(proposed space mission to directly image exoplanets)
HWO (for Habitable Worlds Observatory)
is a proposed major space telescope to
observe extra-solar planets with direct imaging,
currently proposed to NASA as a large strategic science mission,
targeting a launch in the early 2040s.
The proposal is an outgrowth of the LUVOIR and HabEx efforts.
A 6-to-8-meter aperture is envisioned,
possibly larger if a suitable launch vehicle becomes available.
Specifications will undoubtedly evolve, but one preliminary
specification suggests a ≈100-2500 nm wavelength-range,
and, at minimum, an imager, a multi-object spectrograph and a
coronagraph are envisioned.