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NASA has approved the next phase of a new space telescope concept that would probe the universe at far-infrared wavelengths, a regime beyond the James Webb Space Telescope’s primary reach. The mission, known as PRIMA, has entered preliminary design work and could launch on a multi-year survey of planet formation and galaxy evolution no earlier than 2033.
What PRIMA is designed to do
PRIMA — the Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics — is built around a roughly 1.8-meter (5.9-foot) primary mirror and instruments optimized for the far-infrared portion of the spectrum. That band contains spectral lines and emission features not accessible to telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope, which was engineered to excel at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths.
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The mission’s science goals include tracing the chemical and physical conditions that lead to planet formation, charting galaxy growth across cosmic time, and studying how supermassive black holes influence their host galaxies. By measuring far-infrared lines, PRIMA would provide direct access to cold gas and dust signatures that reveal gas masses, water content, and the abundances of carbon and oxygen in planet-forming disks.
Why the far-infrared matters
Meredith MacGregor, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies planetary system formation, told Live Science that PRIMA will target specific questions JWST cannot fully answer. She explained the mission aims to quantify water’s influence on planet formation and to determine total gas masses and carbon and oxygen abundances in protoplanetary disks — measurements that rely on far-infrared spectral lines.
“We can’t actually address these science questions with JWST,” MacGregor added, because the required spectral lines lie at longer wavelengths than JWST is sensitive to.
Development status and timeline
NASA announced that PRIMA is moving into Phase B, the preliminary design and technology development stage. The agency said mission managers will review progress during this phase before committing to full development. If the schedule holds, PRIMA would carry out a roughly five-year science mission beginning no earlier than 2033.
The agency made the selection public on Wednesday, Sept. 23, noting the decision followed detailed concept studies and agency evaluations.
Where PRIMA fits in NASA’s portfolio
PRIMA is the first mission chosen for a new category called Probe Explorers. These projects are intended to fill the gap between very large, flagship observatories and smaller, lower-cost missions. Probe Explorers trace their roots to the long-running Explorers Program, which began with the January 1958 launch of Explorer 1.
The PRIMA project carries a cost cap of about $1.2 billion, excluding launch and other non-project expenses. By contrast, the James Webb Space Telescope had an estimated cost of roughly $10 billion at launch in 2021, not accounting for inflation or launch services.
Selection and partnerships
NASA funded two Probe concept studies in 2024 at $5 million each, evaluating PRIMA alongside an Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite. Agency officials judged PRIMA’s scientific return, alignment with the 2020 Decadal Survey recommendations, development feasibility for cost and schedule, and the potential to mature technologies useful for future large missions.
If it proceeds, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will lead PRIMA’s development, with contributions expected from other NASA centers and international partners.
Voices from the science team
The University of Maryland and Caltech, institutions involved in developing PRIMA, emphasized the mission’s discovery potential. Alberto Bolatto, an observational astronomer at UMD who co-leads PRIMA’s galaxy evolution research, said he is excited about unknown findings the telescope might reveal and called the project “an enormous tool” for the astronomy community.
Lee Armus, a Caltech staff scientist and PRIMA co-investigator focused on science operations, highlighted the mission’s ability to probe powerful molecular outflows in galaxies. He said those observations will help clarify how such outflows regulate star formation and the growth of central black holes.
