The Rocky Worlds DDT website became live on April 10th 2025.

The recording of the Rocky Worlds DDT's second information session, held on January 21st, 2025, has been uploaded as well as the meeting slides. The deadline to submit feedback was April 4th, 2025.

• Watch the meeting video
• Download   the meeting slides
• Submit feedback to the TUC    Deadline was April 4th, 2025

The Rocky Worlds DDT Program will use JWST to search for atmospheres around a dozen nearby M-dwarf exoplanets while using HST to characterize activity in the host stars. Over the past month, community members have provided feedback on a provisional set of targets — the Targets Under Consideration (TUC) list. Based on that feedback, the Science Advisory Council (SAC), together with the Leads of the Core Implementation Team (CIT), have identified an initial set of targets for JWST MIRI 15 µm photometry:

• LTT 1445 A c (11 eclipses)
• GJ 3929 b (15 eclipses)

Further targets will be selected after the results of the JWST Cycle 4 Call for Proposals are published in March 2025. Proposers may not apply for Cycle 4 Archival Research programs to analyze these data, as STScI cannot guarantee that all data will be in the archive when Cycle 4 begins. However, the SAC and CIT leads would like to encourage the community to consider JWST Cycle 4 proposals for complementary and supplementary observations of these targets or Theory programs. The standard JWST Duplication Policies apply. Additional exoplanet targets will be selected after the results from the Cycle 4 Telescope Allocation Committee are known. The DD program will be structured to avoid duplicating Cycle 4 General Observers programs.

A new 500-hour Director's Discretionary Time (DDT) program will use JWST observations to search for atmospheres in more than a dozen nearby exoplanet systems. In tandem, around 250 orbits of ultraviolet observations with the Hubble Space Telescope will be devoted to characterize the activity of the host stars. While the implementation of this program will be led by an STScI Core Implementation Team, a Science Advisory Committee (SAC) has also been defined. The membership of this body is drawn from the broader exoplanet community. They will provide advice on all aspects of the program, including target selection, data verification, and equitable community interactions. An open call to join this Council was circulated in early August 2024 and received over 70 nominations from all around the world. A group of 3 previously appointed Council members performed the selection of 9 new Council members out of all the applications, using a varied range of selection criteria including the nominee's scientific and technical expertise, demonstrated collaborative and organizational experience, and commitment to represent the broader community. The full list of Science Advisory Council members is:

• Rory Barnes (University of Washington, USA)
• Natasha Batalha (NASA/Ames, USA)
• Bjorn Benneke (Université de Montréal, Canada)
• Adina Feinstein (Michigan State University, USA)
• Kevin France (University of Colorado, USA)
• Aishwarya Iyer (NASA/GSFC, USA)
• Daniel Koll (Peking University, China)
• Laura Kreidberg (MPIA, Germany)
• Rafael Luque (University of Chicago, USA)
• Megan Weiner-Mansfield (ASU/Maryland, USA)
• Kevin Stevenson (JHU/APL, USA)
• Allison Youngblood (NASA/GSFC, USA)

The first Information Session and Q&A on the Rocky Worlds project took place on August 16th, 2024 and the meeting video is available in the link below.

• Watch the meeting video

The STScI Director, Dr. Jennifer Lotz, has accepted the primary recommendation of the Working Group on Strategic Exoplanet Initiatives, and has decided to proceed with a large-scale survey of rocky M-dwarf exoplanets. The program will use around 500 hours of Director’s Discretionary Time on the James Webb Space Telescope to search for atmospheres in more than a dozen nearby systems. Approximately 250 orbits of ultraviolet observations with the Hubble Space Telescope will be used to characterize the activity of the host stars. The observations will be executed by an STScI Core Implementation Team led by Dr. Nestor Espinoza, supported by Dr. Hannah Diamond-Lowe as the team Deputy. STScI is also recruiting an external Science Advisory Committee (SAC) to provide advice on all aspects of the program, including target selection, data verification, and equitable community interactions. The SAC membership will be representative of the broader exoplanet community, spanning a wide range of institutional affiliations and career stages. STScI will shortly announce an opportunity to submit nominations, including self-nominations. Community input will be solicited on the target list; observing plans will be published well in advance of the JWST Cycle 4 deadline.