NASA Selects Proposals to Study Stellar Explosions, Galaxies, Stars
This image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope features the spiral galaxy Mrk (Markarian) 1337, which is roughly 120 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Virgo. Credit: ESA/Hubble and NASA, A. Riess et al.
NASA has selected four mission proposals submitted to the agency’s Explorers Program for further study. The proposals include missions that would study exploding stars, distant clusters of galaxies, and nearby galaxies and stars.
Two Astrophysics Medium Explorer missions and two Explorer Missions of Opportunity have been selected to conduct mission concept studies. After detailed evaluation of those studies, NASA plans to select one Mission of Opportunity and one Medium Explorer in 2024 to proceed with implementation. The selected missions will be targeted for launch in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
NASA Explorer missions conduct focused scientific investigations and develop instruments that fill scientific gaps between the agency’s larger space science missions. The proposals were competitively selected based on potential science value and feasibility of development plans.
The two Medium Explorer teams selected at this stage will each receive $3 million to conduct a nine-month mission concept study. Astrophysics Medium Explorer mission costs are capped at $300 million each, excluding the launch vehicle. The selected proposals are:
- UltraViolet EXplorer (UVEX)
- Survey and Time-domain Astrophysical Research Explorer (STAR-X)
- Moon Burst Energetics All-sky Monitor (MoonBEAM)
- A LargE Area burst Polarimeter (LEAP)
For more information about the selected proposals, visit https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-proposals-to-study-stellar-explosions-galaxies-stars.
For more information about the Explorers Program, visit https://explorers.gsfc.nasa.gov.