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NASA overhauls how it picks science missions, aiming to cut selection time by up to 45%
In brief
NASA's Science Mission Directorate is changing the way it competes and selects science missions. In a letter to the science community, associate administrator Nicola Fox introduced Competition Model 2.0 (CM2.0), which asks teams to compete on the science first and leave detailed engineering and cost plans until they are truly needed. NASA will explain the plan at a virtual NASA Science Town Hall on Monday, October 26.
What changes
For Astro-Probes, New Frontiers and Discovery missions, step 1 will ask for just three things: a compelling science case, a science implementation plan and a proof-of-concept mission design. NASA says that removes roughly half of the material now required. Step 2 is a mission implementation study with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA says this can shorten the time from announcement to step 2 selection by up to 45%, from about 35 months to about 19.5 months. MIDEX and Earth Explorer missions follow a similar two-step path, while smaller missions such as SMEX and Earth Venture move to a single step, cutting selection from about 32 months to about 19 months. Flagship missions keep the approach NASA adopted after the James Webb Space Telescope.
The principles behind it
NASA says judging science first puts first-time teams on equal footing with established ones, and that researchers without major university or commercial backing will get fair consideration. Teams will be expected to use commercial spacecraft parts and services where they save money or help technically. Cost and schedule rules stay strict: serious overruns can lead to consequences up to and including cancelling a mission. The changes will be rolled out in stages and refined with feedback from scientists.
VSH take: shaving more than a year off the wait between a good idea and a go-ahead could mean more missions in the sky this decade. For more space news, read about NASA's RS-25 engine test for Artemis, and explore Earth from orbit on our Live Earth from space page. Want to check NASA's percentages yourself? Try our percentage calculator.
This is our own summary of a letter published by NASA Science. ViralScopeHub is not affiliated with NASA.
Why it matters
Faster, simpler selection could let NASA fly more science missions sooner and open the door to smaller teams with strong ideas.
People also ask
What is NASA's Competition Model 2.0?
A new way of competing and selecting NASA science missions that judges proposals on the science first and asks for detailed engineering and cost plans later.
How much faster will selection be?
NASA says up to 45% faster for Astro-Probes, New Frontiers and Discovery (about 35 months down to about 19.5) and up to 40% for smaller missions (about 32 months down to about 19).
When will NASA explain the changes?
At a virtual NASA Science Town Hall on Monday, October 26, 2026.
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Sources
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