Pandora Observatory transmits first engineering images from orbit
Updated
Updated · Newswise · May 4
Pandora Observatory transmits first engineering images from orbit
8 articles · Updated · Newswise · May 4
A week after launch, the low-Earth-orbit satellite sent Jan. 19 test images from its 45-centimetre CODA telescope, with LLNL saying detector and cryocooler performance looked healthy.
During commissioning, the team reported better-than-required sub-arcsecond pointing stability, a key requirement for studying exoplanet atmospheres and filtering host-star light.
Pandora, part of NASA's Astrophysics Pioneers Program, is preparing calibrated science images in coming weeks to support observations of water vapour, clouds and haze alongside larger observatories including James Webb.
Can this mini-fridge-sized satellite on a $20M budget truly solve a problem that vexes the multi-billion dollar James Webb Space Telescope?
As Pandora and JWST begin joint observations this month, what new secrets of exoplanet atmospheres could they unlock together?
Breaking Stellar Noise: Pandora’s Long-Duration Monitoring Unlocks Exoplanet Atmospheres Around Active Stars
Overview
On January 19, 2026, the Pandora observatory transmitted its first engineering images, marking the start of its commissioning phase. Thanks to collaboration between LLNL, NASA Goddard, and Blue Canyon Technologies, Pandora achieved exceptional pointing stability by integrating its all-aluminum CODA telescope into the spacecraft’s control system. This commissioning transformed Pandora into a reliable observatory ready for a one-year science mission focused on long-duration, multiwavelength monitoring of at least 20 exoplanet systems. Using simultaneous visible and near-infrared observations, Pandora aims to disentangle stellar contamination from planetary signals, providing crucial data that will enhance the interpretation of exoplanet atmospheres by flagship telescopes like JWST. Its cost-effective design and successful mission execution also set a new model for future space astrophysics projects.