2021 Budget Options

[JRehling]

A new year's budget moves us one step closer to future plans. Who knows how much of this is tentative, to be undone in future planning, but some of the updates are:

• WFIRST cancelled.
• Mars Sample Return moves forward with a fetch rover launch in 2027.
• Europa Clipper moves from an SLS launch vehicle to a commercial Heavy Falcon.

The Discovery 15 and 16 semifinalists have still not been selected, despite an initial target of January for that announcement.

[atomoid]

WFIRST apparently cannibalized to bolster JWST...
PACE and CLARREO nixed as well.. fortunately its just a NASA budget proposal
for 2027 a 'Mars Ice Mapper' to characterize global distribution of H2O ice within 3-16 meter depth.

[stevesliva]

WFIRST apparently cannibalized to bolster JWST...

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7628

The FY2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act funds the WFIRST program through September 2020. The FY2021 budget request proposes to terminate funding for the WFIRST mission and focus on the completion of the James Webb Space Telescope, now planned for launch in March 2021. The Administration is not ready to proceed with another multi-billion-dollar telescope until Webb has been successfully launched and deployed.

The rest of the article focuses on WFIRST's capabilities.