Astronet

In 2005, European funding agencies, along with ESA and ESO, launched the Astronet programme to coordinate astronomy development across Europe. Funded by an ERA-NET contract from the European Commission, its goal was to create a 20-year strategic plan, modeled on the U.S. decadal surveys, through a two-step process: a Science Vision followed by an Infrastructure Roadmap.{{Cite book |last1=Monnet |first1=G |last2=de Zeeuw |first2=T |chapter=A Twenty Year Science Vision for European Astronomy |series=Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings |date=2009 |title=Science with the VLT in the ELT Era |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9190-2_23 |publisher=Springer, Dordrecht |pages=133–139 |doi=10.1007/978-1-4020-9190-2_23 |isbn=978-1-4020-9189-6 |via=Springer Nature}}

In 2007, Science magazine reported on the launch of Astronet’s Science Vision and Roadmap, marking the first coordinated effort by European funding agencies to unify long-term astronomy planning. The initiative outlined major research questions and proposed infrastructure for the following two decades.{{Cite journal |last=Clery |first=Daniel |date=2007 |title=Europeans Lay down Their Wish List for Next 2 Decades |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/20048498 |journal=Science |volume=318 |issue=5847 |pages=35 |doi=10.1126/science.318.5847.35 |jstor=20048498 |pmid=17916702 |access-date=8 April 2025 }}

A 2009 article in Science highlighted how the roadmap aimed to improve coordination of astronomy funding across Europe. While the effort was credited with unifying the field, some senior scientists expressed concern that long-term planning over 20 years could risk limiting innovation for early-career researchers.{{Cite journal |last=Bhattacharjee |first=Yudhijit |date=2009 |title=Warning: Don't Let Your Elders Brainwash You |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/20544383 |journal=Science |volume=325 |issue=5944 |pages=1060 |doi=10.1126/science.325_1060 |jstor=20544383 |pmid=19713501 |bibcode=2009Sci...325.1060B |access-date=8 April 2025 |url-access=subscription }}

In 2011, a policy forum described the roadmap as part of a broader European strategy to set priorities in ground- and space-based astronomy through 2025. Missions such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and the International X-ray Observatory (IXO) were listed among the top objectives.{{Cite journal |last1=Bonnet |first1=Roger-Maurice |last2=Bleeker |first2=Johan |date=2011 |title=A Dark Age for Space Astronomy?" |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/27978183 |journal=Science |volume=333 |issue=6039 |pages=161–162 |doi=10.1126/science.1206409 |jstor=27978183 |pmid=21737724 |bibcode=2011Sci...333..161B |access-date=8 April 2025 |url-access=subscription }}

In 2013, a paper published by the Royal Society noted that reports by the European Union’s Astronet group and the U.S. National Research Council had recognized the importance of the temporal domain for understanding the evolution of stars and galaxies.{{Cite journal |last1=O’Brien |first1=Paul T |last2=Smartt |first2=Stephen |date=2013 |title=Introduction: Interpreting Signals from Astrophysical Transient Experiments |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/41937819 |journal=Philosophical Transactions: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences |volume=371 |issue=1992 |pages=1–9 |jstor=41937819 |access-date=8 April 2025 }}

In 2021, Nature described Astronet's roadmap process as a pan-European counterpart to the U.S. decadal survey.{{Cite web |date=23 November 2021 |title=US astronomy has ambitious plans – but it needs global partners |url=https://www-nature-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/articles/d41586-021-03514-2 |access-date=9 April 2025 |website=Nature}}

In 2023, the Royal Astronomical Society welcomed Astronet’s 2022–2035 roadmap as “an ambitious and exciting programme” for future astronomy research. The document identifies science goals including the nature of dark matter and dark energy, alongside priorities in computing, sustainability, and public engagement.{{Cite web |date=25 May 2023 |title=RAS welcomes Astronet roadmap for 12 years of European astronomy |url=https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/news/ras-welcomes-astronet-roadmap-12-years-european-astronomy |access-date=9 April 2025 |website=Royal Astronomical Society}}

In November 2008, Astronet released its first Infrastructure Roadmap, setting priorities for European astronomy over the next 20 years. Developed with input from 28 countries, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the roadmap was modeled after the United States National Research Council’s decadal surveys. It identified the European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) as top priorities, and supported ESA missions such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and Gaia.{{Cite journal |last=Sanderson |first=Katharine |date=25 November 2008 |title=Astronomers unveil wish list |url=https://www-nature-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/articles/456427a#citeas |journal=Nature |access-date=9 April 2025 |via=Nature}}

A subsequent roadmap, published in 2023, outlines strategic goals for the period 2022–2035. It sets out a series of priorities for European astronomy, including recommendations for a wide-field spectroscopic telescope, support for the Einstein Telescope (a gravitational-wave observatory in development), and the European Solar Telescope. Continued support was also recommended for previously endorsed facilities such as the ELT and the SKA. The roadmap additionally includes recommendations to prioritize sustainability and diversity in funding decisions.{{Cite web |last=Sanderson |first=Katharine |date=3 May 2023 |title=‘Einstein’ telescope high on Europe’s astronomy wish list |url=https://www-nature-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/articles/d41586-023-01524-w |access-date=9 April 2025 |website=Nature}}

Participating organizations in Astronet include the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), the Institut national des sciences de l’Univers CNRS (France), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF, Italy), and the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Observer institutions include the European Space Agency (ESA), Portugal Space, the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), and the European Astronomical Society (EAS).{{Cite web |title=Astronet Network |url=https://www.astronet-eu.org/?page_id=60 |access-date=8 April 2025 |website=Astronet}}

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• European Extremely Large Telescope
• European Northern Observatory
• Cherenkov Telescope Array

• {{in lang|de}} [http://www.paderzeitung.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6500&Itemid=203 "Mathematician with Astronet successful – New methods for calculation of trajectories in space."]

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Category:Astronomy institutes and departments

Category:Science and technology in Europe

Category:International scientific organizations