NASA's Pandora mission is scheduled to launch in Fall 2025, aiming to significantly advance the understanding of exoplanet atmospheres. As part of NASA's Astrophysics Pioneers program, Pandora will utilize a small satellite equipped for long-duration, multiwavelength observations to study the atmospheres of exoplanets and the activity of their host stars.
The Pandora spacecraft, with its bus completed in January 2025, is on track to observe at least 20 known exoplanets. These celestial bodies, ranging in size from Earth to Jupiter, will be studied alongside their host stars, predominantly K and M spectral types. Each exoplanet will undergo ten 24-hour observations over a one-year period. This intensive observation schedule is designed to capture critical data during planetary transits—events where an exoplanet passes in front of its star, allowing for analysis of the starlight that filters through the planet's atmosphere. This technique, known as transit spectroscopy, is vital for identifying atmospheric composition, including the presence of water and clouds, which are key indicators of potential habitability.
The mission is a collaborative effort, with key contributions from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Astrophysics Pioneers program supports smaller, cost-effective missions like Pandora, designed to complement data from more extensive observatories such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). While JWST is powerful, Pandora's specialized, long-duration observational capabilities are essential for filling crucial research gaps, particularly in disentangling subtle exoplanet atmospheric signals from the dominant light of their host stars.
Pandora's approach is particularly adept at overcoming the challenge of stellar activity masking planetary atmospheric signatures. By simultaneously collecting data in visible and infrared light and precisely monitoring stellar brightness, Pandora aims to achieve this. K-type stars, frequently observed by Pandora, are considered promising targets in the search for extraterrestrial life due to their stability and long lifespans, offering ample time for life to develop. These stars emit less harmful ultraviolet and ionizing radiation compared to Sun-like stars, and their habitable zones are wider, increasing the potential for life-supporting conditions.
The insights gathered by Pandora are expected to significantly enhance the collective knowledge of exoplanet atmospheres and the conditions that might foster life beyond Earth, contributing valuable data to the ongoing quest for understanding our place in the cosmos.