Purpose

The Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG) is an independent, community-led, interdisciplinary body dedicated to advancing space exploration, fundamental research and analysis, technology, resource utilization, and planetary defense objectives related to small bodies across the Solar System.

SBAG is a recognized forum for coordination, collaboration, and consensus-building within the global small bodies community. The small bodies community consists of individuals from a broad range of backgrounds and institutions who are interested in efforts to explore small bodies, including but not limited to science, robotic and human exploration, technology development, resource utilization, as well as planetary defense. Throughout this document, “small bodies activities” refers collectively to such efforts.

Scope

For the purposes of SBAG, small bodies include main-belt asteroids, comets, near-Earth objects, interstellar objects, meteors and meteoroids, interplanetary dust, planetary trojans, centaurs, trans-Neptunian objects, Kuiper Belt objects, dwarf planets, small planetary satellites (including Phobos, Deimos, and the irregular satellites of the giant planets), meteorites, and returned samples from any of these objects. SBAG’s scope includes the following five pillars.

1. Small Bodies and Planetary Defense Strategy

SBAG develops, maintains, and periodically updates strategic documents that articulate community priorities, goals, and objectives for small bodies activities.

These strategic documents identify the state of the field, capability gaps, infrastructure needs, and emerging opportunities relevant to the small bodies community. They are updated on a shorter timescale than Decadal studies, enabling more timely evolution in response to new needs over the community. SBAG seeks input to its strategic activities through the broadest possible community outreach.

2. Stakeholder Dialogue

SBAG fosters meaningful dialogue, both formal and informal, between the small bodies community and stakeholders involved in small bodies activities.

SBAG facilitates timely and open exchange between the community and relevant stakeholders. NASA’s Planetary Science Division (PSD) is a key stakeholder. SBAG may engage in dialogue with international space agencies, professional societies, and other entities as the Steering Committee deems appropriate.

SBAG maintains a record of meaningful dialogue between the community and stakeholder representatives that occurs during open SBAG meetings.

The SBAG Steering Committee prepares Community Statements when the Committee determines that documentation of community perspectives is warranted. Community Statements summarize areas of consensus, identified capability gaps, emerging risks, and strategic considerations that emerge from open SBAG meetings. Community Statements are not intended to constitute formal advice to stakeholders. Rather, they convey the perspectives of the small bodies community on particular topics at particular moments in time. The SBAG chair may transmit Community Statements to relevant agencies or stakeholders at the discretion of the Chair and Steering Committee.

3. Programmatic Stewardship

SBAG monitors and documents the health and trajectory of small bodies activities.

Topics of interest to SBAG include, but are not limited to, small bodies robotic and human exploration missions, ground- and space-based observatories, planetary defense capabilities & architecture, research & analysis programs, technology development efforts, small bodies resource utilization, and data infrastructure & archiving. Community Statements may address the Group’s views on programmatic status, risks, and strategic considerations.

4. Community Development

SBAG sustains and strengthens international small bodies communities.

SBAG achieves community development by promoting broad participation in SBAG meetings and committees, supporting early-career engagement and leadership development, maintaining institutional memory by publicly archiving strategic documents, encouraging collaboration and cohesion across career stages and backgrounds, and encouraging international participation and coordination.

SBAG also helps galvanize the community toward collective action when opportunities arise to shape the future of the field, such as contributions to Decadal Surveys or other strategic planning efforts.

5. Integration and Coordination

SBAG promotes and leverages coordination and integration across small bodies activities.

SBAG facilitates communication and collaboration among different segments of the small bodies community, including space agencies, researchers, mission teams, technology developers, planetary defense practitioners, industry, and international partners. SBAG also encourages coordination with other relevant analysis or assessment groups and community organizations where topics of mutual interest arise.

Through this integrative role, SBAG ensures that developments in one area of the small bodies enterprise inform and strengthen others, and that the community presents a coherent understanding of priorities, opportunities, and challenges.