SpaceX is scheduled to launch NASA's Pandora mission on Sunday, January 11. The mission will depart from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, with a launch window opening at 8:19 a.m. EST.
Mission Objectives
The Pandora satellite, weighing 716 pounds (325 kilograms), will conduct a yearlong orbital mission to study at least 20 known exoplanets. Its primary goal is to untangle the signals from exoplanet atmospheres and their host stars, which is complicated by variations on stellar surfaces like sunspots. The mission will utilize a 17-inch-wide (45 centimeters) telescope to observe exoplanets as they transit, or cross the face of, their host stars.
Pandora will monitor the host star's brightness in visible light while simultaneously collecting infrared data. These multiwavelength observations are intended to provide constraints on the star's spot coverage, allowing scientists to separate the star's spectrum from the planet's. The mission will focus on planets with atmospheres dominated by water or hydrogen.
Launch Details
The launch will involve a Falcon 9 rocket carrying approximately 40 payloads, including the Pandora satellite. Among the other payloads are 10 of Kepler Communications' Aether spacecraft and two of Capella Space's Acadia Earth-imaging radar satellites. This flight marks the fifth liftoff for the Falcon 9's first stage, which is expected to land back at Vandenberg about 8.5 minutes after launch.