What can space resources do for astronomy and planetary science?

Elvis, M.

doi:10.1016/j.spacepol.2016.08.001

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Even the scientific payload could benefit from a mass constraint relaxation. While the optics, sensors and pre-amp electronics must always be state-of-the-art, or the mission is not worth flying, the other payload systems offer major cost savings in a less massconstrained environment [1].…”

Section: Relaxed Mass Constraints On Spacecraft and Science Payload Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On-orbit servicing in LEO has an outstanding proven scientific track record with Hubble. But the cost in the Shuttle era was excessive, and later missions deliberately avoided the possibility to keep run-out costs down [1]. With the advent of commercial crew on-orbit servicing in LEO can come back into the running.…”

Section: Affordable On-orbit Servicing In Leomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The need to have matched spectrum-spanning capabilities operating in parallel for 21 st century astrophysics is a clear example [1]. A program that does not enable this multiwavelength astrophysics is not fulfilling its basic mandate.…”

Section: Scientific Program Requirementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fundamental mis-match between the cost growth rate of astrophysics and planetary science missions (10% -15% [1,2]) and that of the underlying economy (1% -3% [17]) remains large. Eventually we will hit this funding wall.…”

Section: Why Not Ask For More?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The rapid growth of the cost of flagship missions in astrophysics (at about 10%/year adjusting for inflation [1]) and in planetary science (at about 15%/year, [2]) has created a crisis for both fields.…”

Section: Introduction: the Crisis In Astrophysics And Planetary Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

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The Crisis in Space Astrophysics and Planetary Science: How Commercial Space and Program Design Principles will let us Escape

Elvis¹

2017

Proceedings of Frontier Research in Astrophysics – II — PoS(FRAPWS2016)

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Astrophysics from space and planetary science face a slowly emerging crisis. The large missions we need for the next generation of observations cost too much to let us do more than one at a time. This spreads the science out onto a generational timescale, significantly slowing progress in both fields. There are two escape paths. In the long run, but still well within our planning horizon, commercial space will bring launch and, more importantly, spacecraft costs down substantially, allowing parallel missions at multiple wavelengths or to multiple destinations. In the short run, adopting prudent principles for designing a research program will let us maintain vitality in the field by retaining breadth at a modest cost in depth.

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Section: Relaxed Mass Constraints On Spacecraft and Science Payload Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Affordable On-orbit Servicing In Leomentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Scientific Program Requirementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Why Not Ask For More?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introduction: the Crisis In Astrophysics And Planetary Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

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