LRPIC report to CASCA board May 2018 The core members and observers remain as in our December 2017 report. We expect the usual observer rotation as the CASCA presidency changes. We also note that the membership listing on the CASCA website needs updating. LRPIC may be contacted by email at casca-lrpic@lists.casca.ca, which is kept current. We also remind CASCA members of the LRPIC-discuss address (lrpic-discuss@lists.casca.ca) for open discussions. The chair attended the ACURA telecon meeting in January and discussed the activities reported in our December 2017 CASCA report. The committee continues with monthly telecons, and ongoing email exchanges as needed. We are currently in discussion with CASCA on the details of the lunch-hour meetings for CASCA, where the overall LRP status will be covered, as well as a look ahead to LRP 2020. LRPIC will also meet at CASCA, and have attendance at the JCSA and ACURA meetings, as usual. The LRPIC chair has been officially added as an observer to JCSA meetings and discussions. The TMT and SKA projects have separate reports, and are also noted in the GAC report. LRPIC is involved and informed as these develop but we refer you to those reports for details. As MSE moves forward, we are concerned that Canada have an official sponsoring body, as NRC currently is unable to sign the SOU in the absence of any funding commitment. It has been proposed that ACURA be asked to step up, and add this project to their ongoing support and attention for TMT and SKA. CFI appears to be a possible source of funding the Canadian share. LRPIC chair will report to ACURA and include this message on May 27. We note the potential for overlapping funding needs for three major LRP projects in the near future: TMT, SKA, and MSE. While timescales, amounts, and schedules are uncertain, it is important to note that these are all of high priority in the overall balance of the LRP, and should not be viewed as alternatives. The spending for these projects will spread over a number of years, and there are different avenues of funding that may apply to each of them. LRPIC, along with industry, the SAB, the Globe and Mail, and other stakeholders, is concerned that the federal budget contained no reference (or funding) relating to the lack of a CSA space science program. We are of course pleased at the other aspects of science support in the budget. The committee has noted the advertised posting for a science advisor to the CSA president (along with speculation as to the politics behind it). We have encouraged a number of suitable members of the astronomy community to apply, and look forward to whatever insights emerge. CSA expect the selection will be by late June. There have been recent interventions regarding space initiatives to the science ministries, including a letter from Nobel prize-winner Art McDonald. The recent announcement that CSA cannot fund the anticipated partnership in WFIRST, is a dramatic illustration of the problem. The SAB have been alerted and will meet with the minister Bains in May, and the Coalition has a meeting with Bains' office in June, so we hope these are opportinities for progress. We note progress with a CASTOR Science Maturation Study, that involves collaboration with substantial groups in JPL and IIA, India. Canada stands to play an important part in SPICA, which is now one of 3 projects competing for the next M5 ESA mission. Canada is involved in other studies and proposals for interntaional space missions of great promise, making long-term funding commitments our principal need. The situation thus continues to be worrying, highly veiled, and lacking in scientific involvement in CSA's decision-making. LRPIC has encouraged workshops on OIR and space astronomy as LRP2020 approaches. The idea is to host meetings similar to the radio astronomy one held at McGill in September 2017. CSA has expressed willingness to host the space astronomy meeting, but no arrangements are yet in place for either. We will continue to push for these, and to be involved. LRPIC has also followed and discussed progress and issues with ngVLA, CCAT', JCMT, Athena, XARM, LiteBIRD, Ultrasat, Astrosat, and JWST, and are well prepared to particpate in defining the way forward for LRP2020. Cheers from the LRPICers