The Pandora SmallSat: Multiwavelength Characterization of Exoplanets and their Host Stars

Elisa V. Quintana; Jessie L. Dotson; Knicole D. Colón; Thomas Barclay; Pete Supsinskas; Jordan Karburn; Dániel Apai; Christina Hedges; Benjamin V. Rackham; Jason F. Rowe; Natalie H. Allen; Paul Bonney; Samuel Cano; Jessie L. Christiansen; David Ciardi; Néstor Espinoza; Trevor O. Foote; Emily A. Gilbert; Thomas P. Greene; Kelsey Hoffman; Benjamin J. Hord; Aishwarya Iyer; Aurora Kesseli; Veselin B. Kostov; Nikole K. Lewis; Sarah E. Logsdon; Andrew W. Mann; Megan Mansfield; James Mason; Brett M. Morris; Gregory Mosby; Susan E. Mullally; Elisabeth R. Newton; Fuda Nguyen; Joshua E. Schlieder; Kevin B. Stevenson; Lindsey S. Wiser; Allison Youngblood; Robert T. Zellem

doi:10.1117/12.3020633

The Pandora SmallSat: Multiwavelength Characterization of Exoplanets and their Host Stars

Elisa V. Quintana, Jessie L. Dotson, Knicole D. Colón, Thomas Barclay, Pete Supsinskas, Jordan Karburn, Dániel Apai, Christina Hedges, Benjamin V. Rackham, Jason F. Rowe, Natalie H. Allen, Paul Bonney, Samuel Cano, Jessie L. Christiansen, David Ciardi, Néstor Espinoza, Trevor O. Foote, Emily A. Gilbert, Thomas P. Greene, Kelsey HoffmanBenjamin J. Hord, Aishwarya Iyer, Aurora Kesseli, Veselin B. Kostov, Nikole K. Lewis, Sarah E. Logsdon, Andrew W. Mann, Megan Mansfield, James Mason, Brett M. Morris, Gregory Mosby, Susan E. Mullally, Elisabeth R. Newton, Fuda Nguyen, Joshua E. Schlieder, Kevin B. Stevenson, Lindsey S. Wiser, Allison Youngblood, Robert T. Zellem

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

The Pandora SmallSat is a NASA flight project designed to study the atmospheres of exoplanets. Transmission spectroscopy of transiting exoplanets provides our best opportunity to identify the makeup of planetary atmospheres in the coming decade, and is a key science driver for HST and JWST. Stellar photospheric inhomogeneity due to star spots, however, has been shown to contaminate the observed spectra in these high-precision measurements. Pandora will address the problem of stellar contamination by collecting long-duration photometric observations sampled over a stellar rotation period with a visible-light channel and simultaneous spectra with a near-IR channel. These simultaneous multiwavelength observations will constrain star spot covering fractions of exoplanet host stars, enabling star and planet signals to be disentangled in transmission spectra to then reliably determine exoplanet atmosphere compositions. Pandora will observe exoplanets with sizes ranging from Earth-size to Jupiter-size and host stars spanning mid-K to late-M spectral types. Pandora was selected in early 2021 as part of NASA’s inaugural Astrophysics Pioneers Program. Herein, we present an overview of the mission, including the science objectives, operations, the observatory, science planning, and upcoming milestones as we prepare for launch readiness in 2025.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024
Subtitle of host publication	Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave
Editors	Laura E. Coyle, Shuji Matsuura, Marshall D. Perrin
Publisher	SPIE
ISBN (Electronic)	9781510675070
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3020633
State	Published - 2024
Event	Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave - Yokohama, Japan Duration: Jun 16 2024 → Jun 22 2024

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume	13092
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)	1996-756X

Conference

Conference	Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave
Country/Territory	Japan
City	Yokohama
Period	6/16/24 → 6/22/24

Keywords

Exoplanets

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Computer Science Applications
Applied Mathematics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1117/12.3020633

Cite this

Quintana, E. V., Dotson, J. L., Colón, K. D., Barclay, T., Supsinskas, P., Karburn, J., Apai, D., Hedges, C., Rackham, B. V., Rowe, J. F., Allen, N. H., Bonney, P., Cano, S., Christiansen, J. L., Ciardi, D., Espinoza, N., Foote, T. O., Gilbert, E. A., Greene, T. P., ... Zellem, R. T. (2024). The Pandora SmallSat: Multiwavelength Characterization of Exoplanets and their Host Stars. In L. E. Coyle, S. Matsuura, & M. D. Perrin (Eds.), Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave Article 1309214 (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 13092). SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3020633

The Pandora SmallSat: Multiwavelength Characterization of Exoplanets and their Host Stars. / Quintana, Elisa V.; Dotson, Jessie L.; Colón, Knicole D. et al.
Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave. ed. / Laura E. Coyle; Shuji Matsuura; Marshall D. Perrin. SPIE, 2024. 1309214 (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 13092).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Quintana, EV, Dotson, JL, Colón, KD, Barclay, T, Supsinskas, P, Karburn, J, Apai, D, Hedges, C, Rackham, BV, Rowe, JF, Allen, NH, Bonney, P, Cano, S, Christiansen, JL, Ciardi, D, Espinoza, N, Foote, TO, Gilbert, EA, Greene, TP, Hoffman, K, Hord, BJ, Iyer, A, Kesseli, A, Kostov, VB, Lewis, NK, Logsdon, SE, Mann, AW, Mansfield, M, Mason, J, Morris, BM, Mosby, G, Mullally, SE, Newton, ER, Nguyen, F, Schlieder, JE, Stevenson, KB, Wiser, LS, Youngblood, A & Zellem, RT 2024, The Pandora SmallSat: Multiwavelength Characterization of Exoplanets and their Host Stars. in LE Coyle, S Matsuura & MD Perrin (eds), Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave., 1309214, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, vol. 13092, SPIE, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, Yokohama, Japan, 6/16/24. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3020633

Quintana EV, Dotson JL, Colón KD, Barclay T, Supsinskas P, Karburn J et al. The Pandora SmallSat: Multiwavelength Characterization of Exoplanets and their Host Stars. In Coyle LE, Matsuura S, Perrin MD, editors, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave. SPIE. 2024. 1309214. (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering). doi: 10.1117/12.3020633

Quintana, Elisa V. ; Dotson, Jessie L. ; Colón, Knicole D. et al. / The Pandora SmallSat : Multiwavelength Characterization of Exoplanets and their Host Stars. Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave. editor / Laura E. Coyle ; Shuji Matsuura ; Marshall D. Perrin. SPIE, 2024. (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering).

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title = "The Pandora SmallSat: Multiwavelength Characterization of Exoplanets and their Host Stars",

abstract = "The Pandora SmallSat is a NASA flight project designed to study the atmospheres of exoplanets. Transmission spectroscopy of transiting exoplanets provides our best opportunity to identify the makeup of planetary atmospheres in the coming decade, and is a key science driver for HST and JWST. Stellar photospheric inhomogeneity due to star spots, however, has been shown to contaminate the observed spectra in these high-precision measurements. Pandora will address the problem of stellar contamination by collecting long-duration photometric observations sampled over a stellar rotation period with a visible-light channel and simultaneous spectra with a near-IR channel. These simultaneous multiwavelength observations will constrain star spot covering fractions of exoplanet host stars, enabling star and planet signals to be disentangled in transmission spectra to then reliably determine exoplanet atmosphere compositions. Pandora will observe exoplanets with sizes ranging from Earth-size to Jupiter-size and host stars spanning mid-K to late-M spectral types. Pandora was selected in early 2021 as part of NASA{\textquoteright}s inaugural Astrophysics Pioneers Program. Herein, we present an overview of the mission, including the science objectives, operations, the observatory, science planning, and upcoming milestones as we prepare for launch readiness in 2025.",

keywords = "Exoplanets",

author = "Quintana, {Elisa V.} and Dotson, {Jessie L.} and Col{\'o}n, {Knicole D.} and Thomas Barclay and Pete Supsinskas and Jordan Karburn and D{\'a}niel Apai and Christina Hedges and Rackham, {Benjamin V.} and Rowe, {Jason F.} and Allen, {Natalie H.} and Paul Bonney and Samuel Cano and Christiansen, {Jessie L.} and David Ciardi and N{\'e}stor Espinoza and Foote, {Trevor O.} and Gilbert, {Emily A.} and Greene, {Thomas P.} and Kelsey Hoffman and Hord, {Benjamin J.} and Aishwarya Iyer and Aurora Kesseli and Kostov, {Veselin B.} and Lewis, {Nikole K.} and Logsdon, {Sarah E.} and Mann, {Andrew W.} and Megan Mansfield and James Mason and Morris, {Brett M.} and Gregory Mosby and Mullally, {Susan E.} and Newton, {Elisabeth R.} and Fuda Nguyen and Schlieder, {Joshua E.} and Stevenson, {Kevin B.} and Wiser, {Lindsey S.} and Allison Youngblood and Zellem, {Robert T.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 SPIE.; Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave ; Conference date: 16-06-2024 Through 22-06-2024",

year = "2024",

doi = "10.1117/12.3020633",

language = "English (US)",

series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",

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editor = "Coyle, {Laura E.} and Shuji Matsuura and Perrin, {Marshall D.}",

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AU - Quintana, Elisa V.

AU - Dotson, Jessie L.

AU - Colón, Knicole D.

AU - Barclay, Thomas

AU - Supsinskas, Pete

AU - Karburn, Jordan

AU - Apai, Dániel

AU - Hedges, Christina

AU - Rackham, Benjamin V.

AU - Rowe, Jason F.

AU - Allen, Natalie H.

AU - Bonney, Paul

AU - Cano, Samuel

AU - Christiansen, Jessie L.

AU - Ciardi, David

AU - Espinoza, Néstor

AU - Foote, Trevor O.

AU - Gilbert, Emily A.

AU - Greene, Thomas P.

AU - Hoffman, Kelsey

AU - Hord, Benjamin J.

AU - Iyer, Aishwarya

AU - Kesseli, Aurora

AU - Kostov, Veselin B.

AU - Lewis, Nikole K.

AU - Logsdon, Sarah E.

AU - Mann, Andrew W.

AU - Mansfield, Megan

AU - Mason, James

AU - Morris, Brett M.

AU - Mosby, Gregory

AU - Mullally, Susan E.

AU - Newton, Elisabeth R.

AU - Nguyen, Fuda

AU - Schlieder, Joshua E.

AU - Stevenson, Kevin B.

AU - Wiser, Lindsey S.

AU - Youngblood, Allison

AU - Zellem, Robert T.

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N2 - The Pandora SmallSat is a NASA flight project designed to study the atmospheres of exoplanets. Transmission spectroscopy of transiting exoplanets provides our best opportunity to identify the makeup of planetary atmospheres in the coming decade, and is a key science driver for HST and JWST. Stellar photospheric inhomogeneity due to star spots, however, has been shown to contaminate the observed spectra in these high-precision measurements. Pandora will address the problem of stellar contamination by collecting long-duration photometric observations sampled over a stellar rotation period with a visible-light channel and simultaneous spectra with a near-IR channel. These simultaneous multiwavelength observations will constrain star spot covering fractions of exoplanet host stars, enabling star and planet signals to be disentangled in transmission spectra to then reliably determine exoplanet atmosphere compositions. Pandora will observe exoplanets with sizes ranging from Earth-size to Jupiter-size and host stars spanning mid-K to late-M spectral types. Pandora was selected in early 2021 as part of NASA’s inaugural Astrophysics Pioneers Program. Herein, we present an overview of the mission, including the science objectives, operations, the observatory, science planning, and upcoming milestones as we prepare for launch readiness in 2025.

AB - The Pandora SmallSat is a NASA flight project designed to study the atmospheres of exoplanets. Transmission spectroscopy of transiting exoplanets provides our best opportunity to identify the makeup of planetary atmospheres in the coming decade, and is a key science driver for HST and JWST. Stellar photospheric inhomogeneity due to star spots, however, has been shown to contaminate the observed spectra in these high-precision measurements. Pandora will address the problem of stellar contamination by collecting long-duration photometric observations sampled over a stellar rotation period with a visible-light channel and simultaneous spectra with a near-IR channel. These simultaneous multiwavelength observations will constrain star spot covering fractions of exoplanet host stars, enabling star and planet signals to be disentangled in transmission spectra to then reliably determine exoplanet atmosphere compositions. Pandora will observe exoplanets with sizes ranging from Earth-size to Jupiter-size and host stars spanning mid-K to late-M spectral types. Pandora was selected in early 2021 as part of NASA’s inaugural Astrophysics Pioneers Program. Herein, we present an overview of the mission, including the science objectives, operations, the observatory, science planning, and upcoming milestones as we prepare for launch readiness in 2025.

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U2 - 10.1117/12.3020633

DO - 10.1117/12.3020633

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85206208001

T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

BT - Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024

A2 - Coyle, Laura E.

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Y2 - 16 June 2024 through 22 June 2024

ER -

The Pandora SmallSat: Multiwavelength Characterization of Exoplanets and their Host Stars

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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