Astronomy:PRIMA (space telescope)

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PRIMA
Artist's illustration of PRIMA
Mission typeFar-infrared astronomy
OperatorJPL / Goddard Space Flight Center
Websitehttps://prima.ipac.caltech.edu/
Mission duration5 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerBAE Systems
Power2700 watts
Start of mission
Launch date2033 (planned)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemSun-Earth L2 orbit[1]
Main telescope
TypeKorsch telescope
Diameter1.8 m (5.9 ft)[1]
Wavelengths24 to 261 μm (far infrared)[1]
Instruments
FIRESS
PRIMAger
 

PRIMA (PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics) is a planned NASA far-infrared space telescope scheduled to launch in 2033. The spacecraft will be the first mission in the Probe Explorers class of the Explorers program.[2][3]

Observatory

The telescope will be made entirely of aluminum and will be cryogenically cooled to 4.5 K using a closed-cycle gaseous Helium-3-based cryocooler to reduce thermal noise and greatly increase sensitivity.[4] The spacecraft will utilise the BAE Systems Large Configurable Platform bus, a hydrazine monopropellant propulsion system, and a 14 m2 solar array.[5]

Instruments

The spacecraft will carry two primary instruments: FIRESS, a high resolution spectrometer intended for multimode spectroscopy; and PRIMAger, an imaging polarimeter intended to map large areas of the sky.[4]

FIRESS

FIRESS will operate from 24 to 235 μm. It will use four wideband grating modules covering four distinct bands (24 μm to 43 μm, 42 μm to 76 μm, 74 μm to 134 μm, and 130 μm to 235 μm), as well as kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) for more sensitive photon measurement. It will also contain a Fourier Transform Module (FTM), with the intention of increasing spectral resolving power.[5]

PRIMAger

PRIMAger will operate from 24 to 261 μm using simultaneous observations of two focal planes of KIDs. It is intended to enable far-infrared hyperspectral imaging, with a design emphasis on mapping and analysis of large samples of galaxies.[5]

Mission

The mission has several scientific goals. It is intended to satisfy several goals laid out in the 2020 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey, namely analysis of the process of planet formation by studying the chemical signature of water in protoplanetary disks, investigation of the interdependent evolution processes of galaxies and supermassive black holes by measuring the formation rates of stars and accretion rates of black holes in different galaxy populations, and survey of local galaxies to analyze the buildup of dust and heavy elements.[5][6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "PRIMA Observatory". https://prima.ipac.caltech.edu/page/observatory. 
  2. ↑ Taveau, Jessica (2026-09-23). "NASA Selects Far-Infrared Telescope as First in New Mission Class". https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-far-infrared-telescope-as-first-in-new-mission-class/. 
  3. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2026-09-24). "NASA selects far-infrared space telescope as first astrophysics probe mission" (in en-US). https://spacenews.com/nasa-selects-far-infrared-space-telescope-as-first-astrophysics-probe-mission/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dajose, Lori (2026-09-23). "NASA Selects PRIMA Mission; Key Roles for Caltech, JPL, and IPAC" (in en). https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/nasa-confirms-prima-mission-key-roles-for-caltech-jpl-and-ipac. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Glenn, Jason; Meixner, Margaret; Bradford, Charles M.; Pontoppidan, Klaus; Pope, Alexandra; Kataria, Tiffany; Rocca, Jennifer; Luthman, Elizabeth et al. (2025-07-29). "PRIMA mission concept". Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems 11 (03): 1–25. doi:10.1117/1.JATIS.11.3.031628. ISSN 2329-4124. https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/Journal-of-Astronomical-Telescopes-Instruments-and-Systems/volume-11/issue-03/031628/PRIMA-mission-concept/10.1117/1.JATIS.11.3.031628.full. 
  6. ↑ "UMass Amherst Astronomer Alexandra Pope is Science Team Lead for New NASA Space Telescope : UMass Amherst" (in en). https://www.umass.edu/news/article/umass-amherst-astronomer-alexandra-pope-science-team-lead-new-nasa-space-telescope. 



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