NASA’s Pandora mission, launched by SpaceX, will study 20 exoplanet atmospheres from orbit for a year, focusing on worlds with water or hydrogen.
CALIFORNIA: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has successfully launched NASA’s Pandora exoplanet research satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The mission, carrying about 40 payloads, will see the 325-kilogram satellite study at least 20 known exoplanets over its yearlong orbital journey.
Pandora will use its 45-centimetre telescope to observe planets as they transit, or cross, the face of their host stars.
This transit method allows astronomers to analyse the composition of planetary atmospheres by studying the starlight that filters through them.
“Pandora aims to disentangle the star and planet spectra by monitoring the brightness of the exoplanet’s host star in visible light while simultaneously collecting infrared data,” NASA officials wrote.
The agency stated these multiwavelength observations will help separate the star’s light signature from the planet’s atmospheric data.
The mission will specifically focus on planets with atmospheres dominated by either water or hydrogen.
Different atmospheric elements absorb light at unique wavelengths, revealing their chemical makeup through spectral analysis. – Bernama, WAM