NN-EXPLORE
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have established a partnership for exoplanet research in response to the recommendation of the Astro2010 Decadal Survey that "NASA and NSF should support an aggressive program of ground-based high-precision radial velocity surveys of nearby stars in order to validate and characterize exoplanet candidates."
The NASA-NSF Exoplanet Observational Research Program (NN-EXPLORE) comprises four main components:
WIYN/NEID Observing Opportunities
The NEID spectrograph is commissioned on the 3.5-meter WIYN telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona with opportunities for guest observing on WIYN.
Southern RV Observing Opportunities
Radial velocity observing time in the southern hemisphere is available for US institutions on SMARTS/Chiron and MINERVA-Australis.
NASA and NSF are pursuing continued improvements in Extreme-Precision Radial Velocity (EPRV).
High Resolution Speckle Imaging of Exoplanet Host Stars
Three high resolution speckle imaging instruments (NESSI at WIYN, ‘Alopeke in Gemini North, and Zorro in Gemini South) are available for US institutions.
NN-EXPLORE Points of Contact
Dr. David R. Ardila
NN-EXPLORE Program Manager
NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program Office
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109
Tel: 626-658-0693
Email: david.r.ardila@jpl.nasa.gov
Dr. Hannah Jang-Condell
Exoplanet Exploration Program Scientist
Astrophysics Division
Science Mission Directorate
NASA Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546-0001
Tel: 202-358-5692
Email: hannah.jang-condell@nasa.gov
Dr. James Neff
Program Director Division of Astronomical Sciences National Science Foundation
201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1045
Arlington, VA 22230
Tel: 703-292-2475
Email: jneff@nsf.gov
NN-EXPLORE 2024A Informational Session
The NN-EXPLORE program will host a remote informational session on observing opportunities available to the US community:
- August 9, 2023
- 4 - 5 PM (PT)
- View Details
AAS 241 Splinter Session
NASA-NSF Ground-based Support for Exoplanet Discovery and Characterization
Details and Presentations
EPRV Research Coordination Network (RCN)
Current NN-EXPLORE Observing Opportunities
WIYN/NEID and Southern RV Guest Observing Opportunities
EPRV Working Group Final Report released
NASA ROSES EPRV Solicitation
NASA has announced a second dedicated solicitation through ROSES for research in extreme precision radial velocity (EPRV) with the purpose of improving the precision of the radial velocity technique towards enabling the detection and measurement of Earth-mass planets orbiting sun-like stars in the temperate zone. Please see additional information on NSPIRES.
2023 EPRV D.18 Solicitation details
2021 EPRV D.17 Solicitation selections
