Darwin
mission
The
European Space Agency has targeted the InfraRed Space Interferometer-Darwin
for a launch in 2015 or later. Decisions about whether to go forward with the
mission are expected around 2003.
The telescope,
using infrared rather than optical wavelengths, would hunt for Earth-like planets
around some 300 Sun-like stars within 50 light-years of Earth. Darwin would
actually be an array of six small eyes, forming an effective giant that would
mimic a 100-yard (91-meter) telescope.
Scientists
are still studying how such a system might be designed.
Unlike current
space-based telescopes, Darwin would operate somewhere between Mars and Jupiter,
rather than in Earth orbit. This would allow the instruments to avoid the dust
between Earth and Mars that obscures the view.
The six individual
telescopes would be joined either by long arms or would each be mounted on individual
spacecraft. In the former case, the rigid structure would rotate to build up
the image. In the latter case, the individual spacecraft would have their own
rocket motors and dance around each other to build up the image.
Future
Missions to Search for Earth-like Planets
COROT
| Eddington
| Kepler
| Darwin
| Terrestrial
Planet Finder
| SIM
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