FUTURE OF SPACE ASTRONOMY: THE END OF THE DARK AGES?

摘要

The COSPAR President on April 20, 2010 appointed the Future of Space Astronomy Working Group under the aegis of Commission E, with the aim to analyse the situation of space astronomy over the next two decades and recommend ways to improve the prospects. Having assessed the scientic needs and the current plans of the main space agencies worldwide, the WG initially identied some major concerns about the lack of a secured future for Space Astronomy. Two years after the publication of the COSPAR WG results and road map the outlook for the next 20 years is less negative while a number of important astrophysical programs are now secured. Among them the L1 and L2 ESA Large satellites and the NASA JWST, complemented by several medium and small size world-class missions. Very recently, a new endeavour is started between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Science to realize in partnership a joint scientific space mission.