DARWIN THE SCIENTIFIC CONSTRAINTS

摘要

The Darwin mission is a mission aimed at the search for and study of Terrestrial Exoplanets. As such it may be one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by the Agency. In this paper we describe the rationale for the specific scientific case for the Darwin mission. We also describe how it has evolved during the study phase of the program and how it is expected to change when international collaboration is taken into account. Darwin is the first European mission designed to evaluate the habitability of nearby exoplanets, and as such the astrobiological signatures are discussed.