NASA announced Monday the selection of industry proposals to advance technologies for the agency\u2019s Habitable Worlds Observatory concept \u2013 the first mission that would directly image Earth-like planets around stars like our Sun and study the chemical composition of their atmospheres for signs of life. This flagship space telescope also would enable wide-ranging studies of our universe and support future human exploration of Mars, our solar system, and beyond.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Habitable Worlds Observatory is exactly the kind of bold, forward-leaning science that only NASA can undertake,\u201d said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. \u201cHumanity is waiting for the breakthroughs this mission is capable of achieving and the questions it could help us answer about life in the universe. We intend to move with urgency, and expedite timelines to the greatest extent possible to bring these discoveries to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
To achieve its science goals, the Habitable Worlds Observatory would need a stable optical system that moves no more than the width of an atom while it conducts observations. The mission also would require a coronagraph \u2013 an instrument that blocks the light of a star to better see its orbiting planets \u2013 thousands of times more capable than any space coronagraph ever built. The Habitable Worlds Observatory would be designed to allow servicing in space, to extend its lifetime and bolster its science over time.<\/p>\n
To further the readiness of these technologies, NASA has selected proposals for three-year, fixed-price contracts from the following companies:<\/p>\n
Astroscale U.S. Inc., Denver
\nBAE Systems Space and Mission Systems, Inc., Boulder, Colorado
\nBusek Co. Inc, Natick, Massachusetts
\nL3Harris Technologies Inc., Rochester, New York
\nLockheed Martin Inc., Palo Alto, California
\nNorthrop Grumman Inc., Redondo Beach, California
\nZecoat Co. Inc., Granite City, Illinois<\/p>\n
\u201cAre we alone in the universe? is an audacious question to answer, but one that our nation is poised to pursue, leveraging the groundwork we\u2019ve laid from previous NASA flagship missions. With the Habitable Worlds Observatory, NASA will chart new frontiers for humanity\u2019s exploration of the cosmos,\u201d said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cAwards 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The newly selected proposals build on previous industry involvement, which began in 2017 under NASA\u2019s \u201cSystem-Level Segmented Telescope Design<\/a>\u201d solicitations and continued with awards<\/a> for large space telescope technologies in 2024. The newly selected proposals will help inform NASA\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n To learn more about NASA\u2019s Habitable Worlds Observatory, visit:<\/p>\n