SPICES (Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging and Characterization of Exoplanetary Systems) is a five-year M-class mission proposed to ESA Cosmic Vision. Its purpose is to image and characterize long-period extrasolar planets and circumstellar disks in the visible (450-900 nm) at a spectral resolution of about 40 using both spectroscopy and polarimetry. By 2020/2022, present and near-term instruments will have found several tens of planets that SPICES will be able to observe and study in detail. Equipped with a 1.5 m telescope, SPICES can preferentially access exoplanets located at several AUs (0.5-10 AU) from nearby stars (less than 25 pc) with masses ranging from a few Jupiter masses to Super Earths (approximately 2 Earth radii, approximately 10 mass compared to Earth) as well as circumstellar disks as faint as a few times the zodiacal light in the Solar System.

Boccaletti, Anthony↗

NASA NTRS2008

Laboratory Demonstrations of High-contrast Imaging for Space Coronagraphy

This slide presentation reviews the use of the High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) in the design and improvement of space coronagraphs. The objectives of the work are to: (1) Advance the technology readiness of space coronagraph hardware, techniques, algorithms, and predictive models; (2) Provide proof-of-concept demonstrations of coronagraph techniques; and (3) Support collaborations across the exoplanet community in pursuit of the optimal space coronagraph architecture.

High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT)↗

NASA NTRS2002

Measurement of HO2 and Other Trace Gases in the Stratosphere Using a High Resolution Far-Infrared Spectrometer

This report covers the time period 1 April 2001 to 31 December 2001. During this period we continued analyzing data from past flights, exploring issues such as radical partitioning, stratospheric transport, and molecular spectroscopy and further developed our beamsplitter technology.

Traub, Wes↗