Cosmic Explorer: A Submission to the NSF MPSAC ngGW Subcommittee

Understand

Gravitational-wave astronomy has revolutionized humanity's view of the universe, a revolution driven by observations that no other field can make.

• This white paper describes an observatory that builds on decades of investment by the National Science Foundation and that will drive discovery for decades to come: Cosmic Explorer.
• Major discoveries in astronomy are driven by three related improvements: better sensitivity, higher precision, and opening new observational windows.
• Cosmic Explorer promises all three and will deliver an order-of-magnitude greater sensitivity than LIGO.