Large Interferometer For Exoplanets
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Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE) is a project started in 2017 to develop the science, technology and a roadmap for a space mission to detect and characterize the atmospheres of dozens of warm, terrestrial extrasolar planets. The current plan is for a nulling interferometer operating in the mid-infrared.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Quick Facts Mission type, Website ...
Mission type | Exoplanet observation |
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Website | www |
Mission duration | 5-6 years |
Main telescope | |
Type | 4-telescope array with 6:1 baseline ratio, maximum/minimum allowed separation: 600 m / 10 m |
Diameter | 4 x 2-3.5 m |
Wavelengths | 4 – 18 μm (mid-infrared) |
Resolution | spectral: 35 - 50 |
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The LIFE space observatory concept is different from previous space missions, which covered a similar wavelength regime in the mid-infrared (MIR). This includes recent missions such as James Webb Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and older missions such as ISO, IRAS, and AKARI.