SpaceX has been awarded the launch contract for Pandora, NASA’s small satellite that will study exoplanets — planets beyond our solar system — and the activity of their host stars. The launch is scheduled for NET Autumn 2025, implying a Q3 or Q4 launch.

What Is Pandora?

Selected in 2021 as part of NASA’s Pioneer mission program, Pandora is designed for long-duration, multiwavelength observations to improve scientists’ understanding of distant worlds.

The mission is a collaborative effort involving NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NASA’s Ames Research Center, and several other institutions. Pandora will focus on exoplanets previously discovered by other missions, using the transit method—a technique that detects planets as they pass in front of their stars, causing slight dips in starlight. By analyzing these transits, researchers can gather data on planetary atmospheres, helping to determine their composition and characteristics.

At this time, it is unknown what rocket SpaceX will use for the mission: Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy or even Starship. Most likely, given the size of Pandora (it is a small satellite) the flight will be aboard Falcon 9.

For more information on the Pandora mission, visit their website here.