The top recommendation for a large space mission in the US 2010 Decadal Survey was the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), which is now on schedule for launch in 2025. Similarities in hardware requirements between proposed dark energy cosmology, exoplanet microlensing, and near infrared surveyor missions allowed for a single mission that would accomplish all three goals. The gift of an existing 2.4 meter telescope to NASA by another US government agency allowed for the addition of a coronagraph that will take images and spectra of nearby exoplanets; this instrument will be a technological stepping stone to imaging other Earths in the 2030s. I will give an overview of WFIRST's instrumentation, science goals, and implementation plan.
Fermilab employees and users can access the Zoom link here (Services login required):
Please note: you will need the passcode to enter the zoom
Anyone else can obtain a Zoom link by emailing Barb Kronkow at kronkow@fnal.gov