    [House Hearing, 114 Congress]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                            ASTRONOMY, ASTROPHYSICS,
                                AND ASTROBIOLOGY

    =======================================================================

                                  JOINT HEARING

                                   BEFORE THE

                            SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE &
                    SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

                  COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                        ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 SECOND SESSION

                                   __________

                                 July 12, 2016

                                   __________

                               Serial No. 114-87

                                   __________

     Printed for the use of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

     [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

           Available via the World Wide Web: http://science.house.gov

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                 COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY

                       HON. LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas, Chair
    FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma             EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas
    F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR.,         ZOE LOFGREN, California
        Wisconsin                        DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois
    DANA ROHRABACHER, California         DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland
    RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas              SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon
    MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas             ERIC SWALWELL, California
    MO BROOKS, Alabama                   ALAN GRAYSON, Florida
    RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois             AMI BERA, California
    BILL POSEY, Florida                  ELIZABETH H. ESTY, Connecticut
    THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky              MARC A. VEASEY, Texas
    JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma            KATHERINE M. CLARK, Massachusetts
    RANDY K. WEBER, Texas                DONALD S. BEYER, JR., Virginia
    JOHN R. MOOLENAAR, Michigan          ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado
    STEPHEN KNIGHT, California           PAUL TONKO, New York
    BRIAN BABIN, Texas                   MARK TAKANO, California
    BRUCE WESTERMAN, Arkansas            BILL FOSTER, Illinois
    BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia
    GARY PALMER, Alabama
    BARRY LOUDERMILK, Georgia
    RALPH LEE ABRAHAM, Louisiana
    DRAIN LAHOOD, Illinois
    WARREN DAVIDSON, Ohio
                                     ------

                             Subcommittee on Space

                         HON. BRIAN BABIN, Texas, Chair
    DANA ROHRABACHER, California         DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland
    FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma             AMI BERA, California
    MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas             ZOE LOFGREN, California
    MO BROOKS, Alabama                   ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado
    BILL POSEY, Florida                  MARC A. VEASEY, Texas
    JIM BRIDENSTINE, Oklahoma            DONALD S. BEYER, JR., Virginia
    STEVE KNIGHT, California             EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas
    WARREN DAVIDSON, Ohio
    LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas
                                     ------

                    Subcommittee on Research and Technology

                     HON. BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia, Chair
    FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma             DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois
    MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas             ELIZABETH H. ESTY, Connecticut
    RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois             KATHERINE M. CLARK, Massachusetts
    JOHN R. MOOLENAAR, Michigan          PAUL TONKO, New York
    BRUCE WESTERMAN, Arkansas            SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon
    GARY PALMER, Alabama                 ERIC SWALWELL, California
    RALPH LEE ABRAHAM, Louisiana         EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas
    DARIN LaHOOD, Illinois
    LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas
                                C O N T E N T S

                                 July 12, 2016

                                                                       Page
    Witness List.....................................................     2

    Hearing Charter..................................................     3

                               Opening Statements

    Statement by Representative Brian Babin, Chairman, Subcommittee
      on Space, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S.
      House of Representatives.......................................     4
        Written Statement............................................     6

    Statement by Representative Donna F. Edwards, Ranking Minority
      Member, Subcommittee on Space, Committee on Science, Space, and
      Technology, U.S. House of Representatives......................     8
        Written Statement............................................    10

    Statement by Representative Barbara Comstock, Chairwoman,
      Subcommittee on Research and Technology, Committee on Science,
      Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives...........    12
        Written Statement............................................    14

    Statement by Representative Lamar S. Smith, Chairman, Committee
      on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of
      Representatives................................................    16
        Written Statement............................................    17

    Written statement submitted by Representative Eddie Bernice
      Johnson, Ranking Member, Committee on Science, Space, and
      Technology, U.S. House of Representatives......................    20

                                   Witnesses:

    Dr. Paul Hertz, Director, Astrophysics Division, NASA
        Oral Statement...............................................    23
        Written Statement............................................    25

    Dr. Jim Ulvestad, Director, Division of Astronomical Sciences,
      NSF
        Oral Statement...............................................    31
        Written Statement............................................    33

    Dr. Angela Olinto, Chair, Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory
      Committee (AAAC), and Homer J. Livingston Professor, Department
      of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Enrico Fermi Institute,
      University of Chicago
        Oral Statement...............................................    39
        Written Statement............................................    41

    Dr. Shelly Wright, Assistant Professor, University of California,
      San Diego, Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences,
      Breakthrough Listen Advisory Committee
        Oral Statement...............................................    48
        Written Statement............................................    50

    Dr. Christine Jones, Senior Astrophysicist, Smithsonian
      Astrophysical Observatory,President, American Astronomical
      Society
        Oral Statement...............................................    59
        Written Statement............................................    61

    Discussion.......................................................    73

                 Appendix I: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions

    Dr. Paul Hertz, Director, Astrophysics Division, NASA............    94

    Dr. Jim Ulvestad, Director, Division of Astronomical Sciences,
      NSF............................................................   115

    Dr. Angela Olinto, Chair, Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory
      Committee (AAAC), and Homer J. Livingston Professor, Department
      of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Enrico Fermi Institute,
      University of Chicago..........................................   134

    Dr. Shelly Wright, Assistant Professor, University of California,
      San Diego, Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences,
      Breakthrough Listen Advisory Committee.........................   139

    Dr. Christine Jones, Senior Astrophysicist, Smithsonian
      Astrophysical Observatory, President, American Astronomical
      Society........................................................   144

                Appendix II: Additional Material for the Record

    Documents submitted by Representative Brian Babin, Chairman,
      Subcommittee on Space, Committee on Science, Space, and
      Technology, U.S. House of Representatives......................   156

                            ASTRONOMY, ASTROPHYSICS,
                                AND ASTROBIOLOGY

                                  ----------

                             TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016

                      House of Representatives,
                                Subcommittee on Space &
               Subcommittee on Research and Technology,
                   Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
                                                       Washington, D.C.

        The subcommittees met, pursuant to call, at 10:11 a.m., in
    Room 2318, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Brian Babin
    [Chairman of the Subcommittee on Space] presiding.
    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Babin. The Subcommittees on Space and Research and
    Technology will come to order. Without objection, the Chair is
    authorized to declare recesses of the subcommittees at any
    time.
        Welcome to today's hearing entitled ``Astronomy,
    Astrophysics, and Astrobiology.'' And now, I recognize myself
    for five minutes for an opening statement.
        The science of astronomy, astrophysics, and astrobiology
    expands mankind's understanding of the universe. It seeks to
    answer fundamental questions as to the nature of our universe,
    our place within it, and whether there is life beyond Earth.
        NASA has a long history of space-based astrophysics and
    astronomical science. Since the 1960s, NASA has operated space-
    based observatories. Among the most famous of these are the
    Hubble Space Telescope, which has produced some of the clearest
    images of the universe to date. The Hubble Space Telescope
    became the first of NASA's four Great Observatories, which
    aimed to observe the universe over the entire electromagnetic
    spectrum and would go on to include the Compton Gamma Ray
    Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer
    Space Telescope.
        Looking to the future, the James Webb Space Telescope or
    JWST is set to launch in 2018. This will be the most powerful
    space-based observatory to date and will be used to search for
    planets outside of our solar system that could harbor life.
        In my own district at Johnson Space Center, in Houston,
    NASA's historic Chamber A thermal vacuum testing chamber will
    be used for end-to-end testing of JWST's optics in a simulated
    cryo-temperature and vacuum space environment. I'm proud to
    represent the hardworking men and women at the Johnson Space
    Center who have contributed and are contributing to JWST, our
    nation's next great space-based observatory.
        In fiscal year 2016, NASA was appropriated approximately
    $1.35 billion for astrophysics and astronomy. This investment
    of our tax dollars funds the operation and development of
    NASA's space-based observatories and the science that's it's
    produced. And while I believe that this is a worthwhile
    investment, I also have an obligation to ensure NASA's programs
    are administered wisely.
        To that end, this Committee continues to closely monitor
    major NASA programs such as JWST and the Transiting Exoplanet
    Survey Satellite or TESS. As JWST and TESS progress through the
    critical integration and testing phase this year and next, I
    expect regular updates from NASA on progress made and the
    information about any potential issues well in advance.
        The science priorities for NASA's astronomy and
    astrophysics activities are strongly informed by the National
    Academy of Sciences' decadal surveys. The priorities selected
    for the decade of 2012 to 2021, as outlined in the New Worlds,
    New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics decadal survey, were
    to search for the first celestial bodies created in the
    universe and seek out nearby Earth-like planets suitable for
    habitation, and advance our understanding of astrophysics and
    the laws by which the universe operates. We are roughly halfway
    into the prescribed decadal and look forward to hearing about
    the progress we've made toward achieving these very goals.
        Since the 2012 decadal, there have also been numerous
    scientific achievements that continue to inform NASA's
    astrophysics and astronomy programs. Perhaps one of the most
    remarkable achievements of the last several years is the
    discovery of Earth-like exoplanets orbiting distant suns. A
    little over two decades ago, the only planets known to mankind
    were those within our solar system. In the past decade,
    scientists have confirmed the existence of nearly 3,000
    exoplanets throughout the universe, with at least eight of
    these exoplanets being roughly the size of Earth and residing
    in a habitable range of their stars.
        This hearing also allows us an opportunity to inform the
    next decadal survey for astronomy and astrophysics for which
    NASA has already initiated studies. Outside organizations have
    already begun to discuss possibilities as well. And with the
    aforementioned discoveries of exoplanets and the likely
    operation of JWST in the coming years, there appears to be many
    areas ripe for future investigations.
        It is also important to acknowledge the numerous scientific
    contributions made by private citizens, amateur astronomers,
    and non-government organizations. Citizen scientists conduct
    observations and analysis of vast astronomical data sets. This
    is a good thing because citizen science enhances public
    engagement and helps inspire the next generation of young
    students to pursue careers in astronomy, astrophysics, and
    astrobiology.
        I want to thank today's witnesses for joining us as we
    discuss these very important issues, and I look forward to
    hearing each of your testimonies.
        [The prepared statement of Chairman Babin follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Babin. And now, before I recognize the Ranking
    Member, I would like to ask unanimous consent to enter into the
    record two letters relevant to the hearing submitted by the
    Association of Universities for Research and Astronomy and the
    Arecibo Science Advocacy Partnership. Without objection, I so
    order.
        [The information appears in Appendix II]
        Chairman Babin. Now, I recognize the Ranking Member, the
    gentlewoman from Maryland, for an opening statement.
        Ms. Edwards. Thank you very much. Good morning, Mr.
    Chairman. I appreciate that you're holding this hearing this
    morning on astronomy, astrophysics, and astrobiology. I want to
    also welcome our distinguished panel of witnesses this morning,
    and I apologize for our delay.
        You know, throughout human history we've looked to the
    stars to measure the passage of time, to navigate our ships,
    and to decide when to plant our crops. While the study of the
    night sky has practical benefits to society, its real value is
    far less tangible but not less important. Astronomy opens our
    eyes. It offers a new way to look at the world. And when
    Copernicus discovered that the Earth orbits the sun, it started
    a revolution. And when astronomers discovered that stars are
    made of the same elements as we are, it deepened our connection
    to stars and galaxies that are unimaginably far away.
        The recent explosion in exoplanet discoveries has brought
    us closer to finding out if life is common or rare throughout
    the universe. Many fundamental questions remain, and it's our
    job to ensure that scientists have the tools they need to
    address them.
        In February this Committee held a hearing to celebrate and
    learn more about the first-ever detection of gravitational
    waves. If we learned anything, it's that investing in science,
    even when there is no foreseeable concrete benefit to society,
    does indeed pay off. Large telescopes like the James Webb Space
    Telescope and Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, the Large
    Synoptic Survey Telescope, are critical to the next generation
    of astronomers.
        We often express our support for science, engineering,
    technology and math education, but those efforts are wasted if
    we don't make decisions now to ensure the development of
    researchers, facilities, and missions that will enable them to
    do their work. Astronomical discoveries resonate with the basic
    human drive to understand our surroundings. The awe they
    inspire is perhaps the reason that astronomy is one of the most
    accessible fields of science to the general public. Astronomy
    serves as a gateway for students who may not otherwise enter a
    science discipline. And every year nearly 400 students receive
    bachelor's degrees in astronomy. Many students who start out
    studying astronomy go on to pursue careers in medicine,
    engineering, and data science.
        In addition to attracting more students to study science,
    astronomy inspires members of the public to pay attention and
    even to participate in astronomy. The Hubble Space Telescope
    made a huge impact on the public's engagement in astronomy. It
    is often called ``the people's telescope'' because its
    beautiful images brought the awe-inspiring sights of the cosmos
    into classrooms and living rooms around the world.
        Citizen science has deep roots in astronomy. Amateur
    astronomers have discovered supernova, comets, and asteroids
    and even exoplanets. With the advent of the Internet, an even
    broader group of the public is now able to contribute to
    research efforts led by the astronomy community.
        This morning's hearing will give us a chance to discuss the
    compelling questions astronomers have dedicated their careers
    to answering, as well as the programs, facilities, and missions
    that are necessary to enable their investigation into those
    questions.
        We live in an era of multi-messenger astronomy. We can see
    the universe with light, with particles, and now with
    gravitational waves. And as we look ahead, we must acknowledge
    that the measurements that are required to advance future
    astronomical investigations are rapidly evolving. We need to
    plan ahead to ensure that development of cutting-edge detectors
    and analysis software keeps pace with the needs of scientists.
        We have the chance to speak to the leaders of the astronomy
    community today and to find out where astronomy is going. And
    one thing is clear. We in Congress need to provide the
    resources needed to ensure that all areas of science, including
    astronomy, can continue to carry out groundbreaking discoveries
    in the years to come.
        And again, I'd like to thank our witnesses for being here,
    and I look forward to your testimony.
        And I also want to acknowledge by my side today are staff
    Sara Barber who is a fellow with us and has about six weeks,
    and I told her how lucky she was that, as an astronomer, she
    gets to be at this hearing.
        And so thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Edwards follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Babin. Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
        I'd like to recognize one of my interns out there, a
    student from Texas A&M University from my hometown of
    Woodville, Texas, and that's Miss Sarah Reese. Good to have
    you, Sarah.
        Ms. Edwards. Both Sarahs.
        Chairman Babin. That's right.
        Now, I'd like to introduce the Chairwoman on the
    Subcommittee on Research and Technology, Mrs. Comstock, the
    gentlewoman from Virginia.
        Mrs. Comstock. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I also welcome
    your A&M student. I have family down in Bryan, Texas, so a
    great university there.
        Since 2000, seven of the eight people to receive Nobel
    Prizes for astrophysics work have been American scientists. The
    United States has had tremendous achievements in astrophysics
    and astrobiology research. Taxpayer-supported grants from the
    National Science Foundation fund much of this groundbreaking
    research. In fiscal year 2016, NSF will spend over $246 million
    to support the astronomical sciences. That money goes toward an
    incredible variety of projects, from funding facilities like
    the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, to small research
    grants given to faculty and students at universities around the
    country.
        It has been a productive year for federally funded
    astrophysics research. The biggest achievement was the
    detection of gravitational waves at the LIGO Observatory, this
    past September, proving part of Einstein's theory of
    relativity. Just a couple of weeks ago, LIGO announced a second
    discovery. This amazing project was able to detect ripples in
    space-time caused by a collision of black holes 1.3 billion
    light years away from fields in Washington and Louisiana. LIGO
    and its predecessors have been funded by NSF for over 30 years,
    and its top scientists will almost certainly receive a Nobel
    Prize.
        Some of NSF's most interesting astronomy projects are still
    in the works. The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, or LSST,
    will produce an incredibly detailed picture of the full night
    sky every three nights for a decade. It will make its findings
    available to the public as it goes along, resulting in the
    world's largest public data set. And I think this is
    particularly exciting when you look at all these projects and
    how the public can participate, how all of our online capacity
    can bring this into every classroom, every part of the country,
    really every part of the world, wherever there might be some
    kind of device that can view it on and interact. And that's a
    really exciting aspect of it.
        The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope is another important
    upcoming project. Scheduled to start operating in 2018 in
    Hawaii, it will produce the most detailed images of the sun
    ever by a ground-based device. NSF-funded astronomy programs
    are among the largest sources of international collaboration
    for American scientists. In particular, the Gemini Observatory
    and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array are multinational
    projects which each involve at least five nations and would not
    be possible for any of them to accomplish individually.
        Still, NSF's astronomy program faces questions going
    forward. The Arecibo Observatory, long one of the premier sites
    it funds in Puerto Rico, is nearing the end of its lifecycle.
    NSF needs to decide what it will do with the facility, which
    many in the scientific community believe can still contribute
    to furthering scientific discoveries and providing education
    opportunities.
        It is in our nation's best interest to continue our
    commitment to researching the fundamental nature of the
    universe. Breakthroughs like the detection of gravitational
    waves inspire the next generation of scientists.
        For the American economy to be successful in the 21st
    Century, we need to have that skilled labor force and workforce
    that understands innovation and emerging technologies and
    leads.
        And I wanted to particularly note today I'm very pleased to
    see the balance of women here in our panel. Having passed the
    INSPIRE Act here earlier on this Committee, it's really--
    actually, you're outnumbering the men today, so that's
    particularly exciting also. So we're really look forward to you
    inspiring the next generation of leaders, and I look forward to
    hearing from this panel of accomplished witnesses this morning,
    one of whom directs all astronomical science projects at NSF.
    So thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Mrs. Comstock follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Babin. Thank you, Chairwoman Comstock.
        Now, I'd like to recognize the Chairman of our Full
    Committee, the gentleman from Texas, Chairman Smith.
        Chairman Smith. Thank you, Chairman Babin.
        The science of astronomy goes back millennia and is one of
    the oldest of the natural sciences. Astrophysics, the
    application of physics to understand the nature of the
    universe, is a relativity new scientific field that has
    blossomed in the last few years.
        Space-based observations from telescopes like the Hubble
    Space Telescope have amazed us for decades, and the James Webb
    Space Telescope is only a couple of years away from launch.
    Recently, we have seen amazing discoveries of planets outside
    our solar system and the detection of gravitation waves. This
    is just the beginning. Many more amazing discoveries await us.
        NASA's Chief Scientist, Dr. Ellen Stofan, recently
    testified before this Committee that ``with future technology
    and instruments currently under development, we will explore
    the solar system and beyond, and could indeed--perhaps in as
    little as 10-20 years--discover some form of life, past or
    present.''
        Since 1995, over 3,000 exoplanets have been identified,
    with several found to be in the ``habitable zone'' where a
    planet with sufficient atmospheric pressure can maintain liquid
    water on its surface. The Kepler spacecraft discovered many of
    these exoplanets and led scientists to estimate that as many as
    11 billion rocky, Earth-sized exoplanets could be orbiting in
    the habitable zones of sun-like stars in the Milky Way alone.
        Kepler's successes in hunting exoplanets will continue with
    the launch of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite in 2017
    and be augmented by the capabilities of the James Webb Space
    Telescope, the Wide Field Infrared Space Telescope, and ground-
    based telescopes such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope,
    or LSST. The LSST may be able to peer into the atmospheres of
    these exoplanets and conduct spectroscopy to determine the
    composition of their atmospheres.
        While partnerships between the private and public sector in
    astronomy are well established, these ties need to be
    strengthened when it comes to exoplanet surveys and exploration
    related to astrobiology. Private sector groups like the
    Breakthrough Listen project provide funding opportunities to
    leverage limited government funding to maximize discovery.
        Going forward, I hope that NASA, NSF, and academia will
    expand public-private partnerships to advance optical laser
    transmission surveys, as it is a promising and exciting field
    of inquiry.
        Mr. Chairman, I look forward to our witnesses' testimony
    today. With representation from the NASA, the NSF, the
    Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee, the American
    Astronomical Society, and the Breakthrough Listen Project, we
    have the opportunity to hear a number of perspectives on the
    subjects of astronomy, astrophysics, and astrobiology.
        Thank you and yield back.
        [The prepared statement of Chairman Smith follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Babin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Now, I'd like to recognize the gentlewoman from Maryland
    for a statement on behalf of Ranking Member Johnson.
        Ms. Edwards. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Just for the record, we've entered the Ranking Member Eddie
    Bernice Johnson's statement in the record today, and she
    regrets that she is not able to be here today. She is attending
    the memorial service in Dallas today. Thank you. And I yield
    back.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Johnson follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Babin. Thank you. Now, let me introduce our
    witnesses for today's hearing. And our first witness today is
    Dr. Paul Hertz, Director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA.
    Dr. Hertz is responsible for the agency's research programs and
    missions necessary to discover how the universe works and
    explore how the universe began and developed into its present
    form and to search for Earth-like planets. Dr. Hertz received a
    B.S. degree in both physics and mathematics from MIT followed
    by a Ph.D. from Harvard University in astronomy.
        Our second witness today is Dr. Jim Ulvestad. I hope I
    pronounced that right.
        Dr. Ulvestad. Ulvestad.
        Chairman Babin. Okay. Ulvestad. Is that it?
        Dr. Ulvestad. Ulvestad.
        Chairman Babin. Ulvestad, okay. Jim Ulvestad, Director of
    the Division of Astronomical Sciences at NSF. In this role he
    leads a staff of 25 and oversees an annual budget of $246
    million plus major observatory construction projects with an
    additional budget of $100 million in fiscal year 2016. He
    earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California at
    Los Angeles and a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of
    Maryland.
        Our third witness today is Dr. Angela Olinto, Chair of the
    Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee, or AAAC, and the
    Homer J. Livingston professor in the Department of Astronomy
    and Astrophysics at the Enrico Fermi Institute at the
    University of Chicago. Dr. Olinto is the principal investigator
    of the Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a super pressure
    balloon mission and a member of the international collaboration
    of the Pierre Auger Observatory. She received her bachelor of
    science in physics from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica of
    Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and her Ph.D. in physics from MIT.
        Our fourth witness is Dr. Shelley Wright, member of the
    Breakthrough Listen Advisory Committee and assistant professor
    at the University of California in San Diego. Dr. Wright has
    extensive experience working with optical infrared
    instrumentation with a particular focus on imaging cameras and
    spectrographs that operate behind adaptive optics systems on
    large telescopes. She currently serves as project scientist for
    the first light instrument or IRIS for the future Thirty Meter
    Telescope. Dr. Wright received her bachelor of science in
    physics at the University of California in Santa Cruz and her
    Ph.D. from UCLA.
        Our final witness of today is Dr. Christine Jones, who is
    President of the Astronomical American astronomical Society and
    senior astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical
    Observatory. Throughout her career, Dr. Jones is worked on a
    variety of research topics, but most recently her research is
    focused on x-ray studies of the hot gas and galaxies and galaxy
    clusters using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Dr. Jones earned
    her A.B., her M.A., and her Ph.D. degrees in astronomy at
    Harvard University.
        So thank you all, distinguished witnesses, for being here
    today. And I now recognize Dr. Hertz for five minutes to
    present his testimony.

                 TESTIMONY OF DR. PAUL HERTZ, DIRECTOR,

                      ASTROPHYSICS DIVISION, NASA

        Dr. Hertz. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Members of the Committee, I am pleased to appear before you
    to discuss the current and future astrophysics programs at
    NASA.
        How did our universe begin and evolve? How did the familiar
    night sky of galaxies, stars, and planets come to be? And are
    we alone in the universe? These are the enduring questions that
    humankind has been asking since we first looked up at the sky,
    and now, for the first time, we are able to answer those
    questions scientifically. We're probing back in time with the
    Hubble Space Telescope detecting faint infrared signals from
    galaxies that formed 13 billion years ago, only 400 million
    years after the Big Bang.
        Hubble and the Chandra X-ray Observatory are working to
    gather to study supermassive black holes showing how they
    formed in the early universe and how they triggered birth of
    stars and galaxies. And NASA is developing two new space
    observatories to further advance our understanding of the
    cosmos: the James Webb Space Telescope, which will launch in
    2018, will detect the light from the first stars and galaxies
    that formed after the Big Bang; and the Wide Field Infrared
    Survey Telescope, or WFIRST, will launch in the mid-2020s and
    help us understand the mysterious dark energy that is
    propelling the acceleration of our universe.
        Understanding the origins of galaxies and stars leads us to
    an understanding of how planets formed, including planets
    capable of supporting life. Our knowledge of planets outside of
    our solar system, exoplanets, has exploded in the last 20
    years. Thanks to the pioneering discoveries made with ground-
    based observatories followed by the Kepler Space Telescope, we
    now know that planets orbiting other stars are common. For four
    years Kepler measured the light from 150,000 stars staring at
    them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and
    discovered at least 5,000 exoplanet candidates around those
    stars.
        The exoplanets discovered so far are astounding in their
    diversity. One is a rocky hot planet locked by gravity with one
    side always facing its star, wild swings in temperature that
    hint at a surface bubbling with rivers of lava. Another is a
    scorching alien world where it rains glass sideways with winds
    of 4,500 miles per hour. And another is half the size of
    Jupiter but speeds around its star in only four days instead of
    the leisurely 12 years that Jupiter takes to orbit our sun.
        Hubble Space Telescope has detected the most distant
    exoplanet known and has measured the atmospheric composition of
    many exoplanets using the parent star's light filtered through
    the exoplanet's atmosphere. And the Spitzer Space Telescope has
    probed the temperature and atmospheric composition and even
    weather on distant exoplanets.
        But the most compelling search is for the rocky planets
    that, like the Earth, might be capable of supporting life. To
    date we have found nine roughly Earth-sized planets located in
    the habitable zone of their parent stars, but this type of
    planet lies at the limits of what we can discover using our
    current generation of space telescopes. The Webb telescope will
    examine the makeup of known exoplanets through both transit
    spectroscopy and direct imaging. And the new observatories
    coming online will discover new exoplanets for study by Webb:
    the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite test and the
    previously mentioned WFIRST.
        Now, one thing that Hubble, Chandra, Spitzer, Webb, and
    WFIRST all have in common is that they were recommended by a
    decadal survey. As the time approaches for the next decadal
    survey, NASA has initiated mission concept studies to inform
    the next decadal survey's deliberations.
        Following the recommendations of our advisory groups, we
    have identified four large mission concepts to study. What type
    of science might we expect from future NASA space
    observatories? An x-ray surveyor might discover the first
    generation of supermassive black holes and explain in the early
    universe and determine the influence of dark matter on the
    evolution. A far infrared surveyor might find biosignatures in
    the atmospheres of exoplanets and explain the origins of the
    dust and molecules that serve as the prerequisites for life. An
    ultraviolet visible infrared surveyor with a large mirror might
    capture the first starlight in the early universe, detect water
    worlds and biomarkers on distant Earth-like planets and image
    the icy plumes from moons of giant planets in our own solar
    system. An inhabitable exoplanet imaging mission might search
    for signs of habitability in the atmospheres of planets
    orbiting stars in our Milky Way galaxy.
        We're fortunate to live during a time when grand scientific
    quests are possible and in a country that values the curiosity
    and discovery as inherently noble pursuits. And at NASA we're
    thankful to Congress for its continued support.
        So thank you, and I'll be pleased to answer any questions
    the Committee might have.
        [The prepared statement of Dr. Hertz follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Babin. Thank you, Dr. Hertz.
        Now, I'd like to recognize Dr. Ulvestad for his opening
    statement.

                TESTIMONY OF DR. JIM ULVESTAD, DIRECTOR,

                 DIVISION OF ASTRONOMICAL SCIENCES, NSF

        Dr. Ulvestad. Thank you, Chairman. Chairman Babin, Ranking
    Member Edwards, Chairwoman Comstock, Chairman Smith, and
    members of the subcommittees, we thank you for the opportunity
    for the National Science Foundation to discuss the exciting
    progress in astronomy, astrophysics, and astrobiology and the
    outlook for the future. This remarkable progress is the product
    of sustained taxpayer support through representatives such as
    yourselves and the long-term effort of the basic research
    community represented here on my left.
        For millennia, humans have viewed light from the sky to
    learn about the universe. Today, we observe across the
    electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays and are
    ready to look at the universe in new ways. Particles such as
    neutrinos and cosmic rays provide a different view, and
    gravitational waves give yet another.
        In this new era of multi-messenger astrophysics, NSF has a
    leadership role. The sixth Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal
    Survey was delivered in 2010 by the National Academies. The
    survey stressed the importance of supporting individual
    investigator research, as well as developing forefront
    observatories.
        Three principal science areas were identified: cosmic dawn,
    searching for the first stars, galaxies, and black holes; new
    worlds, seeking nearby habitable planets; and physics of the
    universe, understanding scientific principles. These scientific
    areas represent enduring human quests. Take new worlds as an
    example. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array,
    ALMA, was recently completed by NSF and its international
    partners.
        [Slide.]
        You see before you the recent ALMA image of the star HL Tau
    450 light-years away, which shows rings of gas and dust
    circling the star. The gaps in those rings indicated by the
    dashed lines are swept out by planets just as Saturn satellites
    sweep out gaps in its famous ring system.
        NSF and NASA are collaborating on a new instrument to
    measure the velocities of stars precisely and detect motions
    influenced by planets having masses similar to Earth's. This
    instrument will be installed on the university- and NSF-
    supported wind telescope in 2018. Finding and characterizing
    Earth-like planets is an important step in understanding how
    planetary systems form and evolve and ultimately whether they
    can host life.
        NSF and its awardees also are constructing two major
    observatories recommended by decadal surveys and funded by
    Congress. The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, which you see
    before you--that's an actual image, not an artist's
    conception--is being built on the island of Maui. Its
    observations will provide a deeper understanding of the sun's
    processes. Those processes lead to the activity that we call
    space weather, which has the potential to significantly impact
    communication and navigation systems in space and on the
    ground, power grids, and astronaut safety.
        NSF, with DOE and private partners, leads the construction
    of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, LSST. LSST is the
    highest priority ground-based recommendation of the last
    decadal survey, and it will revolutionize modern astrophysics.
    LSST will discover thousands of potentially hazardous near-
    Earth asteroids. It will enable contributions by citizen
    scientists who will use its data sets to participate in the
    excitement of astronomical discovery.
        NSF has also responded to another decadal survey
    recommendation by initiating a midscale innovations program.
    This initiative is an ideal hands-on training ground for young
    scientists and instrument-builders who will participate in the
    great observatories of the future.
        When I left graduate school, we did not know that the
    expansion of the universe was accelerating, that there were
    thousands of other solar systems, or that we would detect
    gravitational waves from merging black holes. Those discoveries
    relied on many years of support for individual investigators on
    spectacular computer simulations and on frontier observatories.
        With NSF observatories such as ALMA, the Laser
    Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, and the IceCube
    Neutrino Observatory, we are moving rapidly into an era of
    multi-messenger astrophysics. NSF is proud to work with our
    many partners and the broad community of scientists. We are
    poised to continue a journey of discovery on behalf of the
    American public, and we thank you and all U.S. taxpayers for
    your support.
        This concludes my testimony and I'd be happy to answer any
    questions.
        [The prepared statement of Dr. Ulvestad follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Babin. Thank you very, very much.
        And now, I recognize Dr. Olinto for five minutes to present
    her testimony.

                 TESTIMONY OF DR. ANGELA OLINTO, CHAIR,

                       ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

                       ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AAAC),

                   AND HOMER J. LIVINGSTON PROFESSOR,

               DEPARTMENT OF ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS,

             ENRICO FERMI INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

        Dr. Olinto. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Babin, Chairwoman Comstock, Ranking Member
    Edwards, Ranking Member Lipinski, Members of the Subcommittee,
    and Chairman Smith, thank you so much for having us come here
    today and it's a pleasure for me to share findings of the
    Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee. I'm Angela
    Olinto, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the
    University of Chicago and the current Chair of the AAAC, which
    is a FACA committee of 13 scientists charged to assess the
    coordination of astronomy and astrophysics programs of the NSF,
    NASA, and the DOE. And also we assess the status of the
    activities relating to the priorities of the decadal surveys of
    the National Academies.
        Over the last few decades, astronomers and astrophysics
    have revolutionized our understanding of the universe, our
    place in it, and the fundamental laws that govern its evolution
    and the systems within it. These impressive achievements are a
    direct result from the long-standing national investment in
    basic scientific research. I thank the Committee and its role
    and continuing support for basic science.
        This year, the world celebrated the historic breakthrough
    of the first observations of gravitational waves by LIGO. This
    landmark discovery discussed here in February demonstrates the
    power of long-term investment in basic research by the United
    States through the NSF and the ability of scientists worldwide
    to work together in the challenging and fascinating quest to
    understand nature.
        This new window enables direct observations of the most
    extreme events of our universe including the earliest moments
    of the Big Bang. Primordial gravitational waves may soon be
    discovered by the studies of cosmic microwave backgrounds,
    while a future gravitational wave space mission reached an
    important milestone this year, the success of the LISA
    Pathfinder.
        Gravitational waves add a new dimension to traditional
    astronomy, which is based on the broad electromagnetic
    spectrum. Together with cosmic rays and neutrinos the multi-
    messenger universe is now observed with frequencies spanning 35
    orders of magnitude. If we translate that to music, it is
    equivalent to a piano with 116 octaves instead of the usual
    seven, which would be 83 foot piano, twice the size of this
    room. We need a lot of hands and bright minds to play such an
    instrument.
        Astronomy and astrophysics contributes to astrobiology in
    many areas, most prominently in the study of new worlds or
    exoplanets, one of the three main science things of the 2010
    decadal survey. The diversity of the discovered new worlds have
    surprised us all. They are much more numerous and diverse than
    the most creative science fiction imagined.
        An active program to characterize exoplanets, their
    services and atmospheres, uses both ground and space
    telescopes. The launch of JWST and TESS in the next two years
    will strengthen the effort further. JWST, the most powerful
    telescope, as mentioned here before, will be taking spectra of
    transiting exoplanets, while TESS will be searching for nearby
    Earth-like planets, providing great targets for JWST.
        In the next decade, the highest decadal priority, WFIRST,
    will inaugurate space-based direct imaging and reflected light
    and pave the way to a future flagship mission that might image
    Earth-like planets.
        The AAAC finds the U.S. investment in astronomy and
    astrophysics continues to support an outstanding portfolio of
    preeminent research facilities and the coordination between
    NSF, NASA, and DOE has been exemplary. These discoveries have
    captivated the public and inspired new generations of
    scientists and engineers to continue to expand our knowledge
    and secure our future leadership in science, technology, and
    space.
        However, the AAAC is concerned about the balance of the
    portfolio. At both NSF and NASA, competed grants and midscale
    programs are being squeezed by flat or declining budgets. These
    programs form the new generation of scientists and ideas.
    Success rates have declined in the last decade from 30 percent
    to 20 percent, and this is affecting the morale of the
    community. As we plan for a future with the U.S. leadership,
    investment in the next generation of scientists and ideas is
    crucial.
        I was born in the United States because my father came here
    to do his Ph.D. before returning to Brazil. Twenty years later,
    I dreamed of doing the same thing. I applied to U.S. graduate
    schools in spite of being bed-bound. I was very lucky because I
    have my health back and also the opportunity given to my
    generation by those who built the great U.S. research
    institutions in the past.
        Since then, I have mentored many students at Chicago who
    are now following their dreams in academia, national labs, and
    industry. Of my graduate students, 73 percent have been women,
    including the first African-American to get a Ph.D. in our
    department. I would like to ensure that the diverse and
    brilliant young talent in this country will also have the great
    opportunities we have.
        My one message today is to strengthen the base program that
    needs help after the past years of constrained budgets. Let's
    support the next generation as past generations have supported
    us. Thank you for listening. I'll be pleased to answer any
    questions.
        [The prepared statement of Dr. Olinto follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Babin. [Speaking foreign language.]
        Dr. Olinto. [Speaking foreign language.]
        Chairman Babin. Thank you for that.
        I now recognize Dr. Wright for five minutes to present her
    testimony.

                    TESTIMONY OF DR. SHELLY WRIGHT,

                          ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,

                       UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,

                   SAN DIEGO, CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS

                          AND SPACE SCIENCES,

                 BREAKTHROUGH LISTEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE

        Dr. Wright. Thank you, Chairman, and esteemed Committee.
    Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the scientific pursuit
    for finding other intelligent life in the universe.
        I'm an assistant professor in physics at the University of
    California San Diego. I spend my time teaching astrophysics,
    researching galaxies, and building new instruments for the
    world's largest telescopes. I am also one of a few SETI
    researchers worldwide.
        The search for extraterrestrial intelligence, SETI, is a
    scientific pursuit of detecting technological transmissions
    from other intelligent life in the universe. In particular,
    SETI searches for a signal purposely sent or accidentally
    leaked from an advanced civilization.
        We are in the midst of a dramatic paradigm shift. Only in
    the last few years, thanks to NASA's successful Kepler mission,
    we know that one in every five sun-like stars in our galaxy
    harbors an Earth-like planet. This greatly encourages our
    search for life and intelligent life elsewhere in the universe,
    but given the lack of sustained academic funds for SETI, few
    opportunities exist for researchers and students to engage in
    this field. Yet many believe there is no single discovery that
    will more fundamentally change humankind's view of our place in
    the universe than to discover E.T.
        Since the search in 1960, SETI is predominantly conducted
    at radio wavelengths. Numerous SETI programs have made use of
    the largest U.S. and international radio telescopes. Still,
    SETI radio searches have barely scratched the surface for
    detecting faint interstellar signals. Thanks to constantly
    improving technology, the coming years still promise new, more
    sensitive SETI searches.
        Breakthrough Listen, a ten-year, $100 million SETI
    initiative sparked by philanthropist Yuri Milner began
    operations just this year in January. Breakthrough Listen is
    using the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, the Parkes
    radio telescope in Australia to attempt a radio search that is
    50 times more sensitive and covers 10 times more sky than all
    previous SETI searches before.
        Just this month, the Chinese have finished final assembly
    of the world's largest radio dish at 500 meters in diameter.
    Chinese scientists have slated this dish to be used for very
    sensitive SETI program, thus adding significant international
    competition to the SETI field.
        The radio regime is just one small portion of the
    electromagnetic spectrum. It has been suggested for decades
    that other wavelengths may be just as viable for interstellar
    communication. The discovery of laser technology opened a new
    realm and offered several advantages over radio. Lasers can be
    narrowly beamed, thus transmitting power efficiently, and its
    beam can be packed with more information per energy used.
        Using our laser technology today, humans would have the
    capability to transmit a signal that would be easily detectable
    thousands of light-years from Earth encompassing millions and
    millions of stars. Our group has constructed SETI instruments
    at Lick and Leuschner Observatories to search for fast-pulsed
    optical laser signals that have a burst within nanoseconds or
    shorter period. In parallel, team from Berkeley searches for
    continuous laser signals using high-resolution spectra from
    Keck Observatory.
        Breakthrough Listen also supports an optical SETI program
    that seeks laser signals and optical spectra at Lick
    Observatory, but another promising area for SETI is infrared
    wavelengths. Infrared detectors have been rapidly improving
    only recently making an infrared pulse laser SETI search
    possible. In fact, sending a laser signal in infrared is more
    advantageous because it's less diminished by interstellar dust
    and gas.
        Our team designed and constructed the first-ever near
    infrared SETI experiment. This program has been superb for
    training undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs. Our
    team and others are now working to design and seek funding for
    new SETI experiments.
        Enthusiasm is ever-increasing for SETI but resources are
    scarce. A huge disparity exists between the enormous public and
    scientific interest and whether we are unique in the universe
    and resources that are actually allocated to SETI research.
    Since 1977, there has been roughly a flat rate of refereed
    publications about SETI with a number of worldwide dedicated
    SETI research levels at a mere two dozen. Even with the much-
    needed catalyst of funds recently provided by private
    foundations, leveraging private and public sectors is vital for
    creating a sustainable and growing community of SETI
    researchers.
        Two decades ago, unknowns about astrobiology and extrasolar
    planets discouraged government funding for SETI. Today, thanks
    to successful NASA, NSF, and national supported missions,
    former concerns about the value SETI research no longer apply.
    While there's much to learn about the universe, the relevance
    for advancing SETI is stronger today than ever before in the
    history of humankind, so thank you for your consideration and
    listening today.
        [The prepared statement of Dr. Wright follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Babin. Thank you, Dr. Wright.
        I now recognize Dr. Jones for five minutes to present her
    testimony.

                   TESTIMONY OF DR. CHRISTINE JONES,

                         SENIOR ASTROPHYSICIST,

                 SMITHSONIAN ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY,

                PRESIDENT, AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

        Dr. Jones. So Chairman Babin, Chairman Smith, Ranking
    Member Edwards, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for
    the opportunity to testify today on behalf of the American
    Astronomical Society, the professional society of our
    discipline in the United States.
        We're very fortunate in the United States to have a robust
    fleet of space- and ground-based observatories that allow us to
    make exciting new discoveries about our universe. Congress has
    long been a strong supporter of these programs at NASA and NSF,
    and for that our community is extremely grateful.
        I hope to give you just a snapshot of the exciting
    research, technology development, and education and outreach
    activities that astronomers engage in. As you know from these
    other testimonies, not very long ago the only planets we knew
    about were in our solar system. Dark energy had not been
    discovered and supermassive black holes were not known to be
    common in the centers of galaxies. A lot's changed since then
    thanks to significant public and private support.
        Today, we discovered almost 3,000 exoplanets have another
    2,500 candidates. NASA's Kepler mission found an exoplanet
    orbiting two suns, colloquially known as Tatooine after the
    double star system in Star Wars. Just last week, a U.S.-led
    team using the European ground-based telescope announced the
    discovery of an exoplanet with three stars, one better than
    Tatooine.
        Thanks to ground- and space-based observations, we now know
    that normal matter, the sort of stuff we deal with directly
    every day, makes up only a small fraction of the mass in the
    universe. The rest of the mass is dark matter or dark energy,
    which isn't even matter at all but it is driving the
    accelerating expansion of the universe.
        Although as President of the AAS, I speak on behalf of all
    the astronomical scientists. I'm also an active researcher. My
    research focuses on the effect supermassive black holes have on
    their host galaxies. These black holes have occasional very
    large outbursts that prevent new stars from forming in their
    galaxy. It's amazing to think that something so relatively
    small in size has an impact across the galaxy many tens of
    thousands of light years in size.
        This research has more than pure academic value. The
    technology that we developed to explore the universe transfers
    beyond our field. I want to mention just two examples. Much of
    the time, as you've heard, when astronomers want to study
    objects, they're very, very faint. They can be distant
    galaxies. They can be very faint objects in our own solar
    system. To study such faint astronomical objects, we need both
    large telescopes and very sensitive instruments. Although the
    first CCDs were made for data storage devices, astronomers
    recognized that they could be modified to function as core
    components of highly sensitive, efficient, and stable imaging
    devices.
        Astronomers, working with industry and the government,
    helped improve CCD detectors so they're part of the workhorse
    of instruments on ground and space-based telescopes. Variations
    of that technology transferred beyond astronomy and are now the
    crucial components of innumerable digital imaging systems,
    including the camera that you probably have in all of your cell
    phones.
        And technology originally developed for observing x-ray
    sources in space is also used for security screening. The
    company American Science and Engineering where Nobel Prize-
    winning astronomer Riccardo Giacconi worked also developed and
    built the first x-ray scanners. The next time you put your bag
    through the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum's scanner, take
    a moment to look at the AS&E label that's on the side.
        But perhaps the most important technology transfer of all
    is the technically trained people. Astronomy is really a
    gateway science that brings people into STEM fields, and
    astronomers love sharing what we do with the public.
    Undergraduate Astro 101 courses enroll approximately 250,000
    students each year nationwide and are taken by about ten
    percent of all college students, making it one of the most
    popular general education courses.
        NASA and NSF have very active and successful education and
    outreach programs. This includes the Hubble program that brings
    formal science education to students in half of the public
    middle schools in the United States. Programs at NSF like the
    research experiences for undergraduates play an important role
    getting undergraduates from diverse backgrounds exposed to
    doing forefront research.
        But even with these programs, most scientific fields
    including ours have a long way to go on the path toward being
    fully inclusive of underrepresented minorities. There are no
    easy answers or quick fixes, but our community is committed to
    doing better with the help of our colleagues at NSF and NASA.
        In closing, the mission of the AAS is to enhance and share
    humanity's scientific understanding of the universe, where it
    came from, and where it's going. It's a challenging mission,
    and what we do resonates with the American people. Discoveries
    grace the front pages of major newspapers and people filled
    Times Square to watch Curiosity land on Mars. The public wants
    us to uncover more of the mysteries of the universe and to
    share those results with them. That is what astronomers do, and
    it is what funding from Congress facilitates.
        It's a delight to participate in this effort as a
    researcher, an honor to serve as the President of the AAS, and
    I look forward to answering your questions here today and in
    the future.
        Oh, and I couldn't help but notice that there are seven
    members of the Full Committee from Texas, including Chairman
    Smith and Ranking Member Johnson, who's not here right now, and
    it turns out that 2017 is the year of Texas for the AAS. Please
    accept my personal invitation for you or members of your staff
    to attend the society's conferences next year. In January we'll
    be in Grapevine and in June we'll be in Austin. Thank you very
    much.
        [The prepared statement of Dr. Jones follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chairman Babin. Thank you very much, Dr. Jones, and I hope
    that my scheduler will take note of that. And I'd love to be
    there.
        Anyway, we certainly thank all of the witnesses for your
    testimony. And now the Chair recognizes himself for five
    minutes.
        The JWST thermal vacuum testing will be conducted at the
    Johnson Space Center's Chamber A, which is the largest high
    vacuum cryogenic optical test chamber in the world. Chamber A
    was famously used for Apollo testing.
        And, Dr. Hertz, if you can speak to how this unique
    facility supports astronomy and astrophysics missions.
        Dr. Hertz. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for that question. One of
    the lessons that NASA has learned over the years of launching
    many successful space missions is that a thorough testing on
    the ground is the key to making sure they work the first time
    we turn them on in space unlike ground-based observatories. We
    can't send our technicians in to fix them if that turns out to
    be--if we don't get them working right.
        Chamber A is the only place in the country where we could
    do a full end-to-end test of the James Webb Space Telescope.
    The Webb telescope is being assembled right now at the Goddard
    Space Flight Center, and early next year we will be shipping it
    down to Houston to put it into Chamber A where we will spend a
    good fraction of the year doing the end-to-end test with the
    flight telescope and all four flight instruments inside the
    chamber to make sure they work as a complete system.
        Chairman Babin. Thank you very, very much. And we're
    looking forward to observing some of these tests.
        My next question is for Dr. Olinto. One of the reasons the
    Hubble Space Telescope is so successful is that it can be
    serviced by the space shuttle. How could a deep space
    exploration vehicle like Orion impact future astronomy and
    astrophysics missions? And how would future astronomy and
    astrophysics missions benefit from being capable of crew
    servicing if they are reasonably within reach of the SLS and
    Orion?
        Dr. Olinto. Just repeating what Paul just said, it is
    really important to make sure it works perfectly before you
    launch----
        Chairman Babin. Right.
        Dr. Olinto. --because it's obviously a very difficult thing
    to do. We are very proud that the Hubble was serviced and it is
    so capable of doing gorgeous things, including my scarf. But
    going to, for example, L2 to service JWST would be a much
    harder job just, you know, it's much further away. So I think
    this is a challenge that I'm sure that if we are willing to
    spend a lot of money on it, we should be able to do it.
        But in terms of priorities I think the best is to make sure
    it's really working on the ground. So servicing things far away
    is really challenging. On the other hand, we need to keep this
    capabilities developing for future missions which might become
    more affordable to go service something in L2, for example. So
    I imagine that for very far away robotics would be the way to
    go first so that we make sure our astronauts come back healthy.
        Chairman Babin. Okay. Thank you. Absolutely.
        Now, a question to really everyone concerning the SLS. How
    will the capabilities of the Space Launch System impact future
    astronomy and astrophysics missions? Some of it's been
    addressed already. And how should the next decadal survey
    account for these capabilities? Who would like to address that
    first?
        Dr. Hertz. I'll start off, Mr. Chair. The SLS offers a
    number of capabilities that could be used by future space-based
    observatories. Primarily, it's the large mass that's capable of
    launching into space and the large faring that will have
    compared to some of the current generation of launch vehicles.
        As many of the witnesses have testified, the frontiers of
    astrophysics require us to image things which are very far away
    and very faint, that means very large mirrors in order to
    collect enough light for us to make scientific deductions about
    what we're looking at. Large mirrors are both large and heavy,
    and the SLS can help us solve both of those questions.
        As I mentioned, we have ongoing right now four studies of
    potential future NASA missions to will help inform the next
    decadal survey, and so all those studies will lay out what are
    the requirements for those future observatories. And if those
    requirements can be best met by an SLS instead of some other
    launch vehicle, that is certainly one of the tools that would
    be available for realizing a future observatory.
        Chairman Babin. Okay. Thank you. Anybody else want to take
    an answer to that?
        Dr. Olinto. Just echo that large mirrors are definitely a
    must for us, the larger the better.
        Chairman Babin. Okay. Well, that completes my line of
    questioning and thank you very much.
        And now I would like to recognize the gentlewoman from
    Maryland for her questions.
        Ms. Edwards. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And thank
    you so much to the witnesses for your testimony. You just make
    me so excited just to be here. And I don't do astronomy but I'm
    one of those kids that went to the planetarium and laid down on
    the beach at night looking up at the--at stars in the sky and
    wondering what was out there. And so thanks for your testimony
    today, inspiring new generations.
        I was recalling with our staff here--we were going back and
    forth that both the Hubble Space Telescope and Kepler both at
    various times in their development and operation were on the
    chopping blocks here in the Congress. There was a time when the
    Hubble was the butt of late-night jokes every night on
    nighttime television. And Kepler was once described as being,
    you know, raised from the dead or something because it was
    under threat. So I can't even imagine what our world and your
    world as professionals would be if we didn't have, you know, at
    least those instruments in developing and building on them for
    the future generations.
        And so I wonder if you could comment about the role of the
    decadal survey in terms of informing what it is that we do and
    how--and the importance of staying true to it even in the face
    of challenges because we know that each of these programs is
    very, very complicated and they will face significant
    challenges. And it's sometimes tough for us on this side to
    really understand that we've just got to weather those
    challenges. So I'll just--that's like a freebie, anybody wants
    to take it.
        Dr. Olinto. I can go first because I am very proud of that
    process, so much so that my project in the last decadal survey
    was ranked number four on one panel and didn't make it to the
    end. So I got to be chopped, and I still think this is the
    right process. So, you know, I think we need to always
    prioritize based on the available resources and also the
    available technology to be able to be always successful. So we
    don't want to waste anybody's money, no taxpayer's money.
        And this is a huge effort within the community. We spent a
    lot of time trying to tell our colleagues, and I think the
    format that we set up, which is really, you know, merit-based
    and having our reviews by colleagues of what we are proposing,
    a really good way to sort out the priorities--the top
    priorities for large programs. And some of us that don't get to
    get their project in have to be conscientious that that was the
    right process. And I think we have had great success exactly
    for that because if we weren't following that, we would be in a
    much harder situation. So I think it's a brilliant process.
        Dr. Hertz. I'm pleased to--well, first of all,
    Representative Edwards, I want to say that I bet every single
    one of us were kids who laid on the beach and looked up and
    observed the night sky and were excited by it.
        I'm pleased to say that at NASA in astrophysics all of our
    missions--our mission decisions are driven by the
    recommendations and priorities of the decadal survey. Our large
    missions are those missions which are prioritized to be done
    first in the most recent decadal survey, and our smaller
    missions are selected through open competitions, which was also
    a recommendation of the decadal survey.
        And so, you know, by following the decadal survey, we are
    assured that we are realizing the highest priorities of the
    science community and addressing the broadest possible range of
    science.
        Ms. Edwards. Thank you. And can you add to that, you know
    what is the--and, Dr. Ulvestad, if you would comment, what's
    the challenge of, you know, trying to figure out not just what
    the priorities are but trying to project what some of the
    challenges might be so that we get closer on the money front
    because I think that's where we get held up.
        And then--and add to that, what is--what are the threats to
    U.S. leadership if we don't engage in a process right now?
        Dr. Ulvestad. So first, I'll say that we, too, subscribe
    very rigorously to the decadal survey in setting priorities for
    ourselves. And one of the challenges we face is we--as you
    alluded to is that the decadal survey committee has to make
    assumptions about what future budgets are going to be, going
    out 5, 10, 15 years. And so they gave us a--they give us a
    program, a set of priorities based on some projection.
        And as you may know, the decadal survey came out in 2010
    right about the time that there were difficulties in the
    banking community and so on. And so we haven't realized the
    budgets that were recommended or that were sort of believed by
    the decadal survey. So a really important part of the decadal
    survey is that they not give us a laundry list but that they
    give us priorities, and that way we're able to adjust to
    circumstances that are not exactly what they assumed.
        So decadal surveys should always be aspirational. They
    should always reach for the stars that we all laid and looked
    at. And we won't be able to do everything they recommend, but
    by them recommending a compelling program and by them doing a
    good job of prioritization, that really is one of the best ways
    that we can react to budget circumstances that are inevitably
    different from what they assumed.
        Ms. Edwards. My time's up. Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Babin. Thank you. I'd like to now recognize the
    Chairman of the Full Committee, the gentleman from Texas,
    Chairman Smith.
        Chairman Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me direct my
    first question to Dr. Hertz and Dr. Wright. And it seems to me
    that one of the most promising fields of discovery right now
    may be detecting optical transmissions from other worlds. And I
    was going to ask each of you if you could give us an update on
    what's going on in that field and what our hopes are. And, Dr.
    Hertz, if you'd like to go first.
        Dr. Hertz. Well, I'm going to defer to Dr. Wright.
        Chairman Smith. Okay.
        Dr. Hertz. This is not an area that NASA is currently
    pursuing, and I don't consider myself an expert at all in this
    area.
        Chairman Smith. Okay. Well, one, I regret NASA's not
    pursuing, but, Dr. Wright?
        Dr. Wright. I spoke a little bit about the programs on the
    optical SETI and the infrared study front. Radios had, you
    know, 50 years to get a stronghold in the SETI community----
        Chairman Smith. Right.
        Dr. Wright. --while I would say the optical SETI community
    or laser SETI in particular is still in its infancy. We're
    still trying to make use of the technology that's on hand.
    There are many things that we can do and there are many
    scientists that are interested in doing data mining on all the
    astronomical data sets that are already there from the very
    large array to the Arecibo to Hubble Space Telescope, even
    Kepler, and that involves getting software engineers involved,
    other astronomers to think creatively about how they can
    actually go in there and data mine unusual signals. And so one
    promising area where people want to move to is look at existing
    data sets and try to see if we can get optical transmissions.
        Our team and others are designing a new all-sky/all-time
    optical SETI and infrared Wide Field Infrared SETI experiment
    which we're seeking funds to, and we have a meeting coming up
    in August to go talk about the next phases for this.
        Chairman Smith. Okay. Thank you, Dr. Wright. And, Dr.
    Ulvestad?
        Dr. Ulvestad. So I just wanted to mention we talked about
    the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope earlier.
        Chairman Smith. Yes.
        Dr. Ulvestad. That telescope will see of the order of 10
    million transient sources per night. That is a source that
    isn't there in a catalog but is brighter or fainter or wasn't
    there at all. And I think given the power requirements of
    lasers, people aren't going to be pointing their lasers to us
    all the time, so when that telescope comes up, I think its
    ability to survey large parts of the sky rapidly and compare
    them to the existing data sets will be very powerful, but it
    will require the kind of data mining that Dr. Wright just
    referred to understand what might in fact be a laser-related
    signal.
        Chairman Smith. Okay. My next question was for you, Dr.
    Ulvestad, and that is what discoveries do we expect in, say,
    the next five to ten years when it comes to exoplanets?
        Dr. Ulvestad. So there's a couple things that I expect we
    will see over the next few years. I mean, discoveries by their
    very nature are not easily predictable, but we build
    capabilities and we can sort of understand what kinds of
    discoveries those capabilities can be sensitive to. So one is
    with our partners at NASA we're working on this very high-
    resolution spectrograph that will go on a telescope in Arizona
    and be able to measure masses of planets similar to Earth, so I
    expect we will get specific mass measurements of some more
    Earth-like planets from that over the next five to 10 years.
        A second is with our Gemini Observatory we have an
    instrument called the Gemini Planet Imager, which enables us to
    image planets like Jupiter in Jupiter-like orbits around stars
    and actually to get low-resolution spectroscopy at the same
    time. So I think we'll be learning more about the atmospheres
    of some of the extrasolar planets. And those observations will
    drive theoretical understanding of formation and evolution of
    planetary systems.
        Chairman Smith. Okay. Thank you.
        And, Dr. Olinto, is there sufficient coordination between
    NASA and the National Science Foundation when it comes to
    astrobiology?
        Dr. Olinto. I think the answer is yes. And I was at the
    AAAC as a member in 2003 to 2006, and at that time I don't
    think the two gentlemen next to me, the equivalents, would have
    each other's cell phones and before the testimony today were
    joking that they could exchange and give each other's
    testimonies. So I think the coordination has been really
    wonderful.
        One of the things we are looking into in terms of the
    coordination is near-Earth objects because LSST has the
    capability, per the decadal survey recommendations, to search
    for near-Earth objects, which is a mandate for NASA to
    implement.
        Chairman Smith. Okay.
        Dr. Olinto. So these things will need to be coordinated,
    too, so we're looking forward to that upcoming coordination
    between the two.
        Chairman Smith. Good enough. Thank you.
        And, Dr. Jones, thank you for the invitation to the
    conference. Since I represent part of Austin, I will be there
    next June.
        Dr. Jones. Thank you. We will welcome you.
        Chairman Smith. Thank you. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Babin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        I now recognize the gentlewoman from Oregon, Ms. Bonamici.
        Ms. Bonamici. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank
    you to all the witnesses. We really appreciate your expertise.
        I want to ask you a little bit about international
    cooperation, which is something that we discuss a lot in this
    Committee. Dr. Hertz, I understand that NASA was not able to
    lead the large-scale x-ray and gravitational wave missions
    recommended by the decadal survey. What is the status of the
    NASA partnership with the European Space Agency on the ATHENA
    and L3 missions which will address those areas? And I wonder if
    you could talk a little bit about how important it is for the
    United States to be involved in those missions.
        And also I want to bring in Dr. Wright because you
    mentioned something about the FAST telescope in the SETI work.
    And can you talk about the potential for collaboration? While
    we still need to of course maintain our U.S. leadership, are
    there some areas where we're competing rather than
    collaborating? Dr. Hertz?
        Dr. Hertz. Thank you. That's a great question. I'd love to
    speak on that topic. Pretty--probably 80 percent of all of
    NASA's astrophysics missions are international partnerships,
    which is most--virtually all of them, and all of our future
    large missions are envisioned to be partnerships with our
    international partners.
        In order to make the kind of breakthrough discoveries that
    we look forward to in the future requires large and therefore
    expensive observatories in space, and we're beyond the place
    where the different space agencies want to put up competing and
    similar observatories. So we are constantly coordinating with
    each other on what our future plans are and looking
    opportunities to partner.
        The James Webb Space Telescope is a partnership between the
    United States, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space
    Agency. We are in discussions with a number of space agencies
    about partnerships on the WFIRST Observatory for the 2020s. And
    we have talked to the European Space Agency about partnering on
    their next two large astrophysics observatories, the ones that
    you mentioned, the ATHENA x-ray observatory, and we have a very
    mature understanding of what NASA is likely to contribute to
    that observatory as it goes through the European process of
    being approved.
        And then in--further out in the future the Europeans have
    made a decision to lead a space-based gravitational wave
    observatory, which is a high priority of both of our
    communities. We have expressed a strong interest in partnering
    in that. We are under--we are engaged in discussions about what
    our role might be and for--and we have been for the last number
    of years investing in technology development here in the United
    States to make sure that we have developed unique technologies
    that we can bring to such a partnership and make a U.S.
    involvement in such an observatory a win-win for both partners.
        Ms. Bonamici. Terrific. Thank you.
        Dr. Wright, on the SETI work is there room for progress on
    that?
        Dr. Wright. Yes, I'll just--I'll comment on the FAST
    telescope in China. There is a collaboration going on with
    Berkeley right now to help with the receiver. So as I said, the
    dish is already made but they have to work on the electronics
    and the antenna to actually detect it.
        There is--the frequencies for which they cover it are
    slightly different than Arecibo, so there's some--there's
    competition on particular frequencies but on others there are
    not. And it's not clear to me yet or I don't think I could
    comment on whether the Chinese scientists want to collaborate
    with the SETI work and how we would work together within it.
        I'll also add just one statement that the group--a group in
    Italy has been trying to push on optical SETI and trying to
    collaborate with us and get our understanding of the technology
    there as well.
        Ms. Bonamici. Terrific. And, Dr. Jones, I want to ask you,
    in your prepared statement you note the importance of making
    observations publicly available no more than a year after
    they're obtained, so can you elaborate a bit on why that's so
    important to advancing the science, and perhaps following up on
    Ms. Edwards' questions about how we talk with our constituents
    and the public about why it's important to invest in astronomy
    and astrophysics and science especially with, you know, long-
    term planning that's so needed might--making observations
    publicly available help in communicating the value of your work
    with the public?
        Dr. Jones. Sure. I mean, the archives are tremendously
    important not just to astronomers but to anybody who wants to
    look at the observations. There are large archives of the
    Hubble, of the Chandra, of all of the major missions, as well
    as the ground-based missions. NOAO has archives of the 40
    telescopes I think we're--which are archived since 2004 and
    NRAO also has large archives of the radio observations.
        Ms. Bonamici. Just in the remaining time, are there some
    examples of where observations conducted with federal funding
    are not made publicly accessible and available?
        Dr. Jones. No, I think they're all made accessible on a
    timescale no longer than a year. Some are made sooner, but it's
    a tremendous research. So much of what, you know, people have
    discovered they've discovered from the archives not because
    they were looking to propose to do something but they find it
    in the archives. And that's----
        Ms. Bonamici. Terrific. And I see my time is expired. I
    yield back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Babin. Thank you. I now recognize the gentleman
    from Oklahoma, Mr. Lucas.
        Mr. Lucas. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, Dr. Wright, when
    the general public focuses on SETI we live in a time where it
    wants immediate gratification, things happening right now, but
    in some ways isn't this kind of like a junior high dance? We've
    been making noise on this planet now for--since Mr. Marconi--a
    century probably? So the noise wave is, what, 80, 90, 100
    light-years out? If you're past that point, then there's no
    indication that we're here to the rest of the universe. Fair
    statement? Therefore, part of the challenge of finding
    something----
        Dr. Wright. Well, so----
        Mr. Lucas. --is someone looking for us, too?
        Dr. Wright. One of the interests for NASA mission and NSF
    missions are for extrasolar planet atmospheres. So there are
    other means to detect whether there are biosignatures in the
    atmosphere to know whether there's life there. So they may know
    we're here, whether they're beyond listening to I love Lucy 90
    light-years out.
        But we're just still in our technological infancy, right?
    This is----
        Mr. Lucas. Exactly the point I was trying to make.
        Dr. Wright. So the standpoint for SETI is that hopefully we
    maintain our technology and civilizations much longer, and they
    would be advanced thousands or hundreds or hundreds of
    thousands of years longer than us so they would have other
    means for this.
        Mr. Lucas. Along that line, that means that we have to
    maintain our basic investments in not just technology but
    people. But, Dr. Wright, to you and Dr. Olinto, discuss for a
    moment the nature of the astrophysics research programs in
    American universities. How many are there? How do we compare to
    10 or 20 years ago? What kind of facilities do they have to
    work with, that next-generation who will come after all of us
    in this room? Where are we in this country right now?
        Dr. Wright. I think we're doing quite well. I think that
    there's been no greater interest now than for astronomy and
    astrophysics. The facilities we have, we have many ground-based
    observatories that we use through universities, small-based
    facilities that have been excellent for trying to test
    innovative new instrumentation on, which is very important
    before we bring them to larger ground-based telescopes or we
    give them to NASA to put on space-based telescopes.
        There's heavy student involvement. In fact, the enrollment
    is even higher for astrophysics bachelor's degrees. Those
    programs have spread through academia. And there's a greater
    interest within Ph.D., which I think has already been commented
    by the panel. A Ph.D. in astrophysics is a great springboard to
    any of the STEM fields.
        Mr. Lucas. Dr. Olinto?
        Dr. Olinto. Thank you for that question. I agree it's
    really wonderful times, and the number of students and interest
    is just growing. But as I mentioned in my statement, one of the
    challenges of flat budgets is that the facilities which we
    really love to build and want to use do keep growing because,
    you know, they have to be constructed, operated, there's
    inflation. So it's much harder to protect the grants program
    and the midscale program, which is where the new ideas and the
    new people get formed.
        So this is the big challenge right now in trying to make
    sure that the future will be as wonderful as the present is to
    really find a way find a way to protect this most flexible part
    of budgets, which is the individual grants program.
        And I was just visiting her institution, and on the board
    there is the plot that we wrote in the AAAC with the proposal
    pressure going high, the pressure is so much higher that much
    fewer grants are being able to be funded.
        So I think this is the challenge we are facing now that we
    should keep an eye on that because it obviously doesn't come in
    as a flagship mission. It's always sort of the small programs,
    but those are really where the new blood comes in. So----
        Mr. Lucas. But you're confident the blood exists----
        Dr. Olinto. Oh, definitely.
        Mr. Lucas. --if the resource is available----
        Dr. Olinto. Yes.
        Mr. Lucas. --there for them to do their work?
        Dr. Olinto. Exactly.
        Mr. Lucas. It does exist?
        Dr. Olinto. Yes.
        Mr. Lucas. Dr. Hertz, you mentioned the nine Earth-like
    planets so far. What's the range in light-years away closest to
    farthest, just rough numbers?
        Dr. Hertz. Yes, I certainly don't know that off the top of
    my head. I'd be glad to take that question for the record and
    get back to you.
        Mr. Lucas. That's a fair response. Thank you.
        I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Babin. Thank you very much.
        Now, I'd like to recognize the gentleman from New York, Mr.
    Tonko.
        Mr. Tonko. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and welcome to our
    panelists. Can--and this is a question for any of you. Can you
    characterize the current representation of women and minorities
    within the astronomy and astrophysics communities?
        Dr. Jones. I can start with that. The numbers are growing
    but the numbers are still very small. Having three of us here
    does not represent that there are a large number of women in
    astronomy, but the numbers are growing. The number of
    underrepresented minorities is not as large.
        We've had an REU program at Smithsonian for the last 20-
    something years. I've been PI of that. We take 10 students each
    year. This last year we had 300 applications. We've always had
    at least half of them are women, and we have a few--not as many
    as we'd like--of underrepresented minorities, but I think those
    NSF programs are tremendously important for bringing in women
    and underrepresented minorities.
        Mr. Tonko. Yes. To any of you--and yes, Dr. Ulvestad--is
    there something that can be done in a targeted way that will
    improve those numbers?
        Dr. Ulvestad. Yes. So in--I'm not an NSF lifer. In my pre-
    NSF life I chaired the decadal surveys demographic study group,
    and Dr. Jones was actually a member of it. So I think on the
    gender side we see substantial increases in the number of women
    in the physical sciences and astronomy. I think that the
    numbers, if you look at the undergraduate level in astronomy,
    are approaching 40 to 50 percent. And one of our challenges is
    the--as you get to the higher levels in academia, those numbers
    tend to get smaller. And so a challenge us to us as a society
    is really how to maintain the interest of the people who are
    coming in as undergraduates.
        On the underrepresented minority front, I think the
    physical sciences in general have not done very well. We have
    specific programs in our division, in our materials research
    division in NSF, but I'll point out that NSF-wide NSF has just
    started a new initiative called INCLUDES--and it's a long
    acronym; I don't remember exactly what it stands for--that's
    specifically aimed at underrepresented minorities.
        We recently had our first round of pre-proposals for that
    and got over 600 pre-proposals that will be winnowed down to
    full proposals that will be invited. So I think NSF as an
    institution is trying very hard to sort of get these programs
    going.
        I think that one of the issues for NSF is that we can
    address things at sort of the college and postgraduate level,
    and a lot of the issues relating to representation start much
    earlier in careers.
        Mr. Tonko. Thank you. And the--to Dr. Jones and perhaps Dr.
    Olinto, what's the impact of low proposal success rates on the
    nature of the projects that get funded? In this high-pressure
    environment is there a sufficient support for the more long-
    term investigations that don't have a clearly defined result
    within a couple of years?
        Dr. Jones. I--the low proposal rate makes it very hard for
    people. They're just--you know, when only one proposal in 10
    roughly is being accepted I think it's discouraging. The funds
    that usually come in because those proposals are successful are
    usually the ones that support graduate students and postdocs so
    it makes that--you know, you can't support as many of the
    younger people who are coming up. So, you know, it is very--you
    know, it's hard and it's discouraging for members of the
    community.
        You know, in theory the best science, the very top ten
    percent is getting done, but much of the science is really
    excellent and should be supported. So----
        Mr. Tonko. And Dr. Olinto?
        Dr. Olinto. To add to this, it's difficult in many respects
    and especially because it used to be 30 percent and now it's 20
    so the change makes, you know, people propose more because they
    used to get grants. So folks that had support stop having
    support and new folks coming in will then have to fight even
    harder.
        And what happens is you have excellent reviews that don't
    mean funding. So when you write an excellent proposal and you
    get no funding, then you don't know what to do the next year
    because, you know, how can--they can't go better than
    excellent. So if we leave excellent proposes on the chopping
    block, that is a problem.
        If we--you know, we don't have a perfect number, but the--
    historically, the 30 percent seemed to have been a very healthy
    way to keep excellent and very good science and, you know--
    because when you're squeezing the excellent out, you're also
    squeezing the risk, right, because we know that those three
    will probably be okay. This one which takes a little more risk
    will not. You know, we probably don't fund that because we
    don't know. And that's not how science should be done, right?
    We should really gain from a little bit of high-risk
    investment, obviously not all of it of the portfolio. So it's
    very difficult right now because of the decrease. So anyway--
    yes.
        Mr. Tonko. Well, my time is expired. Let me thank you all
    for participating today.
        And with that, Mr. Chair, I yield back.
        Chairman Babin. Thank you. I now recognize the gentleman
    from California, Mr. Rohrabacher.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and
    thank you to our panelists today. It's been very thought-
    provoking.
        I've always supported astronomy. I've been here 28 years,
    and I buy on and I bought on to the idea that astronomy helps
    us with a basic understanding of the universe not just out
    there but down here as well and expands our fundamental
    knowledge base, which are two very laudatory goals.
        But number one, doing this is an expensive proposition and
    it's an expensive proposition that benefits all of mankind, not
    just Americans. And so I was heartened to hear the efforts that
    are being made on international cooperation, and I think that
    that should be expanded.
        I didn't hear any cooperation with Russia. Is our current
    relations with Russia, which are very dicey right now--is that
    preventing us from having the type of cooperation in this area
    that could be beneficial to both our countries?
        Dr. Hertz. Thank you for the question. No, I don't think
    so. I mean, Russia is a very strong partner on the
    International Space Station with NASA, and we're very pleased
    to have their partnership on that project.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Okay. Well, that's the answer. Thank you.
    I'm glad to hear that. I think sometimes we need to--when we
    have adversaries, we need to find ways of cooperating that can
    actually lessen the tension between people who have different
    points of view and countries that have different points of
    view.
        One of the underappreciated services provided by astronomy
    and by this area of science that we're talking about is an
    early warning system that could alert us to objects coming from
    space that could cause enormous damage of if not the ultimate
    damage to the Earth. And that is something that is an immediate
    payback. Rather than just expanding knowledge, we're actually
    getting a warning that could be utilized--which we have not yet
    put the system in place--to deflect an object that might be
    coming from space.
        One of the prerequisites in order to set something like
    this up, which has been a long project of mine, one of the
    assets that we would have is the Arecibo telescope. And Dr.
    Ulvestad, there's been some statements that you've made that
    indicate that Arecibo, we were in the initial steps of
    mothballing it. Do we have other assets that can spot an object
    that far out and actually chart its course so that if ten years
    out there's an object there that would be hitting the Earth--I
    understand Arecibo provides that service. Do we have other ways
    of providing that service intact now?
        Dr. Ulvestad. So, first, I'll say we haven't made any
    decisions about what the future of Arecibo is. We're studying a
    variety of options. But in terms of detecting objects far out,
    what you really need for that is a survey telescope with a very
    wide field of view, which Arecibo is not. So Arecibo's radar
    can be used to characterize the properties of an object, say an
    asteroid that is already known about that you can point out.
        In terms of the NSF investment, the LSST, which can survey
    the sky and as we said would detect----
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Is that already in place?
        Dr. Ulvestad. No, that's being built. That will be----
        Mr. Rohrabacher. That's not in place so we don't have
    something in place that would--if we mothball Arecibo this year
    that would be immediately taking over that particular threat
    and handling that?
        Dr. Ulvestad. Well, Arecibo, as I said, is not a survey
    telescope so it can only do radar characterization of asteroids
    that----
        Mr. Rohrabacher. But also----
        Dr. Ulvestad. --are already known about. So----
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Radar calculations, by the way, of where
    it would actually threaten the Earth?
        Dr. Ulvestad. No, what they actually do is they do radar
    assessments of what the composition of the object is because if
    it's like a rubble pile versus a solid iron mass, that will
    have a very different impact.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. The Arecibo telescope is not involved with
    charting the actual potential of an object to hit the Earth?
        Dr. Ulvestad. It's involved with tracking.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Yes.
        Dr. Ulvestad. It can also be done with optical and infrared
    telescopes.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. It could be done?
        Dr. Ulvestad. Yes and is done.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Is being done?
        Dr. Ulvestad. Yes.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. So your testimony today is that Arecibo is
    not providing at this time a service that is not being provided
    by someone else?
        Dr. Ulvestad. So as I mentioned, the radar characterization
    is unique to Arecibo, the characterization of the properties of
    an asteroid.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Right.
        Dr. Ulvestad. Now, NASA also has a radar at Goldstone, but
    that's a smaller dish so the distance is not as far.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Right. So being able to determine, as you
    say, what the composition is is not something that tells us
    whether or not that is a threat to the Earth?
        Dr. Ulvestad. It tells us something about whether it's a
    threat to the Earth. I think that it doesn't tell us uniquely
    about its path.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Okay. Well, Dr. Hertz, could you give us
    your answers to that?
        Dr. Hertz. I certainly agree with everything Dr. Ulvestad
    said. He mentioned the Goldstone radar that's part of our deep
    space network. It's also used for radar characterization of
    asteroids. And unlike Arecibo, it can be pointed. Of course
    Arecibo cannot be moved sitting in a valley the way it does.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. And, Dr. Olinto, do you agree with----
        Dr. Olinto. Yes. I think there are many survey telescopes
    that are working now, Pan-STARRS, Dark Energy Survey, other
    survey telescopes of the type that LSST will be another huge
    next-generation improvement on what we already have. So there
    is a menu of things that one can do, but LSST will certainly
    add a huge amount to this issue.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Yes. Now, again, I'm really looking at--
    and, Mr. Chairman, what's important is not what we are planning
    to do but what we have. And quite often, for example, when I
    was Chairman there in your seat, we passed a bill called the
    Pete Conrad Astronomy Awards Act, which gave people awards for
    discovering the biggest Earth object out that might threaten
    the Earth.
        And, you know, it's just a very small amount of money, but,
    we've never appropriated the money for it. So it's one thing to
    have a plan and say, well, Arecibo won't be needed because
    we've got this other group telescope and it's on the way. Until
    it's there and until it's appropriated and actually put in
    space, we have to calculate on what capabilities we have at
    this point.
        And while I agree with you that the decadal study should
    show what's important, what's really important is making sure
    our Earth isn't destroyed by some space object and all of us
    die. And if there's any other priority, I think that would have
    to be the top priority. And we need to make sure that we don't
    have holes in the system as we are putting--we're planning to
    put something up. Let's make sure we keep Arecibo and other
    assets until those alternatives----
        Chairman Babin. Okay.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. --are in place.
        Chairman Babin. Thank you.
        Mr. Rohrabacher. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Chairman Babin. Thank you. The gentleman's time is expired.
        Okay. Mr. Beyer from Virginia.
        Mr. Beyer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, you know, we've
    had--America's had a sad week, a rough week, so thank you so
    much for coming here with so much optimism and so much energy,
    so much belief that we're doing a lot of things really well.
        And by the way, I have two of my interns here today, Alexa
    and Max, but I bring up Max because his favorite movie is
    Interstellar so he's thrilled to be here.
        So, Dr. Wright, Fred Drake 1961 came up with the famous
    Drake Equation that was going to predict how much intelligent
    life there'd likely be in the universe. That was before we had
    all these very cool telescopes. Based on all the research we've
    been able to do, you know, looking much deeper into space, how
    has that equation changed? What does it predict now?
        Dr. Wright. So I think the key one especially back at that
    time was understanding the number of extrasolar planets. At
    that time it could have been one in a million or it could be
    100 percent. We actually had no idea. And with this increase,
    we basically have 22 percent, right, it's one in five, that
    says every sun-like star has another Earth-like planet. I
    always tell the students count in fives. Go up and count five
    stars; there's another Earth-like planet staring back at you.
    That's huge.
        But as Carl Sagan pointed out and the Drake equation it's
    L. It's the lifetime of a civilization that really makes the
    big factor on the number of communicating civilizations. And so
    really it's how long a civilization we last. The lifetime of
    the universe is very long, billions and billions of years. Life
    here on our planet has been here for 3 billion years, but our
    civilization has only been here for 10,000, so it's a sliver of
    time.
        I just--SETI takes time, patience, and diligence and
    understanding, and projecting where our technology will go.
        Mr. Beyer. Great. Great. Thank you very much.
        Dr. Jones, I've always been fascinated by the oscillating
    universe model. It's going to expand until it gets--and then it
    will contract. But now that we know that the universe is
    accelerating, what does that suggest for the oscillating
    universe model?
        Dr. Jones. I think we will probably--this will be a one-way
    trip. We will be expanding and we will not be collapsing again
    so, sorry.
        Mr. Beyer. We----
        Dr. Jones. It's not--it's sort of not the optimistic view
    but----
        Mr. Beyer. So we're back to linear time then?
        Dr. Jones. Yes, I'm afraid so.
        Mr. Beyer. Darn.
        Dr. Jones. Yes.
        Mr. Beyer. Dr. Hertz, were you like born to be a physicist
    with that name or----
        Dr. Hertz. Either that or a car rental agency.
        Mr. Beyer. So, Dr. Hertz, one thing I haven't heard today
    is whether we're making any progress on understanding why
    matter in the universe is so asymmetrical. Why is there so much
    more matter than antimatter?
        Dr. Hertz. Yes, I'm going to pass that to Dr. Olinto----
        Dr. Olinto. All right.
        Dr. Hertz. --because that's one of her areas of research.
        Dr. Olinto. I'm itching to reply. So that's a very hard
    question why there's matter and not antimatter in this room,
    and we're very lucky that that's the case. Otherwise, we
    wouldn't be here because matter and antimatter annihilate. And
    this has to do with fundamental physics, which a previous
    member also mentioned. And I think that is why these broad--you
    know, this large piano that we use can address issues that
    relate to the early beginning.
        So one of the big questions is how did gravity separate
    from the other three forces and how that process which we--you
    know, is beautiful to talk about, you know, with family, at
    parties but it's also something we can measure. And so that's
    to me the most exciting part. So many answers to the questions,
    the fundamental questions you're having have to do with, you
    know, what is dark energy, including the future. If dark energy
    the case, we might heat up again so we can choose fire again
    maybe between fire and ice.
        But the early moments of the universe we can address by
    looking at the microwave background. And this is one of the
    many areas of research that, you know, the portfolio of the
    decadal survey is considering and also investing on. And it is
    an interagency--both NASA, DOE, and NSF, the three agencies we
    oversee, are investing very heavily on looking at these
    primordial microwave background patterns. By looking at the
    polarization of this light which comes from the Big Bang we can
    tell some properties of gravity at the time. And then that will
    connect to the fundamental physics that separated matter and
    antimatter, for example, so it's all a very interesting pursuit
    also.
        Mr. Beyer. Is all this tied together, Dr. Olinto, while you
    have the microphone, because you're looking at dark matter also
    and dark energy.
        Dr. Olinto. Right.
        Mr. Beyer. All related?
        Dr. Olinto. We don't know. So we don't know. We have a very
    good way to try to detect dark matter directly, and this is a
    huge effort. DOE and NSF are involved. Dark energy we are
    measuring as well as we can. It's much harder to detect. It
    would be easier if we could get out of our universe. Then we
    could measure it from the outside, but the inside is really,
    really challenging.
        It is--there are theories that connect the two and that
    would make sense since there are two unknowns. Maybe they have
    something to do with one another. But it may be that nature,
    just like in exoplanets, are much creative and we don't really
    know the answer.
        Mr. Beyer. Okay. Thank you all very much. Mr. Chair, I
    yield back.
        Chairman Babin. Thank you, Mr. Beyer.
        Now, I recognize from the gentleman from Illinois, Mr.
    Hultgren.
        Mr. Hultgren. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you all so much
    for being here. Thank you for your work. And this really is an
    exciting and important hearing for us all to learn about and
    hear about the state of astronomy, astrophysics, astrobiology
    research in the United States and also internationally. These
    are certainly some of the toughest fields requiring the best
    and brightest to devote lifetimes to their field with no
    guaranteed or big economic payoff. It takes a passion and it's
    inspiring for me to watch your work, and I want to thank you
    for your work.
        In the Committee, we will certainly continue to follow the
    recommendations of the decadal survey. And there are countless
    big ideas or future projects we could be discussing, but we all
    know that none of this can be ever even impossible if we're not
    inspiring the next generation to follow in your footsteps.
    Often that takes just a small spark in a young person's mind,
    maybe a burning question, a first telescope, robotics
    competition, simple reassurance from a parent, a friend, or a
    mentor that this is something you can do. And we need you to do
    it.
        So I want to just ask, and I've asked this before in other
    committee hearings, but I'll start with Dr. Jones and maybe if
    we can just go down the line. It's helpful for me because you
    certainly are some of the best and brightest in your field, but
    I've noticed for experts in the STEM field that there is no
    single pathway to get to where you are. So just some simple
    questions. I wonder if you have any thoughts.
        When did you know that this was something you wanted to do?
    Who inspired you? Feel free to give a quick shout-out to a
    teacher or mentor. They always could use the credit and
    recognition. So if you could maybe just let us know kind of
    your path if there was someone that inspired you and what it
    was, that maybe first spark, that idea that, hey, this is
    something interesting and something I could do.
        Dr. Jones. I've been lucky to have a number of mentors. I
    think beginning--I grew up in--near Dayton, Ohio, everybody
    likes Dayton. Good. Good. There was an honors seminar in
    metropolitan Dayton, and I went to that. We had weekly lecture.
    Kids from different high schools came in.
        And for me some of the most exciting were on the neutron
    stars, these spinning pulsars and the lectures were given by
    scientists at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. And I worked
    when--then when I was in college I worked for a summer or two
    with somebody at Wright-Pat for those summers and it was
    terrific. So that's how I started.
        Mr. Hultgren. Dr. Wright?
        Dr. Wright. I think I knew as a little girl that I was
    addicted to the stars and the universe and trying to understand
    it. Probably the most formidable experience was in middle
    school. My science class, they decided to play the Cosmos
    series by Carl Sagan, and I was hooked by watching those. And
    then I, too, have had many mentors thankfully. When I went and
    did my physics degree at the university, I had exposures to
    telescopes, scientists, instrumentation, working in labs, and I
    think having that hands-on experience was vital for me.
        Dr. Olinto. I started more interested in physics than in
    the universe because understanding how things move, how things
    drop and the basic laws of physics to me was so much easier
    than human beings. But very soon after getting interested in
    that I realized how the universe is the best place to actually
    learn more about physics because it has all kinds of systems.
    It takes everything to the extremes. So it's been a wonderful
    path.
        And I have many other interests high school but certainly
    high school teachers were really important, also my parents. My
    father always challenged me for all kinds of math quizzes. So
    the Cosmos series, which aired in Portuguese in Brazil. So the
    outreach is really broad in that sense. So I think for all this
    production that happened here. And also the Apollo missions
    made a big impression for me as a kid.
        Dr. Ulvestad. So I was really good at math, and when I was
    in high school in my physics class, not knowing what I wanted
    to do,I remember a visiting professor from the University of
    Southern California, and it pains me to say that as the UCLA
    graduate, but that professor came and talked to us about
    cosmology, and that got me really interested in astronomy.
        And then I took advantage--in Los Angeles they have
    something called the Griffith Observatory, which is in the
    largest public park in L.A., and you can't imagine that you can
    see much of a dark sky from Los Angeles, but they had
    educational programs and a planetarium, and that really got me
    excited so that when I went to college I majored in astronomy.
        Mr. Hultgren. That's great. Thanks. Dr. Hertz?
        Dr. Hertz. Well, I was a child of the '60s and I grew up
    just loving to read about all the NASA missions that were going
    on. We lived in Atlanta and my father gave into my love by
    driving us down to the cape before the Apollo launches and we
    would camp out on the beach and wake up the next morning and
    watch them blast off to the moon. And so that set my path.
        Mr. Hultgren. That's awesome. Well, again, thank you all
    for your work. We appreciate it. Thanks for inspiring others as
    well. It's so important and that's our only hope truly is for
    our young best and brightest to be willing to follow in your
    footsteps. So thank you all. And I yield back.
        Chairman Babin. Yes, sir, very fascinating. Thank you.
        Let's see. I now recognize the gentleman from Colorado, Mr.
    Perlmutter.
        Mr. Perlmutter. Thanks. And I just love those questions Mr.
    Hultgren asked and your answers. I mean, this is like coming to
    super science class for me, and I'm so surprised by my
    colleague here, Ambassador Beyer, and all that he knows about
    science. You know, me, I watched Star Trek so I worry--I think
    about the next generation is a character, the traveler, so the
    time traveler or the Q Continuum, you know, all-powerful,
    whatever. Or Heinlein, you know, talking about multi-dimensions
    and multi-universes so that you actually could be in a
    different time frame looking at our universe.
        And I'm just so speechless by all of your testimony, and I
    just thank you for being here and I thank you for your optimism
    and your willingness to research and look into the future
    because that's what this is about.
        So I'm just going to ask you a couple specific questions
    but you really have brightened my day and I thank you for that.
        Space weather, let's--Dr. Ulvestad, let me--let's talk
    about space weather a little bit. I am working with Congressman
    Moolenaar and a couple of the Senators on space weather
    legislation. I guess my question is, we had Dr. Baker from
    University of Colorado--so I'm obviously from Colorado. And
    we've recently been assigned by the NSF, the National Solar
    Observatory, and we do a lot of space weather and space
    activities in Colorado. Can you tell us how space weather
    future looks?
        Dr. Ulvestad. So some of the members may know that we've
    recently developed national space weather strategy and a space
    weather action plan, and that was an interagency activity that
    involved NASA, NSF, not just the science research agencies but
    also people who might have to respond to space weather
    outbreaks and get early warnings out such as FEMA. So that, I
    think, was a really interesting process to develop this space
    weather strategy.
        As part of the space weather strategy, NSF actually has
    some deliverables. So there's the long-term research aspects,
    and so I showed a picture of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar
    Telescope earlier. We're--really understanding the fundamental
    magnetic processes in the sun will be critical to us for
    eventually being able to predict space weather. I'm not going
    to guarantee that but understanding the sun means 10, 20, 30
    years down the road we may be able to do better at that. And
    early warning systems enable satellites to shut down and point
    in the right direction and so on so they're not damaged.
        Operationally, we right now run something called the Global
    Oscillations Network Group, which is run by the National Solar
    Observatory that, as you pointed out, is relocating to Boulder.
    And in our 2016 budget in our request we added money to make
    that a more robust system for predicting space weather. It's a
    network of six telescopes spread around the world so that it
    can, assuming it's not cloudy, observe the sun 24/7. And its
    data are actually used by the Air Force for operational space
    weather prediction.
        So I think we have a mix of both an operational role where
    we're taking some of our research capabilities and
    transitioning them to operations and also the long-term
    research role.
        Mr. Perlmutter. So I just spoke at a seminar and symposium
    on cybersecurity, and we were talking about electromagnetic
    pulses. So, you know, potentially manmade but more likely
    something coming out of the sun that--a flare of some sort that
    just fries, you know, our communications grid, our electrical
    grid, or whatever. So I hope--I mean, obviously, that's what
    you're talking in terms of the operational assistance that NSF
    is giving.
        Dr. Ulvestad. Yes, so the NSF role in that is primarily the
    research role. We don't have FEMA's job, and we don't have the
    DOE job of sort of maintaining the electric grid. So our goal
    is to be able to produce the research that will enable us to do
    better predictions in the future, and the issue of like
    hardening the electric grid is kind of out of our realm.
        Mr. Perlmutter. Just a closing thought--and, Dr. Hertz, I
    had a bunch of questions about this space shade that might help
    our telescopes--but I just want to congratulate the astronomers
    and the astrophysicists on--and somebody may have done this
    before I got here--on getting to Jupiter within one second and
    the engineers and the mathematicians and the technologists and
    everybody who helped on that. And my only question is how were
    we off by one second?
        That was rhetorical. I'll yield back to the Chair.
        Chairman Babin. Thank you, Mr. Perlmutter.
        And now, I recognize the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Davidson.
        Mr. Davidson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you all for
    being here. Thanks so much for the encouragement. And just an
    impressive amount of information.
        Growing up near Dayton, Ohio, near Wright-Patterson Air
    Force Base, one of the first field trips I took was to the Neil
    Armstrong Space Museum as a kid. And so it's long been an
    interest. And I found that I would not be able to pilot any of
    these aircraft so I might just jump out of some of them so--
    here in our orbit, though.
        So turning away from--not to take anything away from all
    the great science we've just talked about, I want to talk a
    little bit about the science of project management. And so, Dr.
    Hertz, you mentioned about the JWST program and for 2016 the
    goal was to have the three main components--the scientific
    instruments, the telescope, and the spacecraft--completed. Is
    that project on track?
        Dr. Hertz. The James Webb Space Telescope project is on
    track. It is executing the re-plan that was laid out in 2010
    and for which Congress, thank you, has been appropriating the
    right amount of money in each year to allow us to make progress
    against that plan.
        We have not accomplished the things that you listed, but
    those were not planned for 2016. In 2016 we've assembled the
    telescope and the instruments together, and the spacecraft is
    being assembled separately in California. The telescope and
    instruments are in Maryland. The spacecraft is in California.
    At the end of next year we will be shipping the telescope and
    instruments to California to be mated with the spacecraft.
        Mr. Davidson. Okay. Thank you.
        Dr. Hertz. But we are on plan with our--on track with our
    plan.
        Mr. Davidson. Okay. Thank you. Dr. Ulvestad, the telescope
    under construction in Maui, so thank you for the physical
    picture of it. It looks great, still in progress, but a bit
    over budget. Inspector General issued an alert warning for
    further cost and schedule risks to the project. I'm just
    curious what steps has NSF taken to address the concerns, and
    how confident are you that you will meet the new project
    deadline and budget?
        Dr. Ulvestad. So we're actually quite confident that we're
    on budget so that telescope was re-baselined to a new budget in
    2013 because there was a two-year delay in access to the
    mountain due to environmental and cultural permitting issues in
    Hawaii.
        So the Inspector General report made several
    recommendations. One of the concerns was the project schedule
    was working toward a completion in late 2019 but it was always
    known that that was the schedule without the risk associated.
    That was the schedule that had a six percent probability of
    being met. Okay. The schedule that had an 80 percent
    probability of being met was the middle of 2020, June of 2020.
    So we are quite confident that we're on schedule to meet that
    80 percent date and actually to do it within our current
    baseline budget.
        Mr. Davidson. Great. Thank you. I have a question again,
    Dr. Hertz, or any others that want to comment. NASA's funding
    for large mission concept studies that will inform the 2020
    National Academy of Sciences decadal survey, NASA anticipates
    that the survey committee will use these studies in formulating
    the recommendation for priorities of the missions following
    JWST and WFIRST. What does NASA intend to learn from these
    large-concept mission studies, and how may these studies
    influence the upcoming 2020 astronomy and astrophysics decadal
    study? Are these studies intended to influence the Academies'
    review process?
        Dr. Hertz. Thank you for that question. These studies are
    to put in front of the Decadal Survey Committee some options
    for prioritizing for missions that come in the next decade. So
    each of the study teams are made up of scientists drawn from
    across the country. Each of the studies will lay out a science
    case to lay out what amazing science could be done with that
    particular mission, to lay out a notional architecture, how big
    a telescope, what temperature, what orbit, what cameras, that
    sort of thing. And then we let the engineers take a look at it,
    and they'll estimate how long it would take to build and how
    much it might cost.
        And that package that describes what such a mission might
    do and what kind of resources it might take, that can be put in
    front of the Decadal Survey Committee, and they can consider
    those as possible future missions or they can consider anything
    else they wish to consider as a possible future mission.
        Mr. Davidson. All right. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I yield
    back.
        Chairman Babin. Thank you. Thank you very much. I want to
    thank the witnesses for their very valuable and fascinating
    testimony and for the members up here that have asked great
    questions.
        The record will remain open for two weeks for additional
    comments and written questions from members.
        And so with that, this hearing is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 12:03 p.m., the subcommittees were
    adjourned.]

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                       Additional Material for the Record

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