900 Small Telescopes Could Work Together to Search for Alien Life

A new Life 2.0 mission concept could transform the search for extraterrestrial life. Instead of relying on one enormous telescope, the design uses 900 small spacecraft flying in formation to create the light-gathering power of a 30-meter telescope.

By analyzing planetary atmospheres for oxygen, water vapor, and other biosignatures, this distributed observatory could offer a scalable new way to search for potentially habitable worlds.

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