NewAthena Science Re-Definition Team (SRDT) had its first face-to-face meeting

By Mike Cruise, Matteo Guainazzi (co-chairs of the SRDT) and Francisco J. Carrera (Director of the ACO)

The NewAthena Science Re-Definition Team (SRDT) had its first face-to-face meeting last Monday 5 December 2022 in ESTEC.

The SRDT was appointed by the European Space Agency to revise the science objectives of the Athena mission, adapting them to new discoveries since the mission was originally proposed, and matching them to the programmatic constraints of the NewAthena mission, which is constrained not to exceed a cost-at-completion to ESA of about 1.3 G€. This effort will probably entail less ambitious science objectives, and imply trade-offs between some of the current capabilities of Athena.

At the end of its estimated one and a half years of work, the SRDT will deliver a report to the ESA Director of Science, assessing whether this now affordable mission also retains its flagship character.

The SRDT is committed to do its best to get NewAthena back on track. We are looking forward to collaborating with the Athena Community in this enterprise.