Search NASA⌕ Search
Home/Archive/NASA NTRS

NASA NTRS · 20260005925

The Habitable Worlds Observatory Technology Development Plan

Matthew Bolcar·Feng Zhao·Paul Scowen·Lee Feinberg·Breann Sitarski·Alice Liu·J Scott Smith·Josh Abel
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is NASA’s next large space telescope, selected by the 2020 Decadal Survey in Astronomy and Astrophysics to search for and characterize habitable exoplanets while enabling a broad range of transformative astrophysics. In August 2024, the HWO Technology Maturation Project Office (TMPO) was formed to begin exploring the HWO science, technology, and mission architectures toward a Mission Concept Review (MCR) at the end of the decade. A primary deliverable of this effort is this technology development plan that identifies critical technologies that enable the mission, defines a process for assessing the readiness of those technologies, and outlines a strategy for developing those technologies to a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 5 before the MCR. This document covers technologies organized along three “tracks”: Coronagraph System technologies, Ultra-stable Telescope System technologies, and High-sensitivity Ultraviolet and Visible Instrumentation technologies. Additional emerging and enhancing technologies are also discussed.

Explore related subjects

technology developmentHabitable Worlds Observatoryultravioletcoronagraphdetectors

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Matthew Bolcar, Feng Zhao, Paul Scowen, Lee Feinberg, Breann Sitarski, Alice Liu, J Scott Smith, Josh Abel. 2026-07-07. The Habitable Worlds Observatory Technology Development Plan. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20260005925

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

Discover connections

Coronagraph subjectHabitable Worlds Observatory subjectdetectors subjecttechnology development subjectultraviolet subject

Connections use source metadata and explicit phrase matches, not verified experimental comparisons.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related reports

NASA NTRS2019

The Role of SmallSats in Scientific Exploration and Commercialization of Space

Over the past decade, SmallSats have been established as having great potential for science exploration and commercialization of space. The SmallSat revolution aims to decrease the cost of space development, making space exploration accessible to students, educators, and public citizens. These efforts have focused on miniaturization of instruments and space platforms, as well as reducing their cost, mass, and needed power. In addition to enabling scientific exploration, SmallSats provide affordable means for the public to purchase remote sensing and communication products on a global scale. SmallSat mission concepts are particularly powerful when they are deployed in distributed architecture or constellations. For example, the most promising observation techniques for global science measurements of the Earth system and space weather require multi-point distributed observations of the Earth system at a feasible cost. The high cost of access to space has long been a barrier, especially with the prohibitive cost of large satellites. Affordable SmallSat constellations can be game-changers, enabling scientific exploration as well as commercial global data products. In this paper, we highlight investments made by NASA to date (specifically a study in developing and prototyping a SmallSat platform with standard interfaces), along with several example mission concept scenarios in Earth and space science (astrophysics, heliophysics, and planetary) applications that can be achieved using this platform.

technology development↗
NASA NTRS2017

Alignment and Testing of Critical Interface Fixtures for the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a 6.6m diameter, segmented, deployable telescope for cryogenic IR space astronomy. The JWST Observatory architecture includes the Primary Mirror Backplane Support Structure (PMBSS) and Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) Electronics Compartment (IEC) which is designed to integrate to the spacecraft bus via six cup/cone interfaces. Prior to integration to the spacecraft bus the JWST observatory must undergo environmental testing, handling, and transportation. Multiple fixtures were developed to support these tasks including the vibration fixture and handling and integration fixture (HIF). This work reports on the development of the nominal alignment of the six interfaces and metrology operations performed for the JWST observatory to safely integrate them for successful environmental testing.

technology development↗
NASA NTRS2017

Metrology for Trending Alignment of the James Webb Space Telescope Before and After Ambient Environmental Testing

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a 6.6m diameter, segmented, deployable telescope for cryogenic IR space astronomy. The JWST Observatory architecture includes the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) and the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) element which contains four science instruments (SIs). Prior to integration with the spacecraft, theJWST optical assembly is put through rigorous launch condition environmental testing. This work reports on the metrology operations conducted to determine any changes in subassembly alignment, including primary mirror segments with respect to each other, the secondary mirror to its support structure, the tertiary mirror assembly to the backplane of the telescope and ultimately to the ISIM.

technology development↗