9 September 2022
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has released a draft text for community review and comment, titled “Draft Announcement of Opportunity (AO): 2023 Astrophysics Probe Explorer (APEX).” To find the full draft text visit the AO’s page on NSPIRES.
The National Academies’ 2020 Decadal Survey in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s recommends probe missions to be competed in broad areas identified as important to accomplish the Survey’s scientific goals. Responses to the Astrophysics Probe Explorer Draft AO will be limited to one of the two mission themes recommended by the Decadal Survey for the coming decade:
Proposals must be responsive to the preponderance of the mission theme's objectives as provided in Sections 7.5.3.2 through 7.5.3.4 of the Decadal Survey.
Please address comments or questions on the draft AO only via email to the APEX Lead Program Scientist: Dr. Patricia M. Knezek (subject line to read "APEX DRAFT AO”) at: patricia.m.knezek@nasa.gov. Responses to individual comments may be given by email or posted in the Q&As (Questions and Answers) section of the Astrophysics Explorers Program Acquisition website. Anonymity of persons or institutions submitting questions will be preserved. The comment period for the draft AO ends on 29 September 2022.