S T A R  &  P L A N E T

	   TERRESTRIAL PLANET FINDER NEWSLETTER

               Number 7, May 6, 2004

CONTENTS

1.   Editorial
2.   TPF Project announcement
3.   Second TPF/Darwin Conference - reminder


1.   Editorial

"Star & Planet" - the TPF Newsletter - is intended to provide news of the
Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) Project for a technical and scientific audience.
The Newsletter is produced about every 3 months, or whenever there is news to
share.

If you do *NOT* wish to receive future editions, please follow the directions
at the end of this message.  For readers interested in more general information
on TPF, please visit the "Planet Quest" web site, where you can join the "Planet
Finder Club", for news on the search for worlds outside our solar system:

http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/

Steve Unwin, Editor
TPF Deputy Project Scientist
stephen.unwin@jpl.nasa.gov


2.   TPF Project announcement

Charles Beichman, TPF Project Scientist, recently sent a memo to the TPF Science
Working Group, outlining some very important new developments for TPF.   More
details will be posted on the TPF web site in the next few days, so check back.
Here is the text of Dr. Beichman's memo:


Dear TPF-SWG,                                                April 12, 2004

I am writing to inform you of exciting new developments for TPF. As part of the
President's new vision for NASA, the agency has been directed by the President
to "conduct advanced telescope searches for Earth-like planets and habitable
environments around other stars."  Dan Coulter, our Project Manager, Mike
Devirian, Navigator Program Manager at JPL, and I have been working with NASA
Headquarters (Lia LaPiana, our Program Executive, Zlatan Tsvetanov, our Program
Scientist, and Anne Kinney, Director of the Astronomy and Physics Division) to
incorporate TPF into the new NASA vision.  The result of these deliberations has
is the following plan for TPF:

1. Reduce the number of architectures under study from four to two:

a) the moderate sized coronagraph, nominally the 4x6 m version now under study;

b) the formation flying interferometer presently being investigated with ESA.
Studies of the other two options, the large, 10-12 m, coronagraph and the
structurally connected interferometer, would be documented and brought to a
rapid close.

2. Pursue an approach that would result in the launch of BOTH systems within the
next 10-15 years.  The primary reason for carrying out two missions is the power
of observations at IR and visible wavelength regions to determine the properties
of detected planets and to make a reliable and robust determination of
habitability and the presence of life.

3. Carry out a modest-sized coronagraphic mission, TPF-C, to be launched around
2014, to be followed by a formation-flying interferometer, TPF-I, to be
conducted jointly with ESA and launched by the end of decade (<2020). This
ordering of missions is, of course, subject to the readiness of critical
technologies and availability of funding.  But in the estimation of NASA HQ and
the project, the science, the technology, the political will, and the budgetary
resources are in place to support this plan.

4. Prepare for a review of these plans for TPF by the Committee for Astronomy
and Astrophysics (CAA) over the summer.

5. In response to a statement by the Origins Subcommittee, plan to compete the
Science Center(s) for TPF-C and TPF-I at the appropriate time in the project
life-cycles.

The opportunity to move TPF forward as part of the new NASA vision has called
for these rapid and dramatic actions.  What has made these steps possible has
been the hard work by the entire team, including the TPF-SWG, the two "TPF
architecture teams", and all the technologists at JPL and around the country,
which has demonstrated that NASA is ready to proceed with both TPF-C and TPF-I
and that the data from these two missions are critical to the success of the
goals of TPF. We will be making more information available as soon as additional
details become available.  Thank you for all your help in preparing TPF to take
advantage of this opportunity.

       Sincerely yours,

       Dr. Charles Beichman
       TPF Project Scientist



3.   Second Terrestrial Planet Finder/Darwin International Conference

                           Second Announcement

                "Dust Disks and the Formation, Evolution
                   and Detection of Habitable Planets"

                   Mission Bay, San Diego, California

                            July 26-29, 2004

             http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/TPFDarwinConf/

This announcement is a reminder to plan your attendance at this exciting
conference now!

You should:

* Register - via the web site
* Submit your paper abstract - web-based form (the deadline has passed, but we
are open for late abstracts)
* Book your hotel room - the conference hotel offers very favorable rates for
attendees (but only if you reserve by following the link on our web site).

This will be the second annual joint-TPF/Darwin conference.  It follows the very
successful Heidelberg meeting in April 2003.  The main purpose of this
conference series is to help develop the field of extra-solar planet research.
The conference is hosted by the TPF and Darwin Projects, the Michelson Science
Center, and the Spitzer Science Center.

We plan three major science themes:  1. Recent results on exo-zodiacal disks
from Spitzer and other space and ground observations. We expect exciting new
results from Spitzer, and space and ground instruments on structure,
composition, and frequency of debris disks.  2. The link between the physical
conditions in the early solar nebula and astrobiology.  Spitzer will provide new
information on the properties of zodiacal disks in the first 500 million years
of a planetary system's existence.  3. Discussion of TPF/Darwin designs, science
requirements and technology advances.

We have selected an excellent location!  San Diego is a wonderful resort
destination, and its summer weather is normally very predictable: dry, sunny,
and warm, but not too hot.  The meeting hotel is the Hyatt Regency Islandia,
Mission Bay, close to the ocean and the famous Sea World marine wildlife park.
Sea World offers a variety of day-camp activities for children; these are
reported to fill up fast.

More information, including a draft agenda, is available on the conference web
site listed above.  You can sign up on the web site to receive e-mail news and
announcements about the conference.  There is no conference brochure; the web
site contains all the current info, and is updated frequently.

We have a few full-color posters still available.  If you'd like to help us
advertise the Conference, please send us an e-mail at
TPFDarwinConf@jpl.nasa.gov, and we will send you some copies to post in your
department.

We hope to see you in San Diego!

    Chas Beichman, SOC Chair, TPF Project Scientist
    Steve Unwin,   LOC Chair, TPF Deputy Project Scientist

** Stop Press **

Please note that the special online rate at the Hyatt applies only to the
conference dates (Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed nights), for which there are plenty of
rooms available.  Unfortunately, the Hyatt is not offering this rate for nights
adjacent to the conference.   We are planning alternative hotels for people
interested in longer stays.  Details will be posted on the website as soon as
they are available, and we will also notify the conference e-mail list.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Unwin, Editor                              stephen.unwin@jpl.nasa.gov

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