NASA moves PRIMA infrared telescope to next design phase
The space mission is moving into Phase B, in which the preliminary design and technology will be developed further.
NASA has moved development of the PRIMA infrared telescope into the next phase. The mission is intended to study the universe in far-infrared light, but a possible launch is still years away.
PRIMA stands for Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics. NASA selected the project for Phase B, in which the preliminary design, required technology and scientific plans will be developed further. That decision does not mean the telescope has already been built or will definitely be launched.
According to NASA, the telescope will have a mirror approximately 1.8 metres across. PRIMA is to measure far-infrared light, a part of the spectrum that contains information about cold dust, gas and the formation of stars and planets. In this way, the mission will complement other space telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope.
The University of Groningen is contributing to technology for the instrument. According to the University of Groningen, the launch is provisionally scheduled for 2033 and PRIMA would travel to Lagrange point L2, approximately 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, on the side facing away from the Sun.
European partners are also contributing components or expertise. The Max Planck Institute for Astronomy names CNES, ASI, DLR, the Canadian and Japanese space agencies and South Korea’s KASI among the parties involved. The precise division of instruments and responsibilities may still change during the design phase.
The main scientific advantage is expected to be its sensitivity to far-infrared light. This will allow researchers to study regions obscured by dust in visible light. That creates potential research questions about star formation, dust clouds and the development of galaxies, but does not yet produce new observations.
PRIMA is therefore a development decision, not a research result. There is no peer-reviewed discovery from the mission to report yet, and there is no guarantee that all components will be ready on time technically, financially and organisationally. The next review points will determine whether the project proceeds towards construction and launch.
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NASA and the research institutions involved confirm the transition to Phase B, the telescope’s size and the international collaboration. Claims about future discoveries are presented as objectives rather than results.
- confirmed PRIMA has moved into Phase B of development. — NASA explicitly describes the transition to Phase B. source
- confirmed The telescope will have a mirror approximately 1.8 metres across. — This is stated in NASA’s description of the mission. source
- confirmed The University of Groningen is involved in Dutch technology and names 2033 as the provisional launch schedule. — The university describes both points in its news report. source
- confirmed PRIMA is still in the development phase and has not produced a peer-reviewed discovery. — This follows from NASA’s phase description and the nature of the project. source
Editor's note
The mission is in Phase B of design and technology development. There is no peer-reviewed research result; the scientific return is currently an objective.Sources
- NASA Selects Far-Infrared Telescope as First in New Mission Class — NASA
- NASA selecteert PRIMA-infraroodtelescoop met Nederlandse technologie — Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
- NASA wählt neues Weltraumteleskop PRIMA aus — Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „prima nasa”
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- de Volkskrant — „prima nasa”