Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the - Solar System ...

alanced ground-based solar astronomy program that maintains multidisciplinary ties.”
Many important advances in planetary research have come from access to private facilities such
as the Keck, Magellan, and MMT observatories via NSF’s Telescope System Instrumentation Program.
The ground-based observational facilities supported wholly or in part by NSF are essential to
planetary astronomical observations, both in support of active space missions and in studies
independent of (or as follow up to) such missions. Their continued support is critical to the
advancement of planetary science.
One of the future NSF-funded facilities most important to planetary science is the Large Synoptic
Survey Telescope (LSST). 8 LSST will discover many small bodies in the solar system, some of which
will require follow-up observations for the study of their physical properties. Some of these bodies are
likely to be attractive candidates for future spacecraft missions. The committee encourages the timely
completion of LSST, and stresses the importance of its contributions to planetary science, as well as
astrophysics, once telescope operations begin.
With apertures of 30 meters and larger, extremely large telescopes (ELTs) will play a significant
future role in planetary science. International efforts for ELT development are proceeding rapidly, with at
least three such telescopes in planning stages: the Giant Magellan Telescope, the Thirty-Meter Telescope,
and the European Extremely Large Telescope. The committee does not provide specific guidance to
NSF on this issue. It endorses the recommendations and support for these facilities made by the
2010 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey and encourages NSF to continue to invest in the
development of ELTs and to seek partnerships to ensure that at least one such facility comes to
fruition with some public access. The committee believes that it is essential that the design of ELTs
accommodate the requirements of planetary science to acquire and observe targets that are
moving, extended, and/or bright, and that the needs of planetary mission planning be considered in
awarding and scheduling public time for ELTs.
Laboratory Studies and Facilities for Planetary Science
In order to maximize the scientific return from NSF-funded ground-based observations and
NASA space missions alike, materials and processes must be studied in the laboratory. Laboratory data
supporting planetary science activities include development of large spectroscopic databases for gases and
solid over a wide range of wavelengths, including derivation of optical constants for solid materials,
laboratory simulations of aerosol physics and chemistry, and measurements of thermophysical properties
of planetary materials. Planetary science intersects with many areas of astrophysics that receive NSF
funding for laboratory investigations. Although laboratory research costs a fraction of missions, in most
areas it receives insufficient support, with the result that existing infrastructure is often not state of the art
and required upgrades cannot be made. NSF can make a huge impact on planetary science by supporting
this vital area of research. The committee recommends expansion of NSF funding for the support of
planetary science in existing laboratories, and the establishment of new laboratories as needs
develop. Areas of high priority for support include the following:
• Development and maintenance of spectral reference libraries for atmospheric and surface
composition studies, extending from X-ray to mm wavelengths;
• Laboratory measurements of thermophysical properties of materials over the range of
conditions relevant to planetary objects;
• Investment in laboratory infrastructure and support for laboratory spectroscopy (experimental
and theoretical), perhaps through a network of general user laboratory facilities; and
• Investigations of the physics and chemistry of aerosols in planetary atmospheres through
laboratory simulations.
The ties between planetary science and laboratory astrophysics will continue to strengthen and
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