Researchers are closer than ever to finding evidence of extraterrestrial life. They’re in the process of designing a new high-resolution imaging camera for NASA’s planned HWO (Habitable Worlds Observatory) mission. A team from University College London (UCL) is advancing the development of transformative technology. Their aim is to improve the observation of rocky planets, like Earth-like environments, which have been difficult to observe as they are near to bright stars.
The HWO science mission will fly this cutting-edge imaging camera, which will include a specialized instrument called a coronagraph. The coronagraph blocks out the intense glare of stars, allowing us to see planets directly by imaging them. This NASA-developed technology allows scientists to directly image planets otherwise lost in the glare of their suns. Combined with TESS or other future missions, this discovery might allow astronomers to first obtain images of rocky planets. Perhaps most importantly, it will enable groundbreaking discoveries about habitability and life beyond our planet.
An active, diverse UK hardware team pushes this project forward. It features some very dedicated scientists and engineers from UK’s prideful institutions such as the University of Portsmouth, RAL Space, the UK Astronomy Technology Centre and Durham University. Their ambition is further bolstered and made possible by investment from the UK Space Agency. They’ve commissioned two consortia to investigate the technical feasibility of designing, building and delivering a UK-led high-resolution polar-orbiting imager.
One of the central figures in this initiative is Professor Richard Massey from Durham University. He gives an idea of the incredible potential of the new camera technology, likening it to that of the Hubble Space Telescope. “The telescope will help us find life,” he boldly declares, adding that ‘This incredible telescope will detect asteroid crashes in our solar system, look inside black holes and solve the riddle of dark matter.
The high-resolution imaging coronographic camera, also known as the starlight suppressor, is specifically built to get around problems created by the brightness of stars next to rocky planets. These worlds are difficult to study because they orbit very close to their suns. This closeness further complicates our ability to observe directly in person. By using the latest and greatest technology, the HWO mission hopes to alter that story.