Exoplanet Exploration James Kelly Mitchell Kirshner Adam Morabito Matt Rote
Exoplanets Planets outside of our solar system Need to differentiate from other celestial bodies. Criteria: o Must orbit star or star remnants. o Mass must be less than limiting mass for thermonuclear reaction of deuterium. o Mass to size ratio is the same as our solar system.
Why do they matter? Understanding our solar system Finding habitable planets Search for signs of possible life Isolate our search for intelligent life
So Far : First discovered exoplanet around Gamma Cephei. Programs: o SuperWasp o Kepler mission o ESPRESSO o HATNet Project 888 planets in 693 systems o Most larger than Earth o 2,781 candidates o 28 potentially habitable exoplanets o 38 potentially habitable exomoons
The Future Automated Planet Finder Terrestrial Planet Finder Gaia mission New Worlds Mission
Terrestrial Planet Finder Proposed in 2002 Approved in 2004 Suspended in 2007 Goals –Find Extrasolar Planets –Characterize Planets –Chemical Signatures of Life Architectures –TPF-I –TPF-C
TPF-I Infrared Astronomical Interferometer Multiple Small Telescopes Uses Nulling Drawback: Limited Resolution
TPF-C Visible Light Coronagraph Large Optical Telescope Uses Special Optics Comparison to Hubble
Budget Entire Budget = $1 billion Assumption: –TPF-I = $500 million –TPF-C = $500 million Comparison to Hubble Replacement Fund TPF-C, Not TPF-I
Kepler Mission March 7, ,000 stars near Cygnus Predict # of Earth-like planets in galaxy Transit Method –Small Planets Photometer
Malfunction/Budget This past Sunday $18.7 Million –$600 Million 2016 –Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
Hubble Space Telescope April 24, 1990 High powered optics Fomalhaut b –2004 Decades of data James Webb Space Telescope
Budget $96.3 Million Servicing missions Expected to function until
Conclusion Exoplanet Importance The Past The Future
Programs and Cuts TPF Kepler Hubble
References Achenbach, Joel. "NASA’s Kepler space telescope malfunction may end hunt for planets." Health and Science. The Washington Post, Web. 16 May Hoim, Margus. "Current Spacecraft System Design."Terrestrial Planet Finder. 29 Jan Web. 15 May Raeburn, Paul. "Detect Alien Life on a Tight Budget."Discover Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing Co. 17 Sep Web. 15 May budget United States of America. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. FY 2014 PRESIDENT’S BUDGET REQUEST SUMMARY Print..