The Pandora Mission Unlocking the Mysteries of Exoplanet Atmospheres

Designed to investigate the atmospheres of exoplanets—planets outside of our solar system—NASA’s Pandora Mission is a tiny satellite project. Through visible and infrared light observations of at least 20 exoplanets and their host stars, Pandora seeks to learn how stellar activity influences the data we gather from these far-off worlds. The objective is to identify important atmospheric constituents including water, clouds, and hazes, which are necessary to evaluate the possible habitability of a planet. Originally set for launch in late 2025, Pandora will augment the James Webb Space Telescope by offering longer viewing times, therefore improving our capacity to find worlds possibly supporting life.