What is the best mission design for a virtual-structure telescope to observe Earths atmosphere from L2?
The Sun-Earth L2 point is a location from which a spacecraft would see Earth permanently eclipse the Sun, leaving only a thin ring of sunlight (called the solar annulus) surrounding the planet. It’s a relatively stable position, thanks to the combined gravitational effects of the Sun and Earth. As Earth orbits the Sun, a spacecraft at L2 would remain about 1.5 million km (about one million miles) above Earth’s nightside. This configuration makes it a uniquely desirable place from which to study long-term changes in Earth’s atmosphere. Spectrometers stationed at L2 would enable scientists to analyze the atmosphere by observing its effect on the sunlight shining through it. Our task was to develop a concept for a space telescope mission to make a detailed study, from the L2 vantage point, of the atmosphere’s constituents and dynamics over a span of 10 years. The hypothetical launch date was set at 2025 to 2030, to allow time for needed technology improvements. Science Objectives The obse
