Pandora SmallSat data simulation and target selection
Trevor O. Foote, Elisa V. Quintana, Jessie Dotson, Knicole D. Colón, Thomas Barclay, Pete Supsinskas, Jordan Karburn, Dániel Apai, Christina Hedges, Benjamin V. Rackham, Jason F. Rowe, Jessie L. Christiansen, Thomas P. Greene, James Mason, Gregory Mosby, Néstor Espinoza, Emily A. Gilbert, Kelsey Hoffman, Veselin B. Kostov, Nikole Lewis · Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave · 2022
Pandora is a SmallSat mission, designed to study the atmospheres of exoplanets using transmission spectroscopy and to investigate the impact that stellar contamination and variability has on observing the spectra of these worlds. Pandora’s initial science operation lifetime is one year, so optimizing the science return is critical. Here we present two tools created to assist in the design process. The first is a 2-D spectrum simulator being developed to help refine target selection, optimize observation strategies, and assist in the creation of a data reduction pipeline. The second is a pseudo-retrieval framework that provides a quantifiable method for comparing potential targets against a handful of exoplanetary atmospheric parameters important to the Pandora mission. Preliminary results show Pandora will place tighter constraints on atmospheric properties like water abundance compared to HST and answering its mission objectives will help to inform targets for missions like JWST.