The AstroBiology Explorer (ABE):
Understanding Organic Molecules in Space

The First Explorer Dedicated to Astrobiology
Principal Invesitgator: Dr. Scott Sandford, NASA Ames Research Center

Project Status

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ABE Spacecraft

Scientific Goals

The Astrobiology Explorer (ABE) would address outstanding problems in Astrobiology, Astrochemistry, and Astrophysics by making fundamental scientific progress in the following areas:

  • The entire evolutionary sequence of organics in the interstellar medium from stellar outflows, through the interstellar medium, and into forming planetary systems.
  • The composition of Solar System objects ranging from dust to asteroids and comets to planets and their satellites.
  • The evolution of prebiotic material in galaxies as a function of morphological type, luminosity class, metallicity, stage of interaction, activity type, and age.
  • The distribution of deuterium across the entire evolutionary sequence as a tracer of the connections between interstellar and planetary materials.

Mission Summary

Orbit

 Earth-driftaway
Telescope Diameter 60 cm
Telescope Temperature < 8 K
Cryogen Solid hydrogen
Mission Lifetime 1.2 years
Slit dimensions 8.3 arcsec x 100 arcsec
Pointing Stability 1.1 arcsec, 3 sigma
Wavelength Range 2.5-5, 5-10, 10-20 µm
Spectral Resolution 2500-3500
Detector Array Size 1024 x 1024 pixels
Detector Array Types InSb and Si:As

Stellar Evolution

ABE Animation

Ames
NASA Ames Research Center (ARC)

Civil Servant Responsible:
Scott Sandford

Web editor: Kimberly Ennico

The Astrochemistry Lab at NASA Ames

Ball
Ball Aerospace


The Jet Propulsion Lab

Various orientations of the ABE Observatory
shown for the viewer.

Page last modified by Kimberly Ennico
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NASA Official: Kimberly Ennico