A. STScI MISSION STATEMENT
"Our mission is to enable excellence in astronomical research by optimizing the science from state-of-the-art observational instruments in space."
B. CUSTOMER
"Our customer is NASA as influenced by the astronomical community and the public."
C. GOALS
I Business Base
Missions
- Maintain HST as the world’s leading observatory as long as its science return is competitive with other facilities.
- Develop and support the science program of the James Webb Space Telescope on behalf of the community, with a focus of maximizing this observatory’s science productivity in its first 5-years
- Operate a world-class archive and in partnership with our Universities and Centers, maximize the science return of community-based astronomy projects
- Stimulate astronomy education and public outreach in support of NASA’s missions
- Be a leader in defining and advancing the next major astronomical mission(s) and establish with NASA and the community why such STScI leadership and involvement is critical.
Science
- Maintain and enhance the strong science culture which must permeate through everything we do
- Invest in science staff and science programs that will inform the Institutes future directions.
Innovation
- Pursue creative and innovative solutions to science operations challenges
- Foster new instrumentation and new mission concepts
- Use new technology to increase access to astronomy data and information
Workplace
- Attract and retain the most outstanding staff
- Provide an invigorating, inclusive and exciting work environment
- Provide staff training and mentoring which allows everyone at STScI to align actions and operations with strategy and values
Community
- Serve as a trusted advocate of the astronomy community to NASA
- Working with the community and NASA, provide leadership for the next the next major UVOIR mission(s)
- Maintain, enhance and create new partnerships with complementing institutions
- Encourage public interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
- Develop partnerships to expand astronomy outreach in the greater Baltimore area
II Competitiveness
- Maintain the trust of the community through transparency and accountability
- Enhance STScI cost effectiveness while preserving the scientific and technical excellence that gives us a competitive advantage for mission support.
- Support community-led astronomy programs and enhance our core competencies & contributions.
- Support internal studies such as the development of new technologies for planet detection and characterization, and the next flagship mission to characterize planets and search for life