# TESS Program G09133

Title: Characterizing The Host Stars Of Pandora Smallsat Mission Exoplanet Targets

PI: Hord, Benjamin - NASA/GSFC

Type: SMALL

Summary: NASA s Pandora SmallSat mission will observe >20 exoplanets and their host stars to disentangle stellar contamination from the exoplanet atmospheric spectrum. We propose to observe 6 Pandora science targets with TESS to obtain 20-sec data to determine their stellar rotation periods, obtain updated spot and faculae covering fractions, search for flares, and observe these targets simultaneously when possible with Pandora, which launched in January 2026. Pandora s ability to disentangle stellar contamination from exoplanet spectra relies on a precise understanding of the host star, making short cadence, simultaneous or contemporaneous TESS data critical to maximizing Pandora s science output. The unique long duration of TESS sectors is key to a more precise understanding of stellar activity.