The future of exoplanet exploration: How AI and citizen science will collaborate on upcoming NASA missions.

 

This artist's concept illustrates the exoplanet K2-33b passing in front of its host star. Numerous citizen science initiatives at NASA encourage the public to utilize transit data to uncover new findings about exoplanets.

NASA's forthcoming flagship astrophysics missions, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the Habitable Worlds Observatory, aim to explore exoplanets—planets orbiting stars outside our solar system. With over 5,000 exoplanets already confirmed and estimates suggesting at least one exoplanet per star, the search is far from over. Notably, these discoveries may not only come from professional researchers but also from engaged members of the public, known as citizen scientists.

Citizen science has played a significant role in exoplanet research. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the now-retired Kepler mission, which have collectively contributed to the majority of exoplanet discoveries, made their observational data publicly accessible immediately after processing. This policy of open science has facilitated public involvement in NASA’s exoplanet studies.

NASA’s Planet Hunters TESS project invites the public to classify exoplanet light curves from TESS online. Additionally, Exoplanet Watch enables citizen scientists to collect data on known exoplanets, submit their findings to NASA’s public archive, and receive recognition if their data is included in scientific papers. Participants don’t need their own telescopes, as Exoplanet Watch also provides data from robotic telescopes for analysis.

This artist's concept depicts NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). Data from TESS have been utilized in various citizen science projects.

Anyone across the world who has access to a smartphone or a laptop can fully participate in a lot of these citizen science efforts to help us learn more about the cosmos, said Rob Zellem, project lead for Exoplanet Watch and astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

NASA’s citizen science initiatives have led to the discovery of several new planets using Kepler and TESS data and have optimized observation schedules, conserving valuable time on flagship missions like the James Webb Space Telescope.

With the upcoming Roman Space Telescope and the Habitable Worlds Observatory, citizen science will gain even more opportunities. Scheduled for launch by May 2027, Roman will detect exoplanets through various methods, including direct imaging and gravitational microlensing. The Habitable Worlds Observatory will focus on direct imaging of nearby stars to identify potentially habitable planets and analyze their atmospheres.

Like Kepler and TESS before them, data from the Roman Space Telescope and the Habitable Worlds Observatory will be accessible to both the scientific community and the public immediately after processing. With Roman anticipated to deliver over a terabyte of data daily—more than 17 times the amount from Webb—there is a substantial opportunity for the public to assist in analyzing this vast information.

“The general public can access Roman data as quickly as I can as a scientist working on the mission,” said Rob Zellem, who also serves as Roman’s deputy project scientist for communications at NASA Goddard. “It truly makes Roman a mission for everyone and anyone.”

Although the full capabilities and instrumentation of the Habitable Worlds Observatory are still being finalized, citizen science will continue to play a significant role. The mission team is adopting a community-focused approach, inviting volunteers to join working groups and contribute to the mission.

“It’s already setting the tone for open science with the Habitable Worlds Observatory,” said Megan Ansdell, the program scientist for the mission at NASA Headquarters. “The process is as open as possible, and these working groups are open to anybody in the world who wants to join.” Over 1,000 community working group members are already participating, including many citizen scientists.

The Roman Coronagraph, tested at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in Southern California, is a technology demonstration that blocks starlight to reveal the faint light of exoplanets. This innovative tool is one of several methods by which the Roman Space Telescope will advance exoplanet research.

Future citizen science initiatives may harness cutting-edge tools like artificial intelligence (AI) for enhanced effectiveness. Joshua Pepper, deputy program scientist for NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory, notes, “AI can be exceptionally powerful in terms of classification and identifying anomalous things. But evaluating what those anomalies are often requires human insight, intervention, and review, which could be a fantastic area for citizen scientists to contribute.” 

While exoplanet citizen scientists currently have ample data from the Kepler and TESS satellites to analyze, their role will become increasingly crucial as new missions generate more data. As Zellem pointed out, “We’re in a golden age of exoplanet science right now.”

NASA's citizen science projects, which involve collaboration between scientists and the public, do not require U.S. citizenship. Volunteers, known as citizen scientists, have already contributed to thousands of significant discoveries. To participate, visit NASA’s Citizen Science page.