Abstract_EANA2024-68

Abstract EANA2024-68

Characterization of Exoplanets with LIFE (Large Interferometer For Exoplanets)

Lena Noack (1), Tim Lichtenberg (2), Eleonora Alei (3), Daniel Angerhausen (4), Sascha Quanz (4), and the LIFE team (5)

(1) Freie Universität Berlin, Planetary Geodynamics, Berlin, Germany (2) University of Groningen, The Netherlands (3) NPP Fellow, Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center, USA (4) ETH Zurich, Switzerland (5) LIFE team: For more information on LIFE and how to become a member, please visit https://lifespace- mission.com/

The ESA Voyage 2050 report (https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/voyage-2050) names the "characterisation of temperate exoplanets in the mid-infrared, through a first spectrum of direct thermal emission from exoplanet atmospheres to better understand if they harbour truly habitable surface conditions" as one of the top three priorities for future large-scale missions. This is the goal of the mission concept LIFE - Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (https://life-space-mission.com/). The LIFE initiative is currently investigating the scientific potential and technological challenges of an ambitious mission using a formation-flying nulling interferometer in space operating at mid-infrared wavelengths. The poster will outline the basic concept of the LIFE mission and present predictions for the discovery yield of exoplanets in our neighborhood as well as recent key results regarding the detectability of biosignatures and indicators of habitability.