Cardiff Builds Instruments for PRIMA

Cardiff University's Astronomy Instrumentation Group will contribute key components to PRIMA, NASA's first Probe Explorer astrophysics mission. The UK team is responsible for far-infrared filters, internal calibration sources and parts of the ground system.

The proposed $1.2 billion observatory will examine how galaxies and black holes evolved, how heavy elements accumulated and how planets form around young stars. Its launch is targeted for 2033, so the announcement concerns development work rather than a completed mission.

Source: Cardiff University, 2026-09-28.