One of kepler's most exciting breakthroughs was the discovery of circumbinary planets (cbps). Only about a dozen were found, however, leaving a vast GAP in our understanding similar to the state of…

This federal contract award, with ID 80NSSC20K0054, was granted to the Seti Institute, a non-profit scientific organization, to support research on circumbinary planets (CBPs) detected by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. The $50,000.00 grant will enable the Seti Institute to detect a significantly larger number of CBPs compared to previous missions, and conduct statistical studies on their occurrence rates, formation, and habitability. This work will provide a deeper understanding of the formation and evolution of close binary star systems. The contract is a grant for research, awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and does not have a set-aside designation. The Seti Institute has held multiple contract and grant awards from NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a range of projects related to astrobiology, planetary science, and astronomy. The Institute also holds an Indefinite Delivery Contract (IDC) with NASA Headquarters, valued at up to $4.7 million, to provide technical support services for planetary protection compliance throughout the lifecycle of spaceflight hardware.

One of kepler's most exciting breakthroughs was the discovery of circumbinary planets (cbps). Only about a dozen were found, however, leaving a vast GAP in our understanding similar to the state of exoplanet science 20 years ago when only hot jupiters were known. Tess, and only tess, will allow US to detect an order of magnitude more cbps using a new technique we have developed and tested: the occurrence of multiple transits during one conjunction. In addition to enchanting individual.case discoveries and their intriguing dynamics, our sample will enable statistical studies of occurrence rates, formation, and habitability of cbps (an astonishing ~30% of kepler cbps are in the habitable zone), as well as provide a deeper understanding of the formation and evolution of close binary STARS.