NASA has greenlit PRIMA (Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics) as the first Probe Explorer-class telescope, targeting launch in the early 2030s. The mission aims to deliver flagship-level science at a lower cost between Explorer-class missions and multibillion-dollar flagships, and will be led by JPL. A competing X-ray observatory (AXIS) was disqualified due to budget and schedule concerns amid mismanagement issues at Goddard Space Flight Center.
Background
NASA's space telescope program has long been divided between smaller Explorer-class missions (~hundreds of millions) and flagship observatories like JWST ($10 billion). PRIMA represents a new mid-cost tier aimed at improving cost-efficiency in astrophysics missions.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Sep 25, 2026 at 10:07 PM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10