The NASA Multi-Messenger Astrophysics Science Support Center (MOSSAIC)

TL;DR

This paper proposes establishing a virtual Multi-Messenger Astrophysics Science Support Center to enhance coordination, collaboration, and scientific output in the emerging multi-messenger astrophysics field.

Contribution

It introduces a baseline plan for a community-focused virtual support center to optimize scientific returns from multi-messenger astrophysics events.

Findings

Enhanced coordination between ground and space-based facilities.

Increased community engagement and collaboration.

Facilitation of new scientific breakthroughs.

Abstract

The era of multi-messenger astrophysics has arrived, leading to key new discoveries and revealing a need for coordination, collaboration, and communication between world-wide communities using ground and space-based facilities. To fill these critical needs, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Marshall Space Flight Center are jointly proposing to establish a virtual Multi-Messenger Astrophysics Science Support Center that focuses entirely on community-directed services. In this article, we describe the baseline plan for the virtual Support Center which will position the community and NASA as an Agency to extract maximum science from multi-messenger events, leading to new breakthroughs and fostering increased coordination and collaboration.