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Introduction

The Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016 conference is intended to explore the current state of the art of space telescope and instrumentation programs, concepts and technologies from the near-ultraviolet and visible wavelengths through the infrared and millimeter. Currently, a broad range of operating space telescopes and instruments continue to address a range of astrophysical questions, including NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Kepler/K2. The airborne observatory SOFIA initiated prime operations in 2014. ESA has launched and is collecting data from the Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics (GAIA), a mission that will compile an astrometric catalogue of ~1 billion stars.

Other programs are showing significant progress towards operations and observations. NASA is currently developing two new Explorer class missions, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), the latter to fly on the International Space Station (ISS). The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is well into construction, assembly, and verification and maintaining its scheduled launch date in October 2018. The ESA Euclid mission, which will map the geometry of the dark universe, entered construction with selection of the prime contractor in 2013 and a planned launch in 2020. 

NASA has recently produced a Science Definition Study Final Report for the Wide-Field IR Space Telescope - Astrophysics Focused Telescope Asset (WFIRST-AFTA) in preparation for the release of funding as JWST reaches program completion. For the longer term, several studies are underway to look at options for future UV/Visible/Near IR large aperture telescopes, such as the High Definition Space Telescope (HDST) study recently released by AURA. The Japanese-led SPICA far-infrared space telescope mission is undergoing redefinition and the ESA Plato mission to observe planetary transits and oscillations of stars is planned for launch in 2024. For the 2020 Decadal Survey, NASA is studying four large mission concepts: Far IR Surveyor, Habitable-Exoplanet Imaging Mission, UV/Optical/IR Surveyor and the X-ray Surveyor. 

Finally, private foundations are starting to enter the field of space telescopes for astronomy. The B612 Sentinel mission is continuing to plan development of a low heliocentric space telescope that would detect, track, and characterize near-earth asteroids in orbits at less than 1 AU.

Call for paper

Submission Topics

For this Conference, status discussions of the projects identified in the preceding introduction are sought, as well as papers addressing topics that include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Near-UV, visible, IR, submillimeter and millimeter wavelength astronomical space telescopes and instruments including their on-orbit performance

  • Highly innovative space telescope and instrument concepts

  • Concepts for future large aperture space telescopes

  • Exoplanet detection and characterization using space telescopes

  • Results from astrobiology and related fields that can help determine the science needed for exoplanet observations and studies

  • Innovative space telescopes and instrumentation for solar astrophysics and for studies of the structure and evolution of the solar system as a whole

  • Approaches to increasing insight into dark matter and dark energy using space telescopes

  • Small mission concepts and technologies 

  • Approaches to mission development and implementation such as:

  • technology demonstrations, including on the International Space Station (ISS)

  • concepts for piggy backing on other missions to provide cost effective science

  • innovative approaches to risk management

  • student involvement.

  • Enabling system technologies for space telescopes, such as:

  • formation flying concepts and technologies

  • deployment, assembly, commissioning and other space infrastructure

  • innovative real time metrology and wavefront sensing and control

  • interferometric effects

  • polarization effects, including observation and mitigation

  • active and passive cooling methods including cryocoolers

  • technologies and architectures for achieving high thermal stability of large telescopes

  • system concepts utilizing servicing for extended mission life

  • technologies and architectures for performing dynamic isolation of payloads.

  • Approaches that leverage programs in other areas:

  • synergies with ground-based or airborne astronomical observatories

  • synergism with science missions in other spectral regions

  • manned exploration missions, goals, and technologies

  • astrobiological investigations that may affect the needs for science observations

  • earth observation concepts and technologies.

  • Ground fabrication, integration, and testing of telescope optics, instruments, telescope structures and observatories including optical and thermal testing

  • System modeling of telescopes and space observatories, their assembly and servicing, to enable confident launch of systems too large for end-to-end ground testing. Technologies for space telescopes and instruments will be of joint interest to many other sessions. We will work towards one or more joint sessions and will coordinate with other conferences to find the most appropriate fits and avoid conflicts among paper schedules. 

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Important Date

  • Conference Date

    Jun 26

    2016

    to

    Jul 01

    2016

  • Jul 01 2016

    Registration deadline

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