Navigator Program
Encyclopedia
The Navigator Program is a long term NASA
project charged with over-seeing all missions related to the detection and characterization of Earth-like planets. It also seeks to further understand how galaxies, star
s and planets form. Navigator, with a twenty-five year time window, is essentially an umbrella program for more specific current and proposed projects which seek out Earth analogues and possible extraterrestrial life
. The main components of Navigator include two ground-based and two space based missions.
On Earth:
And in space:
The Navigator Program is itself an element of even larger decades long project of NASA: the Origins Program
, addressing the origins of the universe
, astronomical bodies, and life
.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
project charged with over-seeing all missions related to the detection and characterization of Earth-like planets. It also seeks to further understand how galaxies, star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s and planets form. Navigator, with a twenty-five year time window, is essentially an umbrella program for more specific current and proposed projects which seek out Earth analogues and possible extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
. The main components of Navigator include two ground-based and two space based missions.
On Earth:
- The Keck Interferometer. Initial interferometeric work began in 2005.
- The Large Binocular TelescopeLarge Binocular TelescopeLarge Binocular Telescope is an optical telescope for astronomy located on Mount Graham in the Pinaleno Mountains of southeastern Arizona, and is a part of the Mount Graham International Observatory...
. Operational since 2005.
And in space:
- The SIM Planetquest. Expected launch in 2015.
- The Terrestrial Planet FinderTerrestrial Planet FinderThe Terrestrial Planet Finder was a proposed project by NASA to construct a system of telescopes for detecting extrasolar terrestrial planets. TPF was postponed several times and finally cancelled...
. First phase is projected to launch 2014.
The Navigator Program is itself an element of even larger decades long project of NASA: the Origins Program
Origins Program
NASA's Origins program is a decades-long study addressing the origins of the universe, various astronomical bodies, and life. The Origins program was started in the 1990s.So far, it consists of the following missions:* Hubble Space Telescope*...
, addressing the origins of the universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
, astronomical bodies, and life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
.