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UK scientists design camera to hunt for life on distant planets
Scientists at Durham University are contributing to a groundbreaking high-resolution imaging camera for NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), a mission set to launch in the early 2040s to search for Earth-like planets and signs of extraterrestrial life.
The mission's ambition
The HWO will be the first telescope explicitly built to detect and study rocky, habitable planets beyond our solar system. Unlike previous observatories, it will focus on planets orbiting stars, where brightness has historically obscured direct observation.
To overcome this, the telescope will employ a coronagraph, a device that blocks starlight, enabling scientists to isolate and examine exoplanets for the first time.
UK's role in the project
A UK-led team, spearheaded by University College London (UCL), is developing the camera. The group includes researchers from the University of Portsmouth, RAL Space, the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, and Durham University.
Durham's Prof Richard Massey likened the HWO to the "21st Century's Hubble Space Telescope," predicting it could revolutionize astronomy by observing asteroid collisions, probing black holes, and unraveling the mysteries of dark matter.
Scientific goals
The camera aims to measure a planet's mass and analyze its atmosphere for chemical biosignatures-gases like oxygen or methane that could indicate life. The mission's long-term goal is to determine whether Earth-like conditions exist elsewhere in the universe.
Funding and collaboration
The UK team is one of two groups funded by the UK Space Agency to assess the feasibility of a UK-built imager. The second group is led by the University of Leicester.
"A telescope this advanced will not only search for life but also witness cosmic events we've never seen before," Massey said.
Prof Richard Massey, Durham University
