Pandora Mission
The Pandora Mission, Pandora SmallSat, or Pandora, is a small satellite mission known as SmallSat, one of three orbital missions approved by NASA to pass to the next development phase in NASA's Astrophysics Pioneers program.[1][2][3] The budget for each mission was $20 million.[4]
The mission is intended to determine atmospheric compositions by observing exoplanets and their host stars at the same time in both visible and infrared light over long periods of time.[1][5]
The satellite will have sensitivity to identify exoplanets with hydrogen or water in present in their atmospheres, as well was what exoplanets are covered by clouds or hazes.[6] Pandora will observe 20 stars and their 39 exoplanets with sizes that range from Earth-size to Jupiter-size, and host stars ranging from mid-K to late-M spectral types.[7][8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Center, NASA's Goddard Space Flight. "Pandora mission would expand NASA's capabilities in probing alien worlds". phys.org. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ "Astrophysics Pioneers | Science Mission Directorate". science.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
- ^ "Probing Alien Worlds: NASA's Pandora Mission Builds on UArizona Research". University of Arizona News. 2021-03-24. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
- ^ Tomaswick, Andy (2021-01-26). "NASA has Chosen 4 new Pioneer Missions: Aspera, Pandora, StarBurst, and PEUO". Universe Today. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ "Pandora mission to study stars and exoplanets continues toward flight". www.llnl.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
- ^ Gilbert, E.; Quintana, E.; Dotson, J.; Colon, K.; Pandora Team (2021-06-01). The Pandora SmallSat Mission. American Astronomical Society meeting #238. Vol. 53. p. 309.03. Bibcode:2021AAS...23830903G.
- ^ "The Pandora SmallSat: Multiwavelength Characterization of Exoplanets and their Host Stars - Astrobiology". astrobiology.com. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ Talbert, Tricia (2021-01-06). "NASA Selects 4 Concepts for Small Missions to Study Universe's Secrets". NASA. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
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