What is the Pandora mission's role with the James Webb Space Telescope?

The Pandora mission is designed to observe exoplanets and their host stars simultaneously to calibrate Webb's data and resolve stellar contamination, improving the accuracy of exoplanet atmosphere analysis.

Why is stellar contamination a problem for exoplanet discovery?

Stellar contamination occurs when light from a star interferes with or mimics the chemical signatures of a planet's atmosphere, making it difficult to determine if molecules like water are present on the planet.

How does Pandora's low budget compare to Webb's?

Pandora's budget is approximately $20 million, which is significantly less than the James Webb Space Telescope's budget of over $10 billion.

Home / Science / Tiny Probe Aids Webb's Hunt for Alien Worlds

Tiny Probe Aids Webb's Hunt for Alien Worlds

13 Jan

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Summary

Pandora satellite launched to calibrate exoplanet star data.
It aims to solve stellar contamination issues affecting Webb's findings.
The mission utilizes a $20 million budget, a fraction of Webb's cost.

Tiny Probe Aids Webb's Hunt for Alien Worlds

The Pandora satellite has recently been launched into orbit to support the James Webb Space Telescope's ambitious exoplanet research. This smaller, more affordable mission aims to tackle the challenge of "stellar contamination," where light from host stars can obscure the chemical signatures of exoplanet atmospheres, making it difficult to confirm the presence of life-essential molecules like water. Pandora's precise observations will calibrate Webb's data, ensuring greater confidence in identifying habitable worlds.

The Pandora mission, with a budget of $20 million, uses a unique approach by observing exoplanets and their stars concurrently from low-Earth orbit. This allows scientists to account for stellar variability and atmospheric signals, which can mimic or mask planetary detections. This technique is vital as Webb's schedule is fully booked, and Pandora offers a dedicated, cost-effective solution to refine exoplanet atmospheric analysis, building on discoveries made since the 2010s.