Exo-C: a probe-scale space mission to directly image and spectroscopically characterize exoplanetary systems using an internal coronagraph
Publication information:
Karl R. Stapelfeldt, Michael P. Brenner, Keith R. Warfield, Frank G. Dekens, Ruslan Belikov, Paul B. Brugarolas, Geoffrey Bryden, Kerri L. Cahoy, Supriya Chakrabarti, Serge Dubovitsky, Robert T. Effinger, Brian Hirsch, Andrew Kissil, John E. Krist, Jared J. Lang, Mark S. Marley, Michael W. McElwain, Victoria S. Meadows, Joel Nissen, Jeffrey M. Oseas, Eugene Serabyn, Eric Sunada, John T. Trauger, Stephen C. Unwin, Jacobus M. Oschmann, Mark Clampin, Giovanni G. Fazio, and Howard A. MacEwen. 2014. “Exo-C: A Probe-Scale Space Mission to Directly Image and Spectroscopically Characterize Exoplanetary Systems Using an Internal Coronagraph”. In Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave. Vol. 9143. 1000 20TH ST, PO BOX 10, BELLINGHAM, WA 98227-0010 USA: American Astron Soc; Australian Astron Observatory; Assoc Univ Res Astron; Canadian Astron Soc; Canadian Space Agcy; European Astron Society; European So Observatory; Natl Radio Astron Observatory; Royal Astron Soc; Sci & Technol Facilities Council. doi:10.1117/12.2057115
Abstract
``Exo-C'' is NASA's first community study of a modest aperture space telescope designed for high contrast observations of exoplanetary systems. The mission will be capable of taking optical spectra of nearby exoplanets in reflected light, discover previously undetected planets, and imaging structure in a large sample of circumstellar disks. It will obtain unique science results on planets down to super-Earth sizes and serve as a technology pathfinder toward an eventual flagship-class mission to find and characterize habitable exoplanets. We present the mission/payload design and highlight steps to reduce mission cost/risk relative to previous mission concepts. At the study conclusion in 2015, NASA will evaluate it for potential development at the end of this decade.