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Published January 18, 2020 | Version Submitted
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The Habitable Exoplanet Observatory (HabEx) Mission Concept Study Final Report

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Abstract

The Habitable Exoplanet Observatory, or HabEx, has been designed to be the Great Observatory of the 2030s. For the first time in human history, technologies have matured sufficiently to enable an affordable space-based telescope mission capable of discovering and characterizing Earthlike planets orbiting nearby bright sunlike stars in order to search for signs of habitability and biosignatures. Such a mission can also be equipped with instrumentation that will enable broad and exciting general astrophysics and planetary science not possible from current or planned facilities. HabEx is a space telescope with unique imaging and multi-object spectroscopic capabilities at wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to near-IR. These capabilities allow for a broad suite of compelling science that cuts across the entire NASA astrophysics portfolio. HabEx has three primary science goals: (1) Seek out nearby worlds and explore their habitability; (2) Map out nearby planetary systems and understand the diversity of the worlds they contain; (3) Enable new explorations of astrophysical systems from our own solar system to external galaxies by extending our reach in the UV through near-IR. This Great Observatory science will be selected through a competed GO program, and will account for about 50% of the HabEx primary mission. The preferred HabEx architecture is a 4m, monolithic, off-axis telescope that is diffraction-limited at 0.4 microns and is in an L2 orbit. HabEx employs two starlight suppression systems: a coronagraph and a starshade, each with their own dedicated instrument.

Additional Information

© 2019. All rights reserved. Habitable Exoplanet Observatory Final Report. The HabEx Study Team would like to thank the following for their efforts in supporting the development of the HabEx Report: Technical reviewers, for their dedication and feedback: Randall Bartman, David Bearden, Charles Beichman, Ruslan Belikov, Andrew Coffey, Alyssa Deardroff, Alan Didion, Benji Donitz, Aigneis Frey, Anthony Freeman, Todd Gaier, Gregory Garner, Paul Graf, Ravi Kumar Kopparapu, Amanda la Venture, Roger Lee, Elizabeth Luthman, Charley Noecker, Jane Rigby, Hari Subedi, Mark Swain, Neil Zimmerman, and Steven Zusack. Members of the Independent Cost Estimate and Independent Schedule Assessment Team, for their independent assessment: Fred Doumani, Erica Beam, and Jerry Shen Everyone involved in unlimited release review, for ability to meet our schedule needs: Alex Abramovici, Amanda Beckett, Douglas Isbell, Peter Kahn, Young Lee, Kathleen Lynn, Sunjay Moorthay, and Danette Zuniga. Aki Roberge (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) for her unflagging efforts to promote cooperation and collaboration between the LUVOIR and HabEx study teams. Disclaimer: Pre-Decisional Information – For Planning and Discussion Purposes Only This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The cost information contained in this document is of a budgetary and planning nature and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not constitute a commitment on the part of JPL and Caltech.

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Identifiers

Eprint ID
101852
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20200311-111308399

Related works

Describes
http://arxiv.org/abs/2001.06683 (URL)
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/habex (URL)

Funding

NASA/JPL/Caltech

Dates

Created
2020-03-11
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Updated
2023-06-02
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Caltech groups
Astronomy Department