Pandora Mission
The Pandora Mission, Pandora SmallSat, or Pandora, is a proposed small satellite mission known as SmallSat, one of three orbital missions approved by NASA to pass to the next development phase in the Pioneers program.[1] 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.[2]
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.[3] Pandora will observe a minimum of 20 exoplanets, with sizes that range from Earth-size to Jupiter-size, and host stars ranging from mid-K to late-M spectral types.[4]
References
- Center, NASA's Goddard Space Flight. "Pandora mission would expand NASA's capabilities in probing alien worlds". phys.org. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- Garner, Rob (2021-03-23). "Pandora Mission Would Expand NASA Capabilities to Probe Alien Worlds". NASA. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- 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. Retrieved 2021-11-13.