Summary
NASA has selected PRIMA to enter Phase B, advancing plans for a far-infrared space telescope designed to survey the universe. The mission is targeted to launch in 2033, pending further development and review.
NASA has selected the PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) to advance to Phase B, the stage for preliminary design and technology development. Announced by NASA on Sept. 23, 2026, the mission is planned as the first in a new class of astrophysics missions called Probe Explorers. Its 5.9-foot telescope is designed to conduct deep, sensitive surveys of the universe in far-infrared light.
NASA says those observations could help investigate how planets formed beyond our solar system, how galaxies and their black holes grew, and how dust and heavy elements accumulated over cosmic history. The mission is also intended to explore questions about the origins of water on Earth.
What PRIMA will study
Infrared is electromagnetic radiation beyond the red end of visible light. PRIMA will observe in the far-infrared, extending the wavelength coverage of NASA’s observatory fleet. NASA describes the telescope as bridging the gap between existing infrared observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope, and radio telescopes.
That broader coverage is intended to give astronomers another way to study processes and material across the universe. NASA’s stated science questions range from the origins of planets outside our solar system to the growth of galaxies and their central black holes. PRIMA will also survey how cosmic dust and heavy elements built up over time, helping researchers investigate how the universe acquired its present-day appearance.
NASA presents these as questions the mission is designed to address, rather than as discoveries already made. The far-infrared surveys are planned as one part of a wider observing programme that includes other space telescopes and radio observatories.
Development plan and schedule
PRIMA’s selection followed NASA’s evaluation of concept studies for Probe Explorer missions. The agency says it considered scientific merit and alignment with recommendations in the National Academies’ 2020 astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey, as well as development feasibility, cost and schedule, and technologies that could support future large missions.
The move into Phase B is not yet approval to begin implementation. PRIMA must undergo a confirmation review assessing technical, programmatic and cost performance before it can proceed to Phase C. If confirmed, its project cost is capped at $1.2 billion, excluding launch and other non-project costs.
NASA is targeting launch in 2033 and plans a five-year mission. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will manage the project, with contributions from other NASA centres and international partners. PRIMA sits within NASA’s long-running Explorers Program, which has launched more than 100 missions since Explorer 1 in 1958.