NASA has selected SpaceX to launch the Pandora mission, which will study at least 20 known exoplanets and their host stars. The mission aims to understand how stellar variations impact observations of exoplanet atmospheres.
Pandora will observe each exoplanet 10 times over its one-year primary mission, with each visit lasting 24 hours. It will gather critical data on both the planet and its host star during transits, when a planet passes in front of its star.
The satellite will employ a 45-centimeter aluminum telescope to simultaneously measure the visible and near-infrared brightness of the host star and obtain near-infrared spectra of the transiting planet. This separation of stellar and planetary signals will enhance observations from the James Webb Space Telescope and future missions searching for habitable worlds, such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory.
Pandora is a collaborative effort between NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. It is funded by the Astrophysics Pioneers program.