News – Landolt Space Mission

A $20 million NASA mission aims to put a small satellite into space that will make it easier for scientists to calibrate telescopes and more accurately measure the brightness of stars.

Scientists hope the enhanced measurements will help uncover secrets about dark energy, better determine the age of stars and assess the habitability of exoplanets.
The satellite will have eight lasers shining down on Earth that won’t be detectable by the naked eye, but telescopes will be able to find them.
The mission’s namesake, Arlo Landolt, is a renowned astronomer with roots in the Metro East.

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In a $19.5 million NASA-funded mission, researchers at George Mason University are heading a project to construct and eventually launch a small satellite into space.

Once in orbit, the so-called “artificial star” will be far enough away to look like a star to telescopes back on Earth.
The satellite will then begin the work of helping researchers study star brightness to gain more precise estimates of their size, scale and age.
By doing so, the researchers hope to uncover fresh clues about how fast the universe is expanding and, just maybe, whether life could exist anywhere else in the universe.

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*The programs and services offered by George Mason University are open to all who seek them. George Mason does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic national origin (including shared ancestry and/or ethnic characteristics), sex, disability, military status (including veteran status), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. After an initial review of its policies and practices, the university affirms its commitment to meet all federal mandates as articulated in federal law, as well as recent executive orders and federal agency directives.