It’s a question that has been asked for centuries: Are we alone in the universe? Now, L3Harris Technologies in Rochester has been chosen by NASA to help us learn more.
The company is one of seven to receive NASA contracts to advance technologies for the Habitable Worlds Observatory.
The project is a planned flagship space telescope that will image Earth-like planets orbiting stars similar to the sun to look for signs of life. NASA says the telescope also would enable wide-ranging studies of our universe and support future human exploration of Mars, our solar system and more.
“Are we alone in the universe? It’s an audacious question to answer, but one that our nation is poised to pursue, leveraging the groundwork we’ve laid from previous NASA flagship missions. With the Habitable Worlds Observatory, NASA will chart new frontiers for humanity’s exploration of the cosmos,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Awards like these are a critical component of our incubator program for future missions, which combines government leadership with commercial innovation to make what is impossible today rapidly implementable in the future.”
According to NASA, the newly selected proposals will help inform its approach to planning for the Habitable Worlds Observatory concept, as the agency builds on technologies and lessons learned from its Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope and upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.