SPACE.com -- Future Missions to Search for Earth-like Planets


	Future Missions to Search for Earth-like Planets posted: 30 June 2005 07:52 am

SIM mission

The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) would hunt for Earth-sized planets around other stars and provide new insights into the origin and evolution of our galaxy.

A science team for the mission was chosen by NASA November 28, 2000, and the mission is scheduled for launch in 2009. [See previous news article on status of mission]

SIM would be placed into orbit around the Sun on a path that follows Earth's orbit. Light gathered by its multiple telescopes will be combined and processed to yield information that could normally be obtained only with a much larger telescope.

The mission would also measure the locations and distances of stars throughout our Milky Way Galaxy, and study other celestial objects.

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