Future of Space Astronomy: a Global Road Map for the Next Decades
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Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Advances in Space Research 50 (2012) 1–55 www.elsevier.com/locate/asr Review Future of Space Astronomy: A global Road Map for the next decades Pietro Ubertini a,⇑, Neil Gehrels b, Ian Corbett c, Paolo de Bernardis d, Marcos Machado e, Matt Griffin f, Michael Hauser g, Ravinder K. Manchanda h, Nobuyuki Kawai i, Shuang-Nan Zhang j, Mikhail Pavlinsky k a Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy b Astroparticle Physics Laboratory, NASA-GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA c IAU–UAI Secretariat, F75014 Paris, France d Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 2, 00185 Rome, Italy e Comisio´n Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, 1063 Buenos Aires, Argentina f School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, The Parade, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK g Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA h Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 400005 Mumbai, India i Department of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan j Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China k Russian Academy of Science, 117997 Moscow, Russia Received 15 July 2011; received in revised form 4 March 2012; accepted 5 March 2012 Available online 23 March 2012 Abstract The use of space techniques continues to play a key role in the advance of astrophysics by providing access to the entire electromag- netic spectrum from radio to high energy c rays. The increasing size, complexity and cost of large space observatories places a growing emphasis on international collaboration. Furthermore, combining existing and future datasets from space and “ground based” observa- tories is an emerging mode of powerful and relatively inexpensive research to address problems that can only be tackled by the appli- cation of large multi-wavelength observations. While the present set of astronomical facilities is impressive and covers the entire electromagnetic spectrum, with complementary space and “ground based” telescopes, the situation in the next 10–20 years is of critical concern. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to be launched not earlier than 2018, is the only approved future major space astron- omy mission. Other major highly recommended space astronomy missions, such as the Wide-field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), the International X-ray Observatory (IXO), Large Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmol- ogy and Astrophysics (SPICA), have yet to be approved for development. A “Working Group on the Future of Space Astronomy” was established at the 38th COSPAR Assembly held in Bremen, Germany in July 2010. The purpose of this Working Group was to establish a Road Map for future major space missions to complement future large “ground based” telescopes. This paper presents the results of this study, including a number of recommendations and a Road Map for the next decades of space astronomy research. Ó 2012 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Future of Space Astronomy; COSPAR Working Group ⇑ Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (P. Ubertini). 0273-1177/$36.00 Ó 2012 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2012.03.009 2 P. Ubertini et al. / Advances in Space Research 50 (2012) 1–55 Contents Executive summary. 3 Recommendations concerning international planning and implementation of large space astronomy missions. 3 Road Map principles . 4 Recommended space astronomy Road Map . 4 Conclusions . 5 1. The COSPAR Working Group on the Future of Space Astronomy . 6 1.1. Establishment of the Working Group . 6 1.2. Terms of Reference and Membership of the Working Group . 6 2. The Role of Developing Space-Faring Nations, a New Concept in International Cooperation . 7 3. The Working Group Vision . 8 3.1. The Present Scenario . 9 3.2. Issues................................................................................. 9 3.3. Road Map principles. 11 3.4. A Road Map for the 2010–2020 Decade . 11 3.4.1. IXO: International X-ray Observatory . 11 3.4.2. LISA: Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. 12 3.4.3. EJSM: Europa Jupiter System Mission. 12 3.4.4. Dark Energy and Exoplanet Science: WFIRST (NASA Decadal Survey) and Euclid (ESA M-class mission) . 12 3.4.5. The ESA change of L Class mission collaborative scheme . 13 3.5. The 2020–2030 Decade Road Map . 13 3.5.1. Proposed longer term large missions (to fly within two decades). 14 3.5.2. Medium sized missions proposed to NASA, ESA, JAXA, Roscosmos and other Agencies . 14 3.6. The COSPAR Working Group on Future of Space Astronomy Basic Recommendations . 15 3.7. WG conclusions . 15 4. The Present Scenario . 15 4.1. The ASTRONET report: A Science Vision for (European) Astronomy . 15 4.2. Spectral Coverage of Currently Operating Space Astrophysics Missions . 16 4.2.1. X-rays and c-rays.................................................................. 16 4.2.2. UV/Extreme UV and Visible . 17 4.2.3. Infrared and Submillimetre . 17 4.2.4. Submillimetre . 17 4.3. Missions in Operation: short description and basic scientific characteristics . 18 4.3.1. Hubble Space Telescope . 18 4.3.2. Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) . 19 4.3.3. Chandra X-ray Observatory . 20 4.3.4. The XMM-Newton Observatory . 22 4.3.5. INTEGRAL: International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory . 22 4.3.6. GALEX, Galaxy Evolution Explorer . 24 4.3.7. Spitzer Space Telescope. 25 4.3.8. The Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission . 26 4.3.9. Suzaku X-ray and hard X-ray telescopes . 26 4.3.10. AGILE high energy gamma-ray mission . 27 4.3.11. Fermi High Energy Gamma ray Telescope . 28 4.3.12. The Planck mission . 29 4.3.13. The Herschel mission . 31 4.3.14. MAXI Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image . 33 4.4. Approved Missions in Development and Future Concepts . 34 4.4.1. Gaia 3-D mapping of the stars of the Galaxy (ESA)-Launch 2013 . 35 4.4.2. ASTROSAT: Launch 2012–2013 . 35 4.4.3. NuSTAR Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) : Launch 2012 . 36 4.4.4. The Spectrum Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) – eRosita experiment: Launch 2012 . 37 4.4.5. Astro-H: Launch: 2014 . 37 4.4.6. Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer (GEMS): Launch 2014 . 38 4.4.7. Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT): Launch 2015 . 38 4.4.8. The James Webb Space Telescope: Launch 2018 . 39 4.4.9. Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA): Fully operational 2014 . 39 5. The Future Programmes of the National Space Agencies . 40 5.1. The NASA future programs and Vision . ..