NASA's First Selection for a New Class of Mission: The PRIMA Far-Infrared Telescope
The Probe-class observatory will use a 1.8-meter telescope to survey the far-infrared sky and study planet formation and galaxy growth.
- On September 23, NASA selected the PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics, or PRIMA, as the first mission in its new Probe Explorers class.
- While the James Webb Space Telescope excels at capturing near-infrared light, it cannot see the far-infrared band, leaving a critical observational gap PRIMA will fill.
- Equipped with a 1.8-meter telescope, PRIMA will investigate planetary atmospheres, galaxy and supermassive black hole co-evolution, and cosmic dust, with a budget capped at $1.2 billion excluding launch costs.
- Pending successful development, the observatory targets a 2033 launch date and includes international contributions from the Canadian Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
- "The PRIMA mission is humanity's next window into the deep universe," said Nicky Fox, NASA's Science Mission Directorate associate administrator, noting it will unveil obscure cosmic events.
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Far-infrared telescope PRIMA advances toward 2033 launch
NASA has selected the far-infrared space telescope mission PRIMA (PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics) to move to the next stage in its development. PRIMA will be the first in a new mission class and help scientists learn more about the evolution of the universe. PRIMA will carry a 5.9-foot (1.8-meter) mirror, and NASA hopes toContinue reading "Far-infrared telescope PRIMA advances toward 2033 launch"
PRIMA will observe the universe in the far infrared, a region of the spectrum that is out of reach of the Webb and for which there is no large astronomical observatory operating
NASA's First Selection for a New Class of Mission: The PRIMA Far-Infrared Telescope
NASA announced Wednesday a mission to explore the history and evolution of the universe, PRIMA (PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics), is advancing to the next phase of development. This space telescope is the first in a new class of NASA astrophysics missions, called Probe Explorers, within the agency’s longstanding Explorers Program.
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