// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Red Dwarf
A red dwarf is a small, cool, and dim star, much smaller than our Sun, that burns its fuel very slowly and has an extremely long lifespan.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A red dwarf is a main-sequence star of spectral type M or late K, characterized by its low mass (0.075 to 0.5 solar masses), low surface temperature (2,500-4,000 K), and low luminosity, making it the most common type of star in the Milky Way with exceptionally long lifespans.
BACKGROUND
Private spaceflight companies include non-governmental or privately owned entities focused on developing and/or offering equipment and services geared towards spaceflight, both robotic and human. This list includes both inactive and active entities.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- M-dwarf
- K-dwarf (late)
- low-mass star
USAGE NOTE
Red dwarfs are increasingly studied for their potential to host habitable exoplanets, despite their frequent flaring activity.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Red Dwarf.
Operates space telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which are primary instruments for discovering and characterizing exoplanets orbiting red dwarf stars, such as the TRAPPIST-1 system.
A major partner in the JWST mission and operator of the CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) mission, which is dedicated to studying bright stars known to host exoplanets, including many red dwarf systems.
As the prime industrial partner for the James Webb Space Telescope, the company was responsible for developing and building the spacecraft, its sunshield, and the integrated observatory, which is a key tool for studying red dwarf star systems.
Developed the advanced optical system and mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope and built the TESS spacecraft for NASA, both of which are instrumental technologies for detecting and analyzing planets around red dwarfs.
Manages the science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. STScI's work is critical for planning observations and processing data related to the study of red dwarfs and their potential for hosting habitable planets.
A research organization focused on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The institute uses data from space telescopes and ground-based radio arrays to study exoplanet candidates around red dwarfs, as they are considered prime targets in the search for life.
Operates ground-based telescopes like the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). ESO instruments like ESPRESSO are used for high-precision radial velocity measurements to confirm and characterize planets around low-mass stars, including red dwarfs.