EUV Spectroscopy with the ESCAPE mission: Exploring the stellar drivers of exoplanet habitability

Kevin France, Brian Fleming, Allison Youngblood, James Mason, Tom Patton, Nick Kruzcek, Timothy Hellickson, Luca Fossati, Randall L. McEntaffer, Drew M. Miles, Martin Barstow, James C. Green, Guillaume Gronoff, C. S. Froning, Ute V. Amerstorfer, M. Jin, V. Bourrier, Jeffrey L. Linsky, Oswald Siegmund, Jeremy J. Drake

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Extreme-ultraviolet Stellar Characterization for Atmospheric Physics and Evolution (ESCAPE) mission is an astrophysics Small Explorer employing ultraviolet spectroscopy (EUV: 80 - 825 Å and FUV: 1280 - 1650 Å) to explore the high-energy radiation environment in the habitable zones around nearby stars. ESCAPE provides the first comprehensive study of the stellar EUV and coronal mass ejection environments which directly impact the habitability of rocky exoplanets. In a 21 month science mission, ESCAPE will provide the essential stellar characterization to identify exoplanetary systems most conducive to habitability and provide a roadmap for future life-finder missions. ESCAPE accomplishes this goal with roughly two-order-of-magnitude gains in EUV efficiency over previous missions. ESCAPE employs a grazing incidence telescope that feeds an EUV and FUV spectrograph, building on experience with ultraviolet and X-ray instrumentation, grazing incidence optical systems, and photon-counting ultraviolet detectors. The instrument builds on design and hardware heritage from numerous NASA UV astrophysics, heliophysics, and planetary science missions. The ESCAPE spacecraft bus is the versatile and high-heritage Ball Aerospace BCP-Small spacecraft. Data archives are housed at the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2020
Subtitle of host publicationUltraviolet to Gamma Ray
EditorsJan-Willem A. den Herder, Shouleh Nikzad, Kazuhiro Nakazawa
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510636750
DOIs
StatePublished - 2020
EventSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2020: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray - Virtual, Online, United States
Duration: Dec 14 2020Dec 18 2020

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume11444
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Conference

ConferenceSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2020: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityVirtual, Online
Period12/14/2012/18/20

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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