NASA’s newly advanced Probe-class mission, the PRIMA space telescope, has officially cleared its initial reviews to reopen our view of the far-infrared universe. Managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, PRIMA will actively study how planetary systems coalesce from the turbulent disks of gas and dust surrounding newborn stars. By detecting microscopic traces of water and heavy hydrogen, the telescope aims to verify whether cosmic ice acts as the primary “glue” that binds stellar dust grains together to jumpstart early planet formation.
About the Author
