Megapixel imaging and Spectroscopy of an exoplanet with a Solar Gravity Lens Mission

Slava Turyshev of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposes to study a mission to the deep regions outside the solar system that will exploit the remarkable optical properties of the Solar Gravitational Lens (SGL) focus to effectively build an astronomical telescope capable of direct megapixel high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy of a potentially habitable exoplanet. Although theoretically it seems feasible, the engineering aspects of building such an astronomical telescope on the large scales involved were not addressed before; we propose to do that. Our main question for this study is not "how to get there?" (although it will also be addressed), but rather "what does it take to operate a spacecraft at such enormous distances with the needed precision?" Specifically, we propose to study I) how a space mission to the focal region of the SGL may be used to obtain high-resolution direct imaging and spectroscopy of an exoplanet by detecting, tracking, and studying the Einstein's ring around the Sun, and II) how such information could be used to unambiguously detect and study life on another planet.