Dear Astrophysics Strategic Technology & Research Accelerator (ASTRA) community members-

As we prepare for our Ad ASTRA Community Science workshop, we are writing to share important updates regarding the agenda structure and instructions for abstract submissions. 

The Community Science (Ad ASTRA) Workshop is organized by the NASA Astrophysics Division to engage the community in identifying future large, strategic astrophysics missions. Structured over three thematic days—Science, Capabilities and Implementation, and Community Discussion—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 interactions and discussion. The outcomes of the workshop will help NASA prioritize mission concepts and shape a balanced, forward-looking astrophysics portfolio that is consistent with the Astro2020 recommendations and existing and future science gaps.

To best serve the community and facilitate meaningful collaboration, we are splitting the mission concept presentations into two distinct focuses: Science on Day 1, and Capabilities and Implementation on Day 2. We are relying on you—the concept teams and the broader community—to submit abstracts for both days. We are also offering the option to present mission concepts as posters, and will offer the opportunity to present as posters any abstracts for which there is insufficient room in the parallel sessions.

Please review the detailed agenda structure and submission guidelines below:

Day 1: Science Focus

• Science Questions: Day 1 will focus on open science priorities and questions from strategic documents (Astro 2020 Decadal Survey, Enduring Quests – Daring Visions from 2014) and more recent science questions that the mission concepts submitted to ASTRA will address. 
• Abstract Submission: Presentations for Day 1 are not restricted to mission concept team members. We strongly encourage other scientists in the community to submit abstracts presenting important science questions and to use this opportunity to connect with concept teams.
• Breakout Sessions: These sessions will be organized by science themes (Compact Objects and Energetic Phenomena, Cosmology, Galaxies, Exoplanets & Astrobiology, Stars and Stellar Populations). Moderators will present a summary of the panel discussions at the end of Day 1.

Day 2: Mission Concepts – Capabilities and Implementation

• Focus: Day 2 is focused on implementation, capabilities, and technologies (software and hardware) relevant to the ASTRA submitted mission concepts. A summary of the Innovation for Astrophysics Missions Workshop (May 2026) will inform discussions regarding industry and other capabilities and opportunities that may be leveraged. 
• Breakout Sessions: These sessions will be organized by capability groups, which will be determined once the submitted mission concept documents are reviewed.
• Format & Goals: Breakout sessions will feature a mix of presentations and flexible discussion. The goal is for teams with concepts at varying maturity levels to collaborate, find commonalities, and strengthen their respective capability groups.
• Abstract Submission Note: Teams may submit multiple abstracts for these sessions if their concept spans different capabilities (e.g., requiring both UV and X-ray technologies).

Day 3 & Workshop Outcome

A primary goal of this workshop is to refine a draft “science-to-capabilities” matrix, which will be built using inputs from your submitted ASTRA mission concept documents. During the Day 1 and 2 breakout sessions, moderators will capture key discussion points to present during end-of-day summary panels. On Day 3 of the workshop, we will hold a plenary discussion to recap the week and collaboratively revise the “science-to-capabilities” matrix. Together as a community, we will add, refine, and prioritize science questions, mapping them to mission concepts. 

Key Upcoming Dates:

• 24 June 2026: Abstract submission deadline (link). If you have already submitted an abstract and would like to modify it based on the guidelines above, please delete your previous contribution and send another submission. 
• 26 June 2026: Mission Concept Document submission deadline (template, submission portal)
• 10 July 2026: Contributed abstracts selected for talks and posters 

We look forward to your abstract submissions and to a highly collaborative and productive workshop! 

Best regards,

The Ad ASTRA Workshop Organizing Committee

The post Ad ASTRA Community Science Workshop Announcements appeared first on NASA Science.

https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/cosmic-origins/community/cosmic-origins-seminar-10-june-2026

Dear Cosmic Origins Community,

The ASTRA initiative (linked below) will promote new strategic mission concepts for astrophysics. We would like to encourage you to think about new strategic mission concepts for the coming decades of astrophysics. Please join us for a community webinar next Wednesday, June 10, 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET ( 9:00 – 10:00 am PT) where we will discuss ASTRA.

As part of ASTRA, the Community Science (Ad ASTRA) Workshop will take place 1-3 September 2026 in Pasadena. New concept ideas will be discussed at this event.

To join the ASTRA initiative, mission concept template is now available (linked below). There are also instructions for submission. Submitted concept ideas will be discussed at the September workshop.

Associated links:

• Connection information: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/cosmic-origins/community/cosmic-origins-seminar-10-june-2026/
• ASTRA Initiative: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/cosmic-origins/studies/astra-initiative/
• Mission Concept Template: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/cosmic-origins/community/astra-mission-concept-template-and-submission-form/

We look forward to talking with you next week.

Shouleh Nikzad, Chair
Sabrina Stierwalt, Vice-Chair

COPAG Executive Committee

The post TODAY: Cosmic Origins Community Webinar, 10 June 2026 appeared first on NASA Science.

ASTRA Initiative Community Brainstorming Session

The IRSTIG will host a community brainstorming session from 1-3pm ET / 10am – 12pm PT. We understand this is short notice, however given the rapidly approaching ASTRA workshop abstract deadline (June 24^th) and ASTRA mission concept template submission deadline (June 26^th), we feel that this coming Friday is our best opportunity to rally the IR community.  As such, we will be holding an open-invite brainstorming session to help energize and organize the community. This will be a rather freeform meeting to allow for flexibility, but a rough schedule is as follows:

1. We will begin at 1pm ET/ 10am PT with a brief introduction to the ASTRA initiative and our charge in developing concepts from Peter Kurczynski, Chief Scientist of the NASA Cosmic Origins Program Office.
2. Following this, we will open the floor to any member of the community to present a 3 slide / 2min pitch of a mission pre-concept (i.e. does not have to be a fully formed idea). This could look like one or more interesting science questions that you are looking for collaborators to help build into a well-founded mission concept, to a cutting edge technology that could be infused into or enable a future IR mission and you’d like science investigators to help develop, to a concept that has been already submitted to a competitive mission selection process. The goal here is to bring the community together and encourage a breadth of ideas so that community members may figure out where they can contribute and participate in the ASTRA process.
3. Following these pitches, we would open the floor for a discussion of the recurrent and over-arching science theme drivers that motivate cosmic origins mission development, distilling the outcome into broad topical/mission bins.
4. In the last ~hour, we will enable breakout rooms around these topics so that community members can self-organize. The goal here is to form small teams that will eventually complete and submit an ASTRA initiative mission concept template found here.

Meeting connection information will be provided prior to Friday. Please feel free to share amongst your colleagues and students, our community benefits from a diversity of ideas. We hope to see you there!

Meeting Connection

Join the Meeting

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