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| Paper: |
Emerging Technologies |
| Monograph: |
11, HWO25 Proceedings Part II: Mission Framework, Technology, and Broader Contributions |
| Page: |
19 |
| Authors: |
Ruslan Belikov, Tania Bedrax-Weiss, John MacKenty, Bernard J. Rauscher, Susan Redmond, Dan Sirbu, Andrew Vanderburg, and Naseem Rangwala |
| DOI: |
10.26624/CASA2121 |
| Abstract: |
The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) requires technologies that are pushing the state of the art. The success of this endeavor may depend on the strategic development and infusion of revolutionary new technologies that go far beyond incremental improvements. This paper presents a detailed summary and analysis of a panel discussion that convened world-class experts to explore the most promising and potentially game-changing technologies for HWO. The discussion identified five pivotal areas: (1) The role of \textbf{Artificial Intelligence (AI)} and Machine Learning in enabling autonomous operations, accelerating scientific modeling, and ensuring the trustworthiness of complex data analysis; (2) \textbf{Advanced starlight suppression techniques}, focusing on innovations in mask manufacturing with metasurfaces and the significant computational challenges of real-time wavefront control; (3) The transformative potential of \textbf{astrophotonics} for the radical miniaturization and enhanced functionality of key instruments, particularly coronagraphs and spectrometers; (4) The development of next-generation, \textbf{single-photon-counting detectors} and the burgeoning field of \textbf{quantum sensing and computing}; and (5) A critical retrospective on the \textbf{history of technology infusion} in past flagship missions to inform a bold and effective strategy for HWO. The overarching conclusion from the panel is that achieving HWO's profound scientific goals can be significantly helped by a proactive, deeply collaborative, and strategically bold approach to technology maturation, moving beyond the continuous improvement of existing methods to embrace truly transformative capabilities. |
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