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National Research Council
Space Studies Board and Board on Physics and Astronomy
Beyond Einstein Program Assessment Committee
NASA’s Beyond Einstein Program: An Architecture for Implementation
ANNOUNCEMENT OF TOWN HALL MEETING
March 14, 2007
The Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) requested that the NRC assess NASA’s five Beyond Einstein missions and recommend one for first development and launch. This NRC study will use a set of criteria, including potential scientific impact and technical readiness, to examine the five Beyond Einstein missions (see Statement of Task). The committee is obtaining input on Beyond Einstein mission concepts at its data gathering meetings and is seeking broader input from the science community through a series of Town Hall meetings in January -April 2007 (in Newport Beach, CA, Cambridge, Baltimore, and Chicago). To register for the Town Hall, please find the weblink posted at the bottom of this announcement. Please visit http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ssb/BeyondEinsteinPublic.html for more information on the study. We also welcome comments on the Beyond Einstein study at beyondeinstein@nas.edu.
Statement of Task
The committee is charged to address the following tasks:
1. Assess the five proposed Beyond Einstein missions (Constellation-X, Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, Joint Dark Energy Mission, Inflation Probe, and Black Hole Finder Probe) and recommend which of these five should be developed and launched first, using a funding wedge that is expected to begin in FY 2009. The criteria for these assessments include:
a. Potential scientific impact within the context of other existing and planned space-based and ground-based missions; and
b. Realism of preliminary technology and management plans, and cost estimates.
2. Assess the Beyond Einstein missions sufficiently so that they can act as input for any future decisions by NASA or the next Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey on the ordering of the remaining missions. This second task element will assist NASA in its investment strategy for future technology development within the Beyond Einstein Program prior to the results of the Decadal Survey.
Town Hall Meetings
Town Hall meetings are being held to invite community input on the study. The Town Halls will include both structured discussions and “open microphone.”
Agenda March 14th, The Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, Maryland
1:30-2:15pm Overview and Status of the NRC Beyond Einstein Program Assessment
2:15-4:30pm Perspectives, Views, and Comments
• What are the most valuable science opportunities of the Beyond Einstein program?
• What are the long-term goals for the science, beyond the science goals of the mission projects; are we opening a new field or resolving existing questions?
• To what degree can ground-based or existing space-based capabilities solve some of these questions?
• What is the degree of precision needed from the measurements to move the science forward?
4:30 Open Microphone
Ground Rules for Interested Participants
• Please register to attend the Town Hall meeting (see details below)
• If interested in speaking about Perspectives, Views, and Comments topics identified for the Town Hall meeting (see above), and provide a one-sentence description of your topic
• Submission of 1/2-1 page abstracts are encouraged
• The NRC will schedule 5-minute oral presentations by registered speakers, as time allows, and will give speaking priority to those who submit abstracts
• Comments should be prepared as oral remarks; the meeting will not include Power Point or View Graph presentations
• The “open microphone” session is open to anyone wishing to make a statement, including those who were registered speakers
• We plan to publish the list of attendees and their institutional affiliations
• Travel expenses and related costs are the responsibilities of all attendees. The NRC will provide snacks and beverages.
To Register by 3/5/07 for the Town Hall Meeting, please go to:
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/isc-registration/public/default.asp?event=65164805 
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