NASA advances $1.2 billion telescope to explore birth of planets

NASA has selected PRIMA, a far-infrared space telescope, as the first mission in its new Probe Explorers class, with the observatory targeted for launch in 2033 to study how planets, stars, galaxies and black holes formed and evolved.

The American space agency announced on September 23 that PRIMA had advanced to the next stage of development. The mission’s project cost is capped at $1.2 billion, excluding launch expenses and other non-project costs, subject to a confirmation review.

The observatory will use far-infrared light to examine regions of the universe that are difficult to observe at visible wavelengths, expanding NASA’s ability to study the cosmos through far-infrared observations.

PRIMA stands for Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics and will carry a 1.8-metre telescope designed to conduct deep and sensitive surveys of the universe.

The telescope will help bridge the observational gap between infrared observatories such as the James Webb Space Telescope and radio telescopes.

Far-infrared radiation can reveal cold cosmic material as well as regions hidden by dust, making it particularly useful for examining environments where stars and planetary systems form.

By observing these wavelengths, PRIMA could help scientists understand how cosmic structures developed over billions of years.

What could the telescope discover?

PRIMA will study radiant energy that emerges only in the far-infrared, allowing scientists to investigate a broad range of questions about the universe. These include the origins of planets beyond our solar system, the growth and evolution of galaxies and their black holes over cosmic history, and how dust and heavy elements accumulated throughout the universe.

Together, these observations could help scientists better understand why the universe looks the way it does today.

“A single mission alone can’t probe all the universe’s mysteries. But by extending the survey capabilities of our fleet into far-infrared wavelengths with PRIMA, we’re enabling an incredibly comprehensive look at the cosmos,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters.

“With our Webb and Roman space telescopes, we set a cadence of launching premiere-class missions in both halves of the decade. We’re 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.”

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California will manage the PRIMA mission. The Explorers Program is NASA’s oldest continuously operating program designed to provide frequent, low-cost access to space through principal investigator-led space science investigations relevant to the Science Mission Directorate’s astrophysics and heliophysics programs.

Since Explorer 1 was launched in 1958 and discovered Earth’s radiation belts, the Explorers Program has launched more than 100 missions, including the Uhuru and Cosmic Background Explorer missions, whose investigators later received Nobel prizes.

By Nazrin Sadigova