Letter from the NASA Planetary Science Director: the Future of the Planetary Science Analysis and Assessment Groups (AGs)
Editor’s Note: This draft letter was updated Jan. 23 to reflect the letter finalized for distribution to the community.
Dear Colleagues,
Over the past year, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and Planetary Science Division (PSD) have undergone many changes, including my arrival as PSD Director in April 2025. It is my honor to serve the planetary science community, which has long been my professional home, in this new role. One of my top priorities has been determining a future path for the PSD Analysis and Assessment Groups (‘AGs’)—specifically defining the nature of their relationship with PSD. The Planetary Science Analysis and Assessment Groups are not federal advisory committees governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). They do, however, provide input re: scientific priorities to one of the SMD FACAs — the Planetary Science Advisory Committee (PSAC). The PSAC, and other similar SMD Division-level FACA Committees have been terminated, but the community input of the AGs to SMD remains valuable. What has changed, as outlined below, is the financial support for the AGs.
The eight PSD AGs have served as community-based, interdisciplinary bodies responsible for providing science input and analysis needed to plan and prioritize NASA planetary science research and exploration activities. Open to all, these community-led groups have fostered collaboration, built consensus, and strengthened ties across the planetary science community. The full significance of the AGs to NASA—to both PSD and the Explorations Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD)—is difficult to quantify, but the primary values include:
- Sustained channels for trusted two-way communication between NASA and the planetary science community;
- Agile mechanisms for creating Special Action Teams or obtaining technical assessments, on topics of immediate interest to NASA;
- Fostering a cadre of community members, including early-career scientists, who are cognizant of NASA’s functions and processes, and building leaders in the planetary science community; and
- Organization of (and repository for) the planetary science community’s consensus opinions and assessments.
The AGs operate under NASA-endorsed Terms of Reference (available on the AGs’ websites) and they receive financial support for some of their activities (including meeting logistics, community and steering committee travel awards, partial Chair salary, and website support), provided via a grant to the Lunar and Planetary Institute. Going forward those activities will be funded by the community.
The current grant for these activities ends in April 2026, but it may be possible to request minimal funding to support community meetings or workshops via a future competitive solicitation. SMD will continue two-way communication with the community.
I want to thank everyone in the community—especially the AG Chairs and Steering Committees—for their inputs and feedback during this process, which helped inform the path forward. I also want to extend thanks to the Lunar and Planetary Institute for their continued logistical support of the AGs over the last several years.
As self-organized entities we encourage the AGs to evolve and innovate to continue to help advance planetary exploration and build a strong foundation for our field.
The final NASA-funded AG meetings will occur by the end of April 2026. I look forward to seeing many of you at one of these meetings, or in another venue soon. This year I also plan to provide more-regular updates for the community via emails and virtual meetings, so there will be plenty of upcoming opportunities for conversation.
With best wishes for a happy and successful 2026,
Dr. Louise M. Prockter
NASA Planetary Science Division Director
Posted January 16, 2026, edited January 23, 2026