NASA Probes Alien Atmospheres

As NASA’s Pandora mission inches closer to launch, the spacecraft is poised to revolutionize the field of exoplanetary science by providing unprecedented insights into the atmospheres of distant worlds. With its cutting-edge technology and innovative observing strategy, Pandora will enable astronomers to decipher the complex interactions between starlight and planetary atmospheres, ultimately shedding light on the presence of hazes, clouds, and water on at least 20 known exoplanets.

By leveraging its unique capabilities, including a novel all-aluminum telescope and advanced detectors, Pandora will help scientists disentangle the signals from stars and their planets, laying the groundwork for future missions to search for habitable worlds. As the mission’s operations center takes shape at the University of Arizona’s Space Institute, the stage is set for a yearlong journey of discovery that will push the boundaries of human understanding of the cosmos and our place within it.

Introduction to the Pandora Mission

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has made significant progress with its Pandora mission, a small satellite designed to study the atmospheres of exoplanets. The spacecraft bus, which provides the structure, power, and other essential systems for the mission, has been completed. This milestone brings the mission one step closer to its launch, scheduled for the fall. The Pandora mission is led by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, with the University of Arizona (U of A) playing a crucial role in the mission’s operations and scientific research.

The primary objective of the Pandora mission is to conduct an in-depth study of at least 20 known exoplanets, focusing on understanding their atmospheres. By analyzing the light that passes through an exoplanet’s atmosphere during a transit event, scientists can identify the chemical composition of the atmosphere. However, this process is complicated by the variability of the host star’s light, which can mask or mimic the signals from the exoplanet’s atmosphere. The Pandora mission aims to overcome this challenge by using a novel telescope and detector system to capture both the visible brightness and near-infrared spectrum of the host star and the transiting planet’s near-infrared spectrum.

Overcoming Challenges in Exoplanet Atmosphere Research

The concept of the Pandora mission was born out of the need to address a specific challenge in exoplanet atmosphere research. In 2018, a doctoral student in Daniel Apai’s group at the U of A discovered an astrophysical effect that limits the ability of telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study habitable planets. This effect is caused by the non-uniformity of stellar surfaces, which feature hotter and cooler regions that can change position as the star rotates. As a result, the light from the host star can be “mixed” with the light that has passed through the exoplanet’s atmosphere, making it difficult to distinguish between the two signals.

To overcome this challenge, the Pandora mission will use a 45-centimeter-wide telescope made of aluminum, jointly developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Corning Specialty Materials. The telescope will capture each star’s visible brightness and near-infrared spectrum simultaneously, while also obtaining the transiting planet’s near-infrared spectrum. This combined data will enable scientists to determine the properties of stellar surfaces and cleanly separate the star and planetary signals.

Mission Strategy and Operations

The Pandora mission will observe at least 20 exoplanets over the course of a year, with each observation lasting 24 hours and including a transit event. The mission’s observing strategy takes advantage of its ability to continuously observe targets for extended periods, something that flagship observatories like JWST cannot regularly do due to high demand. The U of A Space Institute will support the spacecraft’s operation, with a team led by Karl Harshman working to have the Mission Operations Center running at full speed at the time of launch.

The mission’s data processing will be performed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. The infrared sensor was provided by NASA Goddard, and Blue Canyon Technologies provided the bus and is performing spacecraft assembly, integration, and environmental testing. A host of additional universities supports the science team, ensuring a collaborative effort to achieve the mission’s objectives.

The Pandora mission represents a significant step forward in exoplanet atmosphere research, with its novel telescope and detector system designed to overcome the challenges posed by stellar variability. By studying the atmospheres of at least 20 exoplanets, the mission will provide valuable insights into the properties of these distant worlds and their potential for harboring life. The success of the Pandora mission will also pave the way for future research endeavors, including the study of habitable planets and the search for biosignatures in the atmospheres of exoplanets.