The most recent concept for the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) flight mission features a secondary, descopable, instrument that will perform exoplanet detection via coronagraphy of the host star. This observatory is based on the existing Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets (AFTA) 2.4-meter telescope. The mission will study exoplanets via coronagraphy and gravitational microlensing, probe dark energy, and survey the near infrared sky. Over the past year, the engineering team has been working with the science definition team to refine the mission and payload concepts. We present the current design of the coronagraph instrument point design.

Date Published: 2 August 2014
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 9143, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 91430S (2 August 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2057393

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9143:
Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave
Jacobus M. Oschmann Jr.; Mark Clampin; Giovanni G. Fazio; Howard A. MacEwen, Editor(s)