Pandora SmallSat data simulation and target selection

Trevor O. Foote; Elisa V. Quintana; Jessie L. Dotson; Knicole D. Colón; Thomas Barclay; Pete Supsinskas; Jordan Karburn; Dániel Apai; Christina Hedges; Benjamin V. Rackham; Jason F. Rowe; Jessie L. Christiansen; Thomas P. Greene; James Mason; Gregory Mosby; Néstor Espinoza; Emily A. Gilbert; Kelsey Hoffman; Veselin B. Kostov; Nikole K. Lewis; Brett M. Morris; Susan E. Mullally; Elisabeth R. Newton; Joshua E. Schlieder; Allison Youngblood; Megan Mansfield; Kevin B. Stevenson; Steven Villanueva

doi:10.1117/12.2630131

27 August 2022 Pandora SmallSat data simulation and target selection

Trevor O. Foote, Elisa V. Quintana, Jessie L. Dotson, Knicole D. Colón, Thomas Barclay, Pete Supsinskas, Jordan Karburn, Dániel Apai, Christina Hedges, Benjamin V. Rackham, Jason F. Rowe, Jessie L. Christiansen, Thomas P. Greene, James Mason, Gregory Mosby, Néstor Espinoza, Emily A. Gilbert, Kelsey Hoffman, Veselin B. Kostov, Nikole K. Lewis, Brett M. Morris, Susan E. Mullally, Elisabeth R. Newton, Joshua E. Schlieder, Allison Youngblood, Megan Mansfield, Kevin B. Stevenson, Steven Villanueva

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 12180, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 121802X (2022) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2630131
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2022, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Conference Poster

Abstract

Pandora is a SmallSat mission, designed to study the atmospheres of exoplanets using transmission spectroscopy and to investigate the impact that stellar contamination and variability has on observing the spectra of these worlds. Pandora’s initial science operation lifetime is one year, so optimizing the science return is critical. Here we present two tools created to assist in the design process. The first is a 2-D spectrum simulator being developed to help refine target selection, optimize observation strategies, and assist in the creation of a data reduction pipeline. The second is a pseudo-retrieval framework that provides a quantifiable method for comparing potential targets against a handful of exoplanetary atmospheric parameters important to the Pandora mission. Preliminary results show Pandora will place tighter constraints on atmospheric properties like water abundance compared to HST and answering its mission objectives will help to inform targets for missions like JWST.

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Trevor O. Foote, Elisa V. Quintana, Jessie L. Dotson, Knicole D. Colón, Thomas Barclay, Pete Supsinskas, Jordan Karburn, Dániel Apai, Christina Hedges, Benjamin V. Rackham, Jason F. Rowe, Jessie L. Christiansen, Thomas P. Greene, James Mason, Gregory Mosby, Néstor Espinoza, Emily A. Gilbert, Kelsey Hoffman, Veselin B. Kostov, Nikole K. Lewis, Brett M. Morris, Susan E. Mullally, Elisabeth R. Newton, Joshua E. Schlieder, Allison Youngblood, Megan Mansfield, Kevin B. Stevenson, and Steven Villanueva "Pandora SmallSat data simulation and target selection", Proc. SPIE 12180, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 121802X (27 August 2022); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2630131

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