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THE SEARCH FOR ANOTHER EARTH: CURRENT AND FUTURE EXOPLANET MISSIONS
 Keck Interferometer Telescopes
In Operation Since 2003
Standing eight stories high, these twin optical and infrared telescopes sit atop Hawaii?s Mauna Kea volcano, measuring the dust of nearby stars. This information will help astronomers better understand how planets form around these other stars.
 Spitzer Space Telescope
Launch Year: 2003
This infrared telescope is the largest to be launched into space since its departure in 2003. The Spitzer detects infrared energy emitted from objects in space, allowing it to expand scientists? ?vision? into space farther than the capabilities of optical telescopes.
Kepler Mission
Launch Year: 2009
 Launched on March 6, 2006, the Kepler uses the ?transit? method to detect new planets. The Kepler will search the skies for four years, looking for a slight ?dimming? of a star, which may indicate that a planet is passing in front of its parent star. This movement is called a ?transit.? By detecting the magnitude of the periodic dim, scientists can predict the size of the exoplanet.
Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI)
Launch Year: 2011
The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer will examine and study the formation of other solar systems. The telescope will be capable of producing high-resolution images from a wide area of deeper space as well as directly identify large planets in other systems.
Gaia Mission
Launch Year: 2011
Consisting of two extremely sensitive telescopes, Gaia?s goal is to provide astronomers with a detailed map of the Milky Way. By examining over one billion surrounding stars, Gaia may find giant exoplanets within our galaxy.
 James Webb Space Telescope
Launch Year: 2013
Located four times the distance from the Earth as the Moon, the James Webb Space Telescope will be capable of observing planetary systems and determining their ages and the masses of their planets through infrared imaging. Though not considered to be a ?planet finder,? its ability to detect large planets and study their atmospheric composition makes it a valuable tool in the future of astronomy.
 Terrestrial Planet Finders
Launch Year: TBD
This ambitious mission hopes to capture images of other solar systems in hopes of finding a planet with an Earth-like signature. The two TPF observatories will analyze the dust surrounding nearby stars in order to take better images of possible ?Earths? and to detect atmospheric indications of life, such as water, carbon dioxide, and ozone.
 Space Interferometer Mission (SIM) Lite
Launch Year: TBD
The SIM Lite mission?s objectives range from searching for Earth-like planets to gathering data about the formation of our own Milky Way. The SIM Lite will also determine the distribution of nearby dark matter and more accurately measure the distances between Earth and other nearby stars in the galaxy.
All images courtesy of NASA
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