NASA has selected the PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics, known as PRIMA, to advance into Phase B of development as the first mission in its new Probe Explorers class. The $1.2 billion space telescope project will target a 2033 launch date to conduct deep surveys of the universe in far-infrared wavelengths.
NASA Advances PRIMA Into Phase B Development
The space agency announced that PRIMA is moving past initial concept studies and into preliminary design and technology development. This next step requires the project to pass a subsequent confirmation review before progressing further. If confirmed, the telescope will operate under a max project cost cap of $1.2 billion, excluding launch and related expenses, according to the sources. 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,
Fox added in a statement.
Bridging the Infrared Observational Gap
Equipped with a 5.9-foot cryogenically cooled telescope, PRIMA is designed to fill a crucial void between existing near- and mid-infrared observatories, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, and radio telescopes. The observatory builds upon the architecture of the European Space Agency’s Herschel Observatory, which operated from 2009 to 2013. By observing radiant energy that emerges exclusively in far-infrared wavelengths, the mission aims to track the formation of exoplanets, stars, and supermassive black holes across cosmic history. PRIMA represents a giant leap for far-infrared astronomy,
said Caltech President Ray Jayawardhana.
Global Space Agencies Collaborate on Spacecraft Development
Managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, PRIMA involves extensive collaboration across multiple domestic and international entities. The spacecraft is being developed alongside NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Additional international contributions come from space agencies in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, while the California Institute of Technology’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center will process raw telescope data.
Origins Within the Explorers Program
The project operates within the agency’s Explorers Program, which dates back to the 1958 launch of Explorer 1. NASA officials frame the selection as part of a sustained cadence of premiere spacecraft development bridging the current decade into the next. A single mission alone can’t probe all the universe’s mysteries,
said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA’s Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. 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,
he stated.
Frequently Asked Questions About the PRIMA Mission
What specific instruments does the PRIMA observatory carry?
The telescope features three primary instruments: a 1.8-meter cryogenically cooled telescope, an imaging polarimeter called PRIMAger, and a high-resolution spectrometer known as FIRESS.
How long is the PRIMA mission expected to operate once launched?
If development proceeds according to schedule and the spacecraft successfully launches in 2033, PRIMA is planned to study the cosmos for a minimum duration of five years.
Which institution processes the raw data returned by the telescope?
The California Institute of Technology’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center is designated as the mission science center responsible for receiving, processing, and archiving the raw telescope data for astronomers.
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