<ul><li>The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is NASA's planned successor to the James Webb Space Telescope.</li><li>The HWO's primary mission will be to directly image nearby exoplanets to hunt for signs of life.</li><li>The HWO is expected to cost $11 billion and launch in the first half of the 2040s.</li><li>The author suggests diversifying the search for life by exploring non-traditional environments and considering other options before investing billions in the HWO.</li></ul>

Is the Habitable Worlds Observatory a Good Idea?

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