Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 16:18:00 (PDT)
Subject: Memo from the Director: Warm Spitzer opportunities

Dear Colleagues,

The Spitzer project has submitted a Senior Review proposal to
NASA Headquarters, proposing to conduct operations with the
Observatory after the cryogen is exhausted in ~April 2009. The
results from the Senior Review are anticipated to be released by
June 2008. This memo provides notice to the community of the
opportunities for Warm Spitzer observations that will be offered
in the first proposal call, if the warm mission is approved.

The Warm Spitzer mission will execute observations using IRAC
channels 1 & 2 (3.6 & 4.5 microns) which will perform with the same
sensitivity and stability as during the cryo mission and with the
same observing capabilities. No other measurement capabilities
will be available.  We anticipate that the observing efficiency
should be nearly the same as at present:  i.e., we currently execute
~7000 hours of science observations per year.

Warm Spitzer will introduce a new observing paradigm, namely,
very large (> 1000 hour) projects, which we refer to as Exploration
Science Projects (ESPs). A substantial majority of the observing
time will be allocated to these projects. ESPs are an order of
magnitude larger than those supported during the cryogenic mission.
The first ESPs will be selected prior to the depletion of the cryogen,
so it is not too early to start gathering your teams and planning your
proposals. We also plan to support traditional smaller projects and
archival research science. In the first proposal call, to be issued in
July 2008, we expect to offer the opportunity to propose for ESPs.
These projects will consist of:

- minimum proposal size of 1000 hours
- no data proprietary period
- 10,000 to 12,000 hours selected to be executed over two years.

These proposals will be due in early October 2008, with selections
announced by December 2008.

The traditional small observing programs (1000 to 1500 total hours
to be selected) and archival research programs will be described in
the same Call for Proposals.  These proposals will be due in February
2009, with selections announced by May 2009.

Any questions about the Warm Spitzer Mission should be directed to
the Spitzer Science Center Helpdesk at help@spitzer.caltech.edu.
Information from the Science Opportunities for the Warm Spitzer
Mission Workshop, held in 2007, is available at the SSC website
(http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/mtgs/warm/).

We welcome your participation in this exciting new opportunity to
execute science projects with the Spitzer Space Telescope and to
utilize the Spitzer Data Archive.

Sincerely yours,

B. Thomas Soifer
Director, Spitzer Science Center