Science
NASA's Pandora SmallSat mission begins exoplanet science operations
The mission uses a low-cost satellite to separate stellar activity from planetary atmospheric signatures.
The short version
- NASA's Pandora mission has officially begun science operations to study exoplanet atmospheres and their host stars.
- The year-long primary mission will observe at least 20 exoplanets 10 times each in 24-hour observation periods.
- Pandora aims to help astronomers distinguish between atmospheric compositions—such as water, clouds, and hazes—and misleading surface features on host stars.
- Data gathered by the satellite will support future analysis from larger space observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope.
Key facts
- Pandora launched into low Earth orbit on January 11 as the first operational satellite under NASA's Astrophysics Pioneers program.[NASA News]
- The spacecraft carries an 18-inch (45-centimeter) all-aluminum telescope capable of simultaneously observing targets in visible and near-infrared light.[NASA News]
- Pandora's near-infrared detector was built using a spare detector originally developed for the James Webb Space Telescope.[NASA News]
- NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center leads the Pandora project, while Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provides project management and engineering.[NASA News]
- The University of Arizona handles mission operations, while NASA's Ames Research Center handles data processing.[NASA News]