DARWIN mission proposal to ESA

TL;DR

The Darwin mission proposal aims to study terrestrial exoplanets and search for life, advancing ESA's cosmic vision through interdisciplinary collaboration on planetary formation, atmospheres, chemistry, and biology.

Contribution

This paper introduces the Darwin mission concept, focusing on the detection and analysis of Earth-like exoplanets to search for extraterrestrial life, a novel approach in ESA's mission portfolio.

Findings

Conceptual framework for the Darwin mission

Interdisciplinary scientific goals outlined

Potential for detecting biosignatures on exoplanets

Abstract

The discovery of extra-solar planets is one of the greatest achievements of modern astronomy. There are now more than 200 such objects known, and the recent detection of planets with masses approximately 5 times that of Earth demonstrates that extra-solar planets of low mass exist. In addition to providing a wealth of scientific information on the formation and structure of planetary systems, these discoveries capture the interest of both scientists and the wider public with the profound prospect of the search for life in the Universe. We propose an L-type mission, called Darwin, whose primary goal is the study of terrestrial extrasolar planets and the search for life on them. By its very nature, Darwin advances the first Grand Theme of ESA Cosmic Vision. Accomplishing the mission objectives will require collaborative science across disciplines ranging from planet formation and atmospheres to chemistry and biology, and these disciplines will reap profound rewards from their contributions to the Darwin mission.