NASA has announced the advancement of the PRIMA mission—short for PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics—into the next development phase. This space telescope is the inaugural project in a new class of astrophysics missions, known as Probe Explorers, within NASA’s Explorers Program.
Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, emphasized the mission’s potential to uncover cosmic mysteries, including the formation of planets, stars, and black holes.
PRIMA aims to conduct sensitive surveys in far-infrared light, bridging existing infrared and radio observatories. Its objectives include investigating exoplanet origins and the evolution of galaxies and black holes. The project has a budget cap of $1.2 billion and is scheduled for launch in 2033.
The mission will be managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with contributions from several international agencies. The Explorers Program, established in 1958, aims to provide low-cost access to space for scientific investigations, having launched over 100 missions to date.
For more information on NASA’s Astrophysics missions, visit NASA’s website.
