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HWO News

Contact information for press inquiries and recent news about the mission.

NASA Soliciting Self-Nominations for HWO Community Science and Instrument Team

NASA is soliciting self-nominations from interested individuals to participate as members of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Community Science and Instrument Team (CSIT). As recommended by the 2020 Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, the HWO large space telescope concept will be designed to search for habitable planets and life outside our solar system as well as perform a wide range of transformative astrophysics.

The CSIT will assist the HWO Technology Maturation Project Office (HTMPO) in taking the next steps to mature the HWO technologies and mission concept, in preparation for the Mission Concept Review (MCR) anticipated by the end of the decade, contingent upon availability of funding. CSIT members will execute scientific studies needed to support definition of a baseline mission concept, analyze potential science instruments, and provide input to HTMPO’s technology maturation plans. Furthermore, the CSIT will play an important role as mission ambassadors to the broader science and technology communities.

The CSIT self-nomination process is detailed in a Dear Colleague Letter, which can be found below. Self-nomination packages are due by 11:59 PM EST on March 17, 2025.

Questions may be emailed to the HWO Program Scientist, Dr. Megan Ansdell, at megan.c.ansdell@nasa.gov.

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The center of the image contains arcs of orange and pink that form a boat-like shape. One end of these arcs points to the top right of the image, while the other end point toward the bottom left. Another plume of orange and pink expands from the center to the top left of the image. To the right of this plume is a large cluster of white stars. There are various other white stars and a few galaxies of different sizes spread throughout the image. Ten, small, yellow circles overlaid at various points across the image indicate the positions of the ten stars surveyed in this study.

Dear Colleague Letter for HWO CSIT

Jan 31, 2025

PDF (218.27 KB)

Habitable Worlds Observatory Project Update

The Habitable Worlds Observatory Technology Maturation Project Office was established at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on August 1st, 2024. The following individuals make up the project office team (use the arrows in the bottom right corner to advance through slides):

  • Lee Feinberg (NASA GSFC), Principal Architect
  • Scott Smith (NASA GSFC), Project Manager (interim)
  • Mike Menzel (NASA GSFC), Mission Systems Engineer
  • Giada Arney (NASA GSFC), Project Scientist (interim)
  • John Ziemer (JPL), Pre-Formulation Architect, JPL Ex-officio*
  • Aki Roberge (NASA GSFC), Pre-Formulation Scientist (interim)
  • Bertrand Mennesson (JPL), Pre-Formulation Scientist, JPL Ex-officio*

Other key roles include:

  • Breann Sitarski (NASA GSFC), Deputy Principal Architect
  • Alice Liu, (NASA GSFC), Deputy Mission Systems Engineer
  • Matt Bolcar (NASA GSFC), Chief Technologist
  • Feng Zhao (JPL), Deputy Chief Technologist, JPL ex-officio*
  • Julie Van Campen (NASA GSFC), Servicing and Instrument Systems Lead
  • Marie Levine (JPL), Integrated Modeling Lead, JPL ex-officio*

*Ex-officio is used to distinguish activities that GSFC will uniquely perform, such as contracts to industry, budgeting, and deliverable definition (e.g. activities up to Phase A).

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NASA Awards Advance Technologies for Future Habitable Worlds Mission

In January 2024, NASA solicited industry proposals to help advance key technologies that will eventually be necessary for HWO. NASA has now selected three proposals to help inform NASA's approach to the mission.

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A telescope with a hexagon shaped barrel. At the end of the barrel there is a primary mirror made up of seperate hexagon shaped segments, like the James Webb telescope. There are also solar panels visible at the back of the telescope. There are rectangular shaped.
This is an updated render of Exploratory Analytic Case (EAC) 1 for the Habitable Worlds Observatory. It is unlikely that this will be the final version of the telescope's architecture.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

For any inquiries regarding the Habitable Worlds Observatory, please contact:

Alise Fisher

Public Affairs Specialist | Astrophysics

Office of Communications | NASA Headquarters

Phone: 202-358-2546

Email: alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov

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