6 January 2021
The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has released two draft solicitations for community review and comment: the 2021 Astrophysics Medium Explorer (MIDEX) Announcement of Opportunity (AO) and the 2021 Astrophysics Explorers Missions of Opportunity (APEXMO) Program Element Appendix (PEA) for the Third Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON-3) AO.
The Astrophysics Explorers Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations relevant to SMD's astrophysics programs. Explorer investigations must address NASA’s goals to discover the origin, structure, evolution, and destiny of the Universe and search for Earth-like planets.
Participation is open to all categories of organizations or institutions, U.S. or non-U.S., including educational, industrial, and not-for-profit institutions, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and other Government agencies.
The comment period for both draft solicitations ends on 25 February 2021. Interested parties may address comments on either or both drafts via email only to the Astrophysics Explorers Program Scientist Dr. Patricia M. Knezek at patricia.m.knezek@nasa.gov, with subject line "2021 MIDEX AO," "2021 MO," or both. Responses to comments will be given by email and posted in the MIDEX and MO Q&A sections on the Astrophysics Explorers Program Acquisition websites. Anonymity of persons/institutions who submit comments will be preserved.