Free Astronomy Magazine May-June 2016

SPACE CHRONICLES ministrator of NASA's Science Mis- sion Directorate at NASA Head- quarters in Washington, D.C. “This mission uniquely combines the abili- ty to discover and characterize plan- ets beyond our own solar system with the sensitivity and optics to look wide and deep into the uni- verse in a quest to unravel the mys- teries of dark energy and dark mat- ter.” WFIRST is the agency's next major astrophysics observatory, following the launch of the James Webb NASA introduces Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope A fter years of preparatory studies, NASA is formally starting an astrophysics mis- sion designed to help unlock the se- crets of the universe — the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST). With a view 100 times bigger than that of NA- SA's Hubble Space Tele- scope, WFIRST will aid researchers in their ef- forts to unravel the se- crets of dark energy and dark matter, and explore the evolution of the cos- mos. It will also discover new worlds outside our solar system and advance the search for worlds that could be suitable for life. NASA's Agency Program Management Council, which evaluates the agen- cy's programs and proj- ects on content, risk man- agement, and perfor- mance, made the deci- sion to move forward with the mission. “WFIRST has the potential to open our eyes to the wonders of the universe, much the same way Hubble has,” said John Grunsfeld, as- tronaut and associate ad- by NASA T he Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) will image large regions of the sky in near-infrared light to answer fundamental questions about dark energy and the struc- ture and evolution of the universe. It will also greatly expand our knowledge of planetary systems around other stars, and revolutionize many other astrophysical topics. Slated to launch in the mid-2020s, the observatory will operate at a gravitational balance point known as Earth-Sun L2, which is located about 930,000 miles from Earth in a direction di- rectly opposite the Sun. [NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab]