Detecting life outside our solar system with a large high-contrast-imaging mission

Journal Article (2021)
Authors

Ignas Snellen (Universiteit Leiden)

F Snik (Universiteit Leiden)

M Kenworthy (Universiteit Leiden)

C.U. Keller (Universiteit Leiden)

Eric De Mooij (Queen's University Belfast)

S. Albrecht (Aarhus University)

O Krause (Max-Planck-Institute for Radio Astronomy)

L. Kreidberg (Max-Planck-Institute for Radio Astronomy)

Daphne Stam (Astrodynamics & Space Missions)

G.B. More authors (External organisation)

Affiliation
Astrodynamics & Space Missions
Copyright
© 2021 Ignas Snellen, F Snik, M Kenworthy, C.U. Keller, Eric De Mooij, S. Albrecht, O Krause, L. Kreidberg, D.M. Stam, More Authors
To reference this document use:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09803-y
More Info
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Publication Year
2021
Language
English
Copyright
© 2021 Ignas Snellen, F Snik, M Kenworthy, C.U. Keller, Eric De Mooij, S. Albrecht, O Krause, L. Kreidberg, D.M. Stam, More Authors
Affiliation
Astrodynamics & Space Missions
Issue number
2-3
Volume number
54
Pages (from-to)
1237-1274
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09803-y
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Abstract

In this White Paper, which was submitted in response to the European Space Agency (ESA) Voyage 2050 Call, we recommend the ESA plays a proactive role in developing a global collaborative effort to construct a large high-contrast imaging space telescope, e.g. as currently under study by NASA. Such a mission will be needed to characterize a sizable sample of temperate Earth-like planets in the habitable zones of nearby Sun-like stars and to search for extraterrestrial biological activity. We provide an overview of relevant European expertise, and advocate ESA to start a technology development program towards detecting life outside the Solar System. © 2021, The Author(s).