let's see if this thing works at all

First off, you need to define "terrestrial". As Nick has pointed out, a moon is required to provide tectonics for the differentiation of land and ocean. Both are probably requirements for "terretrial" type plnaets - those capable of developing advanced intelligent life.

Definitions:
Terrestrial: a planet _roughly_ earth size, in the "habitable zone" of its star, as for your other assumptions - back them up...

E. P. Grondine: A minor body way out of its depth in this habitablezone...

You seem to associate the search for "earth-like" planets with SETI, this shows how little you understand the subject. They are searching for an understanding of how planetary systems form, and to find out how rare our own is...

Solely looking at a planets orbit around its star or its spectra does not suffice to establish whether it is "terrestrial " or not. Therfore a "Terrestrial Planet Finder" which relies on anything less than imaging a suspected "terrestrial" planet ab initio is not a "Terrestrial Planeet Finder".

AGAIN you prove your ignorance! Spectra tell you SO MUCH! We already have obtained _rudimentary_ spectra on a giant planet... spectal analysis can tell you more than imaging, you twit... Knowing the composition of a planets atmosphere tells you volumes of information... Free oxygen hints at life, the amounts of green house gasses allows you to estimate surface temperature, water vapor allows you to determine the likelyhood of water on the surface- you dont know a damn thing about your topic of 'expertice', do you?

But this is realy a moot point. NASA is specificially enjoined by Congressional legistlation for looking for extra-terrestrial intelligence, and can not fund radio searches, little less optical ones such as some have proposed, without a change in authorizing legislation - talk to the SETI foks if you do not believe me.

No, YOUR statement is a moot point... this is NOT about SETI!!!

WHAT THE HELL MAKES YOU THINK THIS HAS A DAMN THING TO DO WITH SETI?!!

You twit- this is about understanding the universe, it isnt SETI, and such an interferometer would be capable of far more than just finding earthlike planets...

WHAT the HELL are your credentials? They SURE don't include education on the topics that you seem to be fanatic about...