The 248th AAS meeting (joint with HEAD and Laboratory Astrophysics Divisions) will be held 14-18 June in Pasadena, California.

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Join us in the exhibit hall at the NASA booth and attend the NASA sessions.

Monday, 15 June 2026

Time	Session	Location
10:00am ‑ 11:30am PT	NASA’s Future Large Gamma Ray (FLAG) Mission Concepts Working Group	Pasadena Convention Center ‑   Conference Center, 204

Summary

The Future Large Gamma-ray Mission Concepts working group will hold a hybrid work session to review progress and needed inputs for a technical report on gamma-ray instrumentation. Working group members will present updates and lead discussions to complete gathering of input on gamma-ray capabilities, mission concepts, and technologies. The group will work on identifying and filling gaps in the draft and refining the content of the report.

Wednesday, 17 June 2026

Time	Session	Location
11:40am ‑ 1:10pm	XR SIG Special Session HEAD: Toward the 2030 Decadal: Science Cases for Potential Future X-ray Mission Concepts	Pasadena Convention Center ‑  Conference Center, 211

XR SIG Special Session Agenda

Time	Topic	Speaker	Presentation
11:40am ‑ 11:50am	Introduction	Dave Pooley, Trinity University Breanna Binder, Cal Poly Pomona
11:50am ‑ 11:56am	High Angular Resolution X-ray Imager SAG: Updates & Results I	Kimberly Weaver, NASA/GSFC
11:56am ‑ 12:03pm	High Angular Resolution X-ray Imager SAG: Updates & Results II	Scott Randall, CfA
12:03pm ‑ 12:10pm	High Angular Resolution X-ray Imager SAG: Updates & Results III	Herman Marshall, MIT
12:10pm ‑ 12:20pm	Lynx 2030 SAG: Updates & Results I	Steven Ehlert, NASA/MSFC
12:20pm ‑ 12:30pm	Lynx 2030 SAG: Updates & Results II	Fabio Pacucci, CfA
12:30pm ‑ 12:36pm	Broad-Band X-ray Observatory SAG: Updates & Results I	Chien‑Ting Chen, USRA/NASA MSFC
12:36pm ‑ 12:43pm	Broad-Band X-ray Observatory SAG: Updates & Results II	Kristin Madsen, NASA/GSFC
12:43pm ‑ 12:50pm	Broad-Band X-ray Observatory SAG: Updates & Results II	Daniel Stern, JPL
12:50pm ‑ 1:10pm	X-ray Timing SAG: Updates & Results	Thomas Maccarone, Texas Tech

Thursday, 18 June 2026

Time	Session	Location
10:00am ‑ 11:30am	Special Session: Planning for the Future of Astrophysics and the ASTRA Initiative	Pasadena Convention Center ‑  Ballroom G

ASTRA Initiative Special Session

Time	Topic	Speaker	Presentation
10:00am ‑ 10:10am	Introduction from the NASA Astrophysics Division Director	Shawn Domagal‑Goldman
10:10am ‑ 10:25am	The ASTRA Initiative: Overview & Path Forward	Jessica Gaskin, NASA HQ
10:25am ‑ 10:40am	Innovation for Astrophysics Workshop: Initial Findings	Kendra Short, JPL
10:40am ‑ 10:55am	Ad ASTRA Community Science Workshop	Peter Kurczynski, NASA/GSFC
10:55am ‑ 11:30am	Panel Discussion	Francesca Civano, NASA/GSFC

The post AAS Meeting 248, June 2026 appeared first on NASA Science.

Sunday, 14 June 2026

Fornax Workshop

Time	Session	Location
2:00pm ‑ 4:00pm	An Introduction to Fornax: Scalable Data and Compute for Scientific Analysis	Pasadena Convention Center – Conference Center, 101

Related Workshops

Time	Session	Location
10:00am ‑ 12:00pm	High Energy Science Analysis with HEASARC Services	Pasadena Convention Center – Conference Center, 102
10:00am ‑ 11:30am	Euclid Data in the Cloud: Access, Analysis, and Science Opportunities	Pasadena Convention Center – Conference Center, 101

Wednesday, 17 June 2026

Time	Session	Title	Speaker	Location
10:00am ‑ 11:30am	Simulated Universes for Precision Cosmology	Accessing and Analyzing OpenUniverse 2024 Simulations through IRSA and Fornax	Vandana Desai	Pasadena Convention Center – Exhibit Halls & Ballrooms, Ballroom F

Thursday, 18 June 2026

Time	Session	Title	Speaker	Location
2:00pm ‑ 3:30pm	40 Years of Community Engagement at IPAC: Lessons Learned	Building User Support for Fornax: Community Engagement for Cloud-Based Astrophysics	Vandana Desai	Pasadena Convention Center – Exhibit Halls & Ballrooms, Ballroom

Related Sessions of Interest

Date	Session Title	Time	Location
Monday, 15 June	NASA’s Future Large Gamma-ray Mission Concepts Working Group	10:00am ‑ 11:30am	Pasadena Convention Center ‑ Conference Center, 204
Tuesday, 16 June	NASA’s Big Science, Small Missions	10:00am ‑ 11:30am	Pasadena Convention Center ‑ Conference Center, 204

The post Fornax Initiative at AAS 248, June 2026 appeared first on NASA Science.

Discussion on ASTRA Whitepapers

This webinar will be on the ASTRA initiative, as the deadline for white paper submissions approaches (June 26th). We will present some brief updates about the process and the September Ad ASTRA workshop, as well as hear brief presentations about the science impact of the planned white paper submissions. 

Speakers

John Krizmanic

Pier Simone Marrocchesi

Stefano Profumo

Toni Venters

Tsuguo Aramkaki

Keith McBride

Philip von Doetinchem

Stephanie Wissel

Priya Ghosh

Current Agenda

1. ASTRA-Related Updates
2. Low-Energy Antinuclei Searches
3. Lunar Cosmic Ray Observatory
4. Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos

Meeting Connection

Join the Meeting

The post CRN SIG Seminar, 17 June 2026 appeared first on NASA Science.

The post 16th International LISA Symposium, June 2026 appeared first on NASA Science.

The Community Science (Ad ASTRA) Workshop is organized by the NASA Astrophysics Division to engage the community in defining future large, strategic astrophysics missions. Structured over three thematic days—Science, Capabilities, and Missions—the workshop provides a comprehensive framework to connect scientific priorities with technological readiness and mission implementation. Across all three days, plenaries, panels, breakout sessions, and poster contributions are designed to maximize community input. The outcomes of the workshop will help NASA prioritize mission concepts and shape a balanced, forward-looking astrophysics portfolio.

This workshop is organized by the NASA Astrophysics Program Offices in partnership with the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC).

Important Dates: 

• Registration opens: March 31, 2026
• Abstract deadline: June 24, 2026
• Contributed talks/posters selection: July 1, 2026
• Deadline for in-person registration: August 15, 2026
• Deadline for virtual registration: August 31, 2026

Session Connection: Join the Session

Day 1 Science

Time	Topic	Speakers	Presentations
8:30am	Introduction to ASTRA	Shawn Domagal-Goldman, APD Director
9:00am	Plan for the Workshop: Deliverables and Mandate (Day 1 focus)	Jessica Gaskin, APD AD for Concept and Tech Development
9:20am	How did we get here: PhysPAG	Manel Errando, PhysPAG EC chair
9:40am	How did we get here: COPAG	Shouleh Nikzad, COPAG EC Chair
10:00am	How did we get here: EXOPAG	Ian Crossfield, ExoPAG EC Chair
10:20am	Morning Break
11:00am	Pressing Science Questions for Space Missions in the 2030s and Beyond Parallel Breakout Sessions: -Compact Objects and Energetic Phenomena -Cosmology -Galaxies -Exoplanets & Astrobiology -Stars and Stellar Populations	Contributed presentations from community members (TBA after abstract selection)
12:30pm	Lunch
	Afternoon
2:00pm	Pressing Science Questions for Space Missions in the 2030s and Beyond Parallel Breakout Sessions: -Compact Objects and Energetic Phenomena -Cosmology -Galaxies -Exoplanets & Astrobiology -Stars and Stellar Populations	Contributed presentations from community members (TBA after abstract selection)
3:30pm	Afternoon Break
4:00pm	Synthesis Panel on Pressing Science Questions for Space Missions in the 2030s and Beyond	Breakout Session Moderators
5:00pm	Evening Reception
7:00pm	End of Day 1

Day 2 Capabilities

Session Connection: Join the Session

Time	Topic	Speakers	Presentations
9:00am	Plan for the Workshop: Deliverables and Mandate (Day 2 focus)	EC PAG Chairs
9:10am	Innovation Workshop Summary	Innovation Workshop SOC speaker
9:50am	NASA Strategic Technology Gaps	Chief Technologist from PAGs
10:10am	Morning Break
10:40am	Emerging Technologies (session)	Presentations from  community/industry members (TBA)
12:30pm	Lunch
	Afternoon
2:00pm	Astrophysics Technology: Capabilities Needed Parallel Breakout Sessions: What are  the capabilities needed (software and hardware, platform, location) relevant to the ASTRA submitted mission concepts? -Breakout categories TBD	Contributed presentations from  community members (TBA after abstract selection)
4:00pm	Afternoon Break
4:45pm	Synthesis panel to summarize the breakout sessions on capabilities	Breakout Session Moderators
5:45pm	End of Day 2

Day 3 Wrap UP

Session Connection: Join the Session

Time	Topic	Speakers	Presentations
9:00am	Plan for the workshop: Deliverables and Mandate (Day 3 focus)	EC PAG Chairs
9:10am	Beyond the Selection: The Path Forward	Jessica Gaskin, APD AD for Concept and Tech Development
9:50am	Workshop synthesis 1: Key Science Questions for the 2030s and Beyond	TBA
10:50am	Morning Break
11:20am	Workshop synthesis 2: Key Technology Capabilities for the 2030s and Beyond	TBA
12:20pm	Lunch
	Afternoon
2:00pm	Building the Future: Community consensus on Science, Capabilities, and Missions for the next decades	TBA
3:30pm	Closing Remarks	TBA
4:00pm	End of Day 3

The post Community Science (Ad ASTRA) Workshop, Sept 2026 appeared first on NASA Science.

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.

The post HWO Detector System Development Study appeared first on NASA Science.

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.

The post NASA-DARES Draft Strategy Open for Public Comment appeared first on NASA Science.

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.

The post IXPE Cycle 4 Pre-Proposal Workshop Announcement appeared first on NASA Science.

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! 

The post HELIOTECH and Orbital Flight Symposium appeared first on NASA Science.

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

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.  

Seminar Connection

Join the Seminar

The post GW SIG Seminar, 10 June 2026 appeared first on NASA Science.

Agenda

HWO SIG Host: Jessie Christiansen

Topic	Speaker
HWO Events at the AAS	Rob Zellem / Raissa Estrella
CSIT Update	Scott Gaudi
Where HWO Fits into ASTRA / the Astro2030 Decadal	Jessica Gaskin
Pre-Proposal Instrument Study Meeting Report Out	Aki Roberge

Seminar Connection

Join the Seminar

The post Habitable Worlds Observatory SIG Seminar, 10 June 2026 appeared first on NASA Science.

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.

Seminar Connection

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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.

Seminar Connection

Join the Seminar

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