ATHENA NAST Response to Astro2020 Decadal Survey
November 15th, 2021
On behalf of the community of ATHENA users in the U.S., the NASA ATHENA Study Team (NAST) would like to thank the Decadal Survey leadership and membership for their tremendous efforts. The NAST is also grateful to the scientists and teams who wrote White Papers to explain the transformative impact that ATHENA will make. Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s highlights the incredible breadth of science that can only be achieved with ATHENA, and its capability to explore 19 of the 30 key science topics identified by the Survey. In advocating for continued NASA support for ATHENA, Astro2020 not only recognizes the thousands of U.S. scientists who will use the mission, it also underscores the importance of maintaining key international partnerships over the timescale that is necessary to build major observatories. The development of ATHENA continues toward its goal of delivering unique perspectives on the Universe, and it is exciting to glimpse the future facilities that will share in this endeavor.
Jon Miller and Laura Brenneman (NAST Co-Chairs),
on behalf of the NAST and U.S. ATHENA community