Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiments and in particular a future CMB satellite to extract cosmological information from the polarized CMB photons. The research will aim at…
The Architecture of LISA Science Analysis: Imagining the Future
The space-based gravitational-wave observatory LISA will offer unparalleled science returns, including a view of massive black-hole mergers to high redshifts, precision tests of general relativity and black-hole structure, a census of thousands of compact binaries in…
Metasurface Optics for High-Contrast Imaging
Exploring Exoplanets with Interferometry
The Next-Generation Ground-Based Planetary Radar
Astronomical Optical Interferometry from the Lunar Surface
Standardized Space Telescopes for the Future of Scientific Discovery
Blazing Paths to Observing Stellar and Exoplanet Particle Environments
Nebulae: Deep-Space Computing Clouds
The Architecture of LISA Science Analysis: Imagining the Future
Optical Frequency Combs for Space Applications
Optical Communication on SmallSats – Enabling the Next-Era in Space Science
Bridging Exoplanet and Solar System Science
The primary objective of the workshop is to compare exoplanets with the planets within our solar system to advance the understanding of planetary systems in general.
Pulsar-based Navigation and Time Keeping for Space Exploration
The overall goal of the workshop is to define potential operational systems that incorporate either X-ray or radio sensors to provide pulsar measurements that enable autonomous navigation and timekeeping for interplanetary (or interstellar) spacecraft or lunar surface systems.
Hybrid Space-Ground Observatories: Revolutionizing the Search for Earth-like Exoplanets
This workshop provides a unique opportunity to develop a strategic roadmap for advancing hybrid ground-space observatories and partnerships.
Interplanetary Laser Trilateration Network
The goal of this study program is to develop plans for a future planetary geodesy measurement protocol that would improve the state of the art for planetary ranging by up to three orders of magnitude, using a triad of spacecraft with laser communications deployed in orbit around Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Astronomical Optical Interferometry from the Lunar Surface
The principal objective of this workshop will be to assess the potential for lunar astronomical interferometry in the context of current flight opportunities and mission funding lines.
Metasurface Optics for High-Contrast Imaging: Design, Fabrication, and Implementation
This workshop aims to convene a diverse group of researchers, including end-users, designers, fabricators, and metrology experts, to explore and advance the application of metasurface optics in the field of astronomy and high-resolution imaging.
Blazing Paths to Observing Stellar and Exoplanet Particle Environments – Part II
Building upon the promising ideas sparked at the inaugural Pathways to Observing Particle Environments of Stars and Exoplanets workshop, the second workshop convenes four key working groups.
Blazing Paths to Observing Stellar and Exoplanet Particle Environments
This workshop will chart a course for the new field of stellar particle environment observation and observation-guided modeling.
Exploring Exoplanets with Interferometry
The workshop will focus on new concepts for interferometric observations for exoplanet research.
The Next-Generation Ground-Based Planetary Radar Part II
The goal of this workshop is to explore approaches to the next-generation planetary radar capable of providing compelling science and offer NASA mission assurance by being able to track spacecraft.
Beyond Interstellar: Extracting Science from Black Hole Images Part II
This is a second workshop to explore fundamental questions in black hole physics, and determine what EHT enhancements, as well as new directions, will allow us to answer those questions.
Nebulae – Deep-Space Computing Clouds Part II
How can we ensure that there is sufficient storage and computational capability for large quantities of data to be gathered, pre-processed and selected for optimal downlink to make the most of the bits that the Deep Space Network (DSN) can support?
The Next-Generation Ground-Based Planetary Radar
The goal of this workshop is to explore approaches to the next-generation planetary radar capable of providing compelling science and motivating NASA science missions as well as potentially providing NASA mission assurance by being able to track spacecraft.
Beyond Interstellar: Extracting Science from Black Hole Images
A goal of this workshop is to explore fundamental questions in black hole physics, and determine what EHT enhancements, as well as new directions, will allow us to answer those questions.
Nebulae: Deep-Space Computing Clouds
The purpose of this workshop is to study how to reduce risk in future missions, accelerate science discovery, and enable a new class of high-data-rate, deep space science missions by taking advantage of high-performance spaceflight computing and data storage.
Standardized Space Telescopes for the Future of Scientific Discovery
Bridging Exoplanet and Solar System Science
Hybrid Space-Ground Observatories: Revolutionizing the Search for Earth-Like Exoplanets
Interplanetary Laser Trilateration Network
Interferometry Lands on the Moon
Nano Engineering for Exo Discoveries: Advancing Metasurfaces for Exoplanet Exploration
Extrasolar Space Weather: The Hidden Hand in Exoplanet Evolution
Exoplanet Science Meets Interferometry
Approaching the Event Horizon – Black Holes and Their Effect on the Universe
A World of Data – The Scale of Space Science Data Processing
Data Driven Approaches to Searches for Technosignatures
Revolutionizing Astrophysics: How Space and Ground Telescopes Can Work Together
Hybrid observatories, combining space assets and ground-based telescopes, can enable extraordinary advances in capabilities and startling scientific discoveries. Orbiting laser guide stars in high Earth orbit can remain passively within arcseconds of a target area for hours at a time, enabling diffraction-limited adaptive optics imaging at visible wavelengths where the sky is darkest. A test at Keck with the orbiting LCRD satellite has recently demonstrated this capability. With a 30 m telescope, angular resolution of a few milliarcsec is feasible. With point source observing speed scaling as D^4, it would be 20,000x faster than Hubble and 1000 x faster than HWO. Such a guide star working with the DKIST could obtain the first sharp images of the solar corona, with a resolution of 25 km. An orbiting standard light source could improve absolute and color photometric accuracy to better than 1%, with impact on high redshift photometric distance scales, dark energy measurements, and on exoplanet models. An orbiting mm wave antenna working with the Event Horizon Telescope could measure the details of photon rings and hence the spins of black holes. Most extreme, a 30 m class telescope with an orbiting 100 m diameter starshade could image exoplanets directly, if it could be built, with 5x the angular resolution of HWO and 1000 x the observing speed. Except for the starshade, all of these could be built as CubeSat or Explorer-class missions.
Origins and Evolution of Life in Space and Time
Join Dr. James L. Green as he discusses the origins and evolution of life in space and time. It is estimated that life started on Earth approximately 3.9 billion years ago. However, there are only a few locations on Earth, that old, that have remained undisturbed which would enable our study of the planetary conditions at a time that enabled life to take hold. Although we don't yet know how life got started here, early life forms would not be very complex. By studying the evolution of our own planet and Sun, it may give us some clues as to what to look for life at other locations in our own solar system and in the solar systems of other stars.
Airships: A New Horizon for Science
Over the last decade, a few commercial telecommunication ventures as well as several well-funded military programs have attempted to develop autonomous, solar powered, high-altitude light-than-air (LTA) vehicles known as airships, which could maneuver and station-keep for weeks, months, or even years.
Single Photon Detectors – from A to B (from Astronomy to Biology, and Beyond)
Professor Daniel Prober describes the development and uses of single photon detectors, covering photon energies from MeV to meV, and wavelengths from 1 picometer to 1 mm. The developments have been driven by many applications, drawn from astronomy, biology, communications, and materials analysis. Intended for a general scientific audience, Professor Prober presents a selection of these developments and applications.
The Darkest Galaxies
In the past three years, fourteen Milky Way satellite galaxies have been discovered, more than doubling the known population. These newly discovered "ultra-faint" galaxies have emerged as the least luminous and most dark matter-dominated galaxies in the known Universe. They are dramatically reshaping our understanding of galaxy formation and may hold the keys to deciphering the nature of dark matter. Professor Marla Geha reviewed our current understanding of the ultra-faint galaxies, focusing on the constraints these objects provide on dark matter.
A Focal Plane Architecture for 3D Mapping of the THz Universe
Towards Low-Noise Microwave Amplifiers with Outstanding Room-Temperature Noise Performance
Development of a Compact, All-Photonic, Dynamic Laser Frequency Comb Spectrum Flattener
Fiber-Laser Pump Reference for High Precision Astronomical Spectrograph Calibration Sources
Identifying the Strongest LISA Gravitational Wave Sources
ULTRASAT: Imaging Properties of Delta-Doped CCDs
Technology Assessment of a Space Flight Demonstration LaserSail Propulsion
Next Generation UV Instrument Technologies
GALEX Complete the Sky Survery (GCSS): A Fundamental Milky Way Legacy Dataset
Intensity Mapping of Carbon Monoxide from the Epoch of Reionization
Mapping the Epoch of Reionization with C+ Line Tomography
Development of Ultrasensitive Photon Detectors and Microwave Amplifiers Using Superconducting Nitride Thin Films
Large Space Structures
