Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for Solar Terrestrial Probes #5/Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) Mission

On July 31, 2017, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is releasing a solicitation: the 2017 Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe Announcement of Opportunity (IMAP AO). The full text will then be available at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/.

The Heliophysics Division's Solar Terrestrial Probes Program conducts a Principal Investigator (PI)-led mission that addresses a critical science target that systematically advances understanding of the heliophysics system. IMAP investigations must address a preponderance of the IMAP science objectives that are stated in the 2017 IMAP AO.

Participation is open to all categories of organizations or institutions, U.S. or non-U.S., including educational, industrial, and not-for-profit institutions, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), NASA Centers, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and other Government agencies.

The issuance of the 2017 Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe AO does not obligate NASA to any specific proposal selection. Any costs incurred by prospective investigators in preparing submissions in response to the solicitation are incurred completely at the submitter's own risk.

Comments on the AO may be addressed in writing or by e-mail to the IMAP Program Scientist: Dr. Arik Posner, Heliophysics Division, Mail Suite 3M81, Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC 20546-0001, e-mail: Arik.Posner@nasa.gov (subject line to read "IMAP AO"). Responses to all inquiries will be answered by e-mail and also posted at the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) location of the IMAP Program Acquisition website at https://soma.larc.nasa.gov/STP/IMAP ; anonymity of persons/institutions who submit questions will be preserved.