NASA has selected SpaceX to launch a small exoplanet science mission called Pandora as soon as September 2023. The task order was awarded under the Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) contract, which is designed for smaller missions with higher risk tolerance.
Pandora is a 45-centimeter telescope-equipped spacecraft that will observe 20 stars known to have exoplanets over a one-year period. Its primary goal is to analyze the atmospheres of exoplanets using transmission spectroscopy to determine if spectral signatures are caused by hydrogen or water or if they’re linked to star variability.
The mission is part of NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers program, which aims to develop low-cost smallsats. The spacecraft bus has been completed, and the launch is planned for a rideshare payload on SpaceX’s Transporter series. However, no specific details about the launch date or cost have been disclosed by NASA or SpaceX.
Source: https://spacenews.com/nasa-selects-spacex-to-launch-astrophysics-smallsat-mission