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technologies to be too immature at present for accurate cost and risk assessment, and we therefore
recommend (in Chapter 7) significant investment in technology development this decade so that IXO can
be considered ready for a mission start early next decade. The contribution of instrumentation to the
SPICA mission is a third area where specific technology development funds are needed this decade.
Determining the optimum levels is difficult, but NASA should make an effort to collect and analyze the
appropriate statistics and apply sufficient funds for technology maturation for these recommended
missions.
Mid-term Technology Development
Mid-term technology development represents the path to defining, maturing and ultimately
selecting approaches to realize future scientific goals. In mid-term technology development it is usually
necessary to pursue multiple paths to the same end, since both the detailed scientific requirements and
success of particular technologies remain uncertain. In addition, it is essential to pursue a broad range of
technologies spanning the spectrum to ensure the vitality of competed mission lines, and pave the way for
next-decade missions. The later stages of mid-term development are typically more costly than earlystage
concept demonstration, because they may involve expensive prototypes or significant engineering
efforts to design systems that withstand testing in relevant environments.
The committee identified a number of high priority science areas where mid-term investments are
needed beginning early in the decade. These include development of a variety of technologies for
exoplanet imaging, such as coronagraphs, interferometers and star shades, leading to possible late-decade
downselect. In addition, mid-term investment is needed for systems aimed at detecting the polarization
of the CMB, and for optics and detectors for a future space UV space telescope. Broad-based mid-term
technology development is also crucial to the Explorer program, which selects missions that can be
implemented on short timescales.
Mid-term technology development is primarily funded through NASA’s APRA program, which
was cut considerably in the middle of the last decade. Although APRA funding has been restored
approximately to 80 percent of its 2004 level (in FY2010$), specific science priorities identified by the
committee and its Program Prioritization panels lead us to recommend several mid-term technology
development programs to restore APRA to a level that is matched to the needs of the long-term program.
In Chapter 7 we recommend specific technology programs in exoplanet, CMB, and UV instrumentation.
In addition, we recommend an augmentation to general mid-term development efforts that would ramp up
to by the end of the decade. Suborbital programs (balloons and rockets) are also critical in mid-term
technology development. They both demonstrate scientific potential and test technologies in a space
environment and are recommended in Chapter 7 for an augmentation.
Long-Term Technology Development
Long-term technology development builds the future of the space astrophysics program. It has
become standard to achieve order-of-magnitude or more increases in capability with each generation of
missions, and exciting science breakthroughs that have resulted from this. The only way to advance to
the next capability without an exponential increase in mission costs is to find transformational new
technological solutions. Some of the breakthroughs and advances have come from outside (such as
microelectronics and near-IR detector arrays), but many of the technical needs of astrophysics are unique
to the field, and their development must be supported from within. Examples of truly revolutionary
technologies essential to existing and upcoming astrophysics missions that have been largely or entirely
supported by NASA are X-ray imaging mirrors, X-ray microcalorimeters, and large arrays of
submillimeter detectors. Future needs might include atomic laser gyros for pointing an X-ray
interferometer, lightweight active mirror surfaces, new grating geometries, and novel techniques for
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