Exoplanet Exploration

James KellyMitchell KirshnerAdam Morabito

Matt Rote

Exoplanets

• Planets outside of our solar system

• Need to differentiate from other celestial bodies.

• Criteria:o Must orbit star or star remnants.o Mass must be less than limiting mass for

thermonuclear reaction of deuterium. o Mass to size ratio is the same as our solar

system.

Why do they matter?

• Understanding our solar system

• Finding habitable planets

• Search for signs of possible life

• Isolate our search for intelligent life

So Far...

• 1988: First discovered exoplanet around Gamma Cephei.

• Programs:o SuperWaspo Kepler missiono ESPRESSOo HATNet Project

• 888 planets in 693 systemso Most larger than Eartho 2,781 candidateso 28 potentially habitable exoplanetso 38 potentially habitable exomoons

The Future

• Automated Planet Finder

• Terrestrial Planet Finder

• Gaia mission

• New Worlds Mission

Terrestrial Planet Finder

• Proposed in 2002• Approved in 2004• Suspended in 2007• Goals

– Find Extrasolar Planets– Characterize Planets– Chemical Signatures of

Life• Architectures

– TPF-I– TPF-C

TPF-I

• Infrared Astronomical Interferometer• Multiple Small Telescopes• Uses Nulling• Drawback: Limited Resolution

TPF-C

• Visible Light Coronagraph• Large Optical Telescope• Uses Special Optics• Comparison to Hubble

Budget

• Entire Budget = $1 billion• Assumption:

–TPF-I = $500 million–TPF-C = $500 million

• Comparison to Hubble Replacement• Fund TPF-C, Not TPF-I

Kepler Mission

• March 7, 2009• 100,000 stars near

Cygnus• Predict # of Earth-like

planets in galaxy• Transit Method

– Small Planets• Photometer

Malfunction/Budget

• This past Sunday• $18.7 Million

– $600 Million• 2016

– Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

Hubble Space Telescope

• April 24, 1990• High powered optics• Fomalhaut b

– 2004• Decades of data• James Webb Space

Telescope

Budget

• $96.3 Million• Servicing missions• Expected to function until 2013• 2018

Conclusion

•Exoplanet Importance•The Past•The Future

Programs and Cuts

•TPF•Kepler•Hubble

ReferencesAchenbach, Joel. "NASA’s Kepler space telescope malfunction may end hunt for planets." Health and Science. The Washington Post, 15 05 2013. Web. 16 May 2013.

Hoim, Margus. "Current Spacecraft System Design."Terrestrial Planet Finder. 29 Jan 2011. Web. 15 May 2013. <http://www.terrestrial-planet-finder.com/design.html>

Raeburn, Paul. "Detect Alien Life on a Tight Budget."Discover Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing Co. 17 Sep 2012. Web. 15 May 2013. <http://discovermagazine.com/2012/sep/25-detect-alien-life-on-a-tight-budget#.UZQewSvwLOF>

United States of America. National Aeronautics and Space Administration . FY 2014 PRESIDENT’S BUDGET REQUEST SUMMARY. 2013. Print. <http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/740512main_FY2014 CJ for Online.pdf>.