Darwin (spacecraft)

Short description: 2007 European study concept of an array of space observatories

Darwin

Mission type| Interferometric observatory
Operator| ESA
Website| www.esa.int/science/darwin
Orbital parameters
Reference system| Sun–Earth L2
Regime| Halo orbit
Epoch| planned

Darwin was a suggested ESA Cornerstone mission which would have involved a constellation of four to nine[2] spacecraft designed to directly detect Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars and search for evidence of life on these planets. The most recent design envisaged three free-flying space telescopes, each three to four metres in diameter, flying in formation as an astronomical interferometer. These telescopes were to redirect light from distant stars and planets to a fourth spacecraft, which would have contained the beam combiner, spectrometers, and cameras for the interferometer array, and which would have also acted as a communications hub. There was also an earlier design, called the "Robin Laurance configuration," which included six 1.5 metre telescopes, a beam combiner spacecraft, and a separate power and communications spacecraft.[3]

The study of this proposed mission ended in 2007 with no further activities planned.[1] To produce an image, the telescopes would have had to operate in formation with distances between the telescopes controlled to within a few micrometres, and the distance between the telescopes and receiver controlled to within about one nanometre.[4] Several more detailed studies would have been needed to determine whether technology capable of such precision is actually feasible.[2]

## Contents

* 1 Concept
* 2 Candidate planets
* 3 Similar initiatives
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## Concept

The space telescopes were to observe in the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. As well as studying extrasolar planets, the telescopes would probably have been useful for general purpose imaging, producing very high resolution (i.e. milliarcsecond) infrared images, allowing detailed study of a variety of astrophysical processes.

The infrared region was chosen because in the visible spectrum an Earth-like planet is outshone by its star by a factor of a billion.[3] However, in the infrared, the difference is less by a few orders of magnitude. According to a 2000 ESA bulletin, all spacecraft components in the optical path would have to be passively cooled to 40 kelvins to allow infrared observations to take place.[3]

The planet search would have used a nulling interferometer configuration. In this system, phase shifts would be introduced into the three beams, so that light from the central star would suffer destructive interference and cancel itself out. However, light from any orbiting planets would not cancel out, as the planets are offset slightly from the star's position. This would allow planets to be detected, despite the much brighter signal from the star.

For planet detection, the telescopes would operate in an imaging mode. The detection of an Earth-like planet would require about 10 hours of observation in total, spread out over several months.[citation needed] A 2002 design which would have used 1.5 metre mirrors was expected to take about 100 hours to get a spectrum of a possibly Earth-like planet.[5]

Were the Darwin spacecraft to detect a suitable planet, a more detailed study of its atmosphere would have been made by taking an infrared spectrum of the planet. By analyzing this spectrum, the chemistry of the atmosphere could be determined, and this could provide evidence for life on the planet. The presence of oxygen and water vapour in the atmosphere could be evidence for life. Oxygen is very reactive so if large amounts of oxygen exist in a planet's atmosphere some process such as photosynthesis must be continuously producing it.

The presence of oxygen alone, however, is not conclusive evidence for life. Jupiter's moon Europa, for example, has a tenuous oxygen atmosphere thought to be produced by radiolysis of water molecules. Numerical simulations[citation needed] have shown that under proper conditions it is possible to build up an oxygen atmosphere via photolysis of carbon dioxide. Photolysis of water vapor and carbon dioxide produces hydroxyl ions and atomic oxygen, respectively, and these in turn produce oxygen in small concentrations, with hydrogen escaping into space. When O2 is produced by H2O photolysis at high altitude, hydrogenous compounds like H+, OH− and H2O are produced which attack very efficiently O3 and prevent its accumulation. The only known way to have a significant amount of O3 in the atmosphere is that O2 be produced at low altitude, e.g. by biological photosynthesis, and that little H2O gets to high altitudes where UV is present. For terrestrial planets, the simultaneous presence of O3, H2O and CO2 in the atmosphere appears to be a reliable biosignature, and the Darwin spacecraft would have been capable of detecting these atmospheric components.[5]

## Candidate planets

Planet Gliese 581 d, discovered in 2007, was considered a good candidate for the Darwin project.[6] It orbits within the theoretical habitable zone of its star,[7] and scientists surmise that conditions on the planet might be conducive to supporting life.

## Similar initiatives

The interferometric version of NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder mission is similar in concept to Darwin and also has very similar scientific aims. According to NASA's 2007 budget documentation, released on February 6, 2006,[8] the project was deferred indefinitely,[9] and in June 2011 the project was reported as cancelled. Antoine Labeyrie has proposed a much larger space-based astronomical interferometer similar to Darwin, but with the individual telescopes positioned in a spherical arrangement and with an emphasis on interferometric imaging. This Hypertelescope project would be much more expensive and complex than the Darwin and TPF missions, involving many large free-flying spacecraft.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Darwin factsheet: Finding Earth-like planets". European Space Agency. 2009-10-23. http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMZ0E1A6BD_index_0.html.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Darwin: study ended, no further activities planned". European Space Agency. 2009-10-23. http://www.esa.int/esaSC/120382_index_0_m.html.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Fridlund, CVM (August 2000). "ESA Bulletin 103: Darwin: The Infrared Space Interferometry Mission". ESA. http://www.esa.int/esapub/bulletin/bullet103/fridlund103.pdf.
4. ↑ Penny, Alan J (1999-07-27). "A concept for the 'Free-Flyer' version.". Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. http://ast.star.rl.ac.uk/darwin/pics/darwin_ff_caption_1.html.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Karlsson, Anders; Malcolm Fridlund (April 2002). "Darwin: The Infrared Space Interferometer" (GIF). Alcatel. http://ast.star.rl.ac.uk/darwin/poster_apr_02.gif.
6. ↑ von Bloh, W.; Bounama, C.; Cuntz, M.; Franck, S. (2007). "The Habitability of Super-Earths in Gliese 581". Astronomy & Astrophysics 476 (3): 1365–1371. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20077939. Bibcode: 2007A&A...476.1365V.
7. ↑ Science Daily: Extrasolar planet may indeed be habitable
8. ↑ "NASA budget statement". Planetary Society. 2006-02-06. http://www.planetary.org/about/press/releases/2006/0206_Planetary_Society_Charges.html.
9. ↑ "NASA President's FY 2007 Budget Request". http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/142458main_FY07_budget_full.pdf.

## External links

* Darwin: study ended, no further activities planned
* DARWIN Exoplanet Space Mission

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Space observatories

Operating|

* AGILE (since 2007)
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Planned|

* CHEOPS (2019)
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* PLATO (2026)
* LiteBIRD (2027)
* ARIEL (2028)
* Spektr-M (2030+)
* ATHENA (2031)
* LISA (2034)

Proposed|

* Arcus
* AstroSat-2
* EXCEDE
* Fresnel Imager
* FOCAL
* HabEx
* Hibari
* Hypertelescope
* JEM-EUSO
* LUVOIR
* ATLAST
* HDST
* Lynx
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* New Worlds Mission
* NRO donation to NASA
* OST
* PhoENiX
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* SPICA
* THEIA
* THESEUS

Retired|

* Akari (Astro-F) (2006–2011)
* ALEXIS (1993–2005)
* Alouette 1 (1962–1972)
* Ariel 1 (1962, 1964)
* Ariel 2 (1964)
* Ariel 3 (1967–1969)
* Ariel 4 (1971–1972)
* Ariel 5 (1974–1980)
* Ariel 6 (1979–1982)
* ATM (1973–1974)
* ASCA (Astro-D) (1993–2000)
* Astro-1 (1990)
* BBXRT
* HUT
* Astro-2 (HUT) (1995)
* Astron (1983–1989)
* ANS (1974–1976)
* BeppoSAX (1996–2003)
* CHIPSat (2003–2008)
* Compton (CGRO) (1991–2000)
* CoRoT (2006–2013)
* Cos-B (1975–1982)
* COBE (1989–1993)
* DXS (1993)
* EPOCh (2008)
* EPOXI (2010)
* Explorer 11 (1961)
* EXOSAT (1983–1986)
* EUVE (1992–2001)
* FUSE (1999–2007)
* Kvant-1 (1987–2001)
* GALEX (2003–2013)
* Gamma (1990–1992)
* Ginga (Astro-C) (1987–1991)
* Granat (1989–1998)
* Hakucho (CORSA-b) (1979–1985)
* HALCA (MUSES-B) (1997–2005)
* HEAO-1 (1977–1979)
* Herschel (2009–2013)
* Hinotori (Astro-A) (1981–1991)
* HEAO-2 (Einstein Obs.) (1978–1982)
* HEAO-3 (1979–1981)
* HETE-2 (2000–2008)
* Hipparcos (1989–1993)
* IUE (1978–1996)
* IRAS (1983)
* IRTS (1995–1996)
* ISO (1996–1998)
* IXAE (1996–2004)
* Kepler (2009–2018)
* Kristall (1990–2001)
* LEGRI (1997–2002)
* LISA Pathfinder (2015–2017)
* MOST (2003–2019)
* MSX (1996–1997)
* OAO-2 (1968–1973)
* OAO-3 (Copernicus) (1972–1981)
* Orbiting Solar Observatory
* OSO 1
* OSO 2/OSO B
* OSO 3
* OSO 4
* OSO 5
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* OSO 7
* OSO 8
* Orion 1 (1971)
* Orion 2 (1973)
* PAMELA (2006–2016)
* PicSat (2018)
* Planck (2009–2013)
* RELIKT-1 (1983–1984)
* R/HESSI (2002–2018)
* ROSAT (1990–1999)
* RXTE (1995–2012)
* SAMPEX (1992–2004)
* SAS-B (1972–1973)
* SAS-C (1975–1979)
* Solwind (1979–1985)
* Spektr-R (2011–2019)
* Suzaku (Astro-EII) (2005–2015)
* Taiyo (SRATS) (1975–1980)
* Tenma (Astro-B) (1983–1985)
* Uhuru (1970–1973)
* Vanguard 3 (1959)
* WMAP (2001–2010)
* Yokoh (Solar-A) (1991–2001)

Hibernating
(Mission completed)|

* SWAS (1998–2005)
* TRACE (1998–2010)

Lost|

* OAO-1 (1966)
* OAO-B (1970)
* CORSA (1976)
* OSO C (1965)
* ABRIXAS (1999)
* HETE-1 (1996)
* WIRE (1999)
* Astro-E (2000)
* Tsubame (2014–2015)
* Hitomi (Astro-H) (2016)

Cancelled|

* AOSO
* Astro-G
* Constellation-X
* Darwin
* Destiny
* EChO
* Eddington
* FAME
* FINESSE
* GEMS
* HOP
* IXO
* JDEM
* LOFT
* OSO J
* OSO K
* Sentinel
* SIM & SIMlite
* SNAP
* SPOrt
* TAUVEX
* TPF
* XEUS
* XIPE

See also|

* Great Observatories program
* List of space telescopes
* List of proposed space observatories
* List of X-ray space telescopes

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Exoplanet search projects

* Exoplanetology
* Exoplanet

Ground-based|

* AAPS
* APF
* CORALIE
* EAPSNet
* ELODIE
* EPICS
* ESPRESSO
* FINDS Exo-Earths
* Geneva
* HARPS
* HARPS-N
* GPI
* HATNet
* HEK
* HiCIAO
* HIRES
* KELT
* LCES
* Magellan
* MARVELS
* MASCARA
* MEarth
* MicroFUN
* MINERVA
* Australis
* MOA
* N2K
* NGTS
* NESSI
* OGLE
* OPSP
* PlanetPol
* Project 1640
* PARAS
* SEEDS
* SETI
* SOPHIE
* SPECULOOS
* SPHERE
* SuperWASP
* Systemic
* TrES
* XO Telescope
* ZIMPOL/CHEOPS

Space missions|

| Past|

* MOST (2003–2019)
* SWEEPS using HST (2006)
* CoRoT (2006–2013)
* EPOXI using Deep Impact (2008–2013)
* Kepler (2009–2018)
* detected exoplanets

|

Current|

* Gaia (2013–present)
* ASTERIA (2017–present)
* TESS (2018–present)

Planned|

* CHEOPS (2019)
* James Webb Space Telescope (2021)
* PLATO (2026)
* ARIEL (2028)
* WFIRST (mid-2020s)

Proposed|

* ATLAST
* EXCEDE
* HabEx
* HDST
* LUVOIR
* Nautilus Deep Space Observatory
* New Worlds Mission
* OST
* PEGASE

Cancelled|

* Darwin
* EChO
* Eddington
* Space Interferometry Mission
* Terrestrial Planet Finder

* Detection methods
* Discoveries of exoplanets
* Lists of exoplanets
* nearest

* v
* t
* e

European Space Agency

| Spaceports|

* Guiana Space Centre
* Esrange

|

Launch vehicles|

* Ariane 5
* Ariane 6
* Arianespace Soyuz
* Vega

Facilities|

* Space Operations Centre
* Space Research and Technology Centre
* ESA Centre for Earth Observation
* European Astronaut Centre
* Space Astronomy Centre
* Space Applications and Telecommunications Centre
* Concurrent Design Facility
* Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility

Communications|

* ESTRACK
* European Data Relay System

Programmes|

* Aurora
* ATV
* Copernicus
* Sentinel
* Columbus
* CryoSat
* EGNOS
* GALILEO
* ELIPS
* ExoMars
* FLPP
* Living Planet Programme
* Orion
* Space Situational Awareness Programme
* Science Programme
* Horizon 2000
* Cosmic Vision
* Pride

Predecessors|

* European Launcher Development Organisation
* European Space Research Organisation

Related topics|

* Arianespace
* ESA Television
* EUMETSAT
* European Space Camp
* GEWEX
* Planetary Science Archive

Projects and missions

Science|

| Solar physics|

* ISEE-2 (1977–87)
* Ulysses (1990–2009)
* SOHO (1995–present)
* Cluster II (2000–present)
* Solar Orbiter (2020)
* Lagrange (2020s)

|

Planetary science|

* Giotto (1985–92)
* Huygens (1997–2005)
* SMART-1 (2003–06)
* Mars Express (2003–present)
* Rosetta/Philae (2004–16)
* Venus Express (2005–14)
* ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (2016–present)
* BepiColombo (2018–present)
* Rosalind Franklin rover (2020)
* Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (2022)
* Comet Interceptor (2028)

Astronomy and
cosmology

* Cos-B (1975–82)
* IUE (1978–96)
* EXOSAT (1983–86)
* Hipparcos (1989–93)
* Hubble (1990–present)
* Eureca (1992–93)
* ISO (1995–98)
* XMM-Newton (1999–present)
* INTEGRAL (2002–present)
* CoRoT (2006–13)
* Planck (2009–13)
* Herschel (2009–13)
* Gaia (2013–present)
* CHEOPS (2019)
* James Webb (2021)
* Euclid (2022)
* PLATO (2026)
* ARIEL (2028)
* ATHENA (2031)
* LISA (2034)

Earth observation|

* Copernicus (1988–)
* Meteosat First Generation (1977–97)
* ERS-1 (1991–2000)
* ERS-2 (1995–2011)
* Meteosat Second Generation (2002–present)
* Envisat (2002–12)
* Double Star (2003–07)
* MetOp (2006–present)
* GOCE (2009–13)
* SMOS (2009–present)
* CryoSat-2 (2010–present)
* Swarm (2013–present)
* Sentinel-1 / 1A / 1B (2014–present)
* Sentinel-2 / 2A / 2B (2015–present)
* Sentinel-3 / 3A / 3B (2016–present)
* Sentinel-5 Precursor (2017–present)
* ADM-Aeolus (2018–present)
* Biomass (2022)
* EarthCARE (2022)
* MetOp-SG-A (2022)
* FLEX (2023)
* Meteosat Third Generation (Sentinel-4) (2023)
* MetOp-SG-B (2023)
* SMILE (2023)
* FORUM (2026)

ISS spaceflight|

* ISS contribution (1998–present)
* Columbus (2008–present)
* Jules Verne (2008)
* Cupola (2010–present)
* Johannes Kepler (2011)
* Edoardo Amaldi (2012)
* Albert Einstein (2013)
* Georges Lemaître (2014)
* European Robotic Arm (2020)

Telecommunications|

* GEOS 2 (1978)
* Olympus-1 (1989–93)
* Artemis (2001–present)
* GIOVE-A (2005–present)
* GIOVE-B (2008–present)
* HYLAS-1 (2010–present)
* Galileo IOV (2011–present)
* Galileo FOC (2014–present)
* EGNOS
* European Data Relay System (2016–present)

Technology
demonstrators

* ARD (1998)
* PROBA-1 (2001–present)
* YES2 (2007)
* PROBA-2 (2009–present)
* PROBA-V (2013–present)
* IXV (2015)
* LISA Pathfinder (2015–17)
* OPS-SAT (2019)
* PROBA-3 (2021)
* AIDA (2023)

Cancelled and proposed|

* ALTIUS
* Ariane 5 ME
* Columbus Man-Tended Free Flyer
* CSTS
* Darwin Mission
* Don Quijote
* e.Deorbit
* EChO
* Eddington
* EnVision
* EXPERT
* Hermes
* Hopper
* LOFT
* Luna 27
* Lunar Lander
* Marco Polo
* MarcoPolo-R
* Mars sample return mission
* ODINUS
* SPICA
* STE-QUEST
* THESEUS
* THOR
* XIPE

Failed|

* Cluster
* CryoSat-1
* GEOS 1
* Schiaparelli EDM

Future missions in italics

* Category
* Commons
* Wikinews
* WikiProject

* v
* t
* e

Extraterrestrial life

Events and objects|

* ALH77005
* ALH84001
* Cells in the stratosphere
* CI1 fossils
* Murchison meteorite
* Nakhla meteorite
* Polonnaruwa meteorite
* Red rain in Kerala
* Shergotty meteorite
* Viking lander biological experiments
* Yamato 000593

Signals of interest|

| Misidentified|

* CP 1919 (misidentified pulsar)
* CTA-102 (misidentified quasar)

|

Stars|

* KIC 8462852 (unusual light fluctuations)
* EPIC 204278916 (unusual light fluctuations)
* VVV-WIT-07 (unusual light fluctuations)
* HD 164595 signal (unknown origin)

Other|

* SHGb02+14a (radio source)
* Wow! signal (inconclusive)
* Fast radio burst (unknown origin)

Life in the Universe|

* Earliest known life forms
* Habitability of Enceladus
* Habitability of Europa
* Habitability of Mars
* Habitability of Titan
* Habitability of Venus

Planetary
habitability|

* Catalog of Nearby Habitable Systems
* Circumstellar habitable zone
* Earth analog
* Extraterrestrial liquid water
* Galactic habitable zone
* Habitability of binary star systems
* Habitability of orange dwarf systems
* Habitability of red dwarf systems
* Natural satellite habitability
* Planetary habitability

Space missions|

* Beagle 2
* Biological Oxidant and Life Detection
* BioSentinel
* Curiosity rover
* Darwin
* Dragonfly
* Enceladus Explorer
* Enceladus Life Finder
* Europa Clipper
* ExoMars
* Rosalind Franklin rover
* ExoLance
* EXPOSE
* Foton-M3
* Icebreaker Life
* Journey to Enceladus and Titan
* Laplace-P
* Life Investigation For Enceladus
* Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment
* Mars Geyser Hopper
* Mars sample-return mission
* Mars 2020
* Northern Light
* Opportunity rover
* SpaceX Red Dragon
* Spirit rover
* Tanpopo
* Titan Mare Explorer
* Venus In Situ Explorer
* Viking 1
* Viking 2

Interstellar
communication|

* Active SETI
* Allen Telescope Array
* Arecibo message
* Arecibo Observatory
* Berkeley SETI Research Center
* Bracewell probe
* Breakthrough Initiatives
* Breakthrough Listen
* Breakthrough Message
* Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence
* Gauss's Pythagorean right triangle proposal
* Lincos language
* NIROSETI
* Pioneer plaque
* Project Cyclops
* Project Ozma
* Project Phoenix
* SERENDIP
* Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
* SETI@home
* setiQuest
* Voyager Golden Record
* Water hole
* Xenolinguistics

Exhibitions|

* The Science of Aliens

Hypotheses|

* Ancient astronauts
* Aestivation hypothesis
* Cosmic pluralism
* Directed panspermia
* Drake equation
* Extraterrestrial hypothesis
* Fermi paradox
* Great Filter
* Hypothetical types of biochemistry
* Interplanetary contamination
* Kardashev scale
* Mediocrity principle
* Neocatastrophism
* Panspermia
* Planetarium hypothesis
* Rare Earth hypothesis
* Zoo hypothesis

Related topics|

* Astrobiology
* Astroecology
* Biosignature
* Brookings Report
* Planetary protection
* Potential cultural impact of extraterrestrial contact
* Exotheology
* Extraterrestrials in fiction
* Extremophile
* Nexus for Exoplanet System Science
* Noogenesis
* San Marino Scale
* Technosignature
* UFO religion
* Xenoarchaeology

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