NASA Selects MANTIS to be James Webb Space Telescope’s Cosmic Companion

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will receive assistance from a small satellite called Monitoring Activity from Nearby Stars with UV Imaging and Spectroscopy (MANTIS).

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MANTIS, an $8.5 million cubesat selected by NASA, will work alongside the JWST to enhance the search for potentially habitable exoplanets.

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JWST focuses on analyzing the atmospheres of rocky planets that could support life, while MANTIS is designed to observe star activity, including flares.

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MANTIS will study stars located several light-years away from Earth, complementing the JWST's observations of exoplanets.

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MANTIS aims to refine the theory that rocky exoplanets with water on their surfaces face challenges if they orbit very active stars, which expose them to significant radiation.

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The spacecraft will carry two telescopes: one optimized for lower-energy ultraviolet radiation and another designed specifically for the extreme ultraviolet range.

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MANTIS is envisioned as an ultraviolet sidekick to the JWST, observing the same targets and filling in critical information about the stellar environments surrounding exoplanets.

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Once operational, MANTIS will provide valuable data on how stellar energy impacts the atmospheres of nearby planets, particularly those of similar size to Earth that may be habitable.

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