NASA's Pandora SmallSat Begins Dual-Star and Exoplanet Observations

NASA's Pandora mission, the first Astrophysics Pioneers SmallSat, entered its science operations after a successful commissioning period. Launched on Jan. 11 into low Earth orbit, the 18-inch all-aluminum telescope observes both visible and near-infrared wavelengths, allowing it to monitor exoplanet transits while simultaneously characterizing stellar surface features. Over a year-long primary mission, Pandora will target at least twenty exoplanets, observing each ten times with 24-hour stare periods that include a transit.

The data are intended to resolve how stellar faculae and spots distort atmospheric measurements, especially water signatures, and will aid interpretation of James Webb Space Telescope results. Mission leaders report the spacecraft and its detectors are healthy and operating at expected levels. Pandora’s findings will be archived at the NASA Exoplanet Archive for use by the broader scientific community.