Broomfield-based BAE Systems, Space and Mission Systems Inc., in strategic partnership with L3Harris Technologies and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), has been chosen by NASA to help progress technologies for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) mission concept. The consortium of these companies forms one of three teams tasked with this mission.
The HWO, a first-of-its-kind telescope, aims to find signs of life beyond our own solar system and perform revolutionary observations of the universe. The key purpose of the observatory is to discern and analyze Earth-like planets orbiting different stars to see if they possess potential signs of life. Alongside this, the HWO will deliver a powerful lens to further explore our solar system, galaxies, and the universe’s evolution with unparalleled sensitivity and resolution.
The teams are set to conduct a two-year research cooperation called the Ultra-stable Large Telescope Research and Analysis Program – Critical Technologies (ULTRA-CT). This program aims to enhance the performance of large space telescopes through the development of ultra-stable optical systems. Supervising this effort would be BAE Systems’ principal optical engineer and astrophysics technology lead for the Space & Mission Systems sector, Laura Coyle.
The HWO mission is the next flagship astrophysics project from NASA, following the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, expected to be launched by 2027. BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems have a background of supporting all of NASA’s major astrophysics missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Roman Space Telescope.
British multinational corporation BAE Systems Inc. formed its Space & Mission Systems business after acquiring Ball Aerospace from Ball Corp. in February.
Source: Press Release