NASA advanced the PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics to Phase B development, selecting the 5.9-foot space telescope as the inaugural project in its new Probe Explorers class for a 2033 launch.
Agency officials advanced the spacecraft toward its preliminary design and technology refinement stage under the longstanding Explorers Program. Operating as the first mission in the newly established Probe Explorers category, the observatory is designed to examine the cosmos in wavelengths longer than those accessible to existing instruments.
Scientists and engineers across multiple international institutions contributed to the mission proposal, which draws on recommendations from the National Academies’ 2020 Decadal Survey titled Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s
. The concept previously received $5 million in preliminary funding during an initial development phase before securing its selection over competing concepts.
Shawn Domagal-Goldman directs NASA’s Astrophysics Division. The Explorers Program is managed by NASA Goddard for the Science Mission Directorate, which conducts a wide variety of research and scientific exploration programs for Earth studies, space weather, the solar system, and the universe. The mission proposal includes three core science questions developed by the PRIMA science team, with Alexandra Pope serving as the Science Team Lead. Pope is a professor in the College of Natural Sciences’s Department of Astronomy. Cara Battersby is a UConn researcher. J.D. Smith is a professor and director of the Ritter Astrophysical Research Center at the University of Toledo.
PRIMA Telescope Observes Deep Universe in Far-Infrared Spectrum
The spacecraft will perform deep surveys in the far-infrared spectrum using a 1.8-meter telescope, bridging an observational gap between near-infrared instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope and radio observatories. The new observatory brings enhanced sensitivity to temperatures near absolute zero.
“The PRIMA mission is humanity’s next window into the deep universe. 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.”
Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA
“A single mission alone can’t probe all the universe’s mysteries.”
Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director of NASA’s Astrophysics Division
“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.”
Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters
“PRIMA is the ultimate tool that can help us understand the relationship between galaxies and black holes so we better understand why the universe looks the way it does.”
Alexandra Pope, Science Team Lead
“With its ultra-sensitive technology, PRIMA will enable us to understand the critical role of water in planet formation and how and when black holes grew in galaxies to be the monsters we see in our present-day universe.”
Glenn
Researchers plan to use the instrumentation to investigate three core science questions: quantifying the role of water in planet-forming disks, studying the co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes, and tracking how heavy elements and cosmic dust accumulated throughout cosmic history.
International Contributions and Mission Management
International space agencies across Europe, Asia, and North America are providing hardware and technical expertise alongside domestic facilities.
Dutch researchers from SRON, Delft University of Technology, and the University of Groningen are contributing superconducting kinetic inductance detectors, wavelength filters, and thermal insulation housing.
Project Cost Limit Capped at 1.2 Billion Dollars
The mission faces a formal confirmation review evaluating its technical design, program management, and financial performance before it can advance into implementation in Phase C following its entry into Phase B. Agency administrators have established a project cost limit capped at $1.2 billion, which excludes launch expenses and other non-project costs.
The observatory is targeted for launch in 2033 to conduct a planned five-year mission, continuing a continuous operational history that began with the launch of Explorer 1 in 1958.