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A mid-infrared nulling interferometer offers a highly promising approach to detect and characterize thermal light from terrestrial planets within the habitable zones around nearby stars. The main challenge intrinsic to this ambitious goal lies in the deployment of formation flying interferometry to spatially resolve the faint planet from its host star at mid-infrared wavelengths. The European Space Agency (ESA) has recognized the Large Interferometer for Exoplanets (LIFE) employing mid-infrared nulling interferometry as a potential candidate for L-class missions in the 2040s. However, there are no concrete steps towards the realization of LIFE in the domain of formation flight technology. The Pyxis team and Japan plan to launch stellar interferometers using small satellites and CubeSats as the first step. In this seminar, we briefly introduce an overview of the ongoing initiatives in formation flying interferometry within Japan and discuss why the collaboration between Pyxis and Japan is essential. |
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