Pandora Space Telescope Begins Exoplanet Science Operations
Seven months after its launch, NASA’s Pandora mission has officially entered steady-state operations to study the atmospheres of at least 20 exoplanets. The mission is led by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, with mission operations managed by the University of Arizona’s Multi-Mission Operation Center (MMOC) and project management provided by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
University of Arizona Team Takes First Looks at Distant Worlds
Working alongside mission leadership, a team of scientists and engineers at the University of Arizona is now accelerating its research program. At the U of A Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, astronomy and planetary sciences professor Daniel Apai heads the Pandora Exoplanet Science Working group. This is a big moment for our Pandora science team members here on campus,
Apai stated, noting that astronomy students and early-career researchers are examining the atmospheres of worlds and suns never studied in such detail before. Nic Altamirano serves as Pandora’s MMOC manager and mission operations project manager.
Pandora represents the first on-orbit NASA mission managed from the U of A’s MMOC within the Arizona Space Institute. Altamirano highlighted the operational readiness of the team, emphasizing that personnel are fully equipped to handle day-to-day spacecraft oversight.
Simultaneous Visible and Infrared Starlight Analysis
Designed solely for in-depth, multi-color monitoring of starlight filtering through exoplanet atmospheres, Pandora is a pioneering space telescope. The satellite features an 18-inch, all-aluminum mirror paired with specialized instrumentation designed to analyze light spectra and measure brightness changes with extreme precision. By staring at targets longer than flagship observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope, Pandora captures data designed to interpret findings from both ongoing missions and past projects like the Kepler Space Telescope.
Coordinated Ground Segment and Command Sequences
Day-to-day operations require tight coordination across multiple facilities. The U of A’s MMOC works directly with the Science Operations Center at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the Data Processing Center at NASA Ames Research Center to turn the science calendar into executable spacecraft command sequences. While automation handles routine functions, mission controllers maintain hands-on oversight to manage operational constraints or anomalies.
Pandora is entering the most exciting phase of its journey: the science is beginning,
said Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, senior vice president for research and partnerships.
