NASA’s Pandora Satellite to Explore Exoplanets and Stars

Artist’s concept of NASA’s Pandora mission, which will help scientists untangle the signals from exoplanets’ atmospheres — worlds beyond our solar system — and their stars.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab

Alt text: The Pandora spacecraft with an exoplanet and two stars in the background

Image description: A metallic spacecraft takes up most of this image. Its body is made of a cylindrical telescope attached to a square base. Inside the telescope is the reflection of an orange star. A line of three solar panels extends from the right side of the spacecraft at a 45-degree angle. On the right side of the background is a large planet streaked with purple, pink, and white. To the left of the planet are two stars. One is small, yellow, and very close to the planet. The other is white and is almost totally eclipsed by the spacecraft.

This view of the fully integrated Pandora spacecraft was taken May 19, 2025, following the mission’s successful environmental test campaign at Blue Canyon Technologies in Lafayette, Colorado. The next step is to ready the vehicle for shipping to the launch site. Visible are star trackers (center), multilayer insulation blankets (white), the end of the telescope (top), and the solar panel (right) in its launch configuration.

Credit: NASA/BCT

Alt text: Pandora, fully integrated, with blue-lit background

Image description: Against a background filled with blue light is a gray rectangular stand. Atop it is a structure with what appear to be short red feet at each of the visible corners of a bluish box. A white conical structure extends upward form the box, containing a bluish rectangular panel about midway up. At the top extends a short circular structure nearly as wide as the cone’s top surface; it is bluish and topped by a metallic red ring. On the right side is a large rectangle containing 92 dark blue rounded rectangles separated by brown; white cables run from the bottom into the spacecraft. At the base of the white area at left are two small, roughly pyramidal features; the one at far left is colored gold and seen from the side, while the one to the right of it, seen end on, appears as a red square. Numerous gold-wrapped cables extend down along the sides and continue to the right underneath the box. Along the cable path, at the bottom of the nearest corner of the box, is a small red rectangle with text reading “REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT.”

This view of the fully integrated Pandora spacecraft was taken May 19, 2025, following the mission’s successful environmental test campaign at Blue Canyon Technologies in Lafayette, Colorado. The next step is to ready the vehicle for shipping to the launch site. Visible are star trackers (center), multilayer insulation blankets (white), the end of the telescope (top), and the solar panel (right) in its launch configuration.

Credit: NASA/BCT

Alt text: Pandora, fully integrated, with U.S. flag in the background

Image description: Against a white background wall decorated with a large U.S. flag is a gray rectangular stand. Atop it is a structure with what appear to be short red feet at each of the visible corners of a shiny metallic box that reflects equipment not seen in the image. A white conical structure extends upward form the box, containing a bluish rectangular panel about midway up. At the top extends a short circular structure nearly as wide as the cone’s top surface; it is shiny, metallic, and topped by a metallic red ring. On the right side is a large rectangle containing 92 dark blue rounded rectangles separated by brown; white cables run from the bottom into the spacecraft. At the base of the white area at left are two small, roughly pyramidal features; the one at far left is colored gold and seen from the side, while the one to the right of it, seen end on, appears as a red square. Numerous gold-wrapped cables extend down along the sides and continue to the right underneath the box. Along the cable path, at the bottom of the nearest corner of the box, is a small red rectangle with text reading “REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT.”

This view looks down the barrel of Pandora’s 17-inch-wide (45 centimeters) telescope and was captured April 12, 2025, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The concentric black circles are optical baffles designed to prevent stray light bouncing around the telescope tube from reaching the detectors. At center, part of the ceiling appears in Pandora’s main mirror. Above it, attached to the tube by four supports, is the secondary mirror, which bounces light through the main mirror and into the telescope’s detectors.

Credit: NASA/Jordan Karburn, LLNL

Alt text: Looking down the barrel of Pandora’s telescope

Image description: The camera is looking down into the open end of Pandora’s telescope tube. The mirror, a bright shiny circle reflecting part of the ceiling, is visible at the center. Above it is a gold-colored circle with a silver rectangle at its center. Four support legs extend from it to the side of the telescope tube. The tube interior is lined with a series of concentric black rings.

Pandora’s 17-inch-wide (45 centimeters) telescope and its associated systems are seen April 12, 2025, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California as the instrument package nears completion.

Credit: NASA/Jordan Karburn, LLNL

Alt text: View of Pandora’s nearly completed telescope in lab

Image description: In the foreground stands a vertical tube constructed from various metal elements ranging in shade from grayish white at the base, greenish in the middle, to reddish near the top. It is topped by a short tube of shiny metal capped with a red ring. At the base of the tube is a shiny, roughly rectangular panel that stands apart from the tube, with black cables looped behind it. Tables with various pieces of lab equipment are visible and out of focus in the background.

The spacecraft bus for the Pandora mission was developed at Blue Canyon Technologies in Lafayette, Colorado, and completed on March 31, 2025. The bus provides Pandora’s structural, power, and support systems. Two star trackers (top left) enable the spacecraft’s precise and stable pointing for science observations. The large bracket extending above the main box supports Pandora’s single articulating solar array.

Credit: NASA/BCT

Alt text: Pandora bus with blue-lit background

Image description: Against a background filled with blue light is a gray rectangular stand. Atop it is a shiny aluminum box with conical protrusions on the right side, with a rectangular bracket rising from the top. On the left top side of the box are two small, roughly pyramidal features; the one at far left is colored gold and seen from the side, while the one to the right of it, seen end on, appears as a red square. Numerous gold-wrapped cables extend down along the sides and continue to the right underneath the box. Along the cable path, at the bottom of the nearest corner of the box, is a small red rectangle with text reading “REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT.” At the three visible corners of the box’s bottom are what look like short, red, rectangular feet.

The spacecraft bus for the Pandora mission was developed at Blue Canyon Technologies in Lafayette, Colorado, and completed on March 31, 2025. The bus provides Pandora’s structural, power, and support systems. Two star trackers (top left) enable the spacecraft’s precise and stable pointing for science observations. The large bracket extending above the main box supports Pandora’s single articulating solar array.

Credit: NASA/BCT

Alt text: Pandora bus with U.S. flag in the background

Image description: Against a white background wall decorated with a large U.S. flag is a gray rectangular stand. Atop it is a shiny aluminum box with conical protrusions on the right side, with a rectangular bracket rising from the top. On the left top side of the box are two small, roughly pyramidal features; the one at far left is colored gold and seen from the side, while the one to the right of it, seen end on, appears as a red square. Numerous gold-wrapped cables extend down along the sides and continue to the right underneath the box. Along the cable path, at the bottom of the nearest corner of the box, is a small red rectangle with text reading “REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT.” At the three visible corners of the box’s bottom are what look like short, red, rectangular feet.

Labeled version of the artist’s concept of Pandora.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab

Alt text: The Pandora spacecraft with an exoplanet and two stars in the background

Image description: A metallic spacecraft takes up most of this image. Its body is made of a cylindrical telescope attached to a square base. Inside the telescope is the reflection of an orange star. A line of three solar panels extends from the right side of the spacecraft at a 45-degree angle. On the right side of the background is a large planet streaked with purple, pink, and white. To the left of the planet are two stars. One is small, yellow, and very close to the planet. The other is white and is almost totally eclipsed by the spacecraft. It is labeled “Pandora” in the upper left corner.

Labeled version of the artist’s concept of Pandora, alternative font.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab

Alt text: The Pandora spacecraft with an exoplanet and two stars in the background

Image description: A metallic spacecraft takes up most of this image. Its body is made of a cylindrical telescope attached to a square base. Inside the telescope is the reflection of an orange star. A line of three solar panels extends from the right side of the spacecraft at a 45-degree angle. On the right side of the background is a large planet streaked with purple, pink, and white. To the left of the planet are two stars. One is small, yellow, and very close to the planet. The other is white and is almost totally eclipsed by the spacecraft. It is labeled “Pandora” in the upper left corner.

Two artist’s concepts of the Pandora mission form this banner-style image.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab

Alt text: Two versions of the Pandora mission in space

Image description: On the left, a spacecraft observes a mottled yellow and orange star with a planet silhouetted in front of it. Extending from the spacecraft toward the lower left is a rectangle containing panels of blue and purple that represents Pandora's solar array. On the right, a different illustration of the same spacecraft is in front of a large pink, purple, and white planet as well as two stars. It’s solar panels seen from this angle are silver. The image is labeled in the center, “Pandora” and “Launching early 2026.”