NASA has selected a new space telescope called PRIMA to advance into the next stage of development, opening a new effort to study some of the most difficult questions about the formation and evolution of the universe. The Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics, or PRIMA, is designed to observe the universe in far-infrared wavelengths that can reveal cosmic activity hidden from many existing observatories.
PRIMA will become the first mission in NASA’s new Probe Explorers class within the agency’s long-running Explorers Program. NASA says the mission is intended to examine the origins of planets beyond our solar system, the growth of galaxies and their black holes, and the accumulation of dust and heavy elements across cosmic history.
The telescope will measure radiant energy emitted at far-infrared wavelengths, a region that can provide information unavailable through optical observations alone. NASA says PRIMA will help bridge the observational gap between infrared observatories such as the James Webb Space Telescope and radio telescopes, extending the range of the space-based astronomy fleet.
The mission is being managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, with contributions planned from NASA’s Goddard and Marshall Space Flight Centers. International partners include France’s CNES, Italy’s ASI, Germany’s DLR, the Canadian Space Agency, South Korea’s KASI, Japan’s JAXA and the UK Space Agency.
PRIMA Will Look Through Cosmic Dust
PRIMA is designed around a 5.9-foot telescope that will conduct deep surveys of the universe in far-infrared light. This capability is particularly useful because dust can obscure astronomical environments where stars and planetary systems are forming, while far-infrared radiation can carry information from those regions.
One of the mission’s major scientific goals is understanding how planets form. Researchers want to trace the processes that transform clouds of gas and dust into planetary systems, potentially providing a broader picture of how environments like our own Solar System emerge around young stars.
Water is another major target. NASA says PRIMA could help investigate how water on Earth came to be by studying the cosmic environments and materials associated with star and planet formation. The telescope is not designed to directly reconstruct Earth’s history, but its observations could help scientists follow water and related molecules through the stages that precede planetary formation.
The telescope will also examine the relationship between galaxies and their central black holes. By observing far-infrared emissions across cosmic time, scientists hope to better understand how galaxies evolved and how their black holes grew alongside them.
Dust and heavy elements will provide another piece of the picture. Stars manufacture many of the heavier elements found throughout the universe, while dust becomes part of the material from which later generations of stars and planets can form. Mapping these processes could help explain how increasingly complex cosmic environments developed.
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PRIMA’s role will complement rather than replace existing observatories. Webb is capable of extremely detailed infrared observations, while radio telescopes operate at much longer wavelengths. PRIMA is intended to explore a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum, giving astronomers another way to study objects and processes that can remain difficult to observe.
The mission is currently targeted for launch in 2033 and is planned for a five-year science mission. However, NASA has not yet given PRIMA final implementation approval. The spacecraft must pass a confirmation review assessing technical, programmatic and cost performance before moving into Phase C, the implementation stage.
NASA currently places a $1.2 billion cap on PRIMA’s project cost if the mission passes that review, excluding launch and other non-project costs. That makes the confirmation process an important milestone between the scientific concept now advancing through development and an eventual flight mission.
The selection also reflects a recommendation from the National Academies’ 2020 astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey, which called for NASA to establish a new class of Probe Explorers. NASA evaluated competing concepts based on scientific value, development feasibility, cost and schedule, and the technology required to execute the missions.
If PRIMA reaches orbit as currently planned, it will add another major capability to NASA’s astrophysics program during the next decade. Its far-infrared surveys could connect the formation of planets, the evolution of galaxies and black holes, and the history of cosmic water and dust into a broader picture of how the universe developed. For now, however, PRIMA remains a mission in development, with its 2033 launch target dependent on successfully passing the next stages of NASA’s review process.
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