PreprintCC BY 4.0arXiv
The Mission Market: Flying NASA's Vetted, Unflown Science
Abstract
Every year NASA validates more excellent science missions than it can afford to fly. Some of the most promising missions in astrophysics, heliophysics, and planetary science are judged selectable, yet remain grounded indefinitely. Mission Market is an advance market commitment that can fly lower cost missions without competing for federal appropriations. Funding comes primarily from the enormous capital now flowing into artificial intelligence (AI) companies that value generating frontier data for scientific foundation models and is also supplemented by traditional means such as philanthropy and patron-scientists.
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BibTeX
@misc{burkhart2026mission,
title = {{The Mission Market: Flying NASA's Vetted, Unflown Science}},
author = {Blakesley Burkhart},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.22159},
eprint = {2610.22159},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.22159},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The Mission Market: Flying NASA's Vetted, Unflown Science
AU - Blakesley Burkhart
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.22159
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.22159
AB - Every year NASA validates more excellent science missions than it can afford to fly. Some of the most promising missions in astrophysics, heliophysics, and planetary science are judged selectable, yet remain grounded indefinitely. Mission Market is an advance market commitment that can fly lower cost missions without competing for federal appropriations. Funding comes primarily from the enormous capital now flowing into artificial intelligence (AI) companies that value generating frontier data for scientific foundation models and is also supplemented by traditional means such as philanthropy and patron-scientists.
ER -