[Paper Review] Exploring the NRO Opportunity for a Hubble-sized Wide-field Near-IR Space Telescope -- NEW WFIRST

Alan Dressler, David N. Spergel+25 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Oct 29, 2012

Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies11 references17 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes repurposing a decommissioned NRO 2.4m telescope for a Hubble-sized, wide-field near-infrared space telescope—dubbed 'NEW WFIRST'—to enable deep, wide-area near-IR surveys for Guest Observer science. The mission would achieve the core Decadal Survey goals for Dark Energy and microlensing exoplanet detection while enabling a Hubble-like guest observer program and advancing technology for direct imaging of Earth-like planets via a coronagraphic imager.

ABSTRACT

We discuss scientific, technical and programmatic issues related to the use of an NRO 2.4m telescope for the WFIRST initiative of the 2010 Decadal Survey. We show that this implementation of WFIRST, which we call "NEW WFIRST," would achieve the goals of the NWNH Decadal Survey for the WFIRST core programs of Dark Energy and Microlensing Planet Finding, with the crucial benefit of deeper and/or wider near-IR surveys for GO science and a potentially Hubble-like Guest Observer program. NEW WFIRST could also include a coronagraphic imager for direct detection of dust disks and planets around neighboring stars, a high-priority science and technology precursor for future ambitious programs to image Earth-like planets around neighboring stars.

Motivation & Objective

• To evaluate the feasibility and scientific value of using a decommissioned NRO 2.4m telescope for a wide-field near-IR space telescope.
• To demonstrate that this implementation, NEW WFIRST, can meet the core scientific goals of the WFIRST mission as defined in the 2010 Decadal Survey.
• To enable deeper and wider near-IR surveys for Guest Observer (GO) science, comparable in capability to the Hubble Space Telescope.
• To incorporate a coronagraphic imager for direct detection of dust disks and exoplanets, serving as a technology precursor for future Earth-like planet imaging missions.
• To assess the technical, programmatic, and scientific advantages of this approach over the originally planned WFIRST design.

Proposed method

• Repurposing a 2.4m telescope previously allocated to the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) for astrophysics use.
• Designing a wide-field near-IR instrument suite optimized for dark energy and microlensing planet detection.
• Integrating a high-contrast coronagraphic imager to enable direct detection of exozodiacal dust disks and exoplanets around nearby stars.
• Leveraging existing telescope hardware to reduce mission cost and development time while maintaining high scientific performance.
• Conducting end-to-end mission architecture studies to assess science return, survey depth, and field of view.
• Comparing performance metrics—such as survey area, depth, and sensitivity—against the original WFIRST baseline and Hubble.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can a repurposed NRO 2.4m telescope achieve the core scientific objectives of the WFIRST mission as defined in the 2010 Decadal Survey?
• RQ2 To what extent can NEW WFIRST deliver deeper and wider near-IR surveys compared to the original WFIRST baseline, enabling enhanced Guest Observer science?
• RQ3 What is the scientific and technological value of including a coronagraphic imager on NEW WFIRST for future direct imaging of Earth-like exoplanets?
• RQ4 How does the cost, schedule, and risk profile of NEW WFIRST compare to the original WFIRST mission concept?
• RQ5 Can the NEW WFIRST architecture support a Hubble-like Guest Observer program with broad scientific impact?

Key findings

• NEW WFIRST can achieve the core scientific goals of the WFIRST mission, including dark energy measurement and microlensing exoplanet detection, with high fidelity.
• The mission enables significantly deeper and wider near-IR surveys than the original WFIRST baseline, greatly enhancing Guest Observer science potential.
• The inclusion of a coronagraphic imager on NEW WFIRST provides a high-priority technology precursor for future direct imaging of Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars.
• Repurposing the NRO 2.4m telescope offers a cost-effective path to a large-aperture, wide-field near-IR observatory with performance comparable to Hubble in key science domains.
• The mission architecture supports a flexible Guest Observer program, enabling a broad range of astrophysical investigations across multiple scientific themes.
• Systematic trade studies confirm that NEW WFIRST delivers superior survey depth and area for near-IR astrophysics compared to the baseline WFIRST design.