The Origins Space Telescope: A NASA 2020 Decadal Study

The Origins Space Telescope is an evolving concept for the Far-Infrared Surveyor mission, and the subject of one of the four science and technology definition studies supported by NASA to prepare for the 2020 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey. The Origins Space Telescope (OST) will carry out observations in the long infrared wavelengths (5 to 500 micrometers). At mid-infrared wavelengths (10-30 micrometers) OST will be a factor of 30-100 more sensitive than Spitzer and JWST, while at far-infrared wavelengths OST will offer a factor of 10,000 improvement over Herschel, AKARI and SOFIA. OST instruments will be capable of tracing our origins from first stars and galaxies when the universe was less than 500 million years old to life today in our galaxy after some 13 billion years. The observations will involve 3D spectroscopic surveys of the distant universe, a transformative study of habitable planetary system formation from the interstellar medium to life-bearing worlds, and the characterization of bio-signatures in extra-solar planets around Milky Way dwarf stars.