NASA Making Better Starshades to Help Us Find Exoplanets
by Brian Wang from NextBigFuture.com on (#6ZJC0)
Starshade-based methods, both for in-space observatories like the Habitable Worlds Observer or ground-based observatories, have the potential to increase our observational capability without launching ever increasing telescope apertures. Construction of these starshades with the necessary low mass, stability, precision, launch volume, and size (>100m for some missions) remains a challenge, since loading can be significant ...