By / par John Hutchings (Chair, LRPIC)
(Cassiopeia – Spring / printemps 2020)
LRPIC and observers continue to meet regularly. We follow ongoing LRP issues, and keep in touch with the LRP2020 panel, ACURA, and Coalition activities. Our invited report submitted in September reviews the decade, and we have provided more detailed feedback to the LRP2020 panel. It this context, we note LRP2010 and MTR2015 priorities still face significant challenges that will extend well into the next decade. These include:
- TMT and MaunaKea site issues.
- CFHT and MSE futures.
- CFI requests for several future projects (MSE, CCAT-prime, EELT instrument, LSST)
- SKA membership and construction funding.
- CSA failure to commit to new missions, despite years of studies. Lack of space science policy and process.
- Overall lack of coherent funding process for major science.
- Ways to participate in ngVLA
We note significant evolution over the decade in:
Facilities
ngVLA, Hitomi, XRISM, Athena
MSE and partnership, CCAT -> CCAT-prime
CASTOR partnerships, LiteBIRD
CSA studies and proposals SPICA, Colibri, EPPE, POEP
Operating NEOSSAT for astronomy
CFHT, Subaru, Gemini, LSST partnerships
Science
Exoplanet science; FRBs and Pulsars (CHIME); GW events
The table below summarizes the status of current LRP facilities.
