An LSA astronomer is helping lead NASA’s far-infrared telescope mission to explore the history and evolution of the universe.
Announced last week, the PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics, or PRIMA, 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.
“This will be a transformative NASA mission,” says Edwin “Ted” Bergin, professor in LSA’s Department of Astronomy and a co-investigator on the mission who will aid the development of the scientific program to use PRIMA’s data to pioneer new understanding of how planets like Earth are formed.
The PRIMA mission is humanity’s next window into the deep universe, says Nicky Fox, an associate administrator in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“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,” she says.
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 criteria to determine its readiness to begin implementation in Phase C. If confirmed, PRIMA’s project cost is capped at $1.2 billion, not including launch and other nonproject costs. The observatory will be targeted to launch in 2033 with a planned five-year mission.
Read more at Michigan News.
Top image: An artist’s rendering of the PRIMA Observatory. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
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