A NASA space observatory with a 2.4-m telescope operating at near-infrared wavelengths, planned for launch in the 2020s. It will be positioned at the L2 Lagrangian point. WFIRST’s Wide Field Instrument will survey the distribution of distant galaxies and quasars to see how the structure of the Universe has changed with time; study Type Ia supernovae to measure the past expansion rate of the Universe; and conduct a microlensing survey for exoplanets. Its Coronagraph Instrument will perform imaging of exoplanets around nearby stars and study their atmospheres.

http://www.nasa.gov/wfirst Mission page at NASA.

http://wfirst.gsfc.nasa.gov Official mission website.