HabEx Lite: a starshade-only habitable exoplanet imager alternative

David Redding; Keith Coste; Otto Polanco; Claudia Pineda; Kevin Hurd; Howard Tseng; Jose Quezada; Stefan Martin; Joel Nissen; Kevin Schulz; Jonathan Tesch; Eric Cady; Michael Rodgers; Matthew East; James Mooney; Chris Stark

doi:10.1117/12.2310058

6 July 2018 HabEx Lite: a starshade-only habitable exoplanet imager alternative

David Redding, Keith Coste, Otto Polanco, Claudia Pineda, Kevin Hurd, Howard Tseng, Jose Quezada, Stefan Martin, Joel Nissen, Kevin Schulz, Jonathan Tesch, Eric Cady, Michael Rodgers, Matthew East, James Mooney, Chris Stark

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 10698, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2018: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 106980X (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2310058
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018, Austin, Texas, United States

Abstract

The HabEx mission concept is intended to directly image planetary systems around nearby stars, and to perform a wide range of general astrophysics and solar system observations. Its main goal is the discovery and characterization of Earthlike exoplanets through high-contrast imaging and spectroscopy. The baseline HabEx concept would use both a coronagraph and a starshade for exoplanet science. We describe an alternative, “HabEx Lite” concept, which would use a starshade (only) for exoplanet science. The benefit is lower cost: by deleting the complex coronagraph instrument; by lowering observatory mass; by relaxing tolerances and stability requirements; by permitting use of a compact on-axis telescope design; by use of a smaller launch vehicle. The scientific penalty of this lower cost option is a smaller number of detected exoplanets of all types, including exoEarth candidates, and a smaller fraction of exoplanets with measured orbits. Our approach uses a non-deployed segmented primary mirror, whose manufacture is within current capabilities.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

David Redding, Keith Coste, Otto Polanco, Claudia Pineda, Kevin Hurd, Howard Tseng, Jose Quezada, Stefan Martin, Joel Nissen, Kevin Schulz, Jonathan Tesch, Eric Cady, Michael Rodgers, Matthew East, James Mooney, and Chris Stark "HabEx Lite: a starshade-only habitable exoplanet imager alternative", Proc. SPIE 10698, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2018: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 106980X (6 July 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2310058

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available