// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Extrasolar
Extrasolar refers to anything located or originating outside our solar system. For example, planets orbiting other stars are called extrasolar planets or exoplanets.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Pertaining to objects, phenomena, or locations situated beyond the gravitational influence of the Sun and its planetary system, such as extrasolar planets (exoplanets) or interstellar matter.
BACKGROUND
Outer space, or simply space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth's atmosphere and between celestial bodies. It contains ultra-low levels of particle densities, constituting a near-perfect vacuum of predominantly hydrogen and helium plasma, permeated by electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays, neutrinos, magnetic fields and dust. The baseline temperature of outer space, as set by the background radiation from the Big Bang, is 2.7 kelvins.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Exosolar
- Interstellar
- Alien (in context of planets)
- Beyond our solar system
USAGE NOTE
The discovery of extrasolar planets has revolutionized our understanding of planetary formation.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Extrasolar.
NASA leads numerous missions and research initiatives focused on extrasolar planets, including the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which discover and characterize planets outside our solar system.
ESA develops and operates space missions such as CHEOPS and the upcoming PLATO mission, dedicated to studying exoplanets and their host stars to understand their formation and potential for habitability.
This program includes 'Breakthrough Starshot,' a long-term research and development program to develop a concept for interstellar travel, and 'Breakthrough Listen,' a scientific program to search for signs of intelligent life in the universe from extrasolar systems.
A non-profit research organization dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), astrobiology, and planetary science, often analyzing signals from extrasolar sources and studying the potential for life beyond Earth.
ESO operates some of the world's most advanced ground-based telescopes, like the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), which are extensively used for discovering and characterizing extrasolar planets and their atmospheres.
MPIA is a leading research institution involved in exoplanet research, including the development of advanced instrumentation for ground-based telescopes used to detect and characterize planets orbiting other stars.
Managed by Caltech for NASA, JPL designs, develops, and operates robotic planetary science missions and deep space exploration, including instruments and concepts for missions that could study or eventually reach extrasolar environments.
The CfA conducts extensive research in exoplanetary science, including the discovery, characterization, and theoretical modeling of extrasolar planets, as well as the development of instruments for observatories.