Pandora (spacecraft)
Artist’s concept of Pandora mission | |
| Mission type | Space telescope (Astrophysics) |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA / U of A |
| COSPAR ID | 2026-004AJ |
| SATCAT no. | 67395 |
| Website | https://science.nasa.gov/mission/pandora/ |
| Mission duration | 1 year (planned science operations) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Corning, Blue Canyon Technologies |
| Launch mass | 325 kg (717 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 11 January 2026 at 13:44 UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit |
| Altitude | 600 km (370 mi) (planned) |
| Main telescope | |
| Diameter | 45 cm (18 in) |
| Wavelengths | Visible and near-infrared |
| Instruments | |
| Visible photometer; near-infrared spectrograph | |
Pandora is a NASA small satellite space telescope designed to study the atmospheres of transiting exoplanets (exoplanets that pass in front of their host stars). Pandora will also help identify exoplanet targets worthy of more in-depth atmospheric studies by JWST and future space telescopes designed to search for signs of life. The spacecraft launched on January 11, 2026 aboard a SpaceX rideshare mission "Twilight" into a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit to carry out about one year of science operations.