| The Darwin Flotilla, Courtesy
Alcatel Space Industries |
 | |
 |
| LAUNCH
DATE: |
2015
|
| MISSION
END: |
|
| LAUNCH
VEHICLE: |
Ariane-5
rocket |
| LAUNCH
MASS: |
4240 kg |
| MISSION
PHASE: |
Assessment | |
Darwin
will be placed in an L2 orbit, 1.5 million kilometres
from Earth. | |
Darwin will use a flotilla of three
space telescopes, each at least 3 metres in diameter, and a
fourth spacecraft to server as communications hub. The
telescopes will operate together to scan the nearby Universe,
looking for signs of life on Earth-like planets. This is a
daunting challenge and will require a number of technological
innovations before the mission launches in the middle of the
next decade. |
|
