  Over 300 extrasolar planets (exoplanets) have been detected orbiting nearby
stars. We now hope to conduct a census of all planets around nearby stars and
to characterize their atmospheres and surfaces with spectroscopy. Rocky planets
within their star's habitable zones have the highest priority, as these have
the potential to harbor life. Our science goal is to find and characterize all
nearby exoplanets; this requires that we measure the mass, orbit, and
spectroscopic signature of each one at visible and infrared wavelengths. The
techniques for doing this are at hand today. Within the decade we could answer
long-standing questions about the evolution and nature of other planetary
systems, and we could search for clues as to whether life exists elsewhere in
our galactic neighborhood.
