The Habitable Worlds Observatory Technology Maturation Project Office and Columbus Technologies are excited to invite you to participate in a Detector System Development Study focused on developing critical detector technologies for the Habitable Worlds Observatory. This request for proposals seeks information from qualified organizations capable of supporting detector technology maturation studies to advance candidate technologies toward Technology Readiness Level 5. Specifically, we are seeking responses to address one or more of the following detectors categories: photon-counting detectors for visible and near-infrared coronagraph applications, far-ultraviolet detectors, and large-format detectors for near-ultraviolet and visible applications. Details regarding the call for proposals, eligibility, required deliverables, and study phases are available at the Columbus Technologies website.

Respondents located at Government agencies including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory or NASA Centers (e.g., Goddard Space Flight Center, Ames Research Center, etc.) should submit their responses directly to Daniel Kelly (daniel.p.kelly@nasa.gov).

Note: Responses are due by 7 July 2026.

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The NASA Astrobiology Program and DARES Task Force 2 are pleased to announce the opening of the public comment period for the draft Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (NASA-DARES).  

The draft report, available in slide form, is available here: NASA-DARES Draft [PDF] . NB: Findings from Focus Area 9: Astrobiology in Society are forthcoming. 

An abbreviated summary, presented at AbSciCon, is available for viewing here: NASA-DARES Presentation Video. The NASA-DARES presentation begins at approximately 38:27 in the recording. 

Feedback on the draft Strategy should be submitted according to the following guidelines: 

• Email comments to HQ-RFIastrobio@mail.nasa.gov with the subject line “NASA-DARES Public Comment”.  
• As relevant, please indicate the Focus Area(s) addressed by your comment at the beginning of your response. 
• Comments may be submitted by an individual or on behalf of a community group, organization, or other collective body. 
• Anonymous submissions will not be considered. 
• Comments will only be accepted as attached PDF files or as in-line email text. 
• Comments must be received no later than 11:59p Eastern on 2 July 2026. Comments received after this deadline will not be considered. 

As a reminder, NASA-DARES is a non-consensus document. NASA-DARES is not intended to rank priorities, prescribe funding decisions, direct mission selections, establish policy, or replace decadal surveys or other consensus reports. The report is intended to capture a broad range of topics relevant to NASA Astrobiology. Inclusion in NASA-DARES should not be interpreted as an indication of future funding, programmatic priority, mission implementation, or agency commitment. 

For inquiries related to this public comment period, please send an email to HQ-RFIastrobio@mail.nasa.gov addressed to Drs. Rachel L. Harris, Hannah Jang-Condell, and Becky McCauley Rench. Kindly use the subject line “Question RE: NASA-DARES Public Comment Period” when submitting your questions.

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We are pleased to send out this first announcement for a pre-proposal workshop in preparation for Cycle 4 of the IXPE General Observer (GO) program.

IXPE (the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) provides unique and powerful X-ray polarization capabilities and has been providing crucial insights into our understanding of X-ray production and the geometry of multiple classes of objects such as neutron stars and pulsar wind nebulae, as well as stellar and supermassive black holes, among others. Overall, IXPE provides simultaneous imaging, spectral, timing, and polarization data for 2-8 keV X-rays.

The workshop will be held virtually on Tuesday 30 June 2026, from 12 noon to 3p Eastern (9a to 12 noon Pacific). This session is presented to update the community on opportunities to propose for the upcoming Cycle 4 IXPE GO program, highlighting any changes from previous cycles. A description of the IXPE mission and a summary of its major scientific achievements will be presented. Opportunities for participation through the General Observer Program, which supports a broad range of opportunities, will be described in detail in an interactive forum. Presentations on user support services, data analysis and software tools, catalogs and other online resources will also be included, followed by ample time for general questions and discussion.  More information can be found on the GO program website.

Registration is open to everyone. The meeting link will be sent via e-mail a day before the start of the meeting to all registered participants. There is no fee to participate in the workshop. Please register on or before 25 June 2026 to receive the link. To receive the link for the workshop, please register your interest by filling out this Google form.

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We are thrilled to let you know that both registration and abstract submission are officially open for NASA’s 2026 Joint HELIOTECH and Orbital Flight Symposium! By bringing together NASA’s Heliophysics Technology Symposium and Heliophysics Orbital Flight Missions, this joint meeting aims to spark innovation and foster essential collaboration for advancing technology needed to explore not only the Sun-Earth-Moon system but also Mars and destinations beyond. Our intention is to create an engaging forum where technologists, scientists, and mission Principal Investigators (PIs) can connect, share, and collaborate.

Event Details:

• Dates: 31 August – 4 September 2026
• Location: Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland
• Format: Hybrid—join us in person or virtually via Zoom

Call for Abstracts: Abstract submission is now open and will close on 17 June 2026. If you’re interested in presenting, please submit your abstract using the link below. Abstracts should be a maximum of 2,000 characters and entered directly into the submission Google form. Be sure to specify your preferred presentation type: oral (in-person preferred or remote) or poster (in-person only).

Registration: Registration for the symposium is now open as well, through the symposium website! We encourage everyone to register early, whether you’re attending on-site or virtually.

For additional information about the agenda, lodging, and ongoing updates, please visit our symposium website. We look forward to your participation and contributions and hope to see everyone for an exciting and impactful event! 

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Please note also the following upcoming activities relevant to the Program Analysis Groups:

Monday 15 June at 1p Eastern (10a Pacific)

• Future Large Gamma-Ray Mission Concepts Science Analysis Group (FLAG SAG): hybrid AAS splinter session.

Wednesday 17 June at 1p Eastern (10a Pacific)

• Gravitational Wave Science Interest Group (GW SIG) seminar: The Deci-hertz Interferometer Space Antenna – Jake Slutsky (NASA GSFC)

Wednesday 17 June at 2p Eastern (11a Pacific)

• Cosmic Ray and Neutrino Science Interest Group (CRN SIG): Discussion on ASTRA Whitepapers

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The post Upcoming SIG and SAG Activities, 15 June – 17 June 2026 appeared first on NASA Science.

Expected Science from deciHz Gravitational Waves

Speaker

Cole Miller, University of Maryland

Abstract

Astrophysical sources have already been detected in gravitational waves, in the tens to hundreds of Hertz range with LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA, and in the few to tens of nanohertz range with pulsar timing arrays.  New sources and physics will also be available with the planned LISA mission, at millihertz frequencies.  Here I will talk about the remarkable prospects for physics and astrophysics in the decihertz range, including multimessenger science, essential information about stellar-mass and intermediate-mass black holes, tests of general relativity, and the possibility of a primordial background of gravitational waves.  

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Agenda

HWO SIG Host: Jessie Christiansen

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Agenda

Discussion of the white paper GR SIG plans to submit in response to the ASTRA initiative, as well as the endorsement of and feedback on this white paper by the community.

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The post GR SIG Seminar, 12 June 2026 appeared first on NASA Science.

Ground- and Space-Based Astronomy in the 2030s/2040s 

Speaker

Rob Petre, NASA / GSFC

Abstract

The three Astrophysics Program Analysis Groups (PAGs) – the Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group (COPAG), the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG), and the Physics of the Cosmos Program Analysis Group (PhysPAG) – have been asked to jointly report up to six community prioritized mission concepts, in addition to the X-ray and Far-IR flagship mission concepts recommended by Astro2020, to the NASA Astrophysics Division Director, for consideration for entrance into the ASTRA Initiative. These concepts should be selected in the context of the current and planned international suite of ground- and space-based observatories. In this talk we present results adapted from one of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Community Working Groups, in which we lay out the context of ground- and space-based observatories and missions expected to operate in the 2030s/40s. We summarize outputs from our community-driven mission database, which outlines the science goals and capabilities of observatories and missions expected to operate during that time period. This information enables identification of synergies between these planned facilities and potential new concepts, as well as capability gaps in the planned suite of observatories that could be filled by entrants to the ASTRA Initiative.

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The post ASTRA Initiative Seminar, 12 June 2026 appeared first on NASA Science.