A central component of NASA's science work is to help answer whether life has emerged elsewhere in the cosmos. So far, NASA has been looking tentatively in our own backyard — the solar system — for signs that Earth may be just one of many homes to life. with planets that life could call home, and NASA aims to search those planets for the markers of life with a concept mission called the
To carry out its objectives, the HWO — a proposed infrared/optical/ultraviolet space telescope — will need brand-new technologies, and NASA recently selected three proposals that will help deliver the tech necessary for searching for life outside of the"The Habitable Worlds Observatory will be a historically ambitious mission, so we are taking a deliberate, strategic approach to its development and laying the groundwork now," Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA...
One example of a novel technology that the HWO will need is a far more capable coronograph. This is an instrument that blocks out light from a star so that its planets can be imaged. The HWO will also need an extremely stable optical system thatAn illustration shows an Earth-like world in the habitable zone of its star, a prime target for NASA's proposed Habitable Worlds Telescope.
"With these awards, we’re excited to engage industry to help close technology gaps to make this groundbreaking mission a reality," said Clampin. to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: Conor Feehly is a New Zealand-based science writer. He has earned a master's in science communication from the University of Otago, Dunedin. His writing has appeared in Cosmos Magazine, Discover Magazine and ScienceAlert. His writing largely covers topics relating to neuroscience and psychology, although he also enjoys writing about a number of scientific subjects ranging from astrophysics to archaeology.