ROSES-13 Amendment 29: Appendix D.7, the Kepler Guest Observer program, is being removed from ROSES 2013

Between July 2012 and May 2013 the Kepler spacecraft lost two of its four reaction wheels that keep the telescope in fine point during weeks to months long observations, thus it can no longer deliver the high precision photometry necessary for small exoplanet detection. Ideas have been solicited for two-wheel science, but any future Kepler Guest Observer (GO) solicitation must be very different from that released when the spacecraft was operating with a complete set of reaction wheels. The time frame for implementing a two-wheel GO solicitation more naturally places it in the ROSES 2014 NRA. As a result, the Kepler Guest Observer program is being removed from ROSES 2013 but it may return in ROSES 2014, depending on the outcome of the 2014 Senior Review and the availability of funds.

On or about October 31, 2013, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement “Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2013” (NNH13ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ and will appear on the RSS feed at: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2013

Questions concerning this amendment and Appendix D.7, the Kepler Guest Observer program, may be directed to Douglas Hudgins, Astrophysics Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001. Telephone: (202) 358-0988; E-mail: [email protected].