The SIM PlanetQuest science program

Abstract

SIM PlanetQuest (hereafter, just SIM) is a NASA mission to measure the angular positions of stars with unprecedented accuracy. We outline the main astrophysical science programs planned for SIM, and related opportunities for community participation. We focus especially on SIM’s ability to detect exoplanets as small as the Earth around nearby stars. The planned synergy between SIM and other planet-finding missions including Kepler and GAIA, and planetcharacterizing missions including the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Terrestrial Planet Finder – Coronagraph (TPF-C), and Terrestrial Planet Finder – Interferometer (TPF-I), is a key element in NASA’s Navigator Program to find Earth-like planets, determine their habitability, and search for signs of life in the universe. SIM's technology development is now complete and the project is proceeding towards a launch early next decade.