spacetoday.net: NASA selects two astrophysics probe mission concepts for further study

Posted: Sat, Oct 5, 2024, 10:00 AM ET (1400 GMT)
NASA has selected two concepts for far-infrared and X-ray space telescopes for study. The agency announced Thursday it will award $5 million contracts to teams working on the Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite and Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics missions for one-year studies. NASA will select one of the proposals in 2026 for development, with launch planned in 2032. The selected mission will be the first in a new line of "probe-class" astrophysics missions with a budget, excluding launch, of $1 billion. Such missions are intended to fill a gap between smaller Explorer-class astrophysics missions and more expensive flagship missions like the James Webb Space Telescope.