Announced on Monday, the decision marked another step towards what would be the first mission capable of directly imaging Earth-like planets orbiting stars similar to our sun and analysing their atmospheres for chemical fingerprints that could indicate life.
Beyond exoplanet science, the flagship observatory would also support a broad range of astrophysics research and help pave the way for future human exploration of Mars, the wider solar system and deep space.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said the mission embodied the kind of ambitious science only the US space agency could deliver.
“The Habitable Worlds Observatory is exactly the kind of bold, forward-leaning science that only NASA can undertake,” he said. “Humanity is waiting for the breakthroughs this mission could deliver and for the answers it may provide about life in the universe. We intend to move with urgency and accelerate timelines wherever possible to bring these discoveries to the world.”
To meet its scientific objectives, the observatory would require extraordinary engineering precision. Its optical system would need to remain stable to within less than the width of an atom during observations.
The telescope would also rely on an advanced coronagraph, a device that blocks a star’s light to reveal much fainter orbiting planets with performance thousands of times more capable than any space-based coronagraph flown to date.
The design would also allow for servicing in orbit, extending the telescope’s operational life and expanding its scientific potential over time.
Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA’s astrophysics division, said the mission tackled one of humanity’s most profound questions.
“‘Are we alone in the universe?’ is an audacious question, but one we are now in a position to pursue, building on the foundations laid by previous NASA flagship missions,” he said.
As part of this effort, NASA has awarded three-year, fixed-price contracts to the following companies to mature critical technologies:
- Astroscale US Inc (Denver)
- BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems Inc (Boulder, Colorado)
- Busek Co Inc (Natick, Massachusetts)
- L3Harris Technologies Inc (Rochester, New York)
- Lockheed Martin Inc (Palo Alto, California)
- Northrop Grumman Inc (Redondo Beach, California)
- Zecoat Co Inc (Granite City, Illinois)
“With the Habitable Worlds Observatory, NASA will open new frontiers in our exploration of the cosmos. These awards are a vital part of our incubator program, combining government leadership with commercial innovation to turn today’s impossibilities into tomorrow’s capabilities,” Domagal-Goldman added.
The latest selections build on industry work that began in 2017 under NASA’s System-Level Segmented Telescope Design program and continued with major large telescope technology awards in 2024.
Together, the efforts will help shape NASA’s planning for the Habitable Worlds Observatory, drawing on experience from the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope and the forthcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.