This article is a work in progress.
The Large Interferometer for Exoplanets LIFE is a possible future space telescope operating in the infrared wavelength range. It is designed to directly image extrasolar planets and investigate their potential habitability. It uses a process called nulling interferometry to remove the light of the exoplanet’s host star, leaving the planet’s own thermal emission. This is then spectroscopically investigated for possible biomarkers, molecules that would indicate the presence of life.
Artist’s depiction of the LIFE mission concept: Four seperate spacecraft collect the light, then their light is precisely combined in a fifth satellite to eliminate the light from the central star and retain that of the planet. Credit: ETH Zürich / Life Initiative
To learn more, visit the website of the LIFE initiative.