Artemis-enabled Stellar Imager (AeSI): a Lunar long-baseline UV/optical imaging interferometer

Gioia Rau; Kenneth G. Carpenter; Tabetha Boyajian; Michelle Creech-Eakman; Julianne Foster; Margarita Karovska; David Leisawitz; Jon A. Morse; David Mozurkewich; Sarah Peacock; Noah Petro; Paul Scowen; Breann Sitarski; Gerard van Belle; Erik Wilkinson

doi:10.1117/12.3028797

28 August 2024 Artemis-enabled Stellar Imager (AeSI): a Lunar long-baseline UV/optical imaging interferometer

Gioia Rau, Kenneth G. Carpenter, Tabetha Boyajian, Michelle Creech-Eakman, Julianne Foster, Margarita Karovska, David Leisawitz, Jon A. Morse, David Mozurkewich, Sarah Peacock, Noah Petro, Paul Scowen, Breann Sitarski, Gerard van Belle, Erik Wilkinson

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 13095, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging IX; 130951J (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3028797
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2024, Yokohama, Japan

Abstract

NASA’s return to the Moon presents unparalleled opportunities to advance high-impact scientific capabilities. At the cutting edge of these possibilities are extremely high-resolution interferometric observations at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths. Such technology can resolve the surfaces of stars, explore the inner accretion disks of nascent stars and black holes, and eventually enable us to observe surface features and weather patterns on nearby exoplanets. We have been awarded Phase 1 support from NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program to explore the feasibility of constructing a high-resolution, long-baseline UV/optical imaging interferometer on the lunar surface, in conjunction with the Artemis Program. A 1996 study comparing interferometers on the Moon versus free-flyers in space concluded that, without pre-existing lunar infrastructure, free-flyers were preferable. However, with the advent of the Artemis Program, it is now crucial to revisit the potential of building lunar interferometers. Our objective is to conduct a study with the same level of rigor applied to large baseline, free-flying interferometers during the 2003-2005 NASA Vision Missions Studies. This preparation is essential for timely and effective utilization of the forthcoming lunar infrastructure. In this paper, we highlight the groundbreaking potential of a lunar surface-based interferometer. This concept study will be a huge step forward to larger arrays on both the moon and free-flying in space, over a wide variety of wavelengths and science topics. Our Phase 1 study began in April 2024, and here we present a concise overview of our vision and the progress made so far.

Conference Presentation

(2024) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

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Gioia Rau, Kenneth G. Carpenter, Tabetha Boyajian, Michelle Creech-Eakman, Julianne Foster, Margarita Karovska, David Leisawitz, Jon A. Morse, David Mozurkewich, Sarah Peacock, Noah Petro, Paul Scowen, Breann Sitarski, Gerard van Belle, and Erik Wilkinson "Artemis-enabled Stellar Imager (AeSI): a Lunar long-baseline UV/optical imaging interferometer", Proc. SPIE 13095, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging IX, 130951J (28 August 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3028797

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