The worlds next door: terrestrial exoplanets with the TOLIMAN space mission (ARC Linkage Project administered by The University of Sydney) (2023-2026)
Abstract
This project will design, construct, launch and operate a space telescope that will prospect for planets around our nearest neighbour star system, Alpha Centauri. The exoplanets targeted have physical characteristics - size and orbit - that resemble those of Earth. The finding of a new world with the potential to support a biosphere like our own, lying only 4 light-years away, would drive profound impact altering our view of our place in the universe. Such a nearby system permits detailed characterisation in follow-up observations, and places an inspirational stepping stone for the generational challenge of humans first interstellar flight. Here, Australian science leads a space mission delivering marquee science with global impact.
