Addressing the Crisis in Fundamental Physics

The observation that the expansion of the Universe is proceeding at an ever-increasing rate, i.e. the "dark energy" problem, constitutes a crisis in fundamental physics that is as profound as the one that preceded the advent of quantum mechanics. Cosmological observations currently favor a dark energy equation-of-state parameter w = P/ρ = -1. Awkwardly, this is the value that has the least ability to discriminate between alternatives for the physics that produces the observed accelerating expansion. If this result persists we therefore run a very real risk of stagnation in our attempt to better understand the nature of this new physics, unless we uncover another piece of the dark energy puzzle. I argue that precision fundamental measurements in space have an important role in addressing this crisis.