Pandora Heads to Space! NASA and SpaceX Team Up for Exoplanet Breakthrough

NASA has selected SpaceX to launch its upcoming smallsat mission, Pandora, which will study the atmospheres of exoplanets. The spacecraft is set to fly as a rideshare payload as early as September.

The agency announced on 10 February that SpaceX was awarded the task order for the launch through the Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) program. This initiative provides cost-effective launch opportunities for smaller missions with a higher risk tolerance.

Pandora – A Mission to Study Exoplanet Atmospheres

Part of NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers program, Pandora is a low-cost smallsat equipped with a 45-centimetre telescope featuring both optical and infrared detectors. Over its planned one-year mission, it will monitor 20 stars known to host exoplanets, helping scientists analyse their atmospheres.

The spacecraft’s primary method is transmission spectroscopy, which measures how starlight filters through an exoplanet’s atmosphere to identify key components. Elisa Quintana, the mission’s principal investigator, explained Pandora’s purpose at a January 11 meeting of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG).

“Pandora’s primary goal is to probe into the atmospheres of exoplanets using transmission spectroscopy,” Quintana stated.

A key challenge in exoplanet studies is distinguishing between atmospheric signals from the planets themselves and variability in their host stars. Pandora aims to address this issue.

“Stars are not uniform,” Quintana said. “Pandora is essentially a calibration instrument to help address this problem.”

Launch Plans and Technical Details

NASA confirmed on 16 January that Pandora’s spacecraft bus was completed, keeping the mission on schedule for an autumn 2025 launch. While the official announcement did not specify a launch date, Quintana mentioned a September target.

Pandora is classified as an ESPA Grande-class spacecraft, meaning it weighs up to 320 kilograms and will operate in a sun-synchronous orbit. This suggests it may fly aboard one of SpaceX’s Transporter rideshare missions, though neither NASA nor SpaceX have disclosed specific details.

The financial terms of the VADR task order were also not revealed. NASA has historically withheld cost details for these agreements, citing proprietary concerns, despite sharing pricing for traditional launch contracts.