NASA The Ver infrared space telescope PRIMA has been selected to proceed to the next development phase. An important role in this is played by Dutch high-tech expertise. ICD member SRON works together with the University of Groningen (RUG) and Tu Delft SRON is making an important contribution to a space mission that aims to make new parts of the universe visible from the North of the Netherlands.
A new perspective on the universe with PRIMA
PRIMA stands for PRObe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics. NASA has selected the mission as the first in the new class. Probe Explorers. PRIMA now moves on to phase B. In this phase, the preliminary design and the required technology are further developed. After that, a review will follow before the actual construction phase can begin. If the mission is confirmed definitively, the launch is scheduled for 2033.
The space telescope will study the universe in far-infrared light. With this, astronomers can, among other things, investigate how galaxies and black holes have developed. PRIMA can also provide more insight into the formation of planets and their atmospheres, and into the composition of matter and metals in space.
Far-infrared radiation is still a relatively unexplored field in astronomy. The new telescope should change that.
Thousands of times more sensitive
The PRIMA system is particularly impressive due to the combination of an actively cooled telescope mirror and highly sensitive detection technology. The mirror is cooled to approximately 4.5 Kelvin. This greatly reduces the heat radiation from the telescope itself and allows for the observation of much weaker signals from space.
According to SRON, PRIMA is therefore a thousand to a hundred thousand times more sensitive than its predecessors. The telescope can detect objects that are thousands of times weaker than what is possible with comparable telescopes. For example, very early star clusters come within reach.
Dutch technology for PRIMAger
An important instrument on board PRIMA is the PRIMAger. This is a multiband spectrophotometric camera and polarimeter that can measure infrared light in different wavelength bands and the polarization of that light. SRON and TU Delft are the intended parties for the development of the detection systems, the associated housing, and the thermal insulation of this instrument.
Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs) are used in this process. These extremely sensitive detectors can even measure the background radiation of the universe.
In addition, SRON and the RUG are working on an innovative color filter for the hyperspectral camera of PRIMAger. This so-called Linear Variable Filter (LVF) allows different shades of infrared light to pass through at different positions. This makes it able to fulfill the function of a prism or tralie, but with less volume and weight.
SRON and the RUG build on approximately fifteen years of experience and technological development from an earlier mission concept. They also contribute to the system design, integration, and testing of the final hardware for PRIMAger.
High-tech expertise from Groningen for international space travel
For ICD member SRON, the selection of PRIMA again means an opportunity to leverage Dutch high-tech expertise within an international space mission. SRON has a branch in Groningen and works closely with, among others, the RUG and TU Delft for PRIMA.
Willem Jellema SRON and the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen are co-leaders of the Dutch technological contribution, together with Lorenza Ferrari and Jochem Baselmans. This brings together knowledge in the fields of detectors, optics, system development and instrumentation, among others.
For the ICD, this is a beautiful example of the high-quality technological knowledge that exists within the high-tech sector in North-Holland. Technology developed in Groningen could soon help find answers from space to fundamental questions about the origin and development of our universe.
Planned launch in 2033
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will lead the PRIMA mission. If PRIMA successfully completes the next assessments, the telescope is intended to be launched in 2033 for a planned five-year mission. The telescope will be sent to the Lagrange point L2, approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth.
That is where PRIMA must open a new window onto the distant universe. And the technology that makes that possible is therefore also being developed from North-Holland.