New Concepts for Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Space Astronomy

Book excerpt: The "Second Workshop on New Concepts for Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Space Astronomy" aimed to highlight the groundbreaking opportunities available for astronomical investigations in the far-infrared to submillimeter using advanced, space-based telescopes. The National Research Council's Decade Report, "Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium," assigned a high priority to a Single Aperture Far-Infrared (SAFIR) observatory and encouraged the subsequent development of space-based far-infrared interferometry. With community guidance from the Origins and Structure and Evolution of the Universe Subcommittees of the Space Science Advisory Committee, NASA recently incorporated SAFIR and a kilometer maximum baseline far-IR interferometer into the Space Science roadmap. The interferometer is widely known as SPECS, the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure. An important outcome of this workshop was the development of a "Community Plan for Far-IR/Submillimeter Space Astronomy". The name "Community Plan" was adopted because this paper gives the consensus view of the workshop participants. The Community Plan addresses practical considerations, such as the tradeoffs associated with alternative mission designs and the flowdown from scientific objectives to measurement requirements, engineering requirements, and technology needs. It recommends an implementation strategy for technology development and validation, and recommends specific science and technology pathfinder missions that would pave the way for the "roadmap missions" SAFIR and SPECS. The community plan concludes by saying: "The time is right to place SAFIR on the NASA plan as one of the successors of SIRTF and JWST, to set our sights on a longbaseline far-infrared/submillimeter interferometric imaging telescope, to further develop far-infrared/submillimeter single-aperture and interferometric mission concepts, and to invest strategically in the technology that will enable future far-infrared/submillimeter missions. Supporting studies and smaller mission opportunities should be actively pursued."