Scientists calculate number of potential planets in SIM Options

[Toymaker]

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/newwor...f-20061017.html
More than a decade after the first planets beyond our solar system were found, astronomers have discovered about 200 of these "extrasolar planets," as they're called. Using a common-sense definition of potentially habitable planets, coupled with extensive computer simulations, scientists have calculated how many potentially habitable planets might be detected around other stars by the SIM PlanetQuest mission. ("SIM" stands for Space Interferometry Mission.)

The science team has shown that, in a survey of the best 120 candidate stars for hosting such planets, SIM PlanetQuest would have the sensitivity to find:

-- Planets smaller than Earth around six stars

-- Planets smaller than twice Earth's mass around 24 stars

-- Planets smaller than about triple Earth's mass around every star in the survey group

All planets discovered by the mission would be on a short list of targets for the future Terrestrial Planet Finder mission, which would look for direct signatures of habitable environments and even of life itself.

[karolp]

Knowing earth-like planets around such familiar stars would be way-cool but does anyone have a slightest idea when the spacecraft is going to be launched? The spaceflightnow.com release does not have it either:

"The roster of six stars where SIM PlanetQuest could find Earth-like planets, if they exist, includes some familiar names, visible in the nighttime sky:

-- Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major, the closest star visible with the naked eye from the northern hemisphere's mid-latitudes, seen in winter along a line extending from Orion's belt

-- Altair, forming one corner of the "Summer Triangle"

-- Alpha Centauri, the closest bright star to Earth, visible from southernmost Texas, Florida, Hawaii and the southern hemisphere"

News from spaceflightnow.com

[edstrick]

SIM might launch around 2015.. they'd been aiming more toward 2012, but it's an expensive near-flagship class mission in terms of $ and $$ are short.
(I may have the dates off a bit...they're off the top of my head).