{"id":549480,"date":"2026-09-24T06:09:42","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T20:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?guid=270eb7d518152acccc16d946cc86d96e"},"modified":"2026-09-24T06:09:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T20:09:42","slug":"nasa-selects-far-infrared-telescope-as-first-in-new-mission-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=549480","title":{"rendered":"NASA Selects Far-Infrared Telescope as First in New Mission Class"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"NASA<\/a><\/figure>
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Credit: NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/a> of NASA astrophysics missions, called Probe Explorers, within the agency\u2019s longstanding Explorers Program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe PRIMA mission is humanity\u2019s next window into the deep universe. It will unveil the obscure across cosmic time to better understand the formation of planets, stars, black holes, and even how water on Earth came to be,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington.<\/p>\n

NASA selected PRIMA to move into Phase B, the stage of development that advances the preliminary design and technology development for the mission. The mission is subject to a confirmation review, based on technical, programmatic, and cost performance, to determine its readiness to begin implementation in Phase C. If confirmed, PRIMA\u2019s project cost is capped at $1.2 billion, not including launch and other non-project costs. The observatory will be targeted to launch in 2033, for a planned five-year mission.<\/p>\n

With a 5.9-foot telescope, PRIMA will conduct deep, sensitive surveys of the universe in far-infrared light, helping bridge the gap between existing infrared observatories, such as NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope, and radio telescopes. By studying radiant energy that only emerges in the far-infrared, PRIMA will address a wide range of questions about the universe. This includes the origins of planets outside our solar system, how galaxies and their black holes have grown and evolved over cosmic history, and how dust and heavy elements have built up in the universe over time \u2013 all helping paint a better picture of why the universe looks the way it does today.<\/p>\n

\u201cA single mission alone can\u2019t probe all the universe\u2019s mysteries. But by extending the survey capabilities of our fleet into far-infrared wavelengths with PRIMA, we\u2019re enabling an incredibly comprehensive look at the cosmos,\u201d said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters. \u201cWith our Webb and Roman space telescopes, we set a cadence of launching premiere-class missions in both halves of the decade. We\u2019re going to keep that up and kick off the next decade with PRIMA, as part of a pipeline that will consistently have missions of this caliber ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine\u2019s 2020 Decadal Survey, Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s, recommended NASA establish this new Probe Explorers mission class. NASA selected PRIMA for development after detailed evaluation of concept studies for Probe Explorer missions, based on their scientific merit in alignment with the Decadal Survey\u2019s recommendations, feasibility of their development plans on cost and schedule, and use of technologies that could support the development of future large missions.<\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California will manage the PRIMA mission. Other partners include NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The PRIMA mission will also have contributions from international partners: CNES (Centre National D’Etudes Spatiales), ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana), DLR (Deutsches Zentrum f\u00fcr Luft- und Raumfahrt), CSA (Canadian Space Agency), KASI (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and UKSA (the UK Space Agency).<\/p>\n

The Explorers Program is the oldest continuous NASA program designed to provide frequent, low-cost access to space using principal investigator-led space science investigations relevant to the Science Mission Directorate\u2019s astrophysics and heliophysics programs. Since the Explorer 1 launch in 1958, which discovered Earth\u2019s radiation belts, the Explorers Program has launched more than 100 missions, including the Uhuru and Cosmic Background Explorer missions that led to Nobel prizes for their investigators.<\/p>\n

The Explorers Program is managed by NASA Goddard for the Science Mission Directorate, which conducts a wide variety of research and scientific exploration programs for Earth studies, space weather, the solar system, and the universe.<\/p>\n

To learn more about NASA\u2019s Astrophysics missions, visit:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

-end-<\/p>\n

Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546
alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

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