2013 STScI Spring Symposium and Habitable Worlds across Time and Space Cancelled
Dear colleagues,
We regret to announce that the 2013 STScI Spring Symposium, Habitable Worlds across Time and Space, has been cancelled.
Space Telescope Science Institute operates as a NASA contractor. Our contractual obligations include support of workshops and seminars. In response to fiscal impacts resulting from the United States Government sequestration, NASA has temporarily suspended the contract authority and all funding that enables us to host conferences and seminars. This suspension includes the upcoming STScI Spring Symposium, Habitable Worlds Across Time and Space, and the 2013 Calibration Workshop, both of which are now cancelled.
Refunds will be provided to all of you who have paid registration fees.
The ability of the HST and future JWST missions to push space exploration to its limits is crucially dependent on the collective intellectual resources of the astronomical community, and on the creative development of ideas that are enabled by direct interactions in face-to-face workshops, conferences and symposia. Activities such as the Calibration Workshop and May Symposium, which enable such creative interactions, are integral elements of STScI’s core science and community support mission.
That being said, we must recognize that these are exceptional circumstances, and acknowledge that this one-time deferral is unlikely to present a long-term risk to the Hubble or JWST missions or science. NASA, along with the rest of the Government, is facing challenging budgetary circumstances, and must make difficult decisions. While we are very disappointed that these two events must be cancelled, STScI looks forward to restarting our conference and seminar activities when the current suspension is lifted.
Please feel free to contact me at inr@stsci.edu should you need further information.
Neill Reid, Head Science Mission Office
On behalf of the Scientific and Local Organizing Committees
Space Telescope Science Institute
3700 San Martin Drive
Baltimore, MD 21218
410-338-4374
