Special Session: Everything but Exoplanets: The Transformative General Astrophysics of the Habitable Worlds Observatory
Monday, June 15th, 1:00pm – 2:30pm ET, 10:00am -11:30am PT
Highlights from Cosmic Origins Science Interest Groups (SIGs) and Science Analysis Groups (SAGs).
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 10:20am ‑ 10:30am | Spatially Resolved UV Spectroscopy Science Analysis Group in Support of HWO | Emily Witt (JHU) |
| 10:30am ‑ 10:40am | Investigating the NIR Discovery Space of the Habitable Worlds Observatory: Updates from the Red Limit Science Analysis Group | Kyle Cooke (University of Louisville) |
| 10:40am ‑ 10:50am | Opening the OVI Window to Reveal the Diffuse Cosmic Ecosystem with HWO | Sanchayeeta Borthakur (Arizona State University) |
| 11:00am ‑ 11:10am | HWO Science Interest Group: Keeping the Community Connected to HWO | Jessie Christiansen (Caltech/IPAC) |
Splinter Session: NASA’s Big Science, Small Missions
Tuesday, June 16th, 1:00pm – 2:30pm ET, 10:00am -11:30am PT (Hybrid Session)
For remote participation, please look for the “Join the Session” link above the agenda on the Cosmic Origins at AAS website.
Agenda
Organizers: Swara Ravindranath (NASA/GSFC), Emily Witt (JHU)
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00am ‑ 10:05am | Welcome | Swara Ravindranath (NASA/GSFC) |
| 10:05am ‑ 10:15am | FORTIS Sounding Rocket | Emily Witt (JHU) |
| 10:15am ‑ 10:25am | BlackCAT CubeSat | Abe Falcone (Pennsylvania State University) |
| 10:25am ‑ 10:35am | SunRISE CubeSat Constellation | Joseph Lazio (University of Michigan) |
| 10:35am ‑ 10:45am | SPHEREx Medium Explorer Mission | Roberta Paladini (IPAC/Caltech) |
| 10:45am ‑ 10:55am | Landolt Pioneer Mission | Peter Kurczynski (NASA/GSFC) |
| 10:55am ‑ 11:05am | Non-Traditional Path to Missions | Sanchayeeta Borthakur (Arizona State University) |
| 11:05am ‑ 11:10am | BREAK | |
| 11:10am ‑ 11:30am | Panel Discussion | Swara Ravindranath (NASA/GSFC, moderator) Panelists: Drew Miles (Caltech), Pablo Saz Parkinson (NASA HQ), Joseph Lazio (University of Michigan), Abe Falcone (Pennsylvania State University), David Ardila (JPL) |
Special Session: Planning for the Future of Astrophysics and the ASTRA Initiative
Thursday, June 18th, 1:00pm – 2:30pm ET, 10:00am -11:30am PT
No remote participation is available for this special session.
Agenda
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00am ‑ 10:10am | Introduction from the NASA Astrophysics Division Director | Shawn Domagal‑Goldman (NASA HQ) |
| 10:10am ‑ 10:25am | The ASTRA Initiative: Overview& Path Forward | Jessica Gaskin (NASA HQ) |
| 10:25am ‑ 10:40am | Innovation for Astrophysics Workshop: Initial Findings | Kendra Short (JPL) |
| 10:40am ‑ 10:55am | Ad ASTRA Community Science Workshop | Peter Kurczynski (NASA/GSFC) |
| 10:55am ‑ 11:30am | Panel Discussion | Francesca Civano (NASA/GSFC) |
ASTRA Office Hours at Cosmic Origins Exhibit Booth
(June 15 – 17, 2026) at 9am PT
Stop by the AAS / Cosmic Origins Exhibit booth during these times to ask questions about the ASTRA initiative, the September Ad ASTRA workshop, and developing new strategic mission concepts for astrophysics. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9 am PT (Peter Kurczynski)
Best regards,
Swara Ravindranath
American Astronomical Society
The 248th Meeting of the AAS
The 248th AAS meeting (joint with the High Energy Astrophysics and the Laboratory Astrophysics Divisions) will be held 14-18 June 2026 in Pasadena, California.
