At COSPAR: Mission updates

We've just heard that RXTE is likely to be extended to August 2009 - unfortunately not long enough for full overlap with LIGO's next science run, but long enough to give some overlap with GLAST. In Session E15 we heard about exciting new mission proposals including AXTAR (an advanced X-ray timing mission), NICE (which aims to explore neutron star properties), and GEMS (investigating gravity and extreme magnetism) - but the big topic was the possible merger of Constellation-X and XEUS.