The workshop will take place in Baxter Lecture Hall on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, California
Location
Pasadena, California
& Virtual
Dates
1-3 September 2026
Community
Physics of the Cosmos
Type
Workshop
The Community Science (Ad ASTRA) Workshop is organized by the NASA Astrophysics Division to engage the community in defining future large, strategic astrophysics missions. Structured over three thematic days—Science, Capabilities, and Missions—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 input. The outcomes of the workshop will help NASA prioritize mission concepts and shape a balanced, forward-looking astrophysics portfolio.
This workshop is organized by the NASA Astrophysics Program Offices in partnership with the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC).
Important Dates:
- Registration opens: March 31, 2026
- Abstract deadline: June 24, 2026
- Contributed talks/posters selection: July 1, 2026
- Deadline for in-person registration: August 15, 2026
- Deadline for virtual registration: August 31, 2026
Session Connection: Join the Session
Day 1 Science
| Time | Topic | Speakers | Presentations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30am | Introduction to ASTRA | Shawn Domagal-Goldman, APD Director | |
| 9:00am | Plan for the Workshop: Deliverables and Mandate (Day 1 focus) | Jessica Gaskin, APD AD for Concept and Tech Development | |
| 9:20am | How did we get here: PhysPAG | Manel Errando, PhysPAG EC chair | |
| 9:40am | How did we get here: COPAG | Shouleh Nikzad, COPAG EC Chair | |
| 10:00am | How did we get here: EXOPAG | Ian Crossfield, ExoPAG EC Chair | |
| 10:20am | Morning Break | ||
| 11:00am | Pressing Science Questions for Space Missions in the 2030s and Beyond Parallel Breakout Sessions: -Compact Objects and Energetic Phenomena -Cosmology -Galaxies -Exoplanets & Astrobiology -Stars and Stellar Populations | Contributed presentations from community members (TBA after abstract selection) | |
| 12:30pm | Lunch | ||
| Afternoon | |||
| 2:00pm | Pressing Science Questions for Space Missions in the 2030s and Beyond Parallel Breakout Sessions: -Compact Objects and Energetic Phenomena -Cosmology -Galaxies -Exoplanets & Astrobiology -Stars and Stellar Populations | Contributed presentations from community members (TBA after abstract selection) | |
| 3:30pm | Afternoon Break | ||
| 4:00pm | Synthesis Panel on Pressing Science Questions for Space Missions in the 2030s and Beyond | Breakout Session Moderators | |
| 5:00pm | Evening Reception | ||
| 7:00pm | End of Day 1 |
Day 2 Capabilities
Session Connection: Join the Session
| Time | Topic | Speakers | Presentations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00am | Plan for the Workshop: Deliverables and Mandate (Day 2 focus) | EC PAG Chairs | |
| 9:10am | Innovation Workshop Summary | Innovation Workshop SOC speaker | |
| 9:50am | NASA Strategic Technology Gaps | Chief Technologist from PAGs | |
| 10:10am | Morning Break | ||
| 10:40am | Emerging Technologies (session) | Presentations from community/industry members (TBA) | |
| 12:30pm | Lunch | ||
| Afternoon | |||
| 2:00pm | Astrophysics Technology: Capabilities Needed Parallel Breakout Sessions: What are the capabilities needed (software and hardware, platform, location) relevant to the ASTRA submitted mission concepts? -Breakout categories TBD | Contributed presentations from community members (TBA after abstract selection) | |
| 4:00pm | Afternoon Break | ||
| 4:45pm | Synthesis panel to summarize the breakout sessions on capabilities | Breakout Session Moderators | |
| 5:45pm | End of Day 2 |
Day 3 Wrap UP
Session Connection: Join the Session
| Time | Topic | Speakers | Presentations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00am | Plan for the workshop: Deliverables and Mandate (Day 3 focus) | EC PAG Chairs | |
| 9:10am | Beyond the Selection: The Path Forward | Jessica Gaskin, APD AD for Concept and Tech Development | |
| 9:50am | Workshop synthesis 1: Key Science Questions for the 2030s and Beyond | TBA | |
| 10:50am | Morning Break | ||
| 11:20am | Workshop synthesis 2: Key Technology Capabilities for the 2030s and Beyond | TBA | |
| 12:20pm | Lunch | ||
| Afternoon | |||
| 2:00pm | Building the Future: Community consensus on Science, Capabilities, and Missions for the next decades | TBA | |
| 3:30pm | Closing Remarks | TBA | |
| 4:00pm | End of Day 3 |
Selected Abstracts
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