ASTRA Initiative: Resources for Mission Concepts 

NASA has recently announced the Astrophysics Strategic Technology & Research Accelerator (ASTRA) Initiative. The following resources will be useful for community members interested in participating in the development of mission concepts.

ASTRA Call and Events

• ASTRA incubator description (PDF)
• Ad ASTRA community workshop
  September 1 - 3, 2026
  Pasadena, CA

ASTRA Concept Development Support

• Mission Concept Template V2.0 (.docx)
  For any questions regarding ASTRA mission concept development, technology, and concept guidance, please email Exoplanet Exploration Program Chief Engineer, Rashied Amini (rashied.amini@jpl.nasa.gov).
• ASTRA - White Paper Ideas and Teams (Google doc)
  To contribute concepts to this list, please email NASA Deputy Program Scientist, Exoplanet Exploration Program, Josh Pepper (Joshua.a.pepper@nasa.gov)
• NASA Mission Development 101 and Concept Maturity Levels (CML) (PDF)

Other Resources

• Astrophysics Technology Gap List
• Exoplanet Community Science Gap List (2026) (PDF)
• PI Launchpad
• Pre 2020 Decadal Reports - including Large Mission Concept Studies Final Reports and Probe Mission Final Reports