Pandora Mission

Last updated
Pandora
An artist's concept of the Pandora mission, seen here without the thermal blanketing.jpg
Artist's concept of Pandora observing an exoplanet
Mission type Astrophysics
Operator NASA
Website https://smallsat.wff.nasa.gov/missions/pandora.php
Mission duration12 months (planned)
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerBlue Canyon Technologies, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Launch mass325 kg (717 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date2026 (planned)
Rocket Falcon 9 Block 5
Contractor SpaceX
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit
Regime Sun-synchronous, low Earth orbit
Main telescope
Diameter45 cm (18 in)
Wavelengths Near-infrared
Instruments
Cassegrain telescope
Aspera  →

Pandora is a small satellite, intended to determine atmospheric compositions of exoplanets by observing them and their host stars at the same time in both visible and infrared light over long periods of time. [1] [2]

Contents

Science

The satellite will have sensitivity to identify exoplanets with hydrogen or water present in their atmospheres, as well as what exoplanets are covered by clouds or hazes. [3] 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. [4] [5]

Background

Pandora is one of three orbital missions approved by NASA to pass to the next development phase in NASA's Astrophysics Pioneers program. [1] [6] [7] The budget for each mission was $20 million. [8]

Timeline

The spacecraft bus completed construction in January 2025 and its launch was scheduled for late 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon 9, [9] [10] possibly on a Transporter rideshare mission. [11] [12] [13] The launch was later moved to early 2026. [14]

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 Center, NASA's Goddard Space Flight. "Pandora mission would expand NASA's capabilities in probing alien worlds". phys.org. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Pandora mission to study stars and exoplanets continues toward flight". llnl.gov. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Gilbert, E.; Quintana, E.; Dotson, J.; Colon, K.; Pandora Team (1 June 2021). The Pandora SmallSat Mission. American Astronomical Society meeting #238. Vol. 53. p. 309.03. Bibcode:2021AAS...23830903G.
  4. ↑ "The Pandora SmallSat - Multiwavelength Characterization of Exoplanets and their Host Stars - Astrobiology". astrobiology.com. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  5. ↑ Talbert, Tricia (6 January 2021). "NASA Selects 4 Concepts for Small Missions to Study Universe's Secrets". NASA. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  6. ↑ "Astrophysics Pioneers | Science Mission Directorate". science.nasa.gov. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Probing Alien Worlds: NASA's Pandora Mission Builds on UArizona Research". University of Arizona News. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  8. ↑ Tomaswick, Andy (26 January 2021). "NASA has Chosen 4 new Pioneer Missions: Aspera, Pandora, StarBurst, and PEUO". Universe Today. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  9. ↑ @SpaceX (February 10, 2025). "Falcon 9 to launch the Pandora small satellite to study 20 exoplanets and their host stars" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. ↑ published, Mike Wall (2025-02-11). "NASA picks SpaceX to launch Pandora exoplanet mission". Space. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  11. ↑ NASA's Pandora mission one step closer to probing alien atmospheres
  12. ↑ Doyle, Tiernan. "NASA Awards Launch Service Task Order for Pandora Mission". NASA. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  13. ↑ Foust, Jeff (11 February 2025). "NASA selects SpaceX to launch astrophysics smallsat mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  14. ↑ "Daniel Apai (@danielapai.bsky.social)". Bluesky Social. 2025-11-06. Archived from the original on 2025-11-16. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.