Advancing European High-Contrast Imaging R&D Towards the Habitable Worlds Observatory
The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will enable a transformative leap in the direct imaging and characterization of Earth-like exoplanets.
For this, NASA is focusing on early investment in technology development prior to mission definition and actively seeking international partnerships earlier than for previous missions. The “R&D for Space-Based HCI in Europe” workshop, held in March 2024 at Paris Observatory, convened leading experts in high-contrast imaging (HCI) to discuss European expertise and explore potential strategies for European contributions to HWO.
This paper synthesizes the discussions and outcomes of the workshop, highlighting Europe’s critical contributions to past and current HCI efforts, the synergies between ground- and space-based technologies, and the importance of laboratory testbeds and collaborative funding mechanisms.
Key conclusions include the need for Europe to invest in technology development for areas such as deformable mirrors and advanced detectors, and establish or enhance laboratory facilities for system-level testing.
Putting emphasis on the urgency of aligning with the timeline of the HWO, the participants called on an open affirmation by the European Space Agency (ESA) that a European contribution to HWO is clearly anticipated, to signal national agencies and unlock funding opportunities at the national level. Based on the expertise demonstrated through R&D, Europe is poised to play a pivotal role in advancing global HCI capabilities, contributing to the characterization of temperate exoplanets and fostering innovation across domains.
Iva Laginja, Óscar Carrión-González, Romain Laugier, Elisabeth Matthews, Lucie Leboulleux, Axel Potier, Alexis Lau, Olivier Absil, Pierre Baudoz, Beth Biller, Anthony Boccaletti, Wolfgang Brandner, Alexis Carlotti, Gaël Chauvin, Élodie Choquet, David Doelman, Kjetil Dohlen, Marc Ferrari, Sasha Hinkley, Elsa Huby, Mikael Karlsson, Oliver Krause, Jonas Kühn, Jean-Michel Le Duigou, Johan Mazoyer, Dino Mesa, Michiel Min, David Mouillet, Laurent M. Mugnier, Gilles Orban de Xivry, Frans Snik, Daniele Vassallo, Arthur Vigan, Pieter de Visser
Comments: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Science
Subjects: Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM)
Cite as: arXiv:2503.12707 [astro-ph.IM] (or arXiv:2503.12707v1 [astro-ph.IM] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2503.12707
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Submission history
From: Iva Laginja
[v1] Mon, 17 Mar 2025 00:15:28 UTC (719 KB)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.12707
Astrobiology,
