Soon, the United States will join Israel in implementing the Ultrasat mission. It provides for the launch into space of a telescope operating in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. This device will be able to study gravitational waves and supernova flares.
The US and Israel are preparing an agreement
NASA and Israel are preparing to conclude an agreement on launching a new astrophysical instrument into space. The space agency said that the document could be signed within the next few months, although at a consultation meeting on this occasion it was reported that this could happen before the end of January.
We are talking about the Ultrasat space telescope, which will operate in geostationary orbit. It is being developed by the Israeli Weizmann Institute with the support of the space agency of this country and the German research center DESY. It was the last who created a special ultraviolet camera for it.
It is expected that NASA will ensure its launch into geostationary orbit as a side load in one of its missions. The device weighs 1,100 kg, more than half of which is accounted for by the fuel that it needs in order to take its position in orbit. The launch of the mission, designed for three years, is planned for 2026.
What Ultrasat can see
Ultrasat will work in the ultraviolet range. It differs from other missions operating or intending to operate at these frequencies by its special sensitivity in the near region of this spectrum invisible to the human eye.
This allows it to solve two main scientific problems. The first is the detection of ultraviolet signatures of gravitational wave events, for example, the merger of neutron stars. The second is the observation of supernova explosions.
Scientists expect that Ultrasat will make a significant contribution to multispectral research. This is a new field of astronomy, based on the observation of the same object at different wavelengths of electromagnetic waves and the involvement of gravitational-wave observatories.
It is expected that, in addition to the launch of Ultrasat itself, NASA will finance the research of scientists associated with it. It is expected to create an archive of information in the USA. The total cost of work on the satellite and its launch will be USD 110 million.
According to spacenews.com
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