JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo

Fast Infrared Exoplanet Spectroscopy Survey Explorer

FINESSE

FINESSE is the first mission dedicated to the spectral characterization of the rapidly growing number of newly discovered worlds.

Mission Statistics

Target

Exoplanets

Status

Proposed

About the mission

Science Overview

FINESSE is the first mission dedicated to the spectral characterization of the rapidly growing number of newly discovered worlds. It will revolutionize our understanding of exoplanet atmospheres by spectroscopically surveying 500 planets outside of our Solar System, ranging from terrestrials with extended atmospheres to sub-Neptunes to gas giants. FINESSE's broad, instantaneous spectral coverage and survey capability enable exploration of TESS discoveries and will provide a framework for interpreting detailed JWST observations. The FINESSE survey will yield transformative knowledge about the extended planet family by discovering what these alien worlds are like, determining what makes them they way they are, and allowing this knowledge to be applied in the broader planetary context, including the search for life outside of our Solar System.

Science Objectives

FINESSE directly addresses NASA's science objective to "Generate a census of extra-solar planets and measure their properties."

FINESSE will:

  • Determine key aspects of the planet formation process. FINESSE will obtain the atmospheric composition measurements of metallicity and carbon-to-oxygen ratio that are needed to address all future efforts to understand planet origins. Through these measurements we will discover whether our Solar System formation was typical or exceptional.
  • Reveal the crucial factors that establish planetary climate. FINESSE measurements will determine planetary energy budgets, the role of aerosols (cloudsand hazes) in establishing the atmospheric radiation balance and the processes that control heat redistribution from the dayside to the nightside.

Measurement Technique

During a transit, light from the parent star filters through the planet's atmosphere, encoding molecular features. FINESSE obtains a spectrum by measuring how light at each wavelength changes during a transit. This proven technique is extended to measure light curve changes during the planet's orbit using observations spaced between transit and eclipse; this approach maps emission as a function of longitude on the exoplanet.

Science Team

  • Mark Swain (PI-JPL)
  • Jacob Bean (Science Team Lead-U of Chicago)
  • Geoffrey Bryden (JPL)
  • John Chapman (JPL)
  • Nicolas Cowan (McGill)
  • Jonathan Fortney (UC Santa Cruz)
  • Robert Green (Instrument Scientist-JPL)
  • Caitlin Griffith (U of Arizona-LPL)
  • Tiffany Kataria (JPL)
  • Eliza Kempton (Grinnell)
  • Laura Kreidberg (Harvard)
  • David Latham (Harvard-Smithsonian/CfA)
  • Michael Line (ASU)
  • Suvrath Mahadevan (Penn State)
  • Jorge Melendez (U of Sao Paulo)
  • Julianne Moses (SSI)
  • Vivien Parmentier (AMU/CNRS/LAM)
  • Gael Roudier (JPL)
  • Evgenya Shkolnik (ASU)
  • Adam Showman (U of Arizona-LPL)
  • Kevin Stevenson (STScI)
  • Gautam Vasisht (JPL)
  • Edward Wright (UCLA)
  • Yuk Yung (Caltech)
  • Robert Zellem (JPL)

Instruments

  • Spectrometer, 0.5-5.0 μm, ~
  • Λ/ΔΛ = 80 @ 1.2Μm, 300 @ 3Μm
  • 75 cm diameter primary mirror

More about Exoplanets

News .

NASA’s Webb Spots Swirling, Gritty Clouds on Remote Planet

News .

NASA’s TESS Discovers Planetary System’s Second Earth-Size World

News .

NASA Wants You to Help Study Planets Around Other Stars

News .

Assembly Begins on NASA’s Next Tool to Study Exoplanets

News .

Two Exoplanets May Be Mostly Water, NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Find

Event Nov. 10, 2022 .

What’s in a Name? How We Find, Name, and Investigate Exoplanets

News .

NASA’s Webb Takes Its First-Ever Direct Image of Distant World

News .

NASA Helps Decipher How Some Distant Planets Have Clouds of Sand

poster Gallery .

Visions of the Future

Image .

Roasted Planet

Explore Other Missions

Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer

Kepler Exoplanet Mission

Keck Interferometer

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Directions and Maps
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018