Space Studies Board Annual Report 2016 (2017) / Chapter Skim
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5.3 New Worlds, New Horizons: A Midterm Assessment
5.3 New Worlds, New Horizons: A Midterm Assessment
Pages 54-61
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From page 54... ...
This vision included mapping the first stars and galaxies as they emerge from the collapse of dark matter and cold clumps of hydrogen, finding new worlds in a startlingly diverse population of extrasolar planets, and exploiting the vastness and extreme conditions of the universe to reveal new information about the fundamental laws of nature. NWNH outlined a compelling program for understanding the cosmic order and for opening new fields of inquiry through the discovery areas of gravitational waves, time-domain astronomy, and habitable planets.
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From page 55... ...
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is scheduled for launch in late 2018, now on track following a rebaselining in 2011, and it is expected to deliver the groundbreaking scientific capability that was envisioned when it received the ighest ranking in the 2001 decadal survey.2 Its superb near-infrared sensitivity and angular h resolution will allow detailed characterization of redshift z = 8-12 galaxies that are barely detectable with HST, as well as enable the discovery of the smallest of the universe's first galaxies below the sensitivity limits of current telescopes.
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From page 56... ...
, is a competed program intended to fund projects and activities that fall between the funding boundaries of the NSF Major Research Instrumentation program and the MREFC program. Midscale facilities had been funded in the past by NSF, but in an ad hoc manner, and NWNH recommended a program that would enable these activities to be regularly competed at an increased level of funding.
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From page 57... ...
This is because the NSF-AST budget increases anticipated by NWNH did not materialize, and NSF-AST, consistent with the Portfolio Review's guidance, gave higher priority to funding the MSIP program within the constraints imposed by the budget. While NWNH placed strong emphasis on expanding support for individual investigator grants, the core grants programs have declined in real-year dollars and dropped still further in purchasing power over the first half of the decade, following the trends of the overall NSF-AST budget.
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From page 58... ...
While the formal mission start was delayed 3 years beyond NWNH's anticipated start in 2013 and 5 years beyond NWNH's anticipated launch in 2020 as a result of the delayed completion of JWST, the extended pre-formulation phase allowed substantial technology development, most importantly the adoption of larger-format infrared detectors and the 2.4-meter telescope assembly that became available in 2012. A vigorous program in coronagraphy technology development, coupled with the 2.4-meter telescope assets, has extended WFIRST's capabilities in the study of exoplanets to include the exciting prospect of direct detection of large planets orbiting nearby stars.
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From page 59... ...
In addition, the delay in the implementation of WFIRST over the schedule anticipated in NWNH means that cost growth in WFIRST would limit options for the next decadal survey. RECOMMENDATION 4-1: Prior to Key Decision Point B, NASA should commission an independent technical, management, and cost assessment of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope, including a quantitative assessment of the incremental cost of the coronagraph.
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From page 60... ...
Measuring the B-modes of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization caused by gravitational waves created during inflation is the major long-term goal of IPTD, as well as neutrino mass, mapping large-scale structure with gravitational lensing, and reionization science.
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From page 61... ...
Despite the challenging budget environment, NASA has roughly maintained the funding level of its core and research programs, although the committee notes that this was preceded by a decline in overall funding for individual investigator grants at the end of the past decade. The greatest challenge to the maintenance of program balance is NASA-APD's investment in its large missions, JWST and WFIRST, and the risk of growth in their cost.
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