Paul Gilster at Centauri Dreams writes about a potential replacement for Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph (TPF-C) that would be “faster, better, and cheaper.” The basic idea is that the Coronagraph part of the TPF-C would be an independent, free-flying “Occulter” that would be combined with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to recreate the scientific mission of the TPF-C. The best part is that the Occulter could fit within the budget of NASA’s Discover class of vehicles, for which it currently has solicitations for proposals.
In light of the pressure being applied to NASA because of TPF and Europa Orbiter delays, it seems to me that this potential Occulter mission has risen to a very high scientific priority. Also, combining the effective budget of the TPF mission with the JWST would help stop the slide in its launch date. While I can hardly wait until April when the proposals are due, I am buoyed by the prospect of TPF proceeding after all. Thanks Paul!
