This report is part of the overarching activities of the Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science (CAPS), which is constituted to assist the federal government in integrating and planning programs in the fields of astrobiology and planetary science by providing advice on the implementation of decadal survey recommendations. When requested by the sponsor and approved by the National Academies, the committee may write a report to assess progress on implementing recommended decadal survey scientific and technical activities.
Report Specific Statement of Task

The Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences (CAPS) of National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, will address the following questions:

• Has scientific understanding or external factors, such as programmatic developments or technological advances, significantly changed since the New Frontiers 5 (NF-5) mission themes or New Frontiers 6 (NF-6) mission themes were evaluated by the most recent planetary science and astrobiology decadal survey, Origins, Worlds, and Life (OWL)?
• Has scientific understanding or external factors, such as programmatic developments or technological advances, been sufficiently substantial since OWL to warrant reconsidering or removing any of these mission themes?
• Given that NASA anticipates the next New Frontiers Announcement of Opportunity (AO) will be released no earlier than 2026, should NASA use the mission themes provided in the draft NF-5 AO (released 1 September 2023), the NF-6 mission themes as provided in OWL, or a hybrid of the these?

Overall Statement of Task for CAPS
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will appoint the Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences (CAPS) to support scientific progress in astrobiology and planetary science and assist the federal government in integrating and planning programs in these fields by providing advice on the implementation of decadal survey recommendations. The CAPS provides an independent, authoritative forum for identifying and discussing issues in astrobiology and planetary science between the research community, the federal government, and the interested public.
The CAPS scope spans space-based and supporting ground-based planetary research within our own planetary system, including, for example, geosciences, atmospheres, particles and fields of planets, moons, and small bodies, as well as astrobiology, planetary astronomy, and planetary protection. The CAPS's scope also includes appropriate cross-disciplinary areas and consideration of budget and programmatic aspects of the implementation of the decadal survey.
The committee shall monitor the progress of implementing the priorities in the most recent decadal survey for the most important scientific and technical activities in that report and recommendations in the subsequent mid-decadal review report.
When requested by a sponsor and as approved by NASEM in accordance with its procedures the Committee may write reports to assess progress on the implementation of the decadal survey's recommended scientific and technical activities. The reports shall be based on evidence gathered by the Committee. The reports may address key strategies being pursued by the agencies and the status of agency actions that relate to the state of implementation. The reports may also highlight scientific discoveries and engineering and technical advances relevant to progress on the science objectives identified in the most recent decadal survey and in addition will focus on one or more of the following types of issues:

• The scientific impact of a change in the technical and engineering design, cost estimate, schedule, or programmatic sequencing of one or more of the survey-recommended activities;
• The impact of a scientific advance on the technical and engineering design, schedule, or programmatic sequencing of one or more survey-recommended activities;
• The scientific impact of a course of action at a decision point described in the survey report and recommended therein as being suitable for consultation with an independent decadal survey implementation committee;
• The scientific impact of implementing recommendations from the mid-decadal review and other relevant NASEM reports.