Pandora mission will help reveal exoplanet atmospheres with new observations

Star system: HD 189733 A | Distance from the Sun: 64.5 light years

NASA's Pandora mission is a small satellite project designed to study exoplanets and their host stars by separating the effects of star activity from the signals of exoplanet atmospheres. Pandora will observe both visible and near-infrared light from systems where planets pass in front of their stars, allowing scientists to monitor changes in the star and better understand the atmospheres of the planets.

The mission, set to run from 2026 to 2027, will work alongside major observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Pandora will provide long-term monitoring and low-resolution spectra, which are important for accurately measuring the chemical makeup of exoplanet atmospheres. By modeling five different types of exoplanets, including well-known examples like HD 209458 b and K2-18 b, the study shows that Pandora can measure key molecules such as water and methane with high precision.

Pandora's data will improve the reliability of results from JWST and can also be used to identify promising targets for future observations. The mission will serve both as a standalone observatory and as a valuable partner to other telescopes, helping to advance our understanding of planets beyond our solar system.

Key findings
- Pandora will monitor exoplanet systems in visible and near-infrared light.
- The mission can measure atmospheric molecules like water and methane with high precision.
- Pandora's observations will complement JWST and improve exoplanet atmosphere studies.

Scientific study

NASA's Pandora SmallSat Mission: Simulated Modeling and Retrieval of Near-Infrared Exoplanet Transmission Spectra (external link)