Editing Space Interferometry Mission (section)

===Beginnings===
The Space Interferometry Mission began as a four-month preliminary architecture study in March 1997. NASA selected [[TRW Inc.|TRW]]'s Space & Electronics Group, [[Eastman Kodak]] and Hughes Danbury Optical Systems to conduct the study.<ref name=nmchale>McHale, John. "[http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9703272727&site=ehost-live JPL eyes super-accurate star mapper]", ([[EbscoHost]]), Academic Search Premier, ''Military & Aerospace Electronics'', March 1997, Vol. 8, Issue 3, p.1. Retrieved 26 April 2007.</ref> In 1998, TRW Inc. was selected as the contractor for the SIM Lite project; Northrop Grumman acquired part of TRW in 2002 and took over the contract. Also selected was [[Lockheed Martin|Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space]] located in [[Sunnyvale, California]].<ref name=contracts/> The two contracts, which included the mission formulation and implementation phases, were announced in September 1998 and worth a total of over US$200&nbsp;million. The formulation phase of the mission included initial mission design and planning for the full scale implementation of the mission.<ref name=contracts>Platt, Jane. "[http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/98/simcontractor.html Contractors chosen for Space Interferometry Mission] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316073237/https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/98/simcontractor.html |date=16 March 2017 }}", ([[Press Release]]), NASA, 10 September 1998, ''Jet Propulsion Laboratory''. Retrieved 24 April 2007.</ref> At the time of the NASA announcement, launch was scheduled for 2005 and the mission was part of the [[Origins Program]], a series of missions designed to answer questions such as the origin of life Earth.<ref name=contracts/>

In August 2000, NASA asked project managers to consider looking at the [[Space Shuttle]], instead of the previously proposed EELV, as a launch vehicle.<ref name=shuttle>Unwin, Steve. "[http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/Navigator/library/newsletters/8-00.txt SIM Project Update] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070513062124/http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/Navigator/library/newsletters/8-00.txt |date=13 May 2007 }}", ''Fringes: Space Interferometry Mission Newsletter'', Number 13, 24 August 2000. Retrieved 25 April 2007.</ref> In late November 2000, NASA announced that the project's scientific team was selected. The group included notable names from the world of [[extrasolar planet]] research.<ref name=team/> The entire group consisted of 10 principal investigators and five mission specialists.<ref name=team>Platt, Jane. "[http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2000/sim.html Science team chosen for Space Interferometry Mission] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113045938/http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2000/sim.html |date=13 November 2007 }}", ([[Press Release]]), NASA, 28 November 2000, ''Jet Propulsion Laboratory''. Retrieved 24 April 2007.</ref> At the time of this NASA announcement launch was scheduled for 2009 and the mission was still part of the Origins Program.<ref name=team/>