Virtual Science Workshop

Aug 13 - 14, 2020
Hosted by Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

Join us for the ORCAS 2020 Science Workshop! The ORCAS mission aims to provide near diffraction-limited angular resolution at both visible and near-infra-red wavelengths, opening the door to an array of unique scientific opportunities. The ORCAS mission, selected for further development by the NASA AS3 solicitation, and the W. M. Keck science steering committee, is the fruit of a collaboration between the W. M. Keck Observatory and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and includes a variety of industry and academic partners.

We invite you to contribute your imagination and expertise to this exciting new concept for a space-ground partnership for astronomy. The objective of the workshop is to understand the scientific potential of the ORCAS mission configuration, particularly in areas where its capabilities are unique, and to determine what mission requirements would enable that potential. Speakers are invited to present short talks (~15 minutes) and all attendees will participate in breakout working group sessions, where key questions will be asked and important recommendations generated.

The agenda will include an introduction to the mission concept, potential scientific investigations, and workgroups will address key questions facing the ORCAS mission. Major scientific investigations include:

The galactic center.
Active galactic nuclei.
Stellar populations in galaxies.
Globular clusters.
Supernovae.
Exoplanet imaging.
Solar system; and
Lensed galaxies.

We are excited to explore this new mission concept with you and welcome your participation.