Join Us at the 248th AAS Meeting in Pasadena, 14 - 18 June, 2026
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 AAS meeting (joint with the High Energy Astrophysics and the Laboratory Astrophysics Divisions) will be held 14-18 June 2026 in Pasadena, California.
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