NASA has announced the advancement of the PRIMA mission — Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics — to the next stage of development. It is the first project in the new class of astrophysics missions, Probe Explorers, within the Explorers program.
The telescope, costing up to 1,2 billion dollars (excluding launch), is aimed at a launch in 2033 and is designed for five years of operation. It will observe the Universe in the far-infrared range, filling the gap between observatories such as the James Webb Space Telescope and radio telescopes.
PRIMA is equipped with a 1,8-meter mirror cooled to 4,5 K. Its instruments include the FIRESS spectrometer and the PRIMAger camera with kinetic inductance detectors, which promise sensitivity tens and hundreds of times higher than that of its predecessor Herschel.
The mission will study planet formation in protoplanetary disks, the evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes, as well as the accumulation of dust and heavy elements over cosmic time. The project has been entrusted to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with the participation of the Goddard and Marshall centers, as well as international partners including CNES, ASI and others.
After completing Phase B, the mission will undergo confirmation before moving to construction. What contribution PRIMA will make to the understanding of the cold Universe will be shown by future observations.
The article is based on materials from Science and NASA from 23–25 September 2026.
