On November 5, 2014, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is releasing the Discovery 2014 Announcement of Opportunity (NNH14ZDA014O).

The full text of Discovery AO and all appendices are available electronically at nspires website. A preproposal conference will be held in November 2014; see http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/ for details. Notices of Intent are requested by December 5, 2014, and proposals are due February 16, 2015.

The Discovery Program conducts Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations relevant to SMD’s planetary science programs. Discovery Program investigations must address NASA’s strategic objective to ascertain the content, origin, and evolution of the Solar System and the potential for life elsewhere.

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.

NASA expects to select approximately three Discovery missions for Phase A studies and downselect to at least one to proceed into Phase B and subsequent mission phases.

This Discovery AO incorporates a number of changes relative to the previous Discovery Program AO and to the Draft Discovery 2014 AO. All proposers must read this AO carefully, and all proposals must comply with the requirements, constraints, and guidelines contained within the AO.

Comments and questions may be addressed in writing or by E-mail to: Dr. Michael H. New, Discovery Program Lead Scientist, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; E‑mail: [email protected] (subject line to read “Discovery 2014 AO”); Phone: 202‑358‑1766; FAX: 202‑358-‑3097.

Responses to all inquiries will be answered by E‑mail and also posted to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) location of the Discovery Program Acquisition website at http://discovery.larc.nasa.gov/; anonymity of persons and institutions who submit questions will be preserved.