PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER - SPECIAL EDITION Volume 5, Number 40 (September 8, 2011) PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org Editor: Susan Benecchi Co-Editors: Melissa Lane, Mark Sykes Email: pen_editor at psi.edu o---------------------------SPECIAL EDITION---------------------------o EDITORIAL: JWST THREATENS PLANETARY SCIENCE The recently released NRC Planetary Decadal Survey ("Visions and Voyages"), with input from the planetary community, detailed specific priorities for the next decade of solar system exploration. This carefully laid out plan is under threat from cost overruns by the NASA James Webb Space Telescope. The NRC Planetary Decadal Survey did not cite JWST as a priority for planetary science. JWST has, however, been a priority in the NRC Astrophysics Decadal Surveys. When JWST was ranked as the top major initiative for NASA astrophysics in the 2001 NRC Astronomy Decadal Survey, it was estimated to cost $1B and launch by 2011. NASA has now spent $3.5B on JWST and it is now projected to cost a minimum of $8.7B for a launch no earlier than late 2018. As a result, JWST's cost increases have outstripped the resources of the NASA Science Mission Directorate's Astrophysics Division, and NASA leadership has now declared JWST an "agency priority." Resources of other NASA programs, including the Agency's Planetary Sciences Division within the Science Mission Directorate, are now threatened to cover current and future JWST cost overruns. Citing these overruns, the House zeroed out JWST from NASA's 2012 budget. We believe it is time to have an open debate on JWST and its value across all targeted communities, from planetary, Earth science, and heliophysics to human spaceflight. Congress needs to be informed about the impact of the choices facing it. We individually and together reject the premise that JWST must be restored at all costs. We further stand by the following positions: (1) There are important national priorities in space beyond the goals of JWST that as a country we cannot afford to sacrifice. (2) If Congress believes JWST is so important that it must be restored, then Congress should commit to adding funds to the NASA budget sufficient to cover JWST's expenses from here forward, recognizing that it may well cost more than $8.7B. (3) Without additional funds to NASA, JWST should not be restored unless and until an open science community assessment is made of the value of what will be gained and what will be lost across the entire NASA science portfolio. (4) If Congress cancels JWST, it is important to preserve the NASA astrophysics budget and mandate the formulation of a plan to retain US astrophysics leadership. Signed, Mark V. Sykes CEO, Planetary Science Institute Former Chair, Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Michael F. A'Hearn Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland Former Chair, Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society Principal Investigator, NASA Deep Impact Mission Principal Investigator, NASA EPOXI Mission Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Raymond E. Arvidson James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Washington University Former Chair, Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America Former President, Planetary Section of the American Geophysical Union Fellow, Geological Society of America Fellow, American Geophysical Union Jayne C. Aubele Museum Adult Programs Educator/Geologist, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Former Chair, Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America Fellow, Geological Society of America Reta Beebe College Professor, New Mexico State University Former Chair, Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society Michael J. S. Belton President, Belton Space Exploration Initiatives, LLC. Former Chair, Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society Former Chair, NRC 2003-2013 Planetary Decadal Survey Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Larry S. Crumpler Research Curator, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Former Chair, Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America Fellow, Geological Society of America Bruce Hapke Professor Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh Former Chair, Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society Fellow, American Geophysical Union Stephen Mackwell Director, Lunar and Planetary Institute Fellow, American Geophysical Union Thomas B. McCord Director, Bear Fight Institute Professor Emeritus, University of Hawaii Former Chair, Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society Former President, Planetary Section of the American Geophysical Union Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, American Geophysical Union Harry Y. (Hap) McSween Chancellor's Professor, University of Tennessee Former Chair, Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America Former President, Meteoritical Society Fellow, Meteoritical Society Fellow, American Geophysical Union Fellow, Geological Society of America Clive Neal Professor, University of Notre Dame Former Chair, NASA Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Tom Pierson CEO, SETI Institute Fellow, Geological Society of America Louise Prockter JHU Applied Physics Laboratory Former Chair, Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America Fellow, Geological Society of America S. Alan Stern Former Associate Administrator, NASA Science Mission Directorate Former Vice-Chair, Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society Faith Vilas Project Scientist, Atsa Suborbital Observatory Former Director, MMT Observatory Former Chair, Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society David A. Williams Faculty Research Associate, Arizona State University Chair, Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America Michael E. Zolensky Curator, Stratospheric Dust, NASA Johnson Space Center Fellow, Meteoritical Society Fellow, Mineralogical Society of America Note: You are invited to send comments to discussion@psi.edu and indicate whether you support this position and an open discussion of JWST and its value/cost to planetary science. *********************************************************************** * The Planetary Exploration Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. * Current and back issues are available at http://planetarynews.org * * To subscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_subscribe.html * * To unsubscribe, go to http://planetarynews.org/pen_unsubscribe.html * * Please send all replies and submissions to pen_editor at psi.edu. * Announcements and other messages should be brief with links to URLs * for extended information, including detailed descriptions for job * announcements. Title plus text is limited to 200 words. 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