NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center

The Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics ͑LASP͒ continues to conduct a broad program of research and instrument technology development in ultraviolet and infrared astronomy and in optical/UV, X-ray, gamma-ray, and visible-light studies of the Sun. The program encompasses theoretical, observational, and experimental work, using platforms in space such as the Hubble Space Telescope ͑HST͒ Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph ͑STIS͒ and ground-based supporting facilities. The staff provides important enabling services to the scientific community in support of major NASA observatory missions in space astronomy and solar physics. The current missions include Hubble Space Besides the above spacecraft and others mentioned in the report below, the Laboratory conducts experiments through the Spacelab program of Shuttle-attached payloads and via balloon and airborne observatories, such as the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy/Submillimeter and Far Infrared Experiment ͑SOFIA/SAFIRE͒. We also conduct rocket experiments for solar and ultraviolet astronomy. We manage or support several ground-based facilities for research in instrument development, solar physics, and come-tary science ͑as it pertains to physics of the solar wind͒. Updates on facility and instrumental progress and research highlights, including a bibliography of recent contributions , appear below. 1.A. INTRODUCTION The Branch engages in theoretical and observational in-frared, submillimeter, and radio astrophysics, notably in studies of diffuse infrared and microwave background radiations , both galactic and cosmic. The Branch develops detectors for infrared, submillimeter, and X-ray astronomy, and develops instruments for suborbital projects and space missions. The Branch develops instrumentation for the Hubble 1.C. FLIGHT PROGRAMS NGST. The Next Generation Space Telescope ͑NGST͒ is a large aperture follow-on mission to the Hubble telescope under the Origins program. It is an 8 m class cooled infrared telescope optimized to observe the first stars and galaxies, and was given top priority by the National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey. It is planned for launch in 2008. Mather serves as the NGST Study Scientist, while Greenhouse is the Deputy Study Scientist for instruments, and is the prime NGST contact for the six NASA-funded instrument studies as well as Canadian and ESA studies. Greenhouse led a GSFC engineering team to design the Yardstick instrument package for NGST, which would implement the recommendations of the NGST report ''Visiting a Time when Galaxies were Young.'' This package includes a four-bay near IR camera, a multi-object spectrometer with a micro-mirror array as an object selector, and a mid-IR camera and spectrometer. Greenhouse also leads the development of …