On January 11, 2026, NASA successfully launched the Pandora telescope aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This groundbreaking telescope aims to enhance the search for habitable worlds beyond our solar system, building on the work of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). As exoplanets—planets orbiting stars outside our solar system—remain challenging to observe, Pandora is designed to provide critical insights into their atmospheres and potential for life.
The Pandora project originated from an urgent need to address a significant limitation in exoplanet studies—stellar contamination. Exoplanets are often obscured by the intense brightness of their host stars, making it difficult to analyze their characteristics. The Pandora team, led by researchers from the University of Arizona, developed the telescope to mitigate this issue and improve our understanding of these distant worlds.
Innovative Approach to Exoplanet Observation
Astronomers utilize a technique known as planetary transits to study exoplanet atmospheres. By observing the dimming of a star’s light as an exoplanet passes in front of it, researchers can analyze the starlight that filters through the planet’s atmosphere. This method allows for the detection of essential elements such as water vapor, hydrogen, and potential biosignatures. However, as early as 2007, scientists noted that starspots—cooler regions on the surface of stars—could interfere with these measurements, introducing a phenomenon known as the “transit light source effect.”
The Pandora telescope aims to overcome these challenges. Unlike the JWST, which rarely revisits the same planet, Pandora will continuously observe its target stars for extended periods. The telescope will spend over 200 hours monitoring select stars over the course of a year, allowing it to capture subtle changes in brightness and color as stellar activity fluctuates.
Collaboration and Future Impact
The inception of Pandora was sparked by a conversation in 2018 between NASA scientists Elisa Quintana and Tom Barclay, who proposed a rapid construction of a space telescope to assist with the JWST’s mission. This innovative approach allowed Pandora to be developed more quickly and cost-effectively than typical NASA missions. While it is smaller and collects less light than the JWST, its focused observations of stars will yield invaluable data for understanding exoplanet atmospheres.
Following its successful launch, Pandora is now in orbit around Earth, completing a full rotation every 90 minutes. The telescope’s systems are currently undergoing rigorous testing by Blue Canyon Technologies, its primary builder. In the coming days, control of the spacecraft will transition to the University of Arizona’s Multi-Mission Operation Center in Tucson. Once operational, Pandora’s scientific teams will begin capturing starlight filtered through the atmospheres of distant planets, marking a new era in exoplanet exploration.
As the hunt for habitable worlds continues, Pandora’s contributions will be instrumental in refining our understanding of the universe and the potential for life beyond Earth. The collaboration between NASA, academic institutions, and industry partners exemplifies the spirit of innovation driving modern astronomy forward.
