Demonstrating exoplanet coronagraphs

The exoplanet instrumental community has decided to place new emphasis on demonstrating coronagraph techniques through performing actual astronomy from the ground and from suborbital platforms. By building an experience base at low cost, we hope to develop better techniques faster and at lower cost. In this talk I present the current technical and managemental situation in the quest for finding Earth-like planets. I then show how a program of active demonstration of new technologies for the laboratory through suborbital demonstration and on to orbit provides the best chance of procuring a flagship mission in 2020.